Stop the binge eating and gym workouts.

BreAnn
BreAnn Posts: 35
edited November 12 in Motivation and Support
Hey everyone!

I have lost about 90 pounds, but over the last year and a half gained almost 10 pounds. I want to be back down to my smallest weight. I have no problem hitting the gym, that is still something I enjoy doing, however, my workouts have been mundane and the BIGGEST culprit is that I have been lax on what I have been eating. I LOVE sugar sweet snacks and have lately been eating more than I should.

Any advice for
1. Challenging myself at the gym so that I do not keep getting bored and doing the same workouts?

and

2. Not eating too much/bad foods that cause me to gain weight.

I can be good for a few days with my eating but then I will just have a day where I swear I eat anything in sight! I MUST STOP THIS MADNESS!

Replies

  • bettertracie
    bettertracie Posts: 196 Member
    My sister used to wrap one finger with electrical tape, as a reminder to stay away from the sugars... For me, this sweets problem plagues me as well. I lost 90, gained back 30, and now am training for a marathon, which is FORCING me to make better food decisions (hard to go run 10/11 miles when you have the runs from eating bad).

    My trainer and I talked about this at the beginning of the year, and when we get comfortable and complacent, it's easy to go through the motions and fall back to old habits. That's when she challenged all of us to find either a marathon or figure competition to give yourself a "deadline". Having something specific to look toward and a 'finish line' really helps you stay focused!!

    You already know what you need to do ;)
  • BreAnn
    BreAnn Posts: 35
    My sister used to wrap one finger with electrical tape, as a reminder to stay away from the sugars... For me, this sweets problem plagues me as well. I lost 90, gained back 30, and now am training for a marathon, which is FORCING me to make better food decisions (hard to go run 10/11 miles when you have the runs from eating bad).

    My trainer and I talked about this at the beginning of the year, and when we get comfortable and complacent, it's easy to go through the motions and fall back to old habits. That's when she challenged all of us to find either a marathon or figure competition to give yourself a "deadline". Having something specific to look toward and a 'finish line' really helps you stay focused!!

    You already know what you need to do ;)

    I think you are exactly right :) Thank you! I do need to give myself something to shoot for. In the past it has been like, new clothes or something... the thought of going shopping and buying a smaller size. But even still that hasn't seem to work cus I still have been eating the bad foods. And since my clothes still fit, it hasn't been a big enough motivator to really cut it out. I will have to find something else that really motivates me. Hmmm... maybe someone should ask me to marry them and the motivation of looking hot at my wedding will kick me into gear! ahahaha! ;)
  • worej
    worej Posts: 108

    Any advice for...

    2. Not eating too much/bad foods that cause me to gain weight.

    I can be good for a few days with my eating but then I will just have a day where I swear I eat anything in sight! I MUST STOP THIS MADNESS!

    I used to be a big binge eater, so this is definitely something I know a thing or two about. I don't know if you binge much, but maybe you'll find something helpful.

    What works for me is to track my calories and make a plan... and then when I want to eat something extra, I figure out how long it would take to burn it off at the gym. I am a sucker for sweets, and used to eat a candy bar at work every single afternoon. Once I started thinking of that candy bar as a few minutes of pleasure, but an extra 25 minutes a day I'd have to spend at the gym just to come out even, I definitely quit the habit fast!

    Another thing I do is when I am eating something out of a larger package (chips, breakfast cereal, anything like that) I pour myself a measured serving - get out the measuring cup, or count the chips, whatever. Put it in a bowl. Then put the big package away. I know it sounds like pretty common advice, but wow does it help! I always used to eat my breakfast cereal while looking at the box on the table in front of me, and it was just too easy to think "One more bowl won't hurt" and pour myself another. Sometimes multiple times. But when I have to get up and go back to the cupboard to get myself more, that seems to be just enough time to talk myself out of it.

    Another thing I did was to keep a diary of how I felt after a binge. Just a tiny notebook that I still carry around with me. Keeping a diary of everything you ever eat can be burdensome, but if you just write after a binge, when you're focused on feeling awful anyway, it's easy. Then, when I'm thinking about eating something I shouldn't, or thinking of overeating, I just open up that notebook. Read about the time I had to unbutton and unzip my pants at my desk at work because I was so bloated. Read about the time I messed up my digestion for a week straight. Read about all the times I felt awful.

    When I'm looking at a food I want to eat, I usually only think of the pleasure it will give me in the next few minutes. Not of how long I'll carry the weight, the exercise I'll undo, or the awful feelings I'll experience afterwards. But the diary changes that. I'm getting a lot better at it.
  • Package02
    Package02 Posts: 97
    I used to have this same problem. I'd workout and eat great for a month and then I'd slip up and binge for a couple days to the point that it basically ruined that months hard work. The problem that I had was that I always put myself on a really strict diet, no sweets or anything of that nature. Although I could knock the cravings away for awhile if I did have a just a little bit of something it would end up causing me to binge. What I found works for me are two things; counting calories, and allowing myself to have the occasional snack.

    Counting calories is really helpful because if you track everything you put in versus put out you have a great idea of where you stand for the day as far as what more you can eat. That's why I love this site, it makes counting cals so easy. Plus you really see how many calories are in some things. A week in a half ago I had three cup cakes at my sisters birthday. Was quite the enjoyable 20 minutes. What wasn't so enjoyable was the hour in a half I had to spend doing cardio to burn them XD

    Having said that, if you're under calories the occasional snack isn't such a bad thing. At least that's what I've come to realize. If you cut everything out 100% it can lead to those days where you just can't resist any more and end up consuming everything in sight. In my opinion, as long as you're under calories the occasional snack here and there isn't such a bad thing. It'll help you meet your sweet tooth and you wont binge later. At least it helps for me. When I cut off snacks completely I used to sit there and think "I'm never gonna taste another skittle, have a scoop of ice cream, or the taste of a warm cookie freshly out of the over!" and I'd stress that which would lead to days where I would binge and as I'm doing it I would tell myself "don't worry, starting tomorrow you'll go 100% and never have any of these horrible snacks again". A couple weeks later it would happen again. It was the thought of never having them again. So allowing myself the occasional treat as long as I'm eating healthy and under calories helps me to avoid binges.

    Sorry I wrote so much XD good luck! =)
  • BreAnn
    BreAnn Posts: 35
    So true! I really like the idea of letting myself have a little snack every so often - something that doesn't completely blow my hard word, but let's me feel treated as well. Cus I know I could never live this life without cookies, cake, or ice cream ever again!
  • PlunderBunneh
    PlunderBunneh Posts: 1,705 Member

    Any advice for...

    2. Not eating too much/bad foods that cause me to gain weight.

    I can be good for a few days with my eating but then I will just have a day where I swear I eat anything in sight! I MUST STOP THIS MADNESS!

    I used to be a big binge eater, so this is definitely something I know a thing or two about. I don't know if you binge much, but maybe you'll find something helpful.

    What works for me is to track my calories and make a plan... and then when I want to eat something extra, I figure out how long it would take to burn it off at the gym. I am a sucker for sweets, and used to eat a candy bar at work every single afternoon. Once I started thinking of that candy bar as a few minutes of pleasure, but an extra 25 minutes a day I'd have to spend at the gym just to come out even, I definitely quit the habit fast!

    Another thing I do is when I am eating something out of a larger package (chips, breakfast cereal, anything like that) I pour myself a measured serving - get out the measuring cup, or count the chips, whatever. Put it in a bowl. Then put the big package away. I know it sounds like pretty common advice, but wow does it help! I always used to eat my breakfast cereal while looking at the box on the table in front of me, and it was just too easy to think "One more bowl won't hurt" and pour myself another. Sometimes multiple times. But when I have to get up and go back to the cupboard to get myself more, that seems to be just enough time to talk myself out of it.

    Another thing I did was to keep a diary of how I felt after a binge. Just a tiny notebook that I still carry around with me. Keeping a diary of everything you ever eat can be burdensome, but if you just write after a binge, when you're focused on feeling awful anyway, it's easy. Then, when I'm thinking about eating something I shouldn't, or thinking of overeating, I just open up that notebook. Read about the time I had to unbutton and unzip my pants at my desk at work because I was so bloated. Read about the time I messed up my digestion for a week straight. Read about all the times I felt awful.

    When I'm looking at a food I want to eat, I usually only think of the pleasure it will give me in the next few minutes. Not of how long I'll carry the weight, the exercise I'll undo, or the awful feelings I'll experience afterwards. But the diary changes that. I'm getting a lot better at it.

    The diary is a great idea, I think I'll try to start that up. Thanks for sharing :flowerforyou:
  • daryll77
    daryll77 Posts: 29
    I don't consider myself to be dieting...I just think that I am on the path to a healthier and fitter me. That means that if i crave something I'll have it, it just means that I have to be mindful of the portion size, the amount of activity I have done/planned for the day and the other meals I have planned.

    This means that I haven't had a binge in over 2 months...since I started...I am not starving myself or denying myself anything.

    This is working for me but not to say that it will for everyone....good luck!
  • mfp_1
    mfp_1 Posts: 516 Member
    Do you own kitchen scales?
  • BreAnn
    BreAnn Posts: 35
    Do you own kitchen scales?
    No, I don't but I am pretty good at measuring my portions out when I am on track. When I have a binge attack, I am too ashamed to measure, much less record it later :(
  • mfp_1
    mfp_1 Posts: 516 Member
    I've always used scales and can't imagine a kitchen without them. Measuring food weight isn't just good for calorie counting, it's good for baking. It may not be relevant to your binging though, as you say.

    Good luck!

    I'm just an ordinary user like you.
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