How do I stop?

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Swissmiss
Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
in Motivation and Support
It seems that I can go forever without eating at all. BUT, the moment food passes between my lips I am on a down hill roll. Once I start, I can't stop !! How can I control my portions?

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  • anunley1
    anunley1 Posts: 35 Member
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    I would think you don't want to stop because you are going to long between meals. I would suggest eating small meals every 3-4 hours. Always eat breakfast within an hour of waking up! I've been doing this for about a year - lost about 50 lbs. This way when you eat, you won't want to overdo it. You'll find that your body will start to get hungry right around the 3 hour mark and will get full quicker.
  • samandlucysmum
    samandlucysmum Posts: 320
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    Eat regular, don't starve yourself, I have 3 meals, and a couple of snacks to keep me going, oh, and plenty of fluids.
  • artslady96
    artslady96 Posts: 132 Member
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    Have you contemplated the circumstances under which you cannot stop yourself from eating and, as a result, overeat? Given your comment "I can go forever without eating at all," I wonder if you are not starving yourself during the daytime hours to indulge in the evening. This NEVER works because you will consume far more calories and feel less satisfied with this method than with spreading the calories throughout the day. Trust me on this one; it was my weight "loss" plan of choice prior to joining MFP.

    However, there are other reasons we loose control. One trigger for me is having too much food on my plate, which is a problem when I eat at a restaurant. If that is the problem, ask the waiter to bring you a doggy bag with the meal and package half the meal in it before you start eating. Just having the extra food out of sight makes it so much easier not to eat it. If at home, only place one portion of food on your plate and then eat in a different room from the other food, then wait fifteen minutes between portions. If you still want it after fifteen minutes and you have the calories for it, then it's fine.

    Finally, you could just need to keep your mouth busy. I like sugar free gum and chew it whenever I know I will be in a food situation I am wary of controlling like the break room.

    The best piece of advice I can give you, though, is to really think about the motivation for the habit. Everyone is different and, without understanding the habit, it is impossible to break. With understanding it, it becomes only difficult. :-)
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    Eating small and frequently is a technique to combat this
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
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    Plan plan plan. I space out my day into about 3 meals and 2-3 snacks and I set up my portions on advance. Knowing when I'm going to eat next and how much I can eat makes me more In control and less likely to binge.
    Also slow down your eating and drink a big glass of water while you eat. When you finish your portion get up and start cleaning up to get your brain out of eating mode. After 15 minutes (roughly the time it takes your body to send the "I'm full" signal reevaluate, if you're still hungry get something small and more water to help fill your stomach.

    Also take it one day at a time. Saying "I'm never going to binge everrrrrr again!" is a big commitment, it's like a chain smoker stopping cold turkey, yeah a few can do it but most of us mortals have to take it one step at a time. I know that today I wont binge, I didnt binge yesterday actually it's been weeks since the last time I binged but at first I would go 2-3 days, forget to plan my meal and go crazy. Eventually you will get there but first you have to take control of your eating, I know for me the more control I feel the less I overeat, if I feel out of control (it's especially bad for me if I'm out of town without my kitchen) I'm more likely to go nuts.

    You can do this!!
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    intermittent fasting might work for you.
  • ClairBears84
    ClairBears84 Posts: 531 Member
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    What works for me is I eat small bits every 3-4 hours, I have breakfast then a snack, then lunch later and a snack between and then dinner, smaller portions eaten more often.? have you tried that?
  • JesseMotes
    JesseMotes Posts: 4
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    i suggest eating food that is not 'yummy'. i like to have food in the morning that isn't super tasty like plain oatmeal or grits. the tastier the food is the more likely you are to want more. dont go too bland though, because you dont want to be unable to eat the food at all. i will put a serving of ocean spray craisins in my oatmeal to give it some natural flavor. if i make only 1/3 cup dry oatmeal and put 1/3 cup craisins that lands me at about 230 calories and keeps me full for a couple hours. grits are even better for keeping me full, but blander.

    i also only prepare enough for the one meal. if i don't have a buffet to eat from and it takes some effort to make more food, i'm less likely to go through the trouble. also i sometimes decide to go ahead and make more food because i really feel hungry, but by the time i have it ready i'm no longer hungry. do NOT be afraid to throw food away. yes you paid for it, but food breaks down in the environment very very quickly. it's not going to hurt the environment for a bowl of oatmeal you decided you weren't hungry enough to eat goes in the trash. of course you could just put it away for later too. but i dont like re-heated oatmeal.

    also, eat slower. i always over eat when i eat quickly. take your time and eat filling food slowly and your body will have time to get the signal that it's full.

    and my last bit of advice: find metabolic stabilizers and start taking them. i take a B complex, L-Leucine, Cinnamon, and flax seed oil every day in the morning!

    B complex for energy. keeping your energy levels up will help with binge eating.
    L-Leucine helps your body process complex proteins for energy instead of carbs, which helps with binge eating.
    Cinnamon helps your body stabilize its blood sugar levels so you will have less dramatic upswings in hunger which helps with binge eating.
    flax seed oil contains omega fatty acids. any fish oil will work, and i hear it works better, but flax seed oil is what i found first. this one doesn't help with binge eating, but it does help your body.
  • sho3girl
    sho3girl Posts: 10,799 Member
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    I used to write down all food choices and what I was feeling (pre MFP days) so I can see a pattern of emotional eating as for me it could be as simple as it's boredom, too sunny to exercise, too cold to go out. Helping to identify my "triggers" really helps me stay on track.
  • stangma
    stangma Posts: 211 Member
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    This is all wonderful advise. I totally agree with the meals/snacks throughout the day - try to keep your blood sugars from dipping too low (I know that causes me to just grab anything & stuff it in my face). The carbs will up your sugars for a while & then you will crash & crave.

    Just remember too this is a journey of learning about yourself - what works for you. Keep tracking - you are doing amazingly well.

    Congrats on your progress.

    Deb

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