Trying to Change Binge into Light Bulb Momemt

[Noellamon]

Right, I had a horrible evening last night. This was my second out of control moment on this diet. I just could not stop eating, I had pizza, chips, cakes, crisps, & bread. I went to bed feeling so awful, I was so out of control & I felt really miserable both mentally & physically. I feel that getting to my goal is becoming more difficult & I have got a bit stuck.:break_diet:

I have however woke up in a better mood & I want to try & turn this into something positive. So to try & get back on track I have added some mini challenges to my signature & I will post to say how I'm getting on.

CD has been so great for me & I already feel so much better in myself due to the weight loss but whilst CD is dealing with the weight loss I don't seem to have dealt / be dealing with the underlying issue which is my binge eating. I have tried writing down how I feel when I binge which is good at the time as it gets it off my chest, clears the air but what I really need is some plan of action for when I feel like I am out of control. What can do I do when I feel like I am going to lose the plot, how I can stop & get back in charge of myself. My trouble is that I think I might as well be hung for a sheep as lamb! So once I start I have great difficulty stopping. If anyone has any advice on how to deal with this I would be really grateful for input / advice or any books, websites or info that might help! I really want to get a grip as I know I will just put the weight back on if I don't deal with this issue.

 

[cambridge*diet*08]

well personally speaking i think we can read too much into bingeing... yes i know its a horrid thing and it makes you feel awful afterwards.

BUT i have tried 2 different counsellors who BOTH could not find a reason why i do it...

so i have decided it is just something that happens... like a moment of madness. as long as it does not spiral out of control for days and months is it really such a bad thing????

just see it as something which happens and do not dwell on it. i used to obsess about it and read loads on internet about americans (typical...lol) coming up with all different reasons about why we do it.

as women we are always made to feel like we need to diet... this feeling of deprivation can lead to a break-out as you experienced last night!

go with the flow and see it as a blip and not a disaster. the longer you dwell on it and try to justify it then the longer you spend thinking about food (indirectly of course).

i hope this makes sense. it has taken me 10 years to get to grips with bingeing... so i hope you can too.xxxxx

 

[cambridge*diet*08]

oh and you CAN stick to CD so you obviously dont have a mega eating disorder.

dont give yourself a label... you dont have a problem you are just human!!!!!

i can binge til the cows come home but in 10 weeks on CD ss'ing i have had one day (well evening) off so clearly i can control it. you can too!!!!

best of luck xxxx

 

[Porgeous]

This is always a tough one. I had a very enlightening conversation with a "naturally slim" person last week who told me that she too has urges to binge and that it is "normal" and not solely limited to those of us with a weight problem. The difference is that they manage to resist more often than we do and when they do give in they make it an isolated incidence rather than writing off an entire week.

Helpful suggestions are even more tricky! When you say you might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. Think it through, if you are hung for a lamb, chances are you can carry on as usual that week without it affecting your weight, hang yourself for a sheep and it is more likely to have consequences on the scales.

The other thing that springs to mind is that you have started to think about how you feel when you need to binge which is a really constructive and helpful thing to do, take that a step further and think about how you will feel after... is it going to solve whatever it is that is making you binge in the first place or will it possibly just make things worse.

Most importantly, don't be too hard on yourself, we all have demons and it is a huge learning curve for us all. We aren't always going to get it right but we have to keep trying.

Big HUGS

Gx

 

[KD]

well personally speaking i think we can read too much into bingeing...

I agree.

BUT i have tried 2 different counsellors who BOTH could not find a reason why i do it...

Last time I had a binge, I knew it was coming...I felt each step...yet I still couldn't find a reason for it. It was nothing to do with hating myself, feeling emotional etc. It was just something I had to do.

It really doesn't bother me so much these days as the episodes are so few and far between these days. It's almost as if now that I've come to terms with it, the need isn't so strong. I can relax a bit through it....but still work on stopping it, if you know what I mean.

Of course, if I ever went back to binging 24/7, I'd have a big problem.

So I guess the problem isn't whether you binge or not, but how often and whether you can just still be at peace with yourself at the end of it.

 

[cambridge*diet*08]

yep totally agree with KD...

only YOU know how much of an issue the bingeing is. if you feel you really are losing it then seek help.

if it is a one off and the other 90% of the time you are in control then let it be and move on.

today is a new day my dear, get back on the wagon!!!!

 

[Noellamon]

I hear what you all saying & it makes sense. I suppose my concerns stem from the fact that before CD my eating was so out of control, every night was a binge.:cry: Like KD said last night I had no emotional reason for eating I wasn't upset or angry or even bored so I don't know what the trigger was & it baffles me as to why I did it, which makes me feel even more out of control.

CD has given me some of the control back around food back but last night really scared me as I feel like I might be on some kind of slippery slope. I feel I can cope if the binges are infrequent, in 15 weeks of CD there have been 2 times (last sunday & last night) so maybe I have to just say "bad week" & move on. Maybe I can still be in control if I accept that I am going to binge now & again but after the event I have draw line under it, not hate myself for it & move on. So that's what I will try & do!

 

[Kira]

Aellon I totally relate your post about bingeing. Before CD I was completely out of control. I would binge each night as if morsel of food I ate was the last supper! Things that have helped since starting CD (on day 19 today!) is the fact I have proved I have will power. If I can do CD for 19 days that is proof I have the will power to control what I ate. The tricky bit is carrying that on......I am hoping will the support, and shared experiences from the wonderful people on this forum I will be able to achieve that too. What may help you when you have a binge coming on is brush your teeth, drink a glass of water, tidy up (de-clutter) anything to distract you! On the first few days of CD I found it tough and went for a walk (Never done that before!) to stop me thinking about food. By the time I came back with my husband and children I had lost the urge to binge. I am not sure it will always work but at least we are trying to do something about by challenging ourselves to get rid of excess weight. Oh! The other thing I do is come on the forum every now and again when I feel myself wavering!! That is always a great help especially seeing everone's before and after photo's and progress on weight loss. I always love seeing Porgeous's photo on her signature page. She is my incentive to keep going and she posts such encouraging posts!