I restart every Monday with best intentions, keep up the good work until Saturday comes, binge all weekend, and on next Monday I can't pull myself together and get back on track. Rinse, repeat.
I'm trying to figure out what I do wrong. Current suspect: overambitious plans. I'll go full vanilla, with strict portion control, like I did in the past when I was the slimmest ever on NoS, and no snacking on weekends, too, make half of my plate freggies... and I consistently fail, repeating the 2-week cycle I described above.
Well, I know there's not much hope for weight loss if I pile my plates sky high and have a two-day bingefest every week, but maybe I have to go through this in order to reestablish firm habits? Focus only on the absolute basics, even if it means maintaining my not so happy weight?
I'd love to hear from the folks who successfully re-learned NoS habits after a long break, but of course I'll very much appreciate any thoughts on this.
Should I?
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
The fact you are bingeing makes me think you might feel you are depriving yourself, missing out and cramming it all in on the weekend.
Think about your meals in the week, have food you enjoy and enough to feel satisfied but not stuffed. Enjoy them.
Every meal should be a pleasure, this will then lessen the need to go silly over the weekend...
Be patient it can take time and learning to maintain first is good as that's what you will want to be doing after you have lost
Jx
Think about your meals in the week, have food you enjoy and enough to feel satisfied but not stuffed. Enjoy them.
Every meal should be a pleasure, this will then lessen the need to go silly over the weekend...
Be patient it can take time and learning to maintain first is good as that's what you will want to be doing after you have lost
Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.
I would talk to a doctor / etc. about bingeing and anything that might be really concerning as far as eating disorders go. If you're bingeing in the loose sense of the word (like off the wagon, too many snacks, eating seconds or second-and-a-halfs), then read on! Otherwise, PLEASE talk to professionals about that!
Here are a couple techniques that have helped me get the most out of eating, and also get a grip on what's happening between meals when I'm not eating. It's not foolproof, and I stumble, but it helps me..
First, eat slowly and chew everything. You might want to add a simple rule just to start off with, like chew everything until it has the same consistency (20-30 times maybe), or put your fork down between bites. These are just rules that slow you down. That helps with the big piles of food, because after 20 minutes you might just be tired of sitting at the table laboring over your food -- but more importantly you've given your body enough time to signal to you that you're no longer hungry. Here's a pretty recent study around this:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalt ... d93adb5f41
Second, between meals think about whether it's hunger or appetite. The difference is the need to eat vs the desire to eat. If it's hunger, you'll begin to recognize it, and start to feel the difference between hunger and appetite. Just being able to identify the feeling has helped me a lot, although of course nothing is foolproof. "Oh, that's just my appetite, I ate an hour ago." or "Oh, this is hunger, my stomach is growling and I haven't eaten for 5 hours, I'd better get dinner on the stove!"
https://www.medbroadcast.com/channel/nu ... -vs-hunger
https://fitnessreloaded.com/hunger-vs-appetite/
HTH!
Here are a couple techniques that have helped me get the most out of eating, and also get a grip on what's happening between meals when I'm not eating. It's not foolproof, and I stumble, but it helps me..
First, eat slowly and chew everything. You might want to add a simple rule just to start off with, like chew everything until it has the same consistency (20-30 times maybe), or put your fork down between bites. These are just rules that slow you down. That helps with the big piles of food, because after 20 minutes you might just be tired of sitting at the table laboring over your food -- but more importantly you've given your body enough time to signal to you that you're no longer hungry. Here's a pretty recent study around this:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalt ... d93adb5f41
Second, between meals think about whether it's hunger or appetite. The difference is the need to eat vs the desire to eat. If it's hunger, you'll begin to recognize it, and start to feel the difference between hunger and appetite. Just being able to identify the feeling has helped me a lot, although of course nothing is foolproof. "Oh, that's just my appetite, I ate an hour ago." or "Oh, this is hunger, my stomach is growling and I haven't eaten for 5 hours, I'd better get dinner on the stove!"
https://www.medbroadcast.com/channel/nu ... -vs-hunger
https://fitnessreloaded.com/hunger-vs-appetite/
HTH!
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automatedeating
- Posts: 5305
- Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm
Hi Imogen!
Of course I love you dearly, my internet friend, and it hurts me that I don't have a solution for you.
These are personal things I will say right now, but I can feel your pain in your post, and I just want to be honest. It may help or not.
I've always wanted to be THIN like YOU. You are kind of my 5'2'' idol.....
So, I mean, really -- you aren't binging enough to gain much weight (I know it is a little different after babies, but you are still so thin!). So I'm thinking you feel shame about eating things that are yummy? It's maybe more about your feelings of shame than thinking of food as a way to fuel your body and keep it strong......? I'm rambling a bit and I don't think I'm the best to answer your question but I want you to know that I care. I've never quite gotten the binging thing but I do recognize that when people binge, it really isn't about what they weigh, but how (badly) they feel about food in general. Like that stereotype from long ago that women only order salads on dates. Or something like that.
Of course I love you dearly, my internet friend, and it hurts me that I don't have a solution for you.
These are personal things I will say right now, but I can feel your pain in your post, and I just want to be honest. It may help or not.
I've always wanted to be THIN like YOU. You are kind of my 5'2'' idol.....
So, I mean, really -- you aren't binging enough to gain much weight (I know it is a little different after babies, but you are still so thin!). So I'm thinking you feel shame about eating things that are yummy? It's maybe more about your feelings of shame than thinking of food as a way to fuel your body and keep it strong......? I'm rambling a bit and I don't think I'm the best to answer your question but I want you to know that I care. I've never quite gotten the binging thing but I do recognize that when people binge, it really isn't about what they weigh, but how (badly) they feel about food in general. Like that stereotype from long ago that women only order salads on dates. Or something like that.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2
I’m a newbie and only two months in so please disregard if not appropriate. I’ve had a eating disorder in the past so know more than a little bit about the binge, sanction repeat cycle.
I’m wondering if you maybe have too many rules? Maybe by making it so strict with the rules about your veggies, portions etc. it feels like going on another diet every Monday and you can’t face it?
Could you try sticking to just vanilla s or maybe even the no snacks for awhile so that you don’t feel so deprived that you feel the need to break out on the weekends?
Big hugs. That roller coaster is hard and emotionally draining.
I’m wondering if you maybe have too many rules? Maybe by making it so strict with the rules about your veggies, portions etc. it feels like going on another diet every Monday and you can’t face it?
Could you try sticking to just vanilla s or maybe even the no snacks for awhile so that you don’t feel so deprived that you feel the need to break out on the weekends?
Big hugs. That roller coaster is hard and emotionally draining.
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Imogen Morley
- Posts: 1022
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2010 1:11 pm
Awww, guys, thanks! You've given me so much food for thought!
Soprano, you might be on to something. I'd like to eat healthier, and I tend to get obssessive about it at times, cutting out my favourite N-day foods and forcing myself to eat things that are "good" for me but not that enjoyable.
Liveitup, thanks for reminding me to relax at the table. I do have a habit of scarfing the food down and barely noticing the flavours.
Sharon, you're asking the right questions. Since my favourite foods are not "healthy enough", I tend to cut them out during the week, and cram all the fun in the weekends.
Auto, it's just sooooo weird to think that somebody might be coveting my weight But your comment has made me realise that I'm comparing myself to my former, slimmer self and berating myself for "letting myself go" - I know what I'm capable of, I just have a really hard time actually doing it, and that makes me feel bad about myself.
Shells, thanks for the sympathy. I've been on the forums since 2010, and I had great success with both vanilla NoS and some mods in the past, but my troubled pregnancy and several hospitalisations completely threw my habits off balance. I'm struggling so much to get back on track
You're absolutely right, piling up the rules only makes it all even harder. That's definitely the white and black thinking left over from my dieting days - I have to be perfect, otherwise my efforts don't count at all.
Soprano, you might be on to something. I'd like to eat healthier, and I tend to get obssessive about it at times, cutting out my favourite N-day foods and forcing myself to eat things that are "good" for me but not that enjoyable.
Liveitup, thanks for reminding me to relax at the table. I do have a habit of scarfing the food down and barely noticing the flavours.
Sharon, you're asking the right questions. Since my favourite foods are not "healthy enough", I tend to cut them out during the week, and cram all the fun in the weekends.
Auto, it's just sooooo weird to think that somebody might be coveting my weight
But your comment has made me realise that I'm comparing myself to my former, slimmer self and berating myself for "letting myself go" - I know what I'm capable of, I just have a really hard time actually doing it, and that makes me feel bad about myself. Shells, thanks for the sympathy. I've been on the forums since 2010, and I had great success with both vanilla NoS and some mods in the past, but my troubled pregnancy and several hospitalisations completely threw my habits off balance. I'm struggling so much to get back on track
You're absolutely right, piling up the rules only makes it all even harder. That's definitely the white and black thinking left over from my dieting days - I have to be perfect, otherwise my efforts don't count at all.