I must admit I have been pretty happy with my progress overall in the Diet Bet. Don’t get me wrong, I have by no means been perfect. I have had amazing days, I have had good days, I have had bad days, and I’ve even had some ugly binge eating days. I’m still fighting that binge monster. Some days I just don’t believe I can eat so much, and of course when I binge it is tons of junk! Where does my body put it all? How come I don’t feel full and stop?
However, overall there have been way more good days than bad. Many, many days where I cooked at home and only a few where I went out to eat. So I am pretty proud of myself. I am trying to learn to live healthier, to eat better, and I think this has made me more aware of what I am putting into my body on a regular basis. I have been really trying to eat healthier foods that fill me up instead of junk.
This week I succeeded! Down – 1.4 pounds! Woohoo! Very happy. I am not doing this to become some skinny thing, skinny has never been my goal and in truth I think the way we all view ourselves is very relative. However, I will admit that after Thanksgiving/Christmas I am very glad to have my pants fit once again. Also, on my long run this week I felt less jiggle, jiggle, jiggle as I ran and I am hoping my knees and hips appreciate me for it.
My biggest struggle is still the binge eating. Some days I do so well counting out exact serving sizes. Others I eat an entire bag of Popchips, or 5 bags of popcorn….
Why can I stop some days and not others? hmmm…..
How do you avoid binge eating moments? Tips. (Please.)
Thank you…for letting me know I’m not alone with the binge eating. In my head, I say to myself, no, it’s not binge eating because I’m not eating EVERYTHING in the house…but a bag of Pirate’s Booty in one sitting…or a box of those @#$% crack-covered girl scout cookies…or all of a sudden realizing a whole pint of hagen daaz is gone… I don’t have any tips, but thank you for letting me know I’m not alone in this struggle…
I really think that binge eating qualifies as an eating disorder. I have made improvements, but I still struggle at times and I don’t know why. I guess it will just take a lot of time and handwork to get over, but no, you are in no way alone. And damn those Girl Scout cookies are killers aren’t they?
GREAT progress! I have trouble with the random binging days, but realized you’re doing it is half the battle. Once I notice that I’m mindlessly eating, it helps me focus on the next few days.
I do agree that admitting to it really helps and I do get back on track quickly, I just have to find a way to stop getting off track.
I am not a binge eater, but I do have a temptation to just “munch” all day instead of eating complete meals sometimes, and that makes me more tired, seems like it makes me MORE hungry, and I don’t get the nutrition I need (as “snacky meals” usually aren’t real food). Sooo… what I try to do and what might work is actually putting the food away. Like, get the serving, then put the rest of the chips or whatever in the cabinet and go into the other room, sit down, and eat.
Another thing I try to do is eat snacks that are individual… like an apple, orange, cup of Greek yogurt.
Individual snacks do work well for me.
Usually when I count out a serving size and put it away I do very well, but this time I counted out one serving size, then went back for two, then counted out number three, and so on. Whoops. Who knows.
P.S.- I too love snacking and always try to fight it.
wow! Keep it up, girly! Nice work!
Thanks Haley. I plan to continue working on calorie counting and making healthier food decisions even after the Diet Bet is over.
I haven’t been reading your blog for long, so I don’t know your story, but have you tried eliminating wheat? I took it out of my diet based on my daughter’s allergy and realized it was the wheat that makes me binge. Without it I feel like a normal eater, with it and 6-packs of beer, loaves of bread, plates of cookies, etc. disappear.
No I have not thought about that. I don’t know if I could fully eliminate it – I love breads too much, but maybe I can cut down.
I drink a ton of water at night to avoid before bedtime binging that I’m tempted to do!
I need to up my water intake even more. I am forcing myself to refill a ton today.
This isn’t really a solution to binge eating, but I try to keep healthy snacks (e.g. fruits and veggies) readily available so that if I do want to snack at least I’m eating something healthy. That said, I definitely do indulge in the occasional Popchip mini-binge, too.
Those Popchips are binge inducing I swear. I have worked on buying healthier snacks and am loving Greek yogurt and fruit. What else do you keep around?
I like to have snacks with protein to help keep me feeling more satiated. I like to keep low fat string cheese and hard boiled eggs around. Nuts are also good if you measure them out before snacking, but can be dangerous because they’re pretty calorie dense.
Low fat string cheese is a great idea for me because it is single serving too so I cannot over indulge.
Try to keep a water bottle handy and drink steadily throughout the day. That and munch on a handful of almonds if you feel you get a craving for munchies!
I never eat nuts. I really should buy some and try that.
I am doing Diet Bet too! I needed that kick-start after Christmas!!
I did too- Thanksgiving and Christmas were worse for my waistline than I had hoped.
i think we all have those moments of “cant stop, wont stop!” when we are eating. youre definitely not alone! youre doing a such a great job and kicking the diet bet in the butt! you rock! i try to battle the extreme eating by only taking a little bit out of a bag and putting the rest away. out of sight is out of mind for me. if i leave the bag out, i will ultimately finish it! i also use smaller bowls and utensils because for whatever reason i feel like im getting more, and you cant fit as much on the plate. loL keep working hard, lovely! you are super!
I love the idea of little bowls. Maybe buying some cute, smaller bowls would help me feel like I was still getting a full bowl while eating less.
Great job on your diet bet!!! Amazing progress, you can do it! I smell money in your future….
P.S. I emailed you a picture of the french toast recipe
Thank you so much for the French Toast recipe and I am praying for weight loss and money. This teacher salary could use a little boost;)
as others have said recognizing is half the battle…it’s hard it’s a process but you can do this.
I think you are right. I know what I am doing is wrong, it just takes time to correct years of bad behavior.
You’re doing FANTASTIC! Most of the time my binge eating is because I didn’t eat enough earlier during the day. Skimped on lunch or just overall not enough filling foods – keep nuts around, or sometimes drink a big glass of water then rethink if you’re still hungry. I feel like my sweet tooth just wants something to chew on so i’ll make a glass of nuun and chew some gum and that usually ties me over until meal time.
Oh, I do love Nuun, but I have never used it to stop my sweet tooth. Just post run. I need to try that!
SERIOUSLY?! ROCKSTAR!!!! You are rocking it girlie!
Thanks Krysten. I am really hoping to win.
Congrats!
Binge eating…oh man, we all do it. If I realise I’ve started, I sometimes put the bag down and go and brush my teeth. Most of the time, I won’t continue eating if I’ve brushed my teeth for the night. Or I go and make a cup of tea. That gives me something to sip on and I usually stop thinking about the food – or it gives me enough time to see that I’m full!
Oh my gosh, brushing the teeth is a great idea and one I never thought of. Thank you!
I am right there with you ladies! The thing standing between me, and my fitness goals, is my binge eating… and I am having a super hard time getting it controlled. My binges are not small either. I find once I start I do not stop- kinda like well, if I am going to binge I am going to go all out and have a fresh start tomorrow, mentality. I agree with you thinking it is an eating disorder. It is “normal” for people to over eat once in awhile but to binge on crazy amounts of food?? Not at all normal.. just like under eating all the time is not normal. I try and chew gum to help stop myself but it does not always work. I wish you the best and it looks like you are doing awesome. For me, my new start is tomorrow!! We can do it and keep up the good work!!
Good luck Shanon. I agree, it is very hard to get over the all or nothing binge eating attitude. Urrggggg
Great job on your DietBet so far Abby!! Glad you’re feeling better & kicking butt!! As for the binge eating, I think most of us have those days every now & then (if we’re being honest). If you find a way to completely beat it, let me know! I just try to focus on how crappy I feel after I eat a bunch of junk & hope that deters me. Actually, for me, it’s weird, but lately there’s really only one thing I want to just eat & eat…. fruity trail mix!!! The one from Target that is called A Handful of Everything, or something like that – delicious. AND horribly addictive! LOL
I cannot buy any of the Target trail mixes too good. Serving size 1/2 a cup, ha, entire bag!
Amazing job (whenever I hear that or say it I think of Jillian Michaels because she says that at the end of 30 Day Shred)! You have done really well with this challenge
Thanks Jamie. I am hoping that by dropping a few pounds my knees, hips, and ankles will be happier when I run. Anything to prevent injury.
I know I do it when I am sad or stressed as emotional eating, but sometimes I am perfectly happy and do it too. hmmmm…. Not sure what is going on with me then.