So frustrated with my binges! page 2

[jimhensen]

What part of the pumpkin do you eat? The skin, the insides, the seeds? I have heard of pumpkin pie but I have never heard of someone just eating pumpkin.

[wolfman]

My biggest thing is knowing that one leads to another, I'll say "I'll have a cheat meal" then I have a cheat dessert then I say "ah fuck it I ate shitty so I'll have a bad breakfast" it's a slippery slope, so I just up my resolve...don't keep any sweets in the house, and if you catch yourself craving, yell at yourself and say "I will not" as strongly as you can, the only way that food gets into your mouth is if you hand picks it up....do not touch that food.

[jimhensen]

My biggest thing is knowing that one leads to another, I'll say "I'll have a cheat meal" then I have a cheat dessert then I say "ah fuck it I ate shitty so I'll have a bad breakfast" it's a slippery slope, so I just up my resolve...don't keep any sweets in the house, and if you catch yourself craving, yell at yourself and say "I will not" as strongly as you can, the only way that food gets into your mouth is if you hand picks it up....do not touch that food.

This type of thinking leads me to binges that lead to complete destruction of any type of healthy diet I am eating. What I have found works best for me is eating the foods that normally cause me to binge in a controlled setting in proper portions. After a while I don't crave these foods for binges because I eat them on a regular basis, just not an unhealthy amount.

[wolfman]

Yeah that's a great way to do it too, but some people just can't have that one or it's a never ending roller coaster. I think people need to get tough.

[MarissaLinnea]

This type of thinking leads me to binges that lead to complete destruction of any type of healthy diet I am eating. What I have found works best for me is eating the foods that normally cause me to binge in a controlled setting in proper portions. After a while I don't crave these foods for binges because I eat them on a regular basis, just not an unhealthy amount.

If it were just desserts that I binge on, then yes this would probably work. Like, only having a dessert when out to dinner already or something like that, so you only get the one portion. But I binge on normal foods. Or, the binges start on normal foods like fruit, and then progress and get worse and worse.

Yeah that's a great way to do it too, but some people just can't have that one or it's a never ending roller coaster. I think people need to get tough.

You are right. I do need to get tough. I've gotten through this before and actually got to the point where my cravings were getting really manageable. I just need to get back to that place. I need to be stronger. And I agree with you, when I let myself have just one, it sets me off on the roller coaster.

[Heth]

What part of the pumpkin do you eat? The skin, the insides, the seeds? I have heard of pumpkin pie but I have never heard of someone just eating pumpkin.

Haha! It's one of my favourite foods, I just eat the 'flesh'. It's delicious just baked, I don't even use any oil, just on some baking paper. Or I just coarsly cut up some and use the food processor to finely chop or grate it and saute it in a bit of water and maybe some spices like mustard or onion, for 5-10 mins. I don't usually eat 1kg though...that was a bit extreme but better than eating 1kg nuts!

[emmie]

The best help I've gotten is from the book Brain Over Binge. The author is a recovered bulimic, but her advice works for anyone who binges or has episodes of compulsive overeating.

She explains the physiology that 'causes' the urge to binge as well as why it often can't be resisted and offers a technique for aborting the binge that I've found helpful.

[Forgotmylastusername]

I just keep my binges structured and periodic. I make them very low fat high carb so I at least get some benefits from them and refill some glycogen. For me, It's a good psychological break to have a good binge and it kills my desire to regularly binge on other foods like chocolate.

[AdamC29]

Everybody has binges, whoever tells you that they don't is lying. Everything around us tells us to binge unfortunately and our brain sometimes cannot resist.

When you accept this you can then make sure you can control them (in my experience). I guess that is what the 20% is for.

I try to structure any binges after a tough workout and I am still losing weight/fat. I am also trying to recreate my favourite foods in a more healthy manner which also seems to help (i.e. lettuce wraps fajitas) curb any temptation.

Sometimes you just want the real thing though so don't beat yourself up over it. Just try to eat a little better the rest of the week and exercise a bit harder. This is a lifestyle and not a diet!

[nixxy]

I, too, think everyone binges, but just maybe doesn't call it that or doesn't want to admit it. I think the peaking and dropping sugar effect (mainly in SAD) contributes as well, and messes up our metabolism response, which primal helps with but it takes time to fix I think. Primal has helped with my binges, but I do still do it. This website here, is pretty poorly written and referenced but it helped me think about myself and what is happening when I'm crashing, and also understand my low carb changes (primal naturally made me much lower carb than SAD, as happens to many).

You've gotten some great advice, but in my experience, words aren't enough and while the advice SOUNDS good, it's hard to implement or really know how.

A few tips, which are hopefully practical (note that this is what I do personally and it may not work, we're all different)
-The not beating yourself up is really important. Once I stopped doing that, my binge periods got shorter and shorter. Now I usually only binge for 1 meal, sometimes 2, but never the multiple-day binges I use to have. I think it's because I try to forgive myself immediately. I just say "hey, it happened, there's my 20%"
-Don't expect to be perfect. A huge problem with primal people I think is they try to be perfect. That's what the 20% is for!! You cannot be perfect (well, maybe some can, but an accident or slip-up is bound to happen). Really make yourself understand, YOU CANNOT BE 100% PRIMAL.
-Keep yummy primal foods around. When I want to binge, it is sugary stuff I crave. I dream of chocolate and pudding and sweets. But, I fry up some bacon, maybe some cheese, perhaps some chicken breast meat. Almond butter on banana is another fave. It's hard to just literally keep stuffing yourself, eventually I find the urge just goes away, probably because I'm just annoyed that I'm eating bacon that I don't really want. It usually ends up being about 300 calories before I get over it.
-Stop thinking of food as reward or punishment. This is a society thing that we've been socialised into, to it's really hard to stop doing. I noticed that whenever I saw a good drop on the scale... I'd buy dark chocolate! How stupid. Bad logic. Then I'd eat it as a treat. It's fine if it could be a treat, like a couple of pieces, but if it turns into a binge it's a big problem.
-Don't go shopping when hungry or cravey, or eat before you go. I always heard this advice but never followed it, now I do and I'm thankful. I fill my cart with proper stuff instead of buying junk and wanting to eat it in the car like I use to.



The thing is, we can't be too hard on ourselves. We can't live our lives by rules, forever in fear of a binge. It takes some of the fun out of life, and makes eating too STRESSFUL. You have to find a balance that works for you, and it's not a static thing. You don't find this magical place where your diet works and it's all rainbows and fairies forever, we adapt and change over time and our balance in our diets has to as well. But no one is perfect, really. Who cares if you don't lose weight one week because of a binge, move on. It's difficult, I know (I'm recovering from a month of slooooooow losses due to a few bad choices), but we know it's the right thing to do.

You wouldn't be here if you didn't care about your health enough to take the time to try and figure yourself out