Diary of a binge eater.

[flabtofit]

You'll do it Kel! New year always feels psychologically like a new start.

I too aim to lose weight for my babies - my scales are now in the bin as I was getting dangerously addicted to weighing and my OH broached his concerns as he saw my 2 year old weighing and saying how big he was - the same thing I do when I get on the scales - and we both feel that my constant weighing is setting a bad example to the children.

I never want my children to worry about their weight/image. I want them to be well-rounded (no pun), independant, confident individuals and I think in order to do that I need to set a good example, so here goes...

Happy new year to all!

Xx

 

[kel86]

Well done, that's a big step and you've done the right thing. It's worrying how much our children pickup on but where puttin it right that all that matters xx

 

[flabtofit]

I'm like an addict having withdrawal symptoms at the mo but. I'll get there...

As long as we're doing our best for our children its all we can do, parenting is by far the hardest job in the world and everyday poses a new set of worries but its also the most rewarding.

Right soppy bit over lol. And I haven't even had a drink yet!

 

[kel86]

Yay I did it, managed to get through my fist day on plan. It was touch and go and could feel a binge coming but managed to distract my self with the ironing lol. If I carry on like this my house will be super clean These next few weeks will be tough but ill get through it.

So I weighed in today I've put 5lbs on but I'm drawing a line under it, so I now weigh 13 stone 9 lbs.

 

[flabtofit]

Well done Kel!

I get up the morning and think 'I'm going to be good for today, just today' think it helps me taking it day by day - thinking its for life depresses me even though I know it will have to be in order to keep the weight off

 

[BingoBango]

I just hope I can find my inspiration when I get to target to keep it off...we shall see when I get there, I've got quite a long way to go...

Hi Flabtofit, here are some of the reasons to keep the weight off (as per "Eating less - say goodbye to overeating" by Gillian Riley and "The alternate day diet" by James B. Johnson):

"Whether you recognise it or not, everytime you make a choice about eating there is an effect on your self-esteem. With a single choice the effect is likely to be subtle, but the extraordinary thing about food is that you encounter it all the time, so you affect your self-esteem all the time. The effect is constant and cumulative.

Higher self esteem is something you achieve, and your relationship with food provides you with a unique opportunity to achieve it. Learning that you deterimine your opinion of yourself and that you have an enormous impact on your self-esteem daily [through what you eat] may at first seem liberating and frightening."

Benefits you gain from raising your self-esteem:

Inner strength and confidence, rather than feeling like a victim of life
feeling more at ease with yourself, whether alone or when you're with others
productivity and enthusiasm for life
less sensitive to criticism
less self-conscious and anxious
more positive mood
greater ability to recover from other compulsive behaviours, like smoking
greater ability to cope with major life changes, such as the death of a relative, end of relationship, redundancy or retirement.
you take control of your life instead of being controlled by your addictive appetite

Benefits you gain from weight loss


vitality and sustained energy
no more bloated uncomfortable feelings from eating too much
ability to think more clearly, better concentration and attention span
savings in money
more adaptable to temperature changes
less susceptible to symptoms of stress
improved sleep
Greately decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, arthritis, osteoperosis and Alzheimer's disease
Longer lifespan, reduction of heart disease and strokes
Reduce the risk of developing certain kinds of cancer (according to a French study by Olivier Descamps).

As you know my personal reason to maintain long term is that I want to be active right until the day I die. I don't want my world to shrink because I'm too unfit or because I'm embarrassed by my weight. Since losing 36 kgs (although I have picked up just over a stone of that again) I have seen and done some amazing things (snowmobiling and dogsledding in the arctic circle being the highlights!) which I would never have had the confidence to do if I hadn't felt good about myself (at the time, not anymore!). For me, being at my goal weight allows me so much freedom. I even found that at my goal weight I wore less makeup because I didn't feel like my face had to make up for my other shortcomings lol

I hope you find something in this list that speaks to you.

 

[BingoBango]

'I'm going to be good for today, just today' think it helps me taking it day by day - thinking its for life depresses me even though I know it will have to be in order to keep the weight off

Have you heard of the alternate day diet? Every second day, you get to eat whatever you want! I think it's this (freedom every second day) that makes me want to see if I can make this diet work long term.

 

[BingoBango]

Well done Kel86! How did yesterday go?

I am trying a combination of JUDDD and Weightwatchers. Yesterday was my first down day and I made it (although only just!).

 

[kel86]

Bingobango love your posts very inspiring. Puts it all into perspective.

 

[flabtofit]

I've never before thought about the degree that food affects my self esteem but reading that list really made me think about the feelings/emotions that food triggers in me and I had a moment of clarification which helped me visualise myself having beat the food demons and helped me to think how I would feel when I'd done so - thank you, was very powerful and not something I'd considered before.

I don't think the alternate food day diet would suit me as I would still binge every other day and don't think I'd get to the root of my psychological problems with food. I'm doing SW at the mo and when I stick to it, it works.

Thank you for all your help and support BingoBango x

 

[kel86]

Well done Kel!

I get up the morning and think 'I'm going to be good for today, just today' think it helps me taking it day by day - thinking its for life depresses me even though I know it will have to be in order to keep the weight off

That's exactly how I'm taking it one day at a time, to look at the bigger picture is just to scary. Just getting through a day at a time for me is an achievement in itself.

 

[flabtofit]

Yeah it also breaks the task down Kel and doesn't seem so scary.

Keep going your doing great!

 

[Ally89]

Hi, I'm a binge eater too, I can go for weeks and be fine but then something will trigger me off and I'll binge, most times i hide it, sneaking food up to my room, eating in work, but eating normally when i'm around my mum and dad. I've been much better for the last year, but still lapse sometimes and go into a binge for a day or too, most time i managed to get myself back onto slimming world though, except the last few months i've been in a constant binge cycle, after 9 weeks of being unable to stop myself eating the junk i think i've finally gotta out of my cycle again, so back on SW again.

 

[BingoBango]

I'm doing SW at the mo and when I stick to it, it works.

The important thing is that it works! I think everyone is different and different things work for different people. I am trying the alternate day thing because there is evidence that by fasting every second day you can kick start a gene called SIRT-1 which dramatically increases longevity and quality of life in old age. Not sure I can keep it up, but would like to give it a try.

Taking things one day at time is my motto too, otherwise it would all just be too overwhelming/depressing/all of the above.

 

[BingoBango]

Glad to be of service ladies. It feels really good to have found you both and the forum in general, makes me feel like I am not alone.

Losing the weight will be hard, but I'll have company ;-)

 

[flabtofit]

Exactly the way I feel BingoBango - its nice to finally talk openly with.others who understand my struggles and provide support.

Good point about wearing make-up as well - I find myself putting 'my face' on and doing my hair in the hope that its what people remember about me and not the weight. I need a complete mind shift in order to succeed and I will get there, slowly but surely.

 

[kel86]

Guys here's a good forum it's just for binge eating.
Binge Eating Forum

You can sign up for a news letter and the guy who runs it has recovered from binge eating himself.

 

[flabtofit]

Great. Thanks Kel

 

[BingoBango]

Thanks Kel86, I'll check it out immediately!

 

[BingoBango]

And on a different note, where else on minimins does everyone post? I've been checking out the different forums. Not sure where to get started - there are so many! And some seem more active than others.