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Chowder's Journal

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Started 1 year ago by Chowder
Latest reply from jacquirsw1

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Chowder
Member

All right, over the past few days (including today), I've been binging like mad. I've been completely aware the whole time that it's not out of hunger or even really craving, but because I have a whole lot of work to do in very little time and I feel stressed. Eating is a way to put off the work, even though it obviously just gets worse because then I have LESS time.

So I'm starting a journal here to keep track of every day; I'm a lot more in control when I write about it, but I've been using the "too busy to write" excuse. I'm also going to try out the 21-day thing -- 21 days to get back to feeling like I'm in complete control. I know that if I start, I'll feel in control even faster than that. But anyway I know I don't want to binge again; it all ends in a very unpleasant sensation of being over-full and feeling ill, I just seem to "conveniently forget" that every time I start binging. But hey, one day at a time, tomorrow will be a better day and this evening will be too.

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

First day of the 21-day-challenge is done! I ate exactly how much I had planned to eat and haven't felt tempted to overeat all day. Personally it helps me when I plan out my meals a day in advance, even though sometimes I make small alterations (like substitute this for that, but keeping the same amounts/calories). I've planned out my meal for tomorrow and I'm confident that I can keep to it. Already after one day I feel a lot better and more in control. Plus I've decided not to stress about the work; I'll do what I can and as much as I can and that's that, stressing out never made anything better.

Posted 1 year ago #
jacquirsw1
Member

Well done, sounds like you have had a good day.

Jacqui

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Second day down and all is going well. Ate as much as I decided I would and didn't feel the need to scarf down more. I wasn't tempted to binge at all; I probably will be at some point, but this 21 day thing is great. I've got a vacation coming up which will involve lots of sitting around at home where there'll be very much food available whenever I want it, but I've decided I won't fall into that trap. Once I start I just keep going. I'm going to have a little of whatever it is that looks good, but I'll incorporate it into my meals and only have as much as I need, not as much as I can fit in my stomach. I'm a bit nervous about it but I'm looking forward to being on vacation and eating normally, finally!

Posted 1 year ago #
sami23
Member

hey chowder don't be nervous bekoz of the vication , i'm already in a vication and i have you and all the members to help me throught , at work you have that stress that will effect you but from ur writing i can see tha ur doing really well so Bravo
and in the same way ur getting throught the stress , ur gonna get throught the vication and we're all here for you
so keep up the good work , u have 19 days to go and it's not that long , they'll be over in a blink of an eye
and to encourage you even more, from 2moro i'm gna start doing the 21 days program with you ,even there is going to be a lot of food 2moro like i wrote in my journal but that is NOT an excuse koz temptation is everywhere not just 2moro
one more thing , excuse me if there are somw words not spelled correctly but i'm doing my best to improve my language / english ... dnt be shy to correct me sometimes ok
you can help with that as well ...thank you
GOOD JOB

Posted 1 year ago #
jacquirsw1
Member

You are doing really well.

We all get amxious over holiday times because we don't have our normal routines which means that we lose our normal reference points.

Try keeping to similar times for your foods etc and that will help, but YOU CAN GET THROUGH THIS TIME.

Jacqui

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Thanks so much for the support, guys! I'll definitely keep updating this journal during vacation (though I can't get to a computer on some days, but I'll report afterwards) and reading your journals too.

sami 23, you're totally right, there'll always be occasions with a whole lot of food; the trick is to learn how to not binge when it's there -- when there's little to no food around, it's easy; resisting scarfing it all down when it's all there is the real challenge, but every day you manage to do it makes you better and better at it! (And since you said I should give you English tips -- it's "vacation." <3 Your English is good, though, just takes lots of practice!)

Jacqui, that's exactly how I figured I'd do it -- stick to regular eating times and not let myself start munching on things in between. And for dinner or any time we sit at a table with the food in front of us, I won't reach for second helpings unless I'm actually still hungry. The problem with sitting at a table for a big meal is boredom -- we're talking to someone and we reach for another helping just to keep our hands occupied. Kind of mindless, but the first step is realizing we do it, so I'm definitely more prepared now.

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Third day down and determined as ever! I've decided after the 21 days I'll just keep on counting. Interestingly day 21 will be...almost two days for me; I'm flying westward so I'll be following the sun. This means I'll be very tired at some point and maybe wanting a binge, but I've planned it all out so I'm not worried. I "reach my final destination" at 11:00 PM and that could definitely be serious binge danger on any other occasion, but this time around I'm prepared to resist it.

So today, besides eating exactly how I had planned, I decided to challenge myself a little. I bought some foods I really like; they're currently in my room; and I'm going to eat them slowly over the next few days without attacking them all at once and eating them off in one flurried go. My next challenge is going to be visiting a bakery and only buying one small item, not 8+ and then some massive loaf too (I love love love all breads and baked goods, they're my number #1 binge item, along with cereal, which is possibly my biggest trigger food -- that'll also be a challenge eventually.) I honestly don't remember the last time I've walked into a bakery and not walked out with enough stuff to binge heartily on -- and proceeded to do so. This, probably next week -- taking the "b"inge out of bakery. Bingeakery? No more! A brezel, please, but hold the binge.

Posted 1 year ago #
beartns87
Member

i think you are very very strong for your walks on the wildside. I have yet to be so dangerous. but i think i am going to take a clue from you within the next few days and try something like that. maybe have some pizza, but not an entire large one! i like the idea of 21 days and counting. i have caught myself even starting to think about not binging until spring break(which is a real stretch to say the least). but then what about after spring break? it will feel so amazing to not feel the shame of binging anymore. much more amazing than the taste of any food.

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Day four completed without any trouble. The awesome thing is that I'm also counting down to the first day of vacation. I'm probably going to start posting more often, at least at first, once I'm there, just to keep myself in line. But actually I'm really looking forward to posting on the first day about how I didn't binge for breakfast. At home it's been like that, I take a box of cereal and finish it, then it all unfurls from there. I'm going to challenge myself this time around and actually buy cereal -- and only have a bowl. It sounds kind of silly but the idea almost blows my mind right now. Anyway, I'm feeling great, except, ugh, I've got a lot of work I should be doing.

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Day 5 done! Today I thought about binging, especially since I passed a bakery (and looked in) and went to a big grocery store that has so many things I could easily, easily binge on. But even though the thought went through my mind, I knew I wouldn't. I've come so far since joining this board and deciding to finally kick this. And you know what? Even though I'm in the middle of exams, and paper-writing and studying more looms up ahead for the next long while, I can think about how I've decided to finally stop binging for good -- and it cheers me up! It actually cheers me up more than a binge did before (well, obviously, since that led to guilt) -- but previously I'd use binging to "get me through" the stress. Now I'm using NOT binging, and it's actually helping instead of adding to the stress. That's exciting.

Posted 1 year ago #
beartns87
Member

that is a great point. binging i used to feel was my escape, but in the end it turned up leading me into a much deeper hole. there is a much greater feeling of knowing you are doing something that is helping yourself while you are going through all that stress. i hope exams and papers are going well, i just finished midterms today!! woohoo. but i got a paper due monday.. ugh. good luck with everything and great job.

Posted 1 year ago #
specialk_sunnylee
Member

yay! i love hearing other ppl doing great.
yeah.. when we're not binging, we realize that we have better things to do than binging.
right.?
thanks so much for sharing your positives.
you're an inspiration. :]

Sunny <<33

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Thanks you guys, and thanks for taking the time to read!

I considered binging again, I nearly almost decided I would, but then found myself thinking "That's silly, you've been doing so well." And the thought left me. So I ate as much as I'd planned and I feel pretty good. So -- day 6 done!

Posted 1 year ago #
Joey
Member

wow...you really are amazing!
Ive decided that I'm going to try and stop binging, although i have said that about a million times over the past 13 months! Do you feel better now your not binging? Proud?

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Thanks for stopping by my journal, Joey! I've also totally been there with saying it a million times; after every binge or string of binges I'd firmly resolve to never do it again, I'd promise myself, and then in a few days (or the very next morning!), I'd be back at it. But every day I didn't binge, I felt better, I just couldn't stop going back to it again even though I knew it would make me feel worse! It's been six days since my last string of binges and I feel great -- but what makes me feel a million times better is that I've finally decided to put my foot down for good. I plan on posting on here every day to keep me accountable and fighting this off until I can get to the point where I don't need to even resist -- because the urge will be gone! That's probably far off, sure, but if I think about it, I've reached tougher goals, so I can do this and will do this.

As for feeling proud, well, it's only been six days, but I'm relieved I've finally taken this decision for good and, with every day that passes without a binge, more and more convinced that I have the willpower to get through. (Saying that, I know there'll be tough situations coming up with family gatherings and mountains of left-overs, eating out, buffets; but instead of trying to asocially avoid everything out of fear that it'll trigger binges, I realize it's just a whole lot of fantastic opportunities to face the temptation to binge and resist it.)

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

So I just ate something I hadn't planned on, and a little more than I'd planned, and now I'm so tempted to binge I just about went for it -- this is the most tempted I've been since I've come here, but today's day 7 and I'm absolutely NOT giving in to this. It's just a mix of all-or-nothing thinking and me trying to avoid studying. Not falling for it.

Posted 1 year ago #
beartns87
Member

great job not to give up chowder! keep it up. how much better do you feel to have not binged?

Posted 1 year ago #
rachelrainbow321
Member

:)...you must feel so good right now. so healthy.

Posted 1 year ago #
jacquirsw1
Member

You are right that is the all or nothing thinking coming out, and you have done really well to acknowledge that yourself so that you can work around it and achieve.

Brilliant post...........7 days is brilliant

Jacqui

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Day 8 done. The thought of not binging ever again comes and goes, it upsets me at first and then it lifts me back up. I'll miss it -- but in reality, I won't.

Thanks for replying, Bear, Jacqui, and Rachel! I felt so happy yesterday evening to have resisted the binge. If I just manage to remind myself how I would feel if I'd binge, the thought withers away. Eating through a whole box of cereal -- two -- three -- MORE; it still sounds great, it is great while I'm at it, if I just keep eating it's all fantastic and I don't feel bad -- when I can't anymore and I stop, oh, it's not worth it. It's not worth it even if it seems like it at first.

Posted 1 year ago #
Mona
Member

Hello! Your journal reminds me so much of myself... :D
Bakeries...cereals, granola bars. Yummmo!
And I'm so happy for you because you sound like you're doing great so far!
8 days without bingeing...wow! Congrats

So I'm guessing this 21 day plan is basically getting thorugh three weeks of eating healthy and not bingeing? I think I'm going to try it too. God, I need it.

*thinks longingly of Golden Grahams in the cupboard*

I was just about to run to the kitchen and get some cereal but now I'm not going to and I feel so good about myself!
All the best for tomorrow!

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Hey, Mona! Exactly -- basically anything with grains in it, I'm instantly all over it!

Someone else was doing the 21 days thing based on the idea that it takes 21 days to get over an addiction, so I decided to try it too; and I'll keep on counting even after the 21 days are up.

Posted 1 year ago #
Joey
Member

omigod I thought I was the only freak when it came to cereal stuff! Thats my downfall...weetabix and bran flakes and ceerios and stuff..god I miss them! I've been trying to avoid all but the morning bowl of weetabix, as the temptation is to huge...at least at breakfast time I dont have time for another bowl before school hehe
wow, 8 days, your doing so well! Im only just starting my third and it feels like so long...but I also feel pretty happy, I hope I'l get through the 21 days too, and that the urges to eat will have stopped by then!
Best of luck with the next few days, your doing fantastically!
Joey xxxx

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

My goodness, Joey, I could eat Weetabix, bran flakes and any other kind of cereal by the truckload every day for my entire life and still not get enough of them. Though obviously thinking like that doesn't help me one bit! When I start fantasizing about wolfing entire boxes down, I just have to remind myself that yes, I love them, and yes, I can keep eating these things, but NO, it's not worth the guilt and the discomfort binging on them. They'll always be there when I want them, I don't have to eat industrial quantities in one sitting like it's going out of style. I'm convinced I can get that into my head eventually with enough practice -- once I'm in vacation I want to buy myself some cereal and "practice" eating just one bowl every morning. I'll then obsessively record my successes here.

And now it's 9 days! I still think about binging longingly sometimes, but I realize that with every day that passes, I'm starting to no longer think about it as "Man I wish I could run and binge right now!" but rather as something I once did and at that moment miss, but something in the past. The danger of me binging in the future is still very much real, but how I think about it has changed. In the past, even when I was going without binging for a longer stretch of time, I always knew I'd binge again and that it would just be a matter of time, and that I'd even welcome it back at first (until deciding to take a break again, only to return later); like a yo-yo effect with binging. Now, I'm not counting on future binges. I don't see their return as inevitable, because it doesn't have to be. In the end it's still my hand taking that food to my mouth; it might be a killer struggle to resist, but my brain (struggling like Jekyll/Hyde) still commands my hand.

(Apropos binging, I still can't help but envy those that do backbreaking labor all day in the countryside -- not that I want to do all that labor, but they eat gargantuan amounts of food and their body actually NEEDS it all.)

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Day 10 down! I was having a crappy day at first and kept thinking about going to buy a bunch of food to cheer me up, but I managed to steer myself away from the thought and ended up finding other stuff to cheer me up, and now I'm feeling super. Really strange, though, 10 days -- it feels like I only joined this board yesterday. Time flies, wow.

Posted 1 year ago #
Joey
Member

WELL DONEEE!!!
10 days is fantastic...and you sound so postive and in control.
Its ok to think about going to get food to cheer you up...comfort eating is a natural thing for us, but you're going some way to proving that you don't neeeed to do it.
As for time flying, I know! I'm on my 5th day, and it seems to be going pretty quick.
What other ways did you use to cheer yourself up? I'm going to get my hair cut tomorow, and I'm really looking forward to it. I always find that having a nice hot bath or shower cheers me up
Good luck, your doing so well!
Jo xxx

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Thanks for all the support!

A hot bath definitely sounds fantastic any time! Unfortunately I only have a shower here. My day kind of ended up taking a turn for the better on its own; I had to copy a book at the library and once I did it, I started feeling a little better (I'd been putting it off 'cause there was a LOT of it to copy), then I saw a give-away-for-small-donation library book that looked entertaining so I got it; and finally, I went and bought myself a magazine I liked which managed to totally cheer me up, by which point I didn't even feel like binging one bit. So I guess what sometimes works is treating yourself to something you like, that isn't food. Of course, if you're real short on money, that might not be an idea, but magazines are usually cheap so that worked well.

Also, day 11 done! Now I'm past the halfway mark.

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Day 12 down! I kind of gave myself the opportunity to binge about two times today because I bought a whole lot of food (yes, twice), but I managed to keep a cool head when it came down to eating it and put all of it away except how much I planned to eat. (Now I have something yummy to look forward to for the next few days and I don't feel bad!) It's always a whole lot easier to reach for more when it's all beside me; that's an old tip but true: don't bring the whole bag/whatever with you, put some in a plate/bowl and leave the rest in the kitchen/a drawer. Sure, if you're in a binge-y mood you'll go back for more, but if you're not convinced, it can stop you.

Posted 1 year ago #
LouiseJack
Member

Congrats on day 12. We don't always have to listen to temptation, we can challenge it, use logic to reason what is going on. I have learned to do this and it really does help. I have to agree, I always put on a plate what I have planned to eat. I can never start from a pack, or container and trust myself not to eat it all. I know me and what works and what doesn't. You sound like you know you a lot, your triggers and it's all about seeing the signs and taking a detour. Have a great day 13.

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Thanks for reading, Louise! I realize more and more that if I'm completely aware of the signs and what sets me off, instead of trying to ignore it like I've done in the past, I can activey take control and steer myself clear. It's kind of like covering your eyes when you know there's an iceberg in your ship's path -- if you open your eyes, you can try to steer around it. It's amazing how much better we become at handling things once we understand ourselves and how we tick better -- even if it sometimes involves facing facts about ourselves that we're not too proud about and don't want to admit to, even to ourselves. But we're on the right track, one day at a time, so good luck to you too!

Day 13 done; I've roughly planned out the next couple of days (I'm glad I can do this here, though once I'm on vacation it may get a bit harder since I'll be with my family and it won't just be about what I wanna eat and when, I'll still do my best, it'll be a good challenge). I'm very excited about this week and the next, though, because I've planned in some foods I love and I'm looking forward to enjoying them in healthy amounts.

Posted 1 year ago #
stay at home mom
Member

Hey all,
Reading all this is my detour from stress-eating and it's really helpful.
The other thing that I've been trying is eating 3 square meals a day with a modest dessert at each meal, no snacking between. The urge to eat extra meals is still present but getting much weaker. I agree with the writer who said to avoid snacks which might trigger that extra meal(s)between meals.

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Hey, stay at home mom -- I think you meant to post on the board and not just reply to my topic, but in any case welcome!

So, day 14, overate almost bordering on a binge, I guess kind of a mini-binge. I have some sort of odd reaction to when I see I'm doing well -- I turn around and try to sabotage myself, and this time I kind of fell for it. So it was a lot more than I planned to eat, but it could've been a whole lot worse, and although I feel more full than I'd like, I don't feel binge-full. So this day may not be as much of a success as my previous ones, but it's a whole lot better than what it could've been.

Posted 1 year ago #
LouiseJack
Member

I think you have done well on a day where you could have easily full out binged! Think positive, there was no all or nothing thinking, you were in control, you did great. Some people just think black and white, sometimes you need to go into the grey. Good luck with day 15.

Posted 1 year ago #
stay at home mom
Member

Chowder,
Thanks for forgiving my mistake and welcoming me anyway. I think your generous nature will help you when you've taken an ambiguous action like a mini-binge. Best luck sticking with your daily plans.

Posted 1 year ago #
sami23
Member

" I have some sort of odd reaction to when I see I'm doing well -- I turn around and try to sabotage myself"
that is exactly what i go throught every single day and i'm really tired of it . for once i wanna keep up the good work
i'm working on that
wish you all the best

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

So, day 15 is not really day 15. I stumbled and ended up eating a whole lot today too, it was a binge I guess, not as bad as it's been on other occasions because I still had some sort of self control, but not a lot. I ate a whole lot more than my body needed and I do feel a little nasty. Nonetheless, I've decided not to give up or let this upset me. It just means I have to keep up the fight and not let stress and urges get the best of me. So I've decided to do the following -- instead of starting from day 1 all over again, I'll just call this day 14, and it won't be 14 out of 21, but 14 out of ???. Even once I get to day 21, I'll keep counting. There is no "day 21 when everything's over." Counting the days will just serve to remind me of how far I've come.

I was tempted to punish myself and eat very little tomorrow, but that's silly. I'll have three normal meals, make sure to eat enough but not too much at each, and in between I won't reach for snacks. I have five more days until I leave for vacation and I'm going to make them good days!

Posted 1 year ago #
stay at home mom
Member

That's a good way to account to yourself- to still count your off-day as day 14 rather than returning to zero, and not doing the calorie reduction game.

Are you making sure to include your favourite 'unhealthy' foods into your meals? I know french fries with cheese curds and gravy ("poutine" in Canada) is a nutritionist's nightmare, but to help me not binge, I planned it as supper and ate it. Sometimes, I deliberately substitute junk food for 'good food' as a meal plan, and it helps me sidestep a binge. But I guess this might not work for everyone.

You can beat those snack attack demons that keep trying to bring you down! Tell them to f*** off.

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Haha, thanks for the comment, I'll definitely give them that message!

Yeah, see, I was never into excluding foods, it just leads to cravings. If I like a food, I eat it, I just try to include it in my plan so as to not snack on it, feel guilty, and end up overeating. For me it's not so much healthy or unhealthy foods that are the problem, but rather quantity -- most of my favorite foods are healthy, and even if I crave candy, I go ahead and have some but count it into my meal plan. Right now I'm at a point where I have to get used to eating normal meals -- I've been so used to skipping them and eating inappropriate amounts at other times. For the next couple of days I've planned out three full meals and am going to focus on eating them at fixed times, rather than eating everything at once.

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Day 15, phew. Ate outside of my plan and overate, but it wasn't a binge -- it could've turned into one, but I managed to refrain. I ate much more than my body needs, but I didn't feel over-full, so I should be pleased. The day after a binge is always the worse, so, I got through it and tomorrow I can do even better and eat according to plan.

Posted 1 year ago #
stay at home mom
Member

Good work! for landing somewhere in the vicinity of where you intended. You can feel good that you tried to stick near your goals and only overshot by a bit...it's better than eating anarchy.

Posted 1 year ago #
jacquirsw1
Member

It is harder sometimes to stop a binge half way through when we are already feeling some guilt than it is to never start it so you have really well to limit the amounts today and be able to move on, the fact you didn't get to that really full bit is great.

good luck for tomorrow

Jacqui

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Day 16 & 17 done. I was too busy yesterday to post and despite this I almost let myself binge -- but I managed to talk myself out of it; I overate, but didn't binge. Today I actually followed my plan! Two more days until I leave for vacation and I'm really excited -- I was nervous about it because I've always binged while on vacation, every day without fail, but now I've worked out a plan and am prepared. I've decided to never eat in front of the TV, which is how I usually binged before, or "free-roaming" in the kitchen. I'll have three meals at the kitchen table and actually take all the food I plan to eat with me and not get up to keep getting other things. I'll get up only when I'm done.

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

So I binged this morning; I can't punish myself, though, because I have dinner plans for tonight, so I'm just going to go out and eat a full meal and not worry about it -- it's actually kind of good because it's helped me talk myself out of binging even more today.

Honestly, I've been in a motivational rut the past few days. Maybe it's because I'm impatient to leave for vacation. I've also noticed that any one motivation or strategy I use will last about two weeks at most -- same with writing here every day. But I like this place and don't want to give it up, so I'm sticking with it anyway and will continue to write. It's not a LAW that my plans only work two weeks -- it's something I can get over and conquer. One thing that's really changed and that I really should be proud of is my mentality -- before joining this board I always thought I'd binge again and if I hadn't binged for a while, I just let myself even if I didn't actually crave it too much. I've now changed how I see binges in my future -- sure, they may happen occasionally, but not because I "scheduled" them and not because they're inevitable. Moments of weakness happen, but letting myself just simply give in when I have the strength to resist is just ridiculous.

Even though I've binged these past few days on and off, I clearly still have motivation in me, I just have to dig it up and let it breathe. I'm still here and I didn't let this morning's binge discourage me; I still went to the gym and I'm going to dinner tonight and ordering what I had planned, not less.

I realize my looking forward to normal eating during vacation is maybe just hopefully imagining that being elsewhere with a different schedule will help me manage my eating patterns better. Maybe it will, but in the end it's still just me and my own strength of will and motivation. I'm confident in my plan for vacation, though, and I'm going to try to not get discouraged even when I don't feel completely confident and in control. I also have to keep working on coming up with ways to distract myself / cheer myself up when I feel crappy -- ways that don't involve reaching for food.

/long

Posted 1 year ago #
stay at home mom
Member

Chowder, I think you're doing a remarkable job in accepting yourself when you overeat. There's some days where you stuck to your plan, there's many days where your overate but did not binge.
If you're not out to lose weight rapidly, or at all, may be you need to accept that you actually have high energy needs. So when you miss a few meals due to busyness, and then 'binge', your body is just playing catch up. Sure, 'catch up' is uncomforable because 2000 cals in one sitting takes up a lot of space in your abdomen. May be there's something to learn from devout Muslims during Ramadan, who avoid eating whenever the sun is up. The men must eat quite a bit at breakfast and then at night. May be they 'overeat' but don't binge.
Hope you enjoy your vacation immensely.

Posted 1 year ago #
stay at home mom
Member

An aside here:
Your quote "I also have to come up with ways...to cheer up myself when I feel crappy".
I'm not sure how old you are, but realistically, you will have to tolerate feeling crappy about some things while still trying to accomplish things. I'm not trying to be a cynic here. Think about Winston Churchill who wrote prodigiously while still being a 'depressive'. I've met many adults who accomplish much but admit to feeling crappy a lot. I think if you can learn to coexist with some of the less serious issues that make you unhappy, you will be able to resist the urge to temporarily smother those feelings down with food. But do work on the serious issues/goals in your life...after your wonderful vacation.

Posted 1 year ago #
V
Member

Hey Chowder! You're amazing! I just read your posts from the beginning and I think you're doing a great job. I know how you feel about losing motivation after a while. You've really encouraged me to start to make some changes in my life, so thanks for writing and sharing your experience. Maybe it might help you to re-read your initial posts to get back some of that early motivation? Just a thought! Anyway, good luck!

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Hey, V! Your reply was exactly what I needed to see tonight. I've not been on the board for a while and decided to take a peek tonight. Your suggestion was brilliant and brilliantly simple -- we're the inspiration we need; I'm about to read all of my earlier entries and I'm going to start posting on here every day again (well, except next week I may not have computer access, but at least until then and after).

With the exception of today, I've been eating very normally and haven't felt tempted to binge AT ALL except once or twice; today was a setback on that front, though, but at least it brought me back here. Considering all the success, this little hiccup is nothing I should fret over. I can't help wanting to panic, but forgiving myself does me much more good, so I will. Today is almost over and tomorrow morning I'm continuing like nothing happened; it's a new day, why dwell on what's over and done?

Also, although it only indirectly relates to binge eating (work to get done = stress = binge!), I've got a number of things to get done (two essays/theses to write and a study book to get through) until mid April, but with stretches of time where I'll be away and unable to work on them. To keep myself accountable, I'll also mention my progress on them, this way I'll have even more reason to keep updating on here.

Posted 1 year ago #
V
Member

Hey that's really great! Reading your posts made me aware that I tend to eat when I'm stressed about work/things I have to get done too. What usually helps me is just getting out of the house and doing work in a public place, because I'm less likely to eat large quantities of food in public. Plus, I feel less lonely if I'm surrounded by a bunch of people in a library or a cafe rather than alone in my apartment studying/working. Don't know if that works for you or not, but I just thought I'd throw it out there. Good luck with everything!

Posted 1 year ago #
Chowder
Member

Hey guys! It's been a while. I've been faring on-and-off all right with the binges, but over the last few weeks they've gotten worse (binged earlier today, in fact), what with stress increasing, work to get done, etc. Writing on here helped keep me motivated to fight the binge urges, so expect to see me post here every day, unless I'm on a trip somewhere.

Posted 8 months ago #

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