TaDa! The Lifelong Journey!! - Page 13

GardenGirl639 · 02-17-2008, 11:15 AM

Pauline

Good job resisting and trying to figure it all out.

Hope your "pattern" emerges sooner than later.

TaDa! · 02-18-2008, 05:39 AM

Thanks Beth And Elizabeth!

February 18, 2008 morning

I am having computer issues and the network just popped up so here I am. The guy is coming to fix it this morning ... but who knows whether it'll get fixed or not ... We live in the woods and the squirrels keep nesting in the junction box and chewing up the wires, lol!! They keep promising to change the wires ...

Anyhooo I did manage to out-tough the hungry day and yesterday was fine too. I have a sick little one at home today and it is winter break so I woke at 5 and went to the gym. It's 8:30 and I feel like I have lived a whole day already, lol!!!

monet0329 · 02-18-2008, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaDa!

Thanks Beth And Elizabeth!

February 18, 2008 morning

I am having computer issues and the network just popped up so here I am. The guy is coming to fix it this morning ... but who knows whether it'll get fixed or not ... We live in the woods and the squirrels keep nesting in the junction box and chewing up the wires, lol!! They keep promising to change the wires ...

Anyhooo I did manage to out-tough the hungry day and yesterday was fine too. I have a sick little one at home today and it is winter break so I woke at 5 and went to the gym. It's 8:30 and I feel like I have lived a whole day already, lol!!!

Good Morning

.. sorry your lil one is sick

... my kiddos have a winter break today as well.. and Friday was one also..

..

good for you for out toughing the hungry day..

.. I wanted to thank you for all your wonderful in site in all this.. I have learned a thing or two form you..

.. now if I can "out Tough" every day..

Hope the pc gets fixed.. dern squirrels..lol

TaDa! · 02-18-2008, 07:00 PM

Thanks Monet! The cable guys are arriving tomorrow en masse ( 3or 4 of them) to put in heavy duty squirrel resistant cable

TaDa! · 02-18-2008, 07:08 PM

February 18, 2008

Everything seems just to be rolling along with my wol and despite those awful hungry days, I feel in control and I feel like a big part of it is that I have no set time or times to look at the scale. I look at it here and there when I feel like it, but the pressure to perform just isn't there for me. I know the weight will be gone by summertime no matter what, no matter how slow I move along, as long as I keep on this path.

I have also been thinking more and more about what specifically I will be adding to my daily (at-home) food and so far have come up with wanting 1. A bigger breakfast - just not sure what exactly (currently 210 calories, 12 net carbs ... want to move up to 400 calories), and 2. an add-in later in the day ... which I am very excited to have figured out!!! soup!!!! yay!!!

I feel so comforted by the thought of having a real plan for maintenance, a daily set menu with a few mix and match options that just takes away the chaos factor that always gets me.

I know I must be feeling good as I wore horizontal stripes today and felt very cute ... my sister once told me that "we" can't wear those stripes because it accentuates the body and makes us look wider ... I think her statement has made me seek out tight clingy striped clothing to wear on maintenance. I guess there are worse bad habits a girl could cultivate.

GardenGirl639 · 02-19-2008, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaDa!

I know the weight will be gone by summertime no matter what, no matter how slow I move along, as long as I keep on this path.

Do you think that this is true for everyone i.e. those still needing to lose weight? I wonder if I worry too much. If I just keep eating this way, journalling, not tweaking, will it just all eventually fall off, or do I need to stay hyper vigilant?

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaDa!

I know I must be feeling good as I wore horizontal stripes today and felt very cute ... my sister once told me that "we" can't wear those stripes because it accentuates the body and makes us look wider ... I think her statement has made me seek out tight clingy striped clothing to wear on maintenance. I guess there are worse bad habits a girl could cultivate.

Rebel away, girl!!!

TaDa! · 02-19-2008, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GardenGirl639

Do you think that this is true for everyone i.e. those still needing to lose weight? I wonder if I worry too much. If I just keep eating this way, journalling, not tweaking, will it just all eventually fall off, or do I need to stay hyper vigilant?

I think it is true. I think it will come off without stressing on it daily, I really do. I think yes, the food journal and being prepared are still key, but I think if the whole worry about quantity of pounds lost and the dates those pounds come off are put on hold - we will still succeed and be the stronger in the end for having normalized our lives.

Doing this does not mean you never weigh yourself - you do, but you wait til things are not moving at all before you start to tweak and bother about every little thing. We have been at this for a while, we know how to lose the weight - all the emphasis on the boards on stalls, and slow weight loss - well, I am convinced the great majority of those people are not doing what they know works and are trying to somehow "cheat the system" or validate their own "cheats" somehow.

I really think letting go of the diet attitude is the way to good mental health for a binge eater ... and probably for everyone else too, lol!

TaDa! · 02-19-2008, 05:25 PM

February 19, 2008

Well the kids are off to my folks tomorrow for a few days! and I will be trying to maintain as we go into Boston and eat out almost every meal. The lowcarb part is easy for me - the calorie level will be the issue! We will be working out every day, so at least I can count on some 5-600 calories burned everyday as usual:

Wednesday - only dinner out, calories higher than usual but will be in deficit!
Thursday - Breakfast as usual, 2 lc snacks, lunch out and dinner out
Friday - Breakfast as usual, 2 lc snacks, lunch out and dinner out
Saturday - only dinner out, calories higher than usual but will be in deficit!

or something like that ...

momov2boys · 02-19-2008, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaDa!

I really think letting go of the diet attitude is the way to good mental health for a binge eater ...

I totally agree!

Have fun in Boston, Pauline.

debbiedo · 02-20-2008, 05:11 AM

Have fun in Boston.

There is a chance we may be moving there. I would not move until summer 2009 but if my husband decides taking a job offer he will be there sooner. It is a hard decision because we love it here and I don't want to leave my older sons here. Maybe they would move in time but they are grown up and have their own lives. The job is perfect for my husband the money amazing. I lived in Boston many years ago (26plus). Who knows. We were saying no way before but it is the kind of opportunity that would be hard to turn down.

As for dieting or eating. I am managing to live without a diet and eating as healthy as I can. Exercise and healthy choices are the key for me. I fear gaining weight back. I do when I don't watch every bite but I am trying not scrutinize every bite. I will eat anything but try to do it in moderation. I have done this before and gained so I do worry but I set a goal to find the happy medium where I can maintain. Yes, I would like to see the scale down some but I look great and the scale is just a number.

momov2boys · 02-20-2008, 05:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debbiedo

I look great and the scale is just a number.

GardenGirl639 · 02-20-2008, 12:23 PM

Hope you have a great time with your husband and you come back feeling rested, relaxed, and rejuvenated!!

TaDa! · 02-20-2008, 12:51 PM

Thanks all! I think we will have fun!!

Deb, Boston is great for road racing - tons and tons and tons of events ... of course it is much colder, as you know than Maryland! And Hospitals galore for someone with your talents

debbiedo · 02-20-2008, 12:53 PM

I hate the idea of moving and don't even know what suburbs are good for 50 year old empty nesters who want to down size.

monet0329 · 02-20-2008, 08:18 PM

Just stoppin by to say..

..

TaDa! · 02-21-2008, 06:25 AM

Hi Deb! Hi Monet!

Deb - There are lots of great places DH and I would live in a heartbeat! Thing is, it all depends on how much money you have to spend, where your dh will be commuting and what you like to do. Newton has a great Jewish community, has a nice little downtown, is on the commuter rail into Boston, etc. Very expensive. Actually my aunt is a realtor there.

If dh and I had unlimited money to spend we'd buy a brownstone right in town in Back Bay in a heartbeat, or Cambridge, or Beacon Hill ... I used to love love love running along the Charles River with all the hundreds of other people!!!

All of those places are almost in Boston proper. Then there are the real burbs. If I can give you any info, let me know.

TaDa! · 02-21-2008, 06:26 AM

February 21 and 22, 2008

Off to the gym and into Boston! I may be able to check in over the weekend. Have a great few days everyone!! My book arrived, Overcoming Binge Eating and I cannot put it down. Some good information so far .. maybe I'll sahre some of it next week.

NWLoser · 02-21-2008, 12:52 PM

Pauline have a great time with dh ! Relax and take care of yourself. It is always nice to have some time away from the kids to take care of yourselves.

I will be waiting to hear about the book.

TaDa! · 02-24-2008, 04:22 PM

February 24, 2008

Well, we had a really great time in Boston and I did so well with food! Brought my own breakfast and snacks and simply ate well at lunch and dinner - along with the flax muffins I carried for snack, I also carried a package of lc pita in case I had to de-construct a sandwich ... eating out lc vegetarian is not as "easy" as just regular 'ol lc (which isn't so easy either, lol!). We also worked out at a branch of our gym - I am lucky dh is into fitness. He was when he was a young man - long before I met him - we married as fellow chubs and as I got thinner and fitter, he kinda tagged along and also got back into team sports, running, and going to the gym. So, I guess I am really lucky in that as our preferences tend to complement one another.

I did drink way too much one night when we went to our old hangout - where we met originally eighteen years ago, but it wasn't sugary drinks or carby beers, so all in all, it was a very successful trip for me! and fun!

I could not put down the book on binge eating. It is kind of amazing to me, but apparently I have done a lot of the steps that the author recommends for self-treatment - and they are the things I have noticed as helpful in combating the binge urges. It really was very self-validating and makes me feel even stronger and more sure on my path and on the additional things I am planning to do (beyond those I will be adopting from the book). More on that later.

Overcoming Binge Eating by Dr. Christopher G. Fairburn

The first half of the book reads like a typical social science textbook with research and medical studies noted to back up various assertions. If you do not mind professor-ese too much, you will get through it. I know as a binge eater I am so desperate for any relief I can get, that I just plowed right through it. The whole point of this first half is to define binge eating and bulimia nervosa, and to distinguish them from overeating. Also, to bolster the author's assertion that certain methods work better than others in combating binge eating.

Along the way, he basically shoots down the theory that binge eating is some type of Addiction and should be treated in the same way as alcohol and drug addiction through the 12-step process. This was particularly interesting to me as I did attend an Overeaters Anonymous meeting in my quest for some relief and was very put off by the whole approach. Dr. Fairburn states that Binge Eating is characterized by a person's attempt to exercise too much control over food by things like strict dieting and this leads to a cycle of binge - restrict or binge - purge which is nearly the opposite of drug and alcohol addiction. The binge eater desperately wants to stop and their attempts to stop backfire psychologically. On the other hand alcohol and drug addicts exercise a lack of restraint or control - they simply are not comparable. I think I personally felt that the approach and the meeting was about "how bad" I am and have been and I knew instinctively that part of my problem was that thinking - that it was not going to be a place of healing for me.

By the end of the first half, Fairburn has come up with a preferred set of methods for treatment of binge eating and bulimia, where if Step 1 does not help, or further help is required, you move on to step 2 and so on. He believes that many many people can find relief with a self-guided program where you act as your own therapist without further intervention or professional help!! Key to this, however, is that the person must feel a motivation to make a change.

Preferred Methods of Treatment

Step 1: Unsupervised Self-Help

Step 2: Guided Self-Help

Step 3: Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Step 4: Further Treatments Through a Therapist
(such as: focal psychotherapy, antidepressants, partial or full hospitalization - the specifics to be determined by the professional you are working with.)

The whole next half of the book is entitled "A Self-Help Program For Those Who Binge." When I have time I will put some of the key points to paper, along with my own thoughts on how to incorporate the steps for me - as I have already been doing much of it (yay me! binge-free for nearly two months). I have to say a lot of his thoughts and strategies are things I have seen many of us discuss in different forms - the value here is that he puts it all together and explains how it makes sense to a binge-eater or someone with bulimia - how and why it will help if you practice these methods.

I'll stop here, but will say, if you are pretty sure you are a binge eater, or have Bulimia, this is a good book to read if you can get hold of a copy at your library or can pick it up online.

momov2boys · 02-24-2008, 06:27 PM

Welcome back, Pauline!
I'm glad you had a nice time in Boston.

Thanks for posting about your current reading.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaDa!

The whole point of this first half is to define binge eating and bulimia nervosa, and to distinguish them from overeating.

Can you share how, exactly, the author differentiates a binge from overeating?

Thanks for your helpful posts!

TaDa! · 02-25-2008, 04:12 AM

From the book: Central to Binge Eating (Binge Eating Disorder) is lack of control:

* Very large quantity of food in a small discrete period of time. Characterized by agitation and rapid eating - much faster than normal eating, barely chewing, with an "air of desperation". Some people pace or wander while eating.

* "A Feeling of Altered Consciousness": Distinct feeling of lack of control, inability to stop oneself from continuing to eat. Almost in a daze. Typical binges happen in secret.

* After overeating, a person will either accept what happened as an indulgence, or have some regret and decide to eat a little less and get some exercise, but their "self-recrimination and compensatory behavior end there." Binge eating is characterized by "feelings of shame, disgust, anxiety and guilt with depression often setting in."

"Extreme compensatory measures" to combat fear of weight gain is what most distinguishes binge eating from other disorders.

* Men and women are more evenly affected than in Bulimia and Anorexia where the majority are women. Caucasians and African American are fairly evenly affected in BED and the age range is broader than in Bulimia and Anorexia, being from about age 20 to age 50.

* All people with BED are not overweight - that is a misconception. Only about half are overweight (as defined by being above BMI of 27 for Fairburn).

* Anorexics will also binge, in their own way, something that anyone else would perceive as a small bite to eat and this is called a "subjective binge" but is to be distinguished from a true binge.

* The media has blurred the meaning of the word by using the word "binge" to describe overeating. Overeating such as at Thanksgiving dinner when everyone overeats is not a binge. A person would have to eat much more than that for it to be described as a binge.

From me: If you are a binge eater, like I am, you would totally recognize the "altered state" described here. It is like being a zombie and being unable to stop eating (and it would not matter what the food is, I have binged on hardboiled eggs before) until your stomach physically hurt and it was nearly coming back up your throat on you .. you lie down to get some relief from the stomach pain. It's very scary.

hth

Pauline

momov2boys · 02-25-2008, 04:49 AM

Thanks, Pauline.
It does help!

debbiedo · 02-25-2008, 05:08 AM

I have always been a binger. It could be on Kashi Cereal in recent days or cookies when I was letting myself eat those for breakfast. I understand what a binge is. What I don't know is how to nip it in the bud. I find it hard to eat just one of something that easily could lead to a major binge. Do we not eat the one cookie or do we learn to know how to stop at one piece of chocolate or one cookie? Since I allow myself to eat all foods now I am trying to do this. I still stay away from fried foods and usually cookies. Last night I did eat one cookie after work. Why?? That is a good question. I was craving sweet? I felt like I needed it after a long hard day?? I wasn't hungry.

I think finding the reason we binge is key. For me is it boredom, reward or poor impulse control? I think the reasons vary. I know I can diet and be successful and stop eating whole groups of foods but once I let that control slip--- bam right back to my old eating habits if I am not careful. I am trying so hard right now to find a happy medium without pcking the pounds back on.

Oh yes and I do this without being a slave to the scale.

Love your post Pauline. Glad you had a great weekend.

Off to run before work here. Do I run so I can eat??? I do love to run so it isn't 100% that.

TaDa! · 02-25-2008, 05:21 AM

Deb, what you are doing is what Fairburn recommends - to allow all foods, no foods being forbidden - I think it is step 5 or step 6 of his self-help guide. So according to him, your one cookie last night was perfectly ok.

He also recommends small meals - like 5-6 times a day (which is what I do already) and to eat even when not hungry to stave off the binge. I will get to the specifics of the self-help portion in another post (and tailor it to me). You might find the book interesting Deb, although it sounds like you are pretty binge-free with your new way of eating.

P

debbiedo · 02-25-2008, 06:27 AM

If I am home and not busy I will binge. I try to eat 4-5 small meals but often get busy and got too long between meals. That is when I have issues. I also have issues when I don't have meals preplanned or leftovers to make when I walk in the house and it has been way too long between meals.

Thanks for all your great posts on this issue. You really could write your own book!!

momov2boys · 02-25-2008, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaDa!

Fairburn recommends - to allow all foods, no foods being forbidden...

He also recommends small meals - like 5-6 times a day (which is what I do already) and to eat even when not hungry to stave off the binge.

So important and great to know.
Thanks again, Pauline.

Colo Alex · 02-25-2008, 09:23 AM

Wow Pauline. Glad you had a good time. You sure do have it all figured out huh? I hope one day that I can get to where you are.

The binge eating is quite a complex issue. I know that when I am in a binge I fully recognize that I am binging and somehow continue to binge.

This is very hard to understand. I need to read and research this further.

I’m glad you post your findings. It helps.

TaDa! · 02-25-2008, 07:04 PM

February 25, 2008

I am progressing forward, but I absolutely do not have it figured it out!!! LOL!!!! I just have a lot of Me figured out in the last five years and have been able to put a lot of non-constructive stuff to the side - made peace with it and put it aside. And in the process, my binge eating and general overeating has become less and less.

I keep getting further ahead, but I know I don't have all my own answers yet - especially with regard to Maintenance. I keep reading and learning. But mostly, I know in my heart that I will get this right - that against all odds, being obese nearly my entire life, I beat it and have not been back to morbid obesity because I am a different person. I did this, not only because I worked hard, but because I changed my view of the world - but mostly I changed my view of me and that allowed me to treat myself the way I ought to be treated, and allowed me to become the Me I deserve to be - Me at peace with myself.

TaDa! · 02-26-2008, 05:31 PM

February, 26, 2008

I am really tired! I did my usual workout and then this afternoon shoveled snow for over an hour, lol! Two for one!!

I am feeling really good about things right now. Pleased with how the weekend went, pleased that I am so easily able to pick up where I left off before going away. These are the kind of transitions that will be key to a successful maintenance.

It's funny I was speaking to a friend at the gym and mentioning how well I did with food while in Boston and I said, "But I wasn't dieting - I really did enjoy the food I ordered" and she replied that, That is the place she wants to be - to eat at a level where she won't gain weight, but is happy with her food selection when she's out, etc. and it struck me that I am really happy with what I eat and when and how much - and it's kind of surprising and it's good.

I've been trying to keep a food log from the book I've been reading and I have been having trouble filling it out all the time - I have to re-work the log so I can do it right!! I guess it is hard to get motivated on this when the binge is at bay and all seems to be going well - but I have convinced myself I should go through the guide to get to the areas that I very much will need in life - the problem-solving etc.

I've been googling B.E.D. and saw a study that said it lasts for 8 years on average in a typical person (and typically appears during adulthood) versus 1.7 years in Bulimia ... Does this mean it has a shelf life I wonder? I remember bingeing as a child and young adult, but I don't remember it being such an everyday struggle the way it has been the last few years.

Colo Alex · 02-26-2008, 08:05 PM

For me the Binge Beast has only been really bad as I've lost weight. Especially as I got and get closer to my goal.

I know the bedrock was laid when I was a child and had to sneak food etc. But the Binging has been the toughest lately.

I know I binged while I gained weight in my 30's but it wasn't identified and it was just me being me?? Does that make any sense?

Oh well, I'm tired and I'm rambling and not making much sense.

Good night Pauline!

02-20-2008, 08:18 PM	#375
monet0329 Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 17,662 Gallery: monet0329 Stats: to much! WOE: lower carb :D Start Date: Jan. 1 2013.. again.. SIGHHH :/	Just stoppin by to say....

02-26-2008, 05:31 PM	#389
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,302 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	February, 26, 2008 I am really tired! I did my usual workout and then this afternoon shoveled snow for over an hour, lol! Two for one!! I am feeling really good about things right now. Pleased with how the weekend went, pleased that I am so easily able to pick up where I left off before going away. These are the kind of transitions that will be key to a successful maintenance. It's funny I was speaking to a friend at the gym and mentioning how well I did with food while in Boston and I said, "But I wasn't dieting - I really did enjoy the food I ordered" and she replied that, That is the place she wants to be - to eat at a level where she won't gain weight, but is happy with her food selection when she's out, etc. and it struck me that I am really happy with what I eat and when and how much - and it's kind of surprising and it's good. I've been trying to keep a food log from the book I've been reading and I have been having trouble filling it out all the time - I have to re-work the log so I can do it right!! I guess it is hard to get motivated on this when the binge is at bay and all seems to be going well - but I have convinced myself I should go through the guide to get to the areas that I very much will need in life - the problem-solving etc. I've been googling B.E.D. and saw a study that said it lasts for 8 years on average in a typical person (and typically appears during adulthood) versus 1.7 years in Bulimia ... Does this mean it has a shelf life I wonder? I remember bingeing as a child and young adult, but I don't remember it being such an everyday struggle the way it has been the last few years. Last edited by TaDa!; 02-26-2008 at 05:33 PM..

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

02-17-2008, 11:15 AM	#361
GardenGirl639 Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,211 Gallery: GardenGirl639 Stats: 229/189/145 5'3 3/4"	Pauline Good job resisting and trying to figure it all out. Hope your "pattern" emerges sooner than later.

02-18-2008, 05:39 AM	#362
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,302 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	Thanks Beth And Elizabeth! February 18, 2008 morning I am having computer issues and the network just popped up so here I am. The guy is coming to fix it this morning ... but who knows whether it'll get fixed or not ... We live in the woods and the squirrels keep nesting in the junction box and chewing up the wires, lol!! They keep promising to change the wires ... Anyhooo I did manage to out-tough the hungry day and yesterday was fine too. I have a sick little one at home today and it is winter break so I woke at 5 and went to the gym. It's 8:30 and I feel like I have lived a whole day already, lol!!!

02-18-2008, 07:00 PM	#364
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,302 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	Thanks Monet! The cable guys are arriving tomorrow en masse ( 3or 4 of them) to put in heavy duty squirrel resistant cable

02-18-2008, 07:08 PM	#365
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,302 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	February 18, 2008 Everything seems just to be rolling along with my wol and despite those awful hungry days, I feel in control and I feel like a big part of it is that I have no set time or times to look at the scale. I look at it here and there when I feel like it, but the pressure to perform just isn't there for me. I know the weight will be gone by summertime no matter what, no matter how slow I move along, as long as I keep on this path. I have also been thinking more and more about what specifically I will be adding to my daily (at-home) food and so far have come up with wanting 1. A bigger breakfast - just not sure what exactly (currently 210 calories, 12 net carbs ... want to move up to 400 calories), and 2. an add-in later in the day ... which I am very excited to have figured out!!! soup!!!! yay!!! I feel so comforted by the thought of having a real plan for maintenance, a daily set menu with a few mix and match options that just takes away the chaos factor that always gets me. I know I must be feeling good as I wore horizontal stripes today and felt very cute ... my sister once told me that "we" can't wear those stripes because it accentuates the body and makes us look wider ... I think her statement has made me seek out tight clingy striped clothing to wear on maintenance. I guess there are worse bad habits a girl could cultivate.

02-19-2008, 05:25 PM	#368
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,302 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	February 19, 2008 Well the kids are off to my folks tomorrow for a few days! and I will be trying to maintain as we go into Boston and eat out almost every meal. The lowcarb part is easy for me - the calorie level will be the issue! We will be working out every day, so at least I can count on some 5-600 calories burned everyday as usual: Wednesday - only dinner out, calories higher than usual but will be in deficit! Thursday - Breakfast as usual, 2 lc snacks, lunch out and dinner out Friday - Breakfast as usual, 2 lc snacks, lunch out and dinner out Saturday - only dinner out, calories higher than usual but will be in deficit! or something like that ...

02-20-2008, 05:11 AM	#370
debbiedo Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Maryland Posts: 13,505 Gallery: debbiedo Stats: pretty close to perfect! WOE: mindful eating/running off the pounds Start Date: over and over again	Have fun in Boston. There is a chance we may be moving there. I would not move until summer 2009 but if my husband decides taking a job offer he will be there sooner. It is a hard decision because we love it here and I don't want to leave my older sons here. Maybe they would move in time but they are grown up and have their own lives. The job is perfect for my husband the money amazing. I lived in Boston many years ago (26plus). Who knows. We were saying no way before but it is the kind of opportunity that would be hard to turn down. As for dieting or eating. I am managing to live without a diet and eating as healthy as I can. Exercise and healthy choices are the key for me. I fear gaining weight back. I do when I don't watch every bite but I am trying not scrutinize every bite. I will eat anything but try to do it in moderation. I have done this before and gained so I do worry but I set a goal to find the happy medium where I can maintain. Yes, I would like to see the scale down some but I look great and the scale is just a number.

02-20-2008, 12:23 PM	#372
GardenGirl639 Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,211 Gallery: GardenGirl639 Stats: 229/189/145 5'3 3/4"	Hope you have a great time with your husband and you come back feeling rested, relaxed, and rejuvenated!!

02-20-2008, 12:51 PM	#373
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,302 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	Thanks all! I think we will have fun!! Deb, Boston is great for road racing - tons and tons and tons of events ... of course it is much colder, as you know than Maryland! And Hospitals galore for someone with your talents

02-20-2008, 12:53 PM	#374
debbiedo Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Maryland Posts: 13,505 Gallery: debbiedo Stats: pretty close to perfect! WOE: mindful eating/running off the pounds Start Date: over and over again	I hate the idea of moving and don't even know what suburbs are good for 50 year old empty nesters who want to down size.

02-21-2008, 06:25 AM	#376
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,302 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	Hi Deb! Hi Monet! Deb - There are lots of great places DH and I would live in a heartbeat! Thing is, it all depends on how much money you have to spend, where your dh will be commuting and what you like to do. Newton has a great Jewish community, has a nice little downtown, is on the commuter rail into Boston, etc. Very expensive. Actually my aunt is a realtor there. If dh and I had unlimited money to spend we'd buy a brownstone right in town in Back Bay in a heartbeat, or Cambridge, or Beacon Hill ... I used to love love love running along the Charles River with all the hundreds of other people!!! All of those places are almost in Boston proper. Then there are the real burbs. If I can give you any info, let me know.

02-25-2008, 04:49 AM	#382
momov2boys Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Washington Posts: 3,550 Gallery: momov2boys Stats: 2006-122/97 (unhealthy) 2013-138/130/120 healthy WOE: Low Carb :) Start Date: Original: March, 2006 Restart: April, 2013	Thanks, Pauline. It does help!

02-21-2008, 06:26 AM	#377
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,302 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	February 21 and 22, 2008 Off to the gym and into Boston! I may be able to check in over the weekend. Have a great few days everyone!! My book arrived, Overcoming Binge Eating and I cannot put it down. Some good information so far .. maybe I'll sahre some of it next week.

02-21-2008, 12:52 PM	#378
NWLoser Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: LaLa Land Posts: 2,731 Gallery: NWLoser Stats: 235/115 WOE: LC/Atkins Start Date: 12/06 Final Time!	Pauline have a great time with dh ! Relax and take care of yourself. It is always nice to have some time away from the kids to take care of yourselves. I will be waiting to hear about the book.

02-24-2008, 04:22 PM	#379
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,302 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	February 24, 2008 Well, we had a really great time in Boston and I did so well with food! Brought my own breakfast and snacks and simply ate well at lunch and dinner - along with the flax muffins I carried for snack, I also carried a package of lc pita in case I had to de-construct a sandwich ... eating out lc vegetarian is not as "easy" as just regular 'ol lc (which isn't so easy either, lol!). We also worked out at a branch of our gym - I am lucky dh is into fitness. He was when he was a young man - long before I met him - we married as fellow chubs and as I got thinner and fitter, he kinda tagged along and also got back into team sports, running, and going to the gym. So, I guess I am really lucky in that as our preferences tend to complement one another. I did drink way too much one night when we went to our old hangout - where we met originally eighteen years ago, but it wasn't sugary drinks or carby beers, so all in all, it was a very successful trip for me! and fun! I could not put down the book on binge eating. It is kind of amazing to me, but apparently I have done a lot of the steps that the author recommends for self-treatment - and they are the things I have noticed as helpful in combating the binge urges. It really was very self-validating and makes me feel even stronger and more sure on my path and on the additional things I am planning to do (beyond those I will be adopting from the book). More on that later. Overcoming Binge Eating by Dr. Christopher G. Fairburn The first half of the book reads like a typical social science textbook with research and medical studies noted to back up various assertions. If you do not mind professor-ese too much, you will get through it. I know as a binge eater I am so desperate for any relief I can get, that I just plowed right through it. The whole point of this first half is to define binge eating and bulimia nervosa, and to distinguish them from overeating. Also, to bolster the author's assertion that certain methods work better than others in combating binge eating. Along the way, he basically shoots down the theory that binge eating is some type of Addiction and should be treated in the same way as alcohol and drug addiction through the 12-step process. This was particularly interesting to me as I did attend an Overeaters Anonymous meeting in my quest for some relief and was very put off by the whole approach. Dr. Fairburn states that Binge Eating is characterized by a person's attempt to exercise too much control over food by things like strict dieting and this leads to a cycle of binge - restrict or binge - purge which is nearly the opposite of drug and alcohol addiction. The binge eater desperately wants to stop and their attempts to stop backfire psychologically. On the other hand alcohol and drug addicts exercise a lack of restraint or control - they simply are not comparable. I think I personally felt that the approach and the meeting was about "how bad" I am and have been and I knew instinctively that part of my problem was that thinking - that it was not going to be a place of healing for me. By the end of the first half, Fairburn has come up with a preferred set of methods for treatment of binge eating and bulimia, where if Step 1 does not help, or further help is required, you move on to step 2 and so on. He believes that many many people can find relief with a self-guided program where you act as your own therapist without further intervention or professional help!! Key to this, however, is that the person must feel a motivation to make a change. Preferred Methods of Treatment Step 1: Unsupervised Self-Help Step 2: Guided Self-Help Step 3: Cognitive Behavior Therapy Step 4: Further Treatments Through a Therapist (such as: focal psychotherapy, antidepressants, partial or full hospitalization - the specifics to be determined by the professional you are working with.) The whole next half of the book is entitled "A Self-Help Program For Those Who Binge." When I have time I will put some of the key points to paper, along with my own thoughts on how to incorporate the steps for me - as I have already been doing much of it (yay me! binge-free for nearly two months). I have to say a lot of his thoughts and strategies are things I have seen many of us discuss in different forms - the value here is that he puts it all together and explains how it makes sense to a binge-eater or someone with bulimia - how and why it will help if you practice these methods. I'll stop here, but will say, if you are pretty sure you are a binge eater, or have Bulimia, this is a good book to read if you can get hold of a copy at your library or can pick it up online.

02-25-2008, 04:12 AM	#381
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,302 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	From the book: Central to Binge Eating (Binge Eating Disorder) is lack of control: * Very large quantity of food in a small discrete period of time. Characterized by agitation and rapid eating - much faster than normal eating, barely chewing, with an "air of desperation". Some people pace or wander while eating. * "A Feeling of Altered Consciousness": Distinct feeling of lack of control, inability to stop oneself from continuing to eat. Almost in a daze. Typical binges happen in secret. * After overeating, a person will either accept what happened as an indulgence, or have some regret and decide to eat a little less and get some exercise, but their "self-recrimination and compensatory behavior end there." Binge eating is characterized by "feelings of shame, disgust, anxiety and guilt with depression often setting in." "Extreme compensatory measures" to combat fear of weight gain is what most distinguishes binge eating from other disorders. * Men and women are more evenly affected than in Bulimia and Anorexia where the majority are women. Caucasians and African American are fairly evenly affected in BED and the age range is broader than in Bulimia and Anorexia, being from about age 20 to age 50. * All people with BED are not overweight - that is a misconception. Only about half are overweight (as defined by being above BMI of 27 for Fairburn). * Anorexics will also binge, in their own way, something that anyone else would perceive as a small bite to eat and this is called a "subjective binge" but is to be distinguished from a true binge. * The media has blurred the meaning of the word by using the word "binge" to describe overeating. Overeating such as at Thanksgiving dinner when everyone overeats is not a binge. A person would have to eat much more than that for it to be described as a binge. From me: If you are a binge eater, like I am, you would totally recognize the "altered state" described here. It is like being a zombie and being unable to stop eating (and it would not matter what the food is, I have binged on hardboiled eggs before) until your stomach physically hurt and it was nearly coming back up your throat on you .. you lie down to get some relief from the stomach pain. It's very scary. hth Pauline

02-25-2008, 05:08 AM	#383
debbiedo Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Maryland Posts: 13,505 Gallery: debbiedo Stats: pretty close to perfect! WOE: mindful eating/running off the pounds Start Date: over and over again	I have always been a binger. It could be on Kashi Cereal in recent days or cookies when I was letting myself eat those for breakfast. I understand what a binge is. What I don't know is how to nip it in the bud. I find it hard to eat just one of something that easily could lead to a major binge. Do we not eat the one cookie or do we learn to know how to stop at one piece of chocolate or one cookie? Since I allow myself to eat all foods now I am trying to do this. I still stay away from fried foods and usually cookies. Last night I did eat one cookie after work. Why?? That is a good question. I was craving sweet? I felt like I needed it after a long hard day?? I wasn't hungry. I think finding the reason we binge is key. For me is it boredom, reward or poor impulse control? I think the reasons vary. I know I can diet and be successful and stop eating whole groups of foods but once I let that control slip--- bam right back to my old eating habits if I am not careful. I am trying so hard right now to find a happy medium without pcking the pounds back on. Oh yes and I do this without being a slave to the scale. Love your post Pauline. Glad you had a great weekend. Off to run before work here. Do I run so I can eat??? I do love to run so it isn't 100% that.

02-25-2008, 05:21 AM	#384
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,302 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	Deb, what you are doing is what Fairburn recommends - to allow all foods, no foods being forbidden - I think it is step 5 or step 6 of his self-help guide. So according to him, your one cookie last night was perfectly ok. He also recommends small meals - like 5-6 times a day (which is what I do already) and to eat even when not hungry to stave off the binge. I will get to the specifics of the self-help portion in another post (and tailor it to me). You might find the book interesting Deb, although it sounds like you are pretty binge-free with your new way of eating. P

02-25-2008, 06:27 AM	#385
debbiedo Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Maryland Posts: 13,505 Gallery: debbiedo Stats: pretty close to perfect! WOE: mindful eating/running off the pounds Start Date: over and over again	If I am home and not busy I will binge. I try to eat 4-5 small meals but often get busy and got too long between meals. That is when I have issues. I also have issues when I don't have meals preplanned or leftovers to make when I walk in the house and it has been way too long between meals. Thanks for all your great posts on this issue. You really could write your own book!!

02-25-2008, 09:23 AM	#387
Colo Alex Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 1,528 Gallery: Colo Alex Stats: 297/231/<200 (6'0", 47 y.o.) WOE: moderate carbs Start Date: Back on track 9/7/11	Wow Pauline. Glad you had a good time. You sure do have it all figured out huh? I hope one day that I can get to where you are. The binge eating is quite a complex issue. I know that when I am in a binge I fully recognize that I am binging and somehow continue to binge. This is very hard to understand. I need to read and research this further. I’m glad you post your findings. It helps.

02-25-2008, 07:04 PM	#388
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,302 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	February 25, 2008 I am progressing forward, but I absolutely do not have it figured it out!!! LOL!!!! I just have a lot of Me figured out in the last five years and have been able to put a lot of non-constructive stuff to the side - made peace with it and put it aside. And in the process, my binge eating and general overeating has become less and less. I keep getting further ahead, but I know I don't have all my own answers yet - especially with regard to Maintenance. I keep reading and learning. But mostly, I know in my heart that I will get this right - that against all odds, being obese nearly my entire life, I beat it and have not been back to morbid obesity because I am a different person. I did this, not only because I worked hard, but because I changed my view of the world - but mostly I changed my view of me and that allowed me to treat myself the way I ought to be treated, and allowed me to become the Me I deserve to be - Me at peace with myself.

02-26-2008, 08:05 PM	#390
Colo Alex Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Western Colorado Posts: 1,528 Gallery: Colo Alex Stats: 297/231/<200 (6'0", 47 y.o.) WOE: moderate carbs Start Date: Back on track 9/7/11	For me the Binge Beast has only been really bad as I've lost weight. Especially as I got and get closer to my goal. I know the bedrock was laid when I was a child and had to sneak food etc. But the Binging has been the toughest lately. I know I binged while I gained weight in my 30's but it wasn't identified and it was just me being me?? Does that make any sense? Oh well, I'm tired and I'm rambling and not making much sense. Good night Pauline!