I've been on Atkins for 5 weeks. I've had some cheats, but for the most part have stuck to it fairly well. I've lost 12 pounds so far. I re-started induction on Monday (it's Thurday here) and did fine for two days. Weds night after work (it's always after work) I had a big binge on carbs. BIG. I was bummed out, but I thought no problem, back to the start Thursday, the following day. ONLY I did the exact same thing, which was to have a major carb pig out after work. I'm stuck. I don't want to be a binge eater all my life. Feeling really really low. How can I nip this in the bud and make it just a two time disaster instead of finding myself 2 weeks down the road still binging at night. What do you do? Help please.
lynne
Where are you going to get your fix? Grocery store? Restaurant?
Instead of buying junk, by protein. buy bologna, peperoni slices, pork rinds, for sweets try whipping cream with a little sugar free syrup. There is another post out there right now on addiction.
People are right. Carbs are an addiction. They make us haooy when we have them, Physically ill when we don't, and we crave them like mad until we get over it. Eat something else after work. If you are going with a co-worker or significant other, be proud of yourself and what you are doing for you and say that you can't eat those things. You have to want it too. You can't just say that you want it. Actions speak louder than words.
That being said, Welcome. How much weight do you need to lose? Tell us about yourself.
Sounds like your getting all stressed out at work, and coming home and binging in attempt to feel better. It doesn't work. Listen to Susannaj4, t here shouldn't be carb loaded food in your house to pig out on. I suppose if you have a family it is alot harder to do that. But if your going to binge on something couldn't you make it a real hot pepperoni or something so you can only eat so much before burning you mouth off.
Think about what makes you take out the carbs and eat them? At what time of the day do you start thinking about binging? Are there triggering factors (perticular people or events?). Do you find, you stress easy? Is it easy for you to relax? Have you tried breathing exercises and meditation when you get home instead of binging.
There is all sorts of ways to go about it. But if you have to eat, eat something else other then carbs. It can be done, and you really can do it. In the end you have to decide not to put the carbs in your mouth.
Dont get yourself down. I know all abt bingeing and i feel it generally happens when ure extremely stressed or the weighing scale wont budge etc. all.
What ide suggest is.....instead of thinking of never eating carbs the whole of yr life and feeling depressed on that, ide suggest u plan a binge. As in whatever suits u and makes u loose weight. It cld be once a month, or twice or even 2 weeks (altho wouldnt recommend it). That way you would have the satisfaction psychologically that u r having carbs.
Once u do go on the diet however and lets say two months down the line u wont even LIKE carbs. I mean it. I used to do this planning thingy once a month but now after two months they simply taste like....grass!!
thanks everyone. I'll try sticking to meat after work. It's possible I was hungry, but didn't realize it. I'm still learning a lot about my body signals. weird, but true. Also I had eaten quite a lot of salt the day before my first pig out. I wonder if that could have contributed? AND Jonathon you had a good point! I was really angry, but couldn't (wouldn't) admit it. So thanks for everyone's kind support. Not only am I eating in a new way, but I am learning some new behaviours. EXCELLENT! When I was on strict induction for about a week, my physical cravings did disappear, so that's my new goal...to get to that place again. thanks for the boost.
I too used to binge after work. I would be fine all day and then go home and binge - partly because I really didn't eat enough during the day. Make sure you are eating enough during the day. Bring plenty of snacks with you to work. Even after a year of doing Atkins there are times I still find myself wanting to eat more in the evening - but never the way I did before starting Atkins.
One trick I have found that keeps me in control and might help you is just before going home from work have a snack, like some cheese strings, a piece of chicken, some left over supper from the night before. I usually have my snack just before I leave work or sometimes as I am driving home from work. By the time I get home from work I am in control. I am not starving and am satisfied and in control.
Try to exercise after work - even a short walk or jog. It will make you feel good, and reinforce your commitment to the program. Exercise is also a good appetite suppressant, so you won't be as hungry.
You need to really commit to being on a diet to lose weight. If you can do that and resist those temptations for about three weeks, they will be largely gone. To do that you need to find something positive and active to replace food as reward and comfort. I suggest that you exercise in that after work time when you are being tempted. And find something to do besides sit idly, where you will be tempted to eat. Go for a walk after work. Walk around in a mall or in a park. Just get away from food.
And if you can, get rid of all the food in your house that isn't "Atkins". If the food is available we are tempted to eat it. Succeeding on a diet is largely a matter of changing old habits to new ones and then practicing them until they are second nature.
You must commit yourself to being strict on the plan for those necessary three weeks. Then you should see a remarkable difference in your ability to resist food.
all sound advice, and I really value it coming from folks in the know!
Ace41 I think I'll try that eating before I leave work and see what happens. Again thanks to all!
<<<Hugs>>> To you Lynne.
I completely understand that. I have always had problems with binges and dieting that led to unhealthy behaviors in the past.
I truly understand what you go through.
You come home f/ work, maybe you had a bad day, or even if you didnt. Your sitting on the couch and then some awful craving hits you like a terrible itch and before you know it, your inhaling everything in the pantry and feeling sick and guilty but you cant stop.
I dont understand why i do it, but i know it is a form of self-comforting behavior that i developed at a younger age for whatever reasons.
I hate it so much and i dont understand why sometimes i have great self-control and sometimes i dont.
I do know from the past, that self-control only grows stronger the more you practice it.
If i have a big cheat and then i cheat again, every single time i get weaker and weaker till i loose all former self control that i had gained.
Eventually, the longer you do Atkins you start to loose the physical cravings for those foods that you arent supposed to have, but getting there is hard.
What helps me a little is when a craving comes on i close my eyes and clear my mind of everything and separate myself from the world.
This is hard to do and it takes practice but its very peaceful not just for
controlling cravings. Or i drink an entire diet coke or a diet dr. pepper and it helps too.
thank-you maryanne. I'll try the relaxing technique. It's good to be understood. thanks. you look great by the way. mind if i ask how much you've lost on Atkins and how long you've being eating this way. I have about 20-30 more pounds to lose.
they have been hanging on for a few years and seem reluctant to leave!
thanks again to everyone for the support.
lynne
Lynne,
I'm not really a success story yet, but i just thought of maybe writing a success story for myself and using that as a motivation for myself. it might help, and not just w/ weight loss. We ought to try this together and see if it works for us.
Sometimes i think i have a mental block in my head and i dont know exactly what it is, and why i have it. Maybe i'm scared of something or i have some buried feelings that i'm not aware of.
To date i have lost almost 25 lbs, and it could be wayyy more if i had more control,discipline and self esteem. I want to reach my goals and i could have been there already if i'd only tried harder.
At least i keep trying though
I had another thought on this one...you lasted two days before your cheat...I recall day 3 and 4 being the hardest for me....so perhaps it was the same for you. It got easier for me as more time went on. BUt for those who cheat...it seems they end up cheating about once every 3-4 days...just as they reach the hardest part...they have to start all over again.
Push through it and you are rewarded with truely reduced cravings and appetite.
I realized a while back if I don't eat a High Protein breakfast I get so hungry later on in the day! Maybe if you do that it will truly help with your cravings. Like the others said if you will just stay with it long enough, you won't even want to cheat!
trying to reform myself, help!
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