naddl
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Post by naddl on Feb 23, 2015 16:35:36 GMT -5
Really cool more people are joining! Day 5: check! Though today seemed a bit off since I didn't have time to eat lunch today. Before, when I got really hungry, dinner usually turned into a binge. Tonight I was able to control myself though. I overate but it didn't go as far as a binge. That's so exciting Kate I hope you enjoy your trip!!
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Post by charlotte on Feb 23, 2015 18:17:33 GMT -5
Thanks so much Kate! And that's awesome, Naddl! Well done!! Welcome Beansies Hey Kate, if you'd like to meet up in Brussels I'd be up for it!
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kate
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Post by kate on Feb 24, 2015 0:40:44 GMT -5
How's everyone doing? Day 5 went. I might not be eating super healthy but at least I'm not bingeing! I'm a little nervous for tomorrow bc we have sorority dinner. It's catered from restuarants and very easy to overeat large portions. I feel intense urges during these dinners. But hopefully I'm prepared tomorrow and can handle it! I love not bingeing because I had a more positive outlook on life. Hope everyone is still feeling good!! Charlotte -- you're in Brussels? Awesome! Let me know if you have any recommendations of places to visit or things to do
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Post by charlotte on Feb 24, 2015 3:40:13 GMT -5
I overate a little bit yesterday, but nothing major so I'm pretty content As long as we're not bingeing I think we're doing pretty fine, Kate! I have a hard time not overeating/bingeing at festive meals with lots of people as well. For the family I had before though, I did some mindfulness practice in the morning - that exercise from the BoB workbook: --- Exercise M: Practice Not Reacting to Binge Thoughts
Knowing what non-reaction looks like in other situations is very helpful, but now we need to address the binge urges themselves. In this exercise, your job will be to actively think thoughts that encourage binge eating, and feel your ability to avoid a reaction. You can’t force yourself to have a binge urge (nor would you want to), because a real binge urge arises automatically from the lower brain. This exercise is just to help you realize your thoughts will not cause negative and uncomfortable feelings if you don’t react to them. Write down two thoughts that typically encourage you to binge: (in this case, for example: "You always have urges and binge eat these sorority dinners so you won't be able to resist anyway")
Now close your eyes and think the first thought you wrote … Don’t offer any counterarguments to the thought. Don’t engage in any mental dialogue with it (if other thoughts come up automatically, that’s fine; simply observe them).
Notice that when you don’t react, no strong or uncomfortable feelings surface. Repeat this exercise with the second thought. The more you repeat this exercise, the more you will realize this: Just because you hear something in your head, or feel a physical sensation in your body, it doesn’t mean you have to let it affect you.--- Doing this exercise seems to have kept me more mindful/aware during the meals. Let us know how it goes!
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Post by beansies on Feb 24, 2015 8:35:32 GMT -5
Thanks for the warm welcome and this thread... it's awesome! Checking in for day 2, because yesterday was my first successful day in months! Given the fact that yesterday was a difficult for me parenting and just overall (no water in our building all day) I figured it would be same old letting the animal thoughts take over but after rereading the principles of the book and thinking about this thread I can honestly say I'm feeling pretty positive because the thoughts seemed "different". For dinner I had a 4 egg omelet for dinner (added more fat with cheese/coconut oil to it to feel full longer) and that seemed to help a lot. For "night snack" (I'm a big time night eater because my natural appetite for breakfast is just never there, however probably due to the night binges) I opted for some of the new rice cakes I bought to try, with fig jam and a bit of roasted pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top. It was fantastic, healthy and 400 calories for the 4 of them with toppings included (much better than my usual give ins)! It felt amazing to feel true enjoyment of my food for once... without guilt or shame. Onwards to today! Lots to do to keep me busy catching up with lack of running water yesterday and also volunteering on a field trip with my daughters class this morning. I've got a ton of veggies I've been meaning to prep for multiple meals, may end up cooking all afternoon once done my active rest workout. I hope you guys are all having a great day so far. Great post of the exercise Charlotte. I'm going to be using that often.
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Post by beansies on Feb 24, 2015 8:37:49 GMT -5
Oh and I forgot to mention I did great during the day as well due to no running water and the inability to cook, lol. Clif bars for lunch and afternoon snack were dandy treats. I've realized I can have my treats and it doesn't set me up to automatically fail just because it had carbs or was sweet!
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naddl
New Member
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Post by naddl on Feb 24, 2015 14:55:37 GMT -5
Day 6: check! Great job beansies! For me stressful situations also usually trigger an urge. It used to be really hard for me to not try to "resolve" the situation with binging (which of course it never did).
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kate
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Post by kate on Feb 25, 2015 0:43:41 GMT -5
Day 6 is definitely not a check for me unfortunately I was fine until our buffet dinner. I gave into my urges and binge ate throughout the rest of the night.. This often happens after Tuesday night buffet dinners. I kept thinking about my resolution while I was eating but then the addictive voice would persist and I'd give in. My stomach feels very full and uncomfortable. I am still confident that I can get back on track tomorrow though since I had been doing so well before today. I am kind of disappointed in myself but it is what it is and I can only move forward. I know I'll still be uncomfortable tomorrow but I can work through it. Sorry to throw off the positive vibes.. You guys are doing so great! Keep it up! I'll promise to join back with good news tomorrow hopefully!!
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Post by charlotte on Feb 25, 2015 2:50:55 GMT -5
Buffets are a pain in the ass for bingers. Better next time (or temporarily avoid them if possible?)! You have the right attitude though! You've been doing really great and can now pick up where you left off! You know what to do and you know you can do it!
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Post by charlotte on Feb 25, 2015 3:00:15 GMT -5
Oh and I just wanna say, this exercise has been so helpful to me:
A good example of non-reaction is thinking about being in a heated argument with someone, and then mentally checking out of the argument.
Imagine listening to someone argue a point that you disagree with. At first you become upset, anxiously calculating your responses in your head, and then you get angry.
What (that you can control) is creating your negative feelings in this example? You cannot control the other person, so it’s your own reaction to that person’s words that is creating your negative feelings.
Now imagine that you realize the argument is futile, so you just quit letting the person’s words affect you. You stop reacting in any way, meaning you stop arguing back, stop thinking of counterarguments in your mind, stop thinking how wrong the person is, and stop getting upset. You may still hear the person’s words, but you are no longer paying attention.
When you stop reacting, the experience dramatically changes. This is called detachment.
Detachment is when you aren’t involved in what you are experiencing. Even though the internal and external factors are still there, you are no longer personally invested.
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Post by beansies on Feb 25, 2015 8:25:25 GMT -5
Sorry to hear about the slip up Kate. I was binge free for years after the birth of my children when I was really (anorexic) trying to get skinny post partum and then started calling those buffet days "cheat days" to justify all out uncomfortable gorging. Now I look back at that and see how the bingeing started, I would restrict calories days prior to it and then I'd be super hungry and ready for it! Did you by any chance restrict just knowing the day was coming too? Just one day in the bucket doesn't add up to much. You can do this. Charlotte, I like the example of not arguing with the binge urge, because it's futile, much like discussing anything with my mother in law! LOL (Lots of binge urges actually came from fearing social engagements with her because she's a narcissist). Now that I'm learning to be more patient, loving, forgiving through prayer life is so much better. I also added mediation, with lots of beneficial exercise (not abusive exercise). BOB is my last and final tool I'm going to use to improve every facet of my life because it really does allow us to stop more than binges, but all our neurotic habits if we choose to acknowledge them within our power to control (outside true psychiatric disorders requiring medication). I'm onto day 3 today. Last night, no guilt, we had Subway after we went to the gym to play/workout as a family instead of cooking. It was delicious and there was no struggle with the kids to get them to eat (sometimes that also brings on binges, I'll cook something I find worth eating, but they don't think so and thus... I'm raiding plates out of anger and "not wasting food". LOL. NO MORE!! I also had baby carrots and raw almonds for night time snack... really embracing that I can eat without overdoing it has been freeing these past 2 days. Man was I ever making up a lot of excuses to let the binge monster in my brain consume me. Hugs! Happy Wednesday.
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Post by charlotte on Feb 26, 2015 16:32:42 GMT -5
How are you doing Kate?
Haha, I love the example of the arguments with your mother in law, beansies! I have the same with my brother. He's lovely, but also very frustrating to argue with. Perfect example, so you know, thanks bro, I guess. I agree that BoB can be a tool to become aware of so many other automatisms. Mindfulness is the best. Oh and that Subway trip sounds nice. Hope you can continue like this! Keep us updated!
I've been binge free for almost two months now so I'm not exactly counting days, but will definitely try to sit out Lent with y'all. Something I've really been liking about not having binges is being able to focus and concentrate better. I can be much more present in the moment when my stomach isn't dominating my blood supply lol.
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Post by beansies on Feb 26, 2015 18:59:15 GMT -5
Okay... so today wasn't a good eating day but it wasn't a binge day either and neither was yesterday, just hormonally hungry, so I had a strawberry shortcake chia scone (eh theirs protein from the yogurt/chia in it I swear) for each meal today and a salad for dinner. I had a little "chat" with myself this afternoon when I was getting weary after we found out the head lice were back on my kids... sigh, so we clipped all our hairs did the nix and I got my head back on straight with a healthy meal after. Feeling good about not "bingeing" but feel like I'm still eating too much maybe... working on not giving myself a hard time. How's everyone?
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kate
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Post by kate on Feb 27, 2015 0:09:48 GMT -5
I'm sorry that I didn't post yesterday guys. I'm really struggling My brain has gone crazy since my binge on Tuesday and I'm having a really really hard time getting back on track. I feel lost again. It's amazing how quickly it can change from good to bad. I've binged the past 3 days. I'm sorry to disappoint you all. I'm really upset with myself. Whenever I am bingeing I get so desperate. I know it's ego dystonic. I really don't want to be eating so much.. In fact I really need to lose about 25 pounds. I always used to be naturally super slim and now I can't even manage to lose a few pounds. I don't recognize myself when I look in the mirror or fit into any of my clothes that fit me just a year ago. I feel very down on myself.. I don't know if I'll ever be the same. Everything else is going so great in my life and I keep thinking how perfect it would be if I had my old pre- eating disorder body. Any support or hope for these thoughts? Sorry that I've deviated from the positive person that started this Lent journey. I'm fighting to get back on track! I'm proud that you are all doing so well.
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naddl
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Post by naddl on Feb 27, 2015 4:31:56 GMT -5
aww.. kate i know exactly how you feel. Just try to not think about the binges too much, try to distract yourself from them. That always helped me get back on track. If you are up for it, I really encourage you to cut out refined sugar from your diet for a few days. Substitute for other sweet healthy food. For example, if you like pancakes I found an awesome recipe for which you only need two ingredients; an egg and a banana. Mush up the banana, mix in the egg and thats it. So good! I have drastically reduced my refined sugar intake and i am now on day 9 being binge free. Hope this helps Kate
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