I started Atkins about a month ago and did great the first few weeks. But as usual I had cheated and lost control. I don't like being so restricted in what I can/can't eat but otherwise I'm just out of control. I have some serious issues w/food and am getting worried I'm devloping some really destructive behaviors. Just need some input as to how to avoid these binges. I always feel like such a failure never being able to stick with it, please help!

Hi Shetuna:

I find that if I absolutely must treat myself, instead of "binging" I control my intake of food that's not considered "on program". So, for example, I'll have a bagel, or a muffin, or even a donut, but have it in the morning, then stick to very low / zero carb foods for the day. If you're dying for pasta for dinner, go buy some low carb pasta either on line or at a health food store and have it in stock for emergencies. If you just MUST have a cookie, then have a cookie, but don't have 12 cookies.

Binging is bad for anyone - being in control is what life is about.

There are a lot of products out there that have found the way to take the carbs out of the things we feel we're craving. Atkins makes these low-carb chocolate peanut butter cups that taste divine! They are expensive, so unless you have bottomless pockets, you're not going to binge because who wants to spend $20 on 3-4 chocolate bars.

if you think your behaviours go beyond just your eating habits, then take the time to be honest with yourself and self-analyze why you do what you do. If you're an emotional eater, then find something to fill that void, and you won't turn to food for comfort. If you think you have self-worth issues, try taking a course outside of work, like maybe photography or creative writing or blackjack dealing or improv classes or whatever you've always wanted to do. After completing that, you're going to have a new skill and feel great about yourself knowing you're doing something you've always dreamed of doing.

Keep us posted.

Niki
162/158/129
LCing since 10/21/03

Shetuna - binge control is tough, isn't it? It takes practice. Here's what I did to help myself: I paid special attention to my craving triggers so that I could learn to recognize them, and hopefully avoid them. I also "talk" to myself before giving in to a craving - I remind myself how good I feel when I eat LC, that I have lost 45 pounds and 4 sizes and that I look better than I ever have. I also remind myself how CRAPPY I will feel after I indulge (like right now, this minute - I missed breakfast today because I had to be at work early - I NEVER miss breakfast unless absolutely unavoidable - so for lunch I had a chicken wrap sandwich - no salad bar available for me today - and yep, I feel awful). Most of the time, this works. Sometimes it doesn't (like today and TOM). So, I give myself permission for a small cheat, not a binge, a cheat. And then I get right back on track.

The hardest thing with any woe or diet is what you said yourself - the feeling that some food is restricted. This is where you really need to work on finding legal substitutions for the non-legal food. If you don't, you'll never get past the feeling that you "can't" eat something vs you "don't" eat something because there is a better choice. And then, you end up sabotaging yourself. My downfall, for example, is chips. LOVE them. I found pork rinds are a fine and dandy substitution and they are legal. I get to indulge and not blow my woe!

Summer (Lawbooks)has some great advice which I think may be very helpful for you. You say you always feel like such a failure - but you don't have to. Set minigoals because it can be overwhelming to fixate on the big picture all the time. And meeting a mini goal will help you get used to accomplishing stuff and feeling great about it. For example, say you want to lose 5 pounds this month, or that you want to eat on plan all day tomorrow. One step at a time.

Good luck to you and keep us posted.

Jen
175/130/120

Just so you don't feel so bad, I have not overcome my urge to have ice cream every night.
I have so much support here, but haven't been able to do it. you have to remember that even if you cheat, you should not just give up and think that that one cheat ends your focus. It is better to acknowledge that you had a weak momement and move on . If you go off and binge it will make you feel worse because then you have to get back on track and start all over.
Some tips I have been given.
Have something pre-made that you like in the fridge for when you get that spurr of the moment hunger. drink lots of water and don't beat yourself up if you cheat, just continue on and you will do better

shetuna,

Have you looked into some other LC plans? Maybe Atkins isn't the one for you. You might look into CAD/CALP. It's less restrictive, but still works. I lost 42 pounds on it. There's a thread/topic called CALP Plan Reviewed. Click the link below to check it out:

http://lowcarbeating.infopop.cc/6/ub...4&m=5426005024

I don't know too much about the other plans, but there are others out there. You might want to check out the book, "The Secret to Low Carb Success" by Laura Richards. I think there's a link to her site on the home page of this one. It compares a lot of the plans, and I've heard it's really good.

Don't give up! Maybe you just haven't found the right plan yet.

Debby

206.5/157/140?130?
CAD/CALP 1/12-10/9/03
Atkins since 10/10/03

I have been on Atkins for about 11 weeks, and have found that my ability to not eat somethings after induction was easier than I could imagine. Used to if something sweet was around me I would automatically put it in my mouth... with out thinking about it, it was sweet (and if chocholate the better). Now I really have to ask my self if I want something before putting it in my mouth... many times I will say no I am not hungry for that, or no I don't have a craving for that, or that just doesn't make me want to "blow my way of eating". Don't get me wrong, there are times when I will say yes I want that and eat it without guilt, cause the next thing I put in my mouth after that will be back on my WOE. I have had rice twice during this time, no pasta, potatoes I believe 2 times. I keep some"sweet" things I can eat stashed out of sight, but every now and then I will grab a small bite and satisfy that craving I am having (only after trying to low carb the craving). Stick with it or try another LOW carb diet. When you were on induction, did you keep your carbs to 20 and eat nothing but veggies.... For some people, going thru the induction takes care of most of their cravings, and keeps them from the binges.
Take some time for yourself, and decide how you want to continue with this new WOE/WOL, then embrace it and give yourself something you can "legally" eat when you need to.
hope this helps.

carolyn in texas
started 8/11/03
327/303/150

Shetuna:
I find the longer I've been low carbing the easier it is to resist temptation. Perhaps your binging and cheating will eventually phase itself out, but don't give up completely. Also, as Debby suggested, perhaps another plan other than Atkins would work better for you. Good luck!

kateryna
Apr-15-03 226/200/126 (lean-ing towards NeanderThin)
You can only be young once, but you can be immature forever!

Thanks so much for all your helpful info. I've decided to try try again. I have been back to my usual ways and eating like crap and feeling like crap. So today I start anew. I think I'll keep a journal, correspond with you folks, and get some books that might help me identify what triggers my binges and how to cope. If anybody out there has ideas there would be appreciated. Also I'd like to know if somebody would like to be my "buddy" and exchange personal emails? Im 30 5'7 158 and my goal is 130. I exercise about 5 times a week and just started doing yoga/pilates sp?. If your interested please let me know. Thank You!

The most important thing is to get the binge-behavior under control. Forget weight loss for a while. If you get the bingeing under control, the weight loss will be very easy.

So, you have to decide what plan will leave you feeling the least deprived. With low-carb, you usually have to cut whole foods out of your way of eating, like french fries or ice cream, etc. There are often ways to try to simulate the feel and taste of those items but it's never quite the same without real carbohydrates.

Or you can try to restrict your calorie intake. There are a number of calorie restriction diets. This would allow you to eat just about any type of food you want, but you wouldn't be able to eat as much as you want of any of them.

Think about what best suits you and which sacrifice you are most comfortable with.

The third option is to get gastric bypass. I don't know if you're heavy enough to qualify for that or if you have the cash/insurance to pay for it. It's risky and is not a good choice for compulsive bingers. People have been known to blow out their staples.

**************
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."

One of things that has always helped me stay focused on a healthy way of eating, no matter which balance I was looking to achieve at the time (high carb / low fat, high protien/ low carb) is reading about nutrition. I actually have found it quite interesting to see the different schools of thought out there and the crossreferencing, I believe, has enabled me to make better choices based on my own needs.

This is the first time I am trying a low carb diet and, although I'd like to drop 10 pounds, the reason it became so important to me was because I am a sugar addict and the peaks and crashed were making me miserable. I have binged and cancelled my plans for the evening, I have binged and thrown up, I have binged and cried myself to sleep because of the intense sense of failure I felt that I couldn't stick to my diet and my pants were getting ever tighter. The sugar, I realized, is the substance that makes me want more sugar. So if I eat it, I am understanding the situation I will put myself in.

Since I've increased the amount of protein in my diet, I have noticed that my appetite has plummeted! Yes I still think about all the yummy things I used to eat, but I try to remember what happened to me when I ate them. I try to remember how I would sneak things behing my BF or family's back because I would snack on chocolate or whatever all day and I was ashamed. Now, in the morning when I want that bagel with cream cheese AND the blueberry muffin AND a few pieces of chocolate from the candy draw (at my office) I opt for my two hard boiled eggs and my coffee with splenda and a piece of low carb toast or 1/2 cup berries and when I am done eating, I am full. I haven't just had something rich in sugar that is begging me to eat more sugar. And maybe I have a few scoops of chicken salad before lunch. When I think about food I look down at my stomach and ask it if it's really hungry or am I just thinking about food.

You can identify what a struggle it is to avoid the old vices, but when you find this sort of ... peace with yoursefl, feeling spiritually better, if not physicall better with a little detox time, remember the diference.

Hope that helps! Good Luck

pokadotsox-thanks for the response. You know when I start eating carbs I can't stop especially ice cream. Since I fell off "no carbs" I eat so many cabs my stomach actually hurts. well I guess you know the routine, its scary. I've gotta learn diff. coping tricks and hope I can retrain myself.