I've been a binge eater for a very long time. I'd start off having, say, a couple of pieces of toast and eventually eat an entire loaf of bread, 2 toasted slices at a time, with lots of butter. AND, by about the 6th slice I would want it to be cinamon toast, so I would put butter plus cinamon plus a lttle sugar on it. And then a couple of slices later I would say the hell with the cinamon, and just put on butter and a ton of sugar, and then run it back into the toaster oven so the sugar melts and carmalizes a little. And there goes a whole loaf of bread, no problem.

Sweets were the same way. Whole bags of chocolate chips. Whole bags of cookies. Half a cake, one little, lady-like slice at a time on a pretty china plate.

I've been doing Atkins since 10/27/2002, and have lost 11 pounds. I felt crappy during induction--headaches, joint pain, really miserable. So now I'm at 25-28 carbs per day, and feeling much better physically. I am truly sticking to this eating plan, especially avoiding white sugar and wheat flour. And my cravings really have gone away. I did not think that could ever happen for me. My weight loss slowed at the 199-200 barrier. I stayed the course, and within 2 weeks I dropped down to 195.2.

Here's what I'm finding out about binges for me: it has nothing to do with portion control, plate size, or strength of hunger, though these can all be extremely useful tools and habits. It has to do with ingredients. I made Karen's low-carb cheesecake, and we still have 1/4 of it in the house! I eat a slice, it tastes good, sometimes I have a second slice, sometimes not, and I do not CRAVE more. There's no sugar in it, just Splenda.

Bread: I've purchased Cheeters white bread, cinamon-raisin bread, and sesame bagels. I was a little afraid to try them, because I was worried that just the act of eating bread would cause me to binge. But it HASN'T. Again, it's the ingredients, I believe. The bread is very low carbs, and I'm eating it as sandwiches (ham, turkey, cheese, and mayo) or as toast along with eggs, bacon, coffee, and water. I truly do not crave more of it in that uncontrollable, horrible way that sugar and white flour make me crave more.

I also make hot chocolate with heavy cream, boiling water, cocoa powder, and Splenda. One cup satisfies me. I'm going to look at other low-carb chocolate recipes for something to munch rather than sip. I tried the low-carb commercial bars--various brands--and they stimulated cravings so badly I though I was going insane. I ate 8 of them one night. Just sat there and ate them 'til they were gone. I don't buy them any more. I think it is probably the malitol, but I'm not sure and don't want to experiment to find out.

So the point of this long rambling post is this: I am not afraid of low-carb sweets, provided I know EXACTLY what is in them. I have eaten them, and they do not start the physical/mental cravings for me. The other point is that of gratitude: I am so incredibly grateful to have found a way to eat that doesn't make me insane.

Ann at Howcross Castle