everytime i study i find myself thinking about food!!! and i would always end up cheating. this is really a trigger for me, and i've just realized that there was a pattern on all of my past binges. it just happened to me a while ago,only i didnt eat illegal foods (but still...). i find this behavior very disturbing and i want to correct. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

thank you much

Honey...110 pounds and want to lose weight? You look really pretty in your pic.

well to answer your question, find a food you CAN eat when you know you'll have the feeling to binge. Binge on a salad or steak or something LC. Just make sure LC food is always available...that's one of the reasons I failed before.

Or you could just be hungry because you aren't eating enough. When you sit still, you have time to notice your hunger. Take care of your body. At 5'3", you are under a good weight for health already. eating when your body signals hunger is not binging.

Todd, honeybfly's picture is of Mariah Carey who probably weighs more then honeybfly does right now.

Honeybfly, why do you want to be 100 pounds?? Women don't weigh 100 pounds...children do. You are already underweight and probably should gain a few pounds, but DEFINATELY not lose anymore. It saddens me to see women obsessed with being extremely thin, and 100 pounds at 5'3" is extremely thin.

I've seen honey's pic. I think her weight is just right for her. Some people ARE very small boned and a few extra pounds don't look too good on them.

Serrelind's profile says that she is 5'1" but is only aiming at 105 pounds. Honeyfly is 2 inches taller yet aiming at 100 pounds. Hmmmmmm.

It is also important to note that LCers lose FAT but keep muscle. So when you are at a great looking weight, you may actually weigh more than someone who lost weight on a low fat or low cal diet.

Don't get too hung up on some number on an inaccurate scale. It's how you look and feel physically that matter MUCH more.

I recently read that a Russian ballet dancer was fired for being overweight. The ballet company complained that none of the male dancers could lift her without injuring themselves. Imagine my surprise when I discovered she weighed 110lbs and is 5 feet 7 inches tall!

She is NOT trying to lose weight! She is at goal! I feel abd about these replies to her since this was NOT what her post was about...she basically doesnt want to gain weight...I think we can all share that sentiment!!!

I am not sure how you can stop the behavior but recognizing it is a great first step!!! Now just try to study w/o eating and eventually maybe you'll have a new habit!

I would suggest having a big glass of water standing by with a straw in it. I think it helps to be able sip on the straw. It gives your mouth something to do, while your brain is plugging away at studying. Also chewing gum might help. If you are truly hungry, though, you might consider changing the time you study to right after a meal. Just some ideas for you. Congratulations for staying at your goal weight!

tofi, yes that's very much true with me. i know i HAVE lost a lot of fat, but have retained my muscle AND added more muscle due to my weight training and cardio. i don't pay much attention to the scale number anymore. i know i'll get to my goal weight one of these days. right now i'm just appreciating the fact that i feel so healthy, i love the food i'm eating, and i sorta think i look good too

i agree about the water with a straw. my favorite binge spot is in front of the computer- it used to be they were "couch potatoes" now its "cyber fungi" --at least in my house! anyways, i keep a drink by me with a straw so i can keep looking at what i'm doing (something about not having to tip the head back that is entailed in the snacking urge... hmm...). HTH!

Honeybfly, I have the same problem. Whenever I open my books/notes to study, I want something to snack on. Now I'm in grad school, and I think that the habit came from my undergrad study habits--ordering a pizza or midnight runs to Taco Bell during exam week, etc.
If I'm truly hungry, I'll have some string cheese or pork rinds. If I'm not and just feel like having something in my hand/mouth, I avoid the extra calories and drink decaf coffee, green tea, or Diet Rite.
The urge to eat while I'm studying is, however, starting to fade. I think that once you get out of the habit of grabbing something to eat every time you open the books, you'll stop craving it.
By the way, I didn't gain the freshman fifteen....I gained the sophomore 25!! And the reason is that I ate to comfort myself whenever I was stressed about school.
I hope that this helps.

Maybe try some sugar free jello. Although Wenzday makes a good point. To keep my carb count down I would try to concentrate on something other than food. I know it is easier said then done. Or maybe hitting the books right after eatting a meal could help. The water suggustion is always a good idea. Hope this helps.

OK,

I am going to wade in here. I am a retired psych and your problem is one of breaking an old habit..the eating pattern is part of a cycle that also involves using eating as an excuse to not study.

Here's what you do. Have a neat magazine nearby. Note the time and allow yourself no more than 15 minutes to study, and work at concentrating. If you can't manage this, then bring it back to 10 minutes to start off with. After the short bout of study, you then take a 5 minute break and look at the magazine...no more than 5 minutes. Then back for the next 15 minute study stint, and so on. over the ensuing weeks, gradually increase the study period time, but never exceed 40 minutes, which is about maxixum concentration time for anyone. Allow your self to make a cup of tea as another break or as part of the 5 minutes' break with the magazine.

I used to study with a friend, and we would study for 40 minutes, and play a game of cribbage for ten minutes' breaks, with a cup of tea.

It is just a question of learning new habits and breaking old ones. You only need to apply the same
dedication to doing this as you did to reaching goal weight. The well meaninged advice regarding food substitutions will not get at the problem as it still involves using food thoughts to break up concentration.

Val