Last night I was feeling kinda wonky. I had dinner at my mom's house. She had grilled jerk chicken tenders, corn on the cob, peas and wild rice and Gaspacho and vanilla hagan dazs. I only had four chicken tenders and the gaspacho (sp). I felt pretty good about that. When I left her house I found myself turning into the local safeway where I bought a container of the aforementioned chunky monkey ice cream, one package of mrs. fields cookies (the ones that are individually wrapped), and one package (3) chocolate chocolate chip otis spunklemeyer muffins. sigh. I opened two cookies in the car and ate those on the way home. When I got home I sat in front of the computer, opened up the chunky monkey and had four spoonfuls. I opened up the muffins and ate about 3/4 of one. I could see a reflection of myself in the computer monitor eating this stuff. I got up poured hot water over the ice cream and stuffed the remainder of the muffins down the disposal (this is gross to say but if i put the muffins in the trash there is a slight chance I would have gone back and maybe had one (shudder). I left the remainder of the cookies out because they were individually wrapped and I knew my kids would eat them. Sigh. Thats my confession. I do feel good that I was able to stop myself but on the other hand I feel bad at how strong the compulsion was to eat!

That was awesome that you were able to stop mid-binge! Don't beat yourself up over the eating, just be thankful you didn't eat everything you bought!!! Hallelujah!!!

Echo

You have my sympathy and understanding. Anytime I visit my parents, I have a hard time with wanting to eat everything in sight after I leave.

You did really good though, with getting rid of the stuff. My sister and I once joked about people who could through perfectly good food into the trash and then.....just leave it there!
especially when it is doughnuts or other wonderfully starchy food.
So I can relate to putting the stuff down the disposal. Good idea!

I just started atkins today, and getting ready for it, just thinking about it caused a couple of binges.
So we do what we can, and when we fall down, ask for help to get back up, lean on each other and keep going. and sometimes we don't even need someone else's arm to get back up. And hey, I just realized that I am writing this for me. So, when I fall, and I probably will, this is where I can ask for help.... yeah, like I'm ever gonna ask for help..

I hope that I will though.
I'm new to this, and posted an introduction to this forum jsut a few minutes ago.

REna

Good for you! It's hard sometimes, but jumping back on with the next bite is the best way!

You painted a scene that we all know too well...

...and I think I probably ate all the same things you mentioned in the same combination at one time or another.

Good for you for destroying the food rather than letting it destroy your resolve.

Now, of course, you have to find some quiet time to reflect upon what it was that brought that on. Was it the visit with your family? Did you feel you didn't have enough LC legal foods available to you during the get together (I know I can freak out if I don't have enough food available to me).

Bottom line: identify what pushed your buttons and you'll be better prepared to handle it next time.

Thanks for sharing!

Donald

I have a suggestion for you. If the visit was the trigger then next time pack a lc snack to keep in the car incase you have the same reaction. I am not suggesting that binging on lc foods is the asnwer, just that nest time if you feel a need eat then you can just munch on the way home and not go off the WOL, maybe some beef jerky (this requires so much chewing that after a few pieces you forget about eating too much cause its just to much darn work)

Both of which have turned out to be major trigger foods for me. Might well be worth a test under more controlled conditions some time in the future. Last time I ate 5 rounds of green pepper, along with an otherwise normal meal, I was in the fridge all night looking for MORE. MORE of anything. Only came to the next morning and recognized that something had happened that wasn't just me.

I haven't been able to eat tomatoes safely for more than 10 years; they give me cold sores and make my head spin. Tomatoes and peppers are closely related botanically (potatos are in the same family, BTW, but more obviously out of the picture because they are white carbs.)

My theory--the intolerance or emotion drives the first bite, and then the carbs drive the rest of the box/ bag/ whatever.

I'm with you about the destroy it. Toilets will work in a pinch; as will dogs, if it's not chocolate. Story I heard at a different program once--woman was in tears that she'd pulled the cake out of the garbage and eaten in. Response: You mean you didn't pour dishwashing liquid on it first? The room broke up. We'd ALL been there.

And I think I read that Carnie Wilson...

...takes a bite of forbidden sweets and then covers the remainder with salt so as not to eat any more. Sounds extreme, but whatever works...

Donald

I think what really set me off was the fact that my mom who is 125lbs is the person who suggested that I low carb. She always seems to prepare meals with heavy carbs when she invites me to dinner. Like I came over for the fourth and oops everything had barbeque sauce on it. (sigh). She made the gaspacho with V8 which has 11 carbs per serving. It just makes me wonder sometimes what is her true motivation. She knows that I am losing but when I put forth a goal she is like "no way can you lose that amount in that amount of time". Anyway enough griping. I am an adult and can only be responsible for my own behavior. Thanks so much wolfe for pointing me in the right direction as to what set of the binge attack.

Side bar. I am up two pounds but I will stay the course. I have full confidence that it will be gone by the end of the week. Seems as if I have been really really struggling to get to 240 but its gonna happen!

The dishwashing liquid is such a good idea. I find eating high fat food so I'm full helps when I know there are going to be HC temptations. My favourite is protein shake powder shaken up with cream and an egg. I garauntee that after you've drunk that you won't want to eat for a while.
Well that's my handy hint for the day. Hang in there you're doing great.
I used to drive from shop to shop making up stories to justify my purchases. " I'll just have 1/2 doz donuts as I need to take something for a meeting" sort of thing.

I have to agree with Donald here. Try to find out what caused you to want tho binge in the first place. There has to be trigger somewhere. Try to remind yourself that you are in control. I have found that if I really have a craving/need to binge, thankkfully they don't happen that often, I will make myself something sickeningly sweet and as legal as possible. Something like hot chocolate made with whipping cream, coca powder, splenda and boiling water. Now given you wouldn't want to do this everyday but it can get you through a crunch. Try to hold off on going to the store and try something like the cocoa at home.. Eventually you will find it very empowering to know that you controlled that urge and replaced it with something acceptible.. there are also some LC chocolate bars out there that are pretty good, and will do in a pinch.
well there's my two cents, hope it helps.

Neen

Huge cyberhug!

I've only been doing this for only about a week, but I've been overweight all my life so I guess that sort of qualifies me...LOL

All I can say is good for you that you were able to realize that what you were doing was not just harming your body, but harming your self-confidence...but wait a second.

Didn't you get stop and get rid of that stuff?

Well there it is, your self-confidence. It's still there.

While it may seem like a set back and a large one in your mind, just remember life's lessons wouldn't be lessons if we only focused on just the mistake and not the consequences or outcome.

The outcome of this is you realized this was not the road you wished to continue upon.

You no longer want food to control you, but for you to control food.

In the past when either on a "diet," or just in my regular eating patterns I have found a very distinguishable set of triggers that occur before every binge.

They are there. Whether it was emotional eating, boredom, or just lacking proper nutrition.

On Atkins what is helping me to get through this is to make sure that I am eating plenty through the day.

If I skip a meal *which is a very bad habit of mine* I make sure to make it up as soon as possible.

If I work really late *4 am 5 am* I make sure to go ahead and have another small meal.

Because I know if I don't, I'll be grabbing onto something quick like chips, a big bowl of fruity pebbles etc.

Good luck and remember it's ONLY a mistake. We are allowed to make mistakes, because we're ONLY human. The important thing is how we react to them.