Sunday, July 24, 2011

Overeating

I still struggle with overeating. I know this is the reason I have been on this plateau for so long. I am eating the amount of calories I need to eat to maintain this weight. Maintaining is good, I just want to maintain at a lower weight.

When I started this process I had 80 pounds to lose. I have lost almost 50 of that. I still have a long way to go and even though I have found my "diet soul mate" I still struggle with the thing that got me here in the first place. I have a food addiction and I always overeat.

I am sure this is why intermittent fasting has worked so well for me, it is easier for me to eat nothing than to just have a little bit. But, once I start eating I have a really hard time stopping within my window even though I am full, extremely full sometimes. I really want to work on this and try harder. It is just that this feels like the hardest thing in the world sometimes. It is so weird though, even I don't understand how I can go for 48 hours without eating anything yet when I am eating, I can't stop myself from having another snack.

It is all in the mind. I have just made the decision that I am fasting and therefore, eating during that fasting window is just not happening, because I have decided. I have to find a way for that to happen in my eating window too. When I am full, I stop, no discussion. I have to make a decision that this is what I am going to do. But how? When is it clear that a person is full? There is so much room for error here. I could talk myself into believing that I am not quite full yet.

Maybe I need a more clear cut indication of when it is time to stop? It is so tricky...because how do you help an addict not overdose? Any suggestions?

10 comments:

  1. This is exactly my problem. The only thing I have found that helps is to find a way to PAUSE. (Go outside and do something; go upstairs and do something, go into another room and do something.... leaving the scene of the crime and doing something else are evidently important). In mind I have the thought that when I come back, I can eat more of this or that. But when I do come back, I generally find I don't want to eat any more. Somehow it seems to be about BREAKING MOMENTUM.

    Good luck to you (to us :-)

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  2. As I recall, your eating window is during the day. Perhaps it would help if you make it at night when it might be easier to stop since you will be going to bed. Also, shortening the window might help. One trick I learned when I find myself overeating is to remember that tomorrow will come and I can eat whatever it is then. Maybe the fasting is making you feel like you have to eat everything all at once.

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  3. What about eating more fiber and protein during your window? That's what has helped me the most. Lots of beans and lean meats and green veggies.

    But I certainly understand how you feel. When I start eating starchy carbs, I have a hard time stopping.

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  4. Hi Jenna. I have found your site extremely helpful and I'm so impressed with what you've accomplished. This way of living is truly sustainable and I love eating this way, but I have to ask....when do we stop judging ourselves, and just live?

    I think that if you just let go of all of your expectations, just decide to accept yourself 100%, continue on this path and accept whatever the outcome, don't judge yourself when you overeat (there's always tomorrow) and just be good to yourself, love yourself, take a break, and you just might see changes more easily, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. I have found self-acceptance to be the most important game-changer for me. Plateaus don't exist for me anymore. I just am who I am, and I just live in full awareness and acceptance of it. Just be.

    Thank you again for this site. I really admire what you've done with it and for sharing yourself with us.

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  5. btw: It looks like almost 1 year ago, June 24th, you also wrote about a plateau. This could just be cyclical.

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  6. When your eating window opens eat protein and fat - not fruit, vegetables or anything starchy or sweet. I find that I feel genuine fullness after such a meal and I am more likely to stop eating. A typical break fast meal would be any kind of meat, macadamia nuts, coconut milk smoothie, eggs cooked any way, full fat cheese, plain full fat Greek yoghurt. Towards the end of your eating window, you can have green leafy veg, fruit (berries), and something sweet - if you still want it. Hope this helps. I, too, am an all or nothing girl - that's why the fast 5 plan works for me, too.

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  7. I think it could also help to shorten your window. It sounds like you are very receptive to the eating time vs. non eating time. Perhaps limit your window to 3 hours instead of five. I find this really stops me from continuing to eat when I'm no longer hungry.

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  8. One more thing, because I've been thinking about this post alot... it struck a cord with me because I've been there.

    If you're serious about getting fitter physically AND mentally AND emotionally, you have to up the intensity of your workouts to boost the feel-good hormones and whip your body into shape.

    Example:
    1. Run 30 to 60 minutes 2 times a week.
    2. HIIT training, like Bodyrock.tv, or whatever your preference, 2 times a week.
    3. Walk 15 minutes every night after dinner.
    4. Take fish oil capsules, like cod liver oil, which has vitamin A and D, of which everyone is defficient.

    Ok. Sorry for posting again, but I wanted to help in return for what I've benefited from your blog.

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  9. Hey, i feel the same and the only that works for me now is eating the most nutrient dense food i can get, Vegetables, sprouts, microgreens and the best fruits, beans, like vegetarian, no oils, little salt and you will eat a lot and still eat low calories and lot of nutrient dense food. I managed to get ripped like this and make muscle also, i eat lot of hummus too.

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  10. I am just now reading your blog. I really love it. I am just finding it hard to not over eat on after my 19 hour fasting window. When I first started everything was good. However, I am finding that because my schedule is hectic some days I fast 19- 20 hours. Some days it 17. Do you find that irregularity will throw off the weight loss effects. I know it makes a difference in my appetite

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