Compulsive Overeating

"Jo-Ann" <RiverRun@ mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I thank all who answered and suggested such helpful options. Bless your
Hearts!! This is such a lifelong problem and I am so darned sick and tired
of the same **** every day. Diet, diet and more diets! Well, this low carb
program for me has so far, become a way of Lifelong Eating for me- ONE DAY
AT A TIME! It's not easy-it's terribly difficult sometimes. You ALL know
where I'm coming from. I have lost tons over a lifetime only to gain almost
all of it back. This is my life now and I want mope than anything to keep
succeeding!!
Thank you all from my heart.
Jo-Ann
--
Invalid address-Please post request to e-mail me.

Jo-Ann said:

I need a source of control at night. That's the BAD time.

control comes from within. butch up.

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 20:29:39 GMT, "Jo-Ann" <RiverRun@ mindspring.com>

Quoted message said:

Marilyn,
I cannot seem ton find UNSALTED sunflower seeds in the shell. Where do you
get yours? That's what I am after. Salt retains so much water and Lord
Knows, I cannot afford that either.
Jo-Ann

We have a Bulk Barn here, which carries them. It's a store with all
kinds of things in bulk, candy, nuts, cereal mixes, dog food. Maybe a
health food store? They might even order them in for you. I would be
in a lot of trouble if I didn't have those to eat, because I have to
have things to nibble on. And they are only 33cents a pound. Macadamia
nuts are about $10 a pound, I think. *cries*

M

14 Sep 2004 said:

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 20:29:39 GMT, "Jo-Ann" <RiverRun@ mindspring.com>

Quoted message said:

Marilyn,
I cannot seem ton find UNSALTED sunflower seeds in the shell. Where do you
get yours? That's what I am after. Salt retains so much water and Lord
Knows, I cannot afford that either.
Jo-Ann

Bird stores have them in bulk. Not regular pet shops, but specialty bird
stores.

KeS

JoAnn,

Don't panic! If you have been weighing every week, it is very unlikely that
most of that 4 lbs is fat rather than water. I weigh daily and managed to
gain four pounds one day a few weeks ago for no reason I could identify.
Three days later I was back at my usual low.

If you're troubled by the compulsive eating, get the nuts and any other
problem foods out of the house. I have had to do that with Sunflower seeds
for the same reason. If they are there, I eat them. If they stay at the
store, 4 miles away, I don't.

If all you have in the house is healthy but boring food, it's a lot easier
to go hog wild.

-- Jenny - Low Carbing for 5 years. Below goal for weight. Type 2 diabetes,
hba1c 5.7 .
Cut the carbs to respond to my email address!

Jenny's new site: What they Don't Tell You About Diabetes
http://www.geocities.com/lottadata4u/

Jenny's Low Carb Diet Facts & Figures
http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/

Looking for help controlling your blood sugar?
Visit http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/Newly%20Diagnosed.htm

"Jo-Ann" <RiverRun@ mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi Everyone,
I have been on the low carb (Atkins) WOE now for over one year. I have

lost

Quoted message said:

64 pounds and have maintained the loss for 7 months. I weigh myself every
Monday morning. I can REALLY use some advice.
After my weigh in this week, I found, to my horror, I had gained 4 pounds.
OK! Fine! I lost my job when the business folded and I'm not as active as

I

Quoted message said:

was. I have been going through extreme emotional stress. Fine! I have been
trying to justify this weight gain when all this time, I KNOW THE REASON.
I am a compulsive overeater and have been eating too much of my "Legal"
foods, especially nuts! I have been consuming too many calories each day.

I

Quoted message said:

need some control now. I really need some advice as to how to start
controlling the amount I eat.
I have tried to go back on the "Induction phase of the program but at

night,

Quoted message said:

I eat those darned nuts again and can't seem to control the amount.
As an ex- member of Overeaters' Anonymous for years, (lost 123 pounds and
regained over 90) I think I miss the sharing with other who have the same
problem.
I have been looking for another job and I pray I get a call soon from the

5

Quoted message said:

applications I have filled out so far. I am also waiting to see how
Hurricane Ivan is going. I live in North Carolina and want to visit my 85
year old mother in New Jersey. I ahead not seen her in 2 years. I have
begged her to come and live with me but she will not move. I feel so

guilty.

Quoted message said:

I was supposed to have already driven up to N. J. a few weeks ago but
postponed the trip because of Hurricanes Charlie and Frances. Now, there's
another forming. I am afraid to drive in that kind of weather. It's a 12
hour trip from here.
I would love to get some help and suggestions. Thanks so much for your

time

Quoted message said:

and understanding! Take care all!
Jo-Ann
--
Invalid address-Please post request to e-mail me.

Quoted message said:

I have been to therapy. I received the same type of frivolous answer from
the therapist. I have been on diets since I was old enough to lift a fork.
It's not an amusing problem-it HURTS.
Jo-Ann

I wasn't making fun of you.
The reason I know is that I have been there done that.

~Kat

"help is on the way"
~John Kerry

Butch up and start doing some exercise.

--
Most people are dumb as bricks; some people are dumber than that. -- MFW

"Jo-Ann" <RiverRun@ mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi Everyone,
I have been on the low carb (Atkins) WOE now for over one year. I have
lost
64 pounds and have maintained the loss for 7 months. I weigh myself every
Monday morning. I can REALLY use some advice.
After my weigh in this week, I found, to my horror, I had gained 4 pounds.
OK! Fine! I lost my job when the business folded and I'm not as active as
I
was. I have been going through extreme emotional stress. Fine! I have been
trying to justify this weight gain when all this time, I KNOW THE REASON.
I am a compulsive overeater and have been eating too much of my "Legal"
foods, especially nuts! I have been consuming too many calories each day.
I
need some control now. I really need some advice as to how to start
controlling the amount I eat.
I have tried to go back on the "Induction phase of the program but at
night,
I eat those darned nuts again and can't seem to control the amount.
As an ex- member of Overeaters' Anonymous for years, (lost 123 pounds and
regained over 90) I think I miss the sharing with other who have the same
problem.
I have been looking for another job and I pray I get a call soon from the
5
applications I have filled out so far. I am also waiting to see how
Hurricane Ivan is going. I live in North Carolina and want to visit my 85
year old mother in New Jersey. I ahead not seen her in 2 years. I have
begged her to come and live with me but she will not move. I feel so
guilty.
I was supposed to have already driven up to N. J. a few weeks ago but
postponed the trip because of Hurricanes Charlie and Frances. Now, there's
another forming. I am afraid to drive in that kind of weather. It's a 12
hour trip from here.
I would love to get some help and suggestions. Thanks so much for your
time
and understanding! Take care all!
Jo-Ann
--
Invalid address-Please post request to e-mail me.

"Jo-Ann" <RiverRun@ mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi Everyone,
I have been on the low carb (Atkins) WOE now for over one year. I have

lost

Quoted message said:

64 pounds and have maintained the loss for 7 months. I weigh myself every
Monday morning. I can REALLY use some advice.
After my weigh in this week, I found, to my horror, I had gained 4 pounds.
OK! Fine! I lost my job when the business folded and I'm not as active as

I

Quoted message said:

was. I have been going through extreme emotional stress. Fine! I have been
trying to justify this weight gain when all this time, I KNOW THE REASON.
I am a compulsive overeater and have been eating too much of my "Legal"
foods, especially nuts! I have been consuming too many calories each day.

I

Quoted message said:

need some control now. I really need some advice as to how to start
controlling the amount I eat.
I have tried to go back on the "Induction phase of the program but at

night,

Quoted message said:

I eat those darned nuts again and can't seem to control the amount.
As an ex- member of Overeaters' Anonymous for years, (lost 123 pounds and
regained over 90) I think I miss the sharing with other who have the same
problem.
I have been looking for another job and I pray I get a call soon from the

5

Quoted message said:

applications I have filled out so far. I am also waiting to see how
Hurricane Ivan is going. I live in North Carolina and want to visit my 85
year old mother in New Jersey. I ahead not seen her in 2 years. I have
begged her to come and live with me but she will not move. I feel so

guilty.

Quoted message said:

I was supposed to have already driven up to N. J. a few weeks ago but
postponed the trip because of Hurricanes Charlie and Frances. Now, there's
another forming. I am afraid to drive in that kind of weather. It's a 12
hour trip from here.
I would love to get some help and suggestions. Thanks so much for your

time

Quoted message said:

and understanding! Take care all!
Jo-Ann
--
Invalid address-Please post request to e-mail me.

Your problem is not nuts. Your problem is feeling guilty and helpless about
all the things that happen to you and turning to food as an escape.

If you quit living a life of drama and start living a life of personal gain,
you might find that the nuts (and other foods) might not be so important.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but you did ask. And now I wish I had some
peanuts around here to snack on. 🙂

Jo-Ann here's OA's web page it will tell you whee to find a meeting.
http://overeatersanonymous.com/

Roger Zoul said:

Bob in CT wrote:
|| On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 17:22:56 GMT, Rebecca <[email hidden]>
|| wrote:

Quoted message said:

|||
||| In addition to Luna's good list of rules, I always add the one that
||| I will not eat after say 7:00 pm at all. Evening is also my time
||| of least control, so this rule is important for me.
|||
||| Rebecca
|||
||
|| I used to follow a rule similar to this in college. Unfortunately,
|| now most days I don't get home until about 7pm, so this has become a
|| non-rule.

It's a good rule for some...but I go to the gym at 8:30p, so I have to eat
afterwards. Soon, I'll start riding at night on Tuesdays & Thursdays, so
again I'd have reason to eat late. What I do is count the calories and have
a biggish lunch caloriewise, so that I don't need to eat much later.

I don't understand your reasoning. if I eat dinner at 6, I don't have
trouble doing my exercising a couple of hours later.

On the other hand, it sounds like you have a system that works for you.
Eating a larger lunch and then a light snack after your workout in the
evening is probably a good way to go about it. You're just re-arranging
the three main meals of the day.

The late night snacks that were always my downfall in the past are the
ones I ate in addition to those. The cookies, or bowls of ice cream
that I would eat while watching tv, or reading late at night. I
inevitably gain two pounds a night when I eat that way. Once I cut
those out, I made a lot of progress toward controlling my weight.

Rebecca

"Jo-Ann" <RiverRun@ mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have been to therapy. I received the same type of frivolous answer from
the therapist.

Then, you have had a bad therapist. A good therapist won't push method X on
you (behavioural, cognitive, Freudian, whatever). A good therapist will
listen to you, and then think in his head "I know of appraches A, B, C and
D, what's the perfect mix to help this person". For instance, behavioural
therapy (the tips Luna posted) is often part of the mix, because it often
provides quick relief that allows for enough peace of mind to work on the
therapy. But pure behavioural tends to be short lived.
That's why a good therapist needs to be *specialized* in eating disorders,
otherwise he just doesn't have the skills to be fluent in that kind of
multi-therapy process. And yes, good therapists I damn rare, perhaps even
more so than good doctors. And even if you find a good one, you have to find
a perfect fit with your own personnality. But it's still worth trying.

Quoted message said:

I have been on diets since I was old enough to lift a fork.
It's not an amusing problem-it HURTS.

And this is probably also part of the problem. Restrictive diets provide the
cognitive setup for binges. If only because you tend to rebel against
restrictions that come from the outside. That's where changing your point of
view towards food can really help.

"Jo-Ann" <RiverRun@ mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thank you so much for your reply. I am going to try to find an evening OA
Group somewhere nearby.

OA work for some people and does not work for others. If it works for you,
great. If it doesn't, you can always seek a therapist that is qualified
(i.e., if he doesn't specialize in eating disorders, he is not qualified)
and has an approach that fits your own personnality and needs. There are
several ways to deal with that kind of problem...

Quoted message said:

This is the first time in my entire life (62 years) that I have be able to
maintain a weight loss for 7 months. That's why I am so scared.

That's why you have to get help *now* rather than further down the road.
Things will be much easier to fix the sooner you do it. The anxiety
(including the anxiety about gaining weight) is litterally feeding the
binges/overeating. Losing the weight is only a part of the road, maintaining
involves different skills : stress management, self-esteem, self
acceptance... I don't know if you live in a major city or not, but I guess
associations could be able to give you references to good therapists that
can deal with this kind of problem. Finding a way to deal with the root
problem (stress, anxiety) would also help.

Rebecca wrote:
:: Roger Zoul wrote:
::: Bob in CT wrote:
::::: On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 17:22:56 GMT, Rebecca
::::: <[email hidden]> wrote:
::
::::::
:::::: In addition to Luna's good list of rules, I always add the one
:::::: that I will not eat after say 7:00 pm at all. Evening is also
:::::: my time of least control, so this rule is important for me.
::::::
:::::: Rebecca
::::::
:::::
::::: I used to follow a rule similar to this in college.
::::: Unfortunately, now most days I don't get home until about 7pm, so
::::: this has become a non-rule.
:::
::: It's a good rule for some...but I go to the gym at 8:30p, so I have
::: to eat afterwards. Soon, I'll start riding at night on Tuesdays &
::: Thursdays, so again I'd have reason to eat late. What I do is count
::: the calories and have a biggish lunch caloriewise, so that I don't
::: need to eat much later.
:::
::
:: I don't understand your reasoning. if I eat dinner at 6, I don't
:: have trouble doing my exercising a couple of hours later.

What is there not understand? 🙂 I'm not suggesting that you or anyone else
do what I do...but I barely get home by 6 and don't have time to cook, eat,
and get to the gym for a workout without that food making me uncomfortable.
So, I might have something very light, depending on what lunch I had and
what time I had it. On days when I fast (usually once a month starting on
Sunday night), I'll workout without having eaten for 24 hours. Most of the
time, I feel even stronger in the gym.

::
:: On the other hand, it sounds like you have a system that works for
:: you. Eating a larger lunch and then a light snack after your
:: workout in the evening is probably a good way to go about it.
:: You're just re-arranging the three main meals of the day.

Exactly. And the lunch is by no means large, just slight bigger than
otherwise. Also, I like to take in protein powder after my workout, so that
counts as part of the meal.

::
:: The late night snacks that were always my downfall in the past are
:: the ones I ate in addition to those.

Right. In that case, those snacks were overeating. Counting calories helps
me to not overeat.

The cookies, or bowls of ice
:: cream that I would eat while watching tv, or reading late at night.
:: I inevitably gain two pounds a night when I eat that way. Once I cut
:: those out, I made a lot of progress toward controlling my weight.

Right. Sounds like we basically do the same things, just differently to
suit our schedules.

Jim Bard wrote:
::
:: Your problem is not nuts. Your problem is feeling guilty and
:: helpless about all the things that happen to you and turning to food
:: as an escape.
::
:: If you quit living a life of drama and start living a life of
:: personal gain, you might find that the nuts (and other foods) might
:: not be so important.

How does one who is living a life of drama start living a life of personal
gain?

Rebecca <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<N_Q1d.195458$Fg5.44022@attbi_s53>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's a good rule for some...but I go to the gym at 8:30p, so I have to eat
afterwards. Soon, I'll start riding at night on Tuesdays & Thursdays, so
again I'd have reason to eat late. What I do is count the calories and have
a biggish lunch caloriewise, so that I don't need to eat much later.

I don't understand your reasoning. if I eat dinner at 6, I don't have
trouble doing my exercising a couple of hours later.

After you've been to the gym, it's best to eat some protein as soon as
possible, otherwise you're just screwing over your muscles.

Quoted message said:

On the other hand, it sounds like you have a system that works for you.
Eating a larger lunch and then a light snack after your workout in the
evening is probably a good way to go about it. You're just re-arranging
the three main meals of the day.

It's better to have a series of smaller meals than the odd big one.

Quoted message said:

The late night snacks that were always my downfall in the past are the
ones I ate in addition to those. The cookies, or bowls of ice cream
that I would eat while watching tv, or reading late at night. I
inevitably gain two pounds a night when I eat that way.

Two pounds a night? Only if you're eating an extra 7000 calories,
which I doubt.

I guess you don't want to say how much you weigh. What is your fat intake
percentage in http://www.FitDay.com ?

"Jo-Ann" <RiverRun@ mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Cubit" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

While you told us how much you lost, you might still have 200 pounds to

go,

Quoted message said:

or you may be an 80 pound anorexic with delusions of being fat.

Even free advice needs some info.

I am 5 (WAS!!!) 5 pounds under my goal weight. I lost the extra 5 pounds

to "play" with. Now that I have played, I am scared.
I am a compulsive overeater. Not buying nuts doesn't work. I tried that. I
ate other things. I need a source of control at night. That's the BAD

time.

Quoted message said:

Jo-Ann

Sorry I can't find the original thread to respond to ...

I used to have a very similar major problem of binge eating late at night
....

I tried many things ... nuts ... broccoli ...

I figured out that protein (meat) got rid of my hunger but carbs like potato
chips and ice cream did not get rid of my hunger.

So late at night ... I would say ... okay ... hungry? ... yes ... so lets
fix a 4 oz hamburger with 1 ounce of cheese, romaine lettuce, tomato, pickle
spears, onion, mayonnaise ... or eat a steak ... or eat an avocado ... those
all seemed to work ... but especially the hamburger.

I know it is a difficult process to change one's way of thinking, one's
habits, one's routines ... so I systematically, and gradually, replaced bad
habits with good habits.

It takes time, it takes repetition, but it works.

So I would suggest that it's okay to do late night snacking ... but change
your routine to snack on protein.

Placid
203/149/150

"The Voice of Reason" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Rebecca <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<N_Q1d.195458$Fg5.44022@attbi_s53>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's a good rule for some...but I go to the gym at 8:30p, so I have to
eat
afterwards. Soon, I'll start riding at night on Tuesdays & Thursdays,
so
again I'd have reason to eat late. What I do is count the calories and
have
a biggish lunch caloriewise, so that I don't need to eat much later.

I don't understand your reasoning. if I eat dinner at 6, I don't have
trouble doing my exercising a couple of hours later.

After you've been to the gym, it's best to eat some protein as soon as
possible, otherwise you're just screwing over your muscles.

Quoted message said:

On the other hand, it sounds like you have a system that works for you.
Eating a larger lunch and then a light snack after your workout in the
evening is probably a good way to go about it. You're just re-arranging
the three main meals of the day.

It's better to have a series of smaller meals than the odd big one.

Quoted message said:

The late night snacks that were always my downfall in the past are the
ones I ate in addition to those. The cookies, or bowls of ice cream
that I would eat while watching tv, or reading late at night. I
inevitably gain two pounds a night when I eat that way.

Two pounds a night? Only if you're eating an extra 7000 calories,
which I doubt.

Jim,
You make an awful lot of sense! It's true because when I'm happy, in a good
mood and looking forward to something I like or want, I don't think about
eating.
I have been looking for another job-I filled out 5 applications and haven't
heard anything yet. I will keep looking.
Thanks Jim for some good advice. I just wish I knew what a life of personal
gain would be for me.
Jo-Ann

"Jim Bard" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Your problem is not nuts. Your problem is feeling guilty and helpless

about

Quoted message said:

all the things that happen to you and turning to food as an escape.

If you quit living a life of drama and start living a life of personal

gain,

Quoted message said:

you might find that the nuts (and other foods) might not be so important.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but you did ask. And now I wish I had some
peanuts around here to snack on. 🙂

Thanks Nancy! I couldn't find any meeting near my home. I will phone the
local hospital. I think they started meetings there.
Jo-Ann
"Nancy 8 03" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jo-Ann here's OA's web page it will tell you whee to find a meeting.
http://overeatersanonymous.com/

Rebecca <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<QNF1d.191924$Fg5.59620@attbi_s53>...

Quoted message said:

Luna said:

I have this same problem periodically, in times of greater stress. There
are lots of things that you can try, some may work, some may not.

To be able to eat nuts but not overeat them:

Divide the nuts up into portion sized bags and only allow yourself one bag.

Don't eat while watching tv or reading.

Eat in front of a mirror.

Do something to force yourself to eat slowly. Maybe get up and walk to
another room and back between each nut.

To stop eating nuts altogether:

First off, don't buy them. This alone did not work for me, I ended up just
eating other things.

Drink a glass of water. If you have an ice machine that makes crushed ice,
chew it. You can also smash up regular ice cubes so you could chew those.

Brush your teeth, floss, use mouthwash. Enjoy the fresh clean mouth
feeling, don't spoil it by eating again.

Change your routine. At the time you would normally start snacking, do
something else instead, preferably something where you need to use your
mind and your hands. If you pick an activity that relaxes you, this could
help deal with the stress that's causing the overeating.

In addition to Luna's good list of rules, I always add the one that I
will not eat after say 7:00 pm at all. Evening is also my time of least
control, so this rule is important for me.

Rebecca

Rebecca, I think you should eat during the period you have least
control (after 7PM in my case), and don't eat during the period you
have most control (probably in the morning). I often read about people
stopping eating after 6PM. If they breakfast at 9AM, then they have
spent 15 hours without food in their stomach. 15 hours is a whole day
minus just 9 hours without eating. That's a lot! What I did yesterday
is a good example of what I usually do: I get some fruit when I wake
up at 6AM, take a coffee afterwards, eat a tablespoon of peanut butter
at 9AM during my break, eat lunch at 1PM, have a slice of bread with
peanut butter at 3PM during my other break, a piece of meat (chicken,
fish or fish) at 7PM, and another piece of meat at 10PM. The total of
calories is under 1500 calories. I don't know about others, but when I
get out of control with food, it's because my stomach hurts. And my
stomach hurts because there is no food to process.

Denis