How do you stick to a diet?

Sure, but since it doesn't hit those dopamine receptors quite like what she’s used to, the effect just won't be there—meaning she won't actually stick to it. If it did work, people would probably be doing it all the time.

Binge eating and bulimia are essentially two sides of the same coin when it comes to eating disorders. What’s your take on psychotherapy for this?

Keith Jones76 said:Binge eating and bulimia are essentially two sides of the same coin when it comes to eating disorders. What’s your take on psychotherapy for this?

I'm not sure about therapy yet. I should probably dig through some actual books first before rushing straight to a psychiatrist.
It just sucks feeling like I'm throwing money down the drain on this nonsense. It's an impulse I can't control. My life is a total mess right now.

redharbor9 said:Well, there's your problem right there. You're hitting the chocolate, the cookies, and the ice cream... swap that crap out for some almonds, grapes, or fruit instead.

That’s still fairly high in calories, I suppose, though maybe watermelon could help a bit.

Betty Harris15 said:Yeah... solid advice. I tried that once... my whole goal was looking hot for this guy, but he ended up marrying someone else. Now, food is my only true friend.

Sweet 😛

Jerry Morales4 said:I’d suggest looking into Emotional Freedom Techniques everywhere
.
Maybe it could help you tackle those cravings for sweets or whatever else is causing weight gain. It might actually solve the issue.
Or perhaps it could address the sadness, since I was just reading about what you've been going through.

It's like Bog sent you! I can vouch for this too—it’s phenomenal. Honestly, the only thing stopping you from reaching your goal is the fear of actually succeeding. Some people prefer living with phobias or issues like binge eating because it's familiar; they find that more comfortable than facing something new and unknown. Real change takes guts, but that's a conversation for another day.

As for those specific food cravings—if you stick to five smaller meals a day, they won't hit nearly as hard. Besides, who says you can't have a pizza or some burgers once a month, or a few pieces of chocolate or ice cream a week? Just actually enjoy it—no guilt allowed—and eat it mindfully so you satisfy the craving quickly.

For everything else, find a different way to vent that negative energy. Try belly dancing, hitting the gym, running with the dog, or even gardening—anything besides sitting around and eating. If you pick something physical, you'll kill two birds with one stone.

Just remember: as long as a problem causes you stress, you’re always going to reach for something to dull that feeling. The only permanent fix is changing how you think—basically, how you perceive things. But until then, you've got plenty of effective tools at your disposal.

Jerry Morales4 said:That’s still fairly high in calories, I suppose, though maybe watermelon could help a bit.

The calorie count isn't the point—it's about how much healthier and different this kind of sweet is. Fructose breaks down before it can wreck your blood sugar like refined sugar does, which means you aren't crashing and craving more junk immediately.

I eat this stuff all day long. My BMI is 19. People freak out because they see calories and ignore everything else about what they're eating. Thinking calories are the only thing that matters? That's just plain wrong.

Keith Jones76 said:Sure, but since it doesn't hit those dopamine receptors quite like what she’s used to, the effect just won't be there—meaning she won't actually stick to it. If it did work, people would probably be doing it all the time.

Nah, they won't. But you gotta grind through those first few days. When I switched over to the Hayev regimen... if someone had handed me a gun during those first couple of days, I would've pulled the trigger. Now? I'm loving life.

Betty Harris15 said:Yeah... solid advice. I tried that once... my whole goal was looking hot for this guy, but he ended up marrying someone else. Now, food is my only true friend.

You set a goal that’s completely out of your control. As you just found out, that usually backfires. Better targets would be: wanting to be fit for a wedding or a high school reunion, fitting into that one sexy bikini, aiming for legs like Dema Moora, or just wanting to feel good in a tight tank top—basically, wanting to squeeze back into those jeans from five years ago. Even making a bet on something you actually care about—whether it's money or something personal—tends to work better.

I used to deal with work stress by coming home, face-planting into some seriously unhealthy takeout, and just crashing on the couch. I did that for months—it took me a while to realize what was happening—but the problem was that those same issues were waiting for me every single morning. Now, it’s become a hundred times harder because I can barely bend over to tie my sneakers without feeling winded... plus, my blood pressure is through the roof, my jeans feel way too tight, and honestly, seeing myself in the mirror or stepping on a scale is enough to make me want to scream. It was great; I managed to pile even more problems onto an already stressful situation—extra weight. 😬
The truth is, eating my way through stress didn't fix anything; it actually made everything worse. Once I finally had that "aha!" moment (which, let's be honest, took way longer than it should have), I found a much better way to unwind. Now, I do some Pilates every afternoon using this DVD I have, and I jump on my stationary bike, crank up the music, and just pedal away. I don't feel nearly as hungry anymore, my head feels clearer, and since I'm not constantly obsessing over food, the pounds are slowly melting off without it being a massive struggle. I've noticed I'm also handling things at the office much better; I'm less tense and just feel more capable overall. For me, once the mind settles down, the body tends to follow suit. 🙂

feralhound55 said:It's like Bog sent you! I can vouch for this too—it’s phenomenal. Honestly, the only thing stopping you from reaching your goal is the fear of actually succeeding. Some people prefer living with phobias or issues like binge eating because it's familiar; they find that more comfortable than facing something new and unknown. Real change takes guts, but that's a conversation for another day.

As for those specific food cravings—if you stick to five smaller meals a day, they won't hit nearly as hard. Besides, who says you can't have a pizza or some burgers once a month, or a few pieces of chocolate or ice cream a week? Just actually enjoy it—no guilt allowed—and eat it mindfully so you satisfy the craving quickly.

For everything else, find a different way to vent that negative energy. Try belly dancing, hitting the gym, running with the dog, or even gardening—anything besides sitting around and eating. If you pick something physical, you'll kill two birds with one stone.

Just remember: as long as a problem causes you stress, you’re always going to reach for something to dull that feeling. The only permanent fix is changing how you think—basically, how you perceive things. But until then, you've got plenty of effective tools at your disposal.

Thanks, I suppose that’s the nicest compliment I’ve ever received. 🙂

I managed to drop 17 pounds in just a year and a half without ever starving myself—I just ate smart.

Every diet out there is stressful and pretty much impossible to stick to, especially when you've got a lot of weight to lose. It’s super common to just end up gaining it all back, too. That’s why it's way better to just overhaul your lifestyle rather than chasing some temporary diet.

Stress, depression, and various Emotional issues definitely trigger binge eating. Working out—specifically running or other low-intensity cardio—really helps boost your mood thanks to that "runner's high," which can help keep those cravings in check. Also, Chromium supplements help stabilize your blood sugar, so those sudden hunger pangs aren't nearly as intense.

Certain oils, like CLA or fish oil, can give you a hand with shedding weight.

Exercise is a total game-changer for your mood, but let's be real: not everyone has the habit of working out.

Betty Harris15 said:I'm not sure about therapy yet. I should probably dig through some actual books first before rushing straight to a psychiatrist.
It just sucks feeling like I'm throwing money down the drain on this nonsense. It's an impulse I can't control. My life is a total mess right now.

What do you mean by a bad character? 😲
When you consider how many people attempt to solve their problems through food, you have to admit that there is an underlying issue here. You are actually quite brave for being vocal about this. In my experience, the most common excuses I hear from people who overeat involve blaming physical issues like bone structure or metabolism—people will believe just about anything to avoid the truth.🙄
Having a child won't help you lose weight, at least not until you address the mental hurdles you're facing.
Regarding mental health professionals, you shouldn't necessarily have to pay out of pocket; as far as I know, you can just get a referral from your primary care physician and see a specialist. Perhaps visiting once would give you some much-needed perspective.
The hardest part of life is feeling isolated while trying to navigate these struggles alone. Binge eating often goes hand-in-hand with depression or bulimia, which is why so many people eventually decide to seek professional support.
Regardless of the path you take, you need to seek help instead of staying silent and struggling internally. This is your life, after all, and if you don't learn to value yourself, it becomes very difficult for anyone else to do so.🙂

Betty Harris15 said:I'm not sure about therapy yet. I should probably dig through some actual books first before rushing straight to a psychiatrist.
It just sucks feeling like I'm throwing money down the drain on this nonsense. It's an impulse I can't control. My life is a total mess right now.

What's your vision for this "studying" thing? How exactly do you see that playing out—best case scenario or otherwise?

redharbor9 said:What's your vision for this "studying" thing? How exactly do you see that playing out—best case scenario or otherwise?

I don't know. Maybe I should focus on things that actually help—study up a bit and start using methods that might at least stop me from constantly thinking about food. When I say "professional literature," I mean stuff like positive psychology or similar concepts. I’m not looking to read some trashy Oprah-style book titled "Lose Your Extra Pounds."

Maybe the whole point is just being more satisfied with life in general and feeling more confident... then everything else might just fall into place. I don't know, starting is just hard. Laziness is one of humanity's biggest hurdles. Like I said before—it's all in your head. If your mind is a mess and you're insecure, indecisive, or lazy, you run into issues like my diet struggles, or even worse stuff like health or mental problems. You know how it goes.

redharbor9 said:Nah, they won't. But you gotta grind through those first few days. When I switched over to the Hayev regimen... if someone had handed me a gun during those first couple of days, I would've pulled the trigger. Now? I'm loving life.

Though I suspect your struggle was a different beast entirely from hers, assuming you even had one to begin with.

redharbor9 said:The calorie count isn't the point—it's about how much healthier and different this kind of sweet is. Fructose breaks down before it can wreck your blood sugar like refined sugar does, which means you aren't crashing and craving more junk immediately.

I eat this stuff all day long. My BMI is 19. People freak out because they see calories and ignore everything else about what they're eating. Thinking calories are the only thing that matters? That's just plain wrong.

That works a little differently... but fine. It's not worth getting into... I don't have the energy.

I eat that stuff all day long. My BMI is 19. People freak out because it's high in calories, but they completely ignore other nutritional aspects. Calories are the only thing people focus on, which is a fundamentally flawed approach.

That's accurate.
But why mention having a BMI of 19? (That's pretty low, so I'm curious).

Betty Harris15 said:I don't know. Maybe I should focus on things that actually help—study up a bit and start using methods that might at least stop me from constantly thinking about food. When I say "professional literature," I mean stuff like positive psychology or similar concepts. I’m not looking to read some trashy Oprah-style book titled "Lose Your Extra Pounds."

Maybe the whole point is just being more satisfied with life in general and feeling more confident... then everything else might just fall into place. I don't know, starting is just hard. Laziness is one of humanity's biggest hurdles. Like I said before—it's all in your head. If your mind is a mess and you're insecure, indecisive, or lazy, you run into issues like my diet struggles, or even worse stuff like health or mental problems. You know how it goes.

I think the most crucial part is the misconception regarding how we manage our own emotions.

Keith Jones76 said:Though I suspect your struggle was a different beast entirely from hers, assuming you even had one to begin with.

That works a little differently... but fine. It's not worth getting into... I don't have the energy.

I eat that stuff all day long. My BMI is 19. People freak out because it's high in calories, but they completely ignore other nutritional aspects. Calories are the only thing people focus on, which is a fundamentally flawed approach.

That's accurate.
But why mention having a BMI of 19? (That's pretty low, so I'm curious).

I think the most crucial part is the misconception regarding how we manage our own emotions.

Look, my issue was a massive sugar addiction and how it basically wrecked my life. When I was dedicating an entire desk drawer just to candy, it was manageable. But once I hit a breaking point and bit into a Hershey's bar wrapper and all together because I couldn't wait long enough to open it—that's when I realized I needed to change.😍

The whole reason I brought myself up is to show you can kick a sugar habit. She probably has the same struggle... you just have to grind through those first few days. Same goes for any other junk food.

That works a little differently... But whatever. Not worth the debate...

Yeah, I phrased that poorly... but the point was the difference between refined and natural sugar.

Spot on.
Only thing is, why does having a BMI of 19 matter? (That's pretty low, so I'm asking.)

Why would it matter? I only mentioned it because of the raisins I'm constantly snacking on. Every time people see me eating them, they look terrified I'll gain weight since they're so high in calories...

redharbor9 said:Look, my issue was a massive sugar addiction and how it basically wrecked my life. When I was dedicating an entire desk drawer just to candy, it was manageable. But once I hit a breaking point and bit into a Hershey's bar wrapper and all together because I couldn't wait long enough to open it—that's when I realized I needed to change.😍

The whole reason I brought myself up is to show you can kick a sugar habit. She probably has the same struggle... you just have to grind through those first few days. Same goes for any other junk food.

That works a little differently... But whatever. Not worth the debate...

Yeah, I phrased that poorly... but the point was the difference between refined and natural sugar.

Spot on.
Only thing is, why does having a BMI of 19 matter? (That's pretty low, so I'm asking.)

Why would it matter? I only mentioned it because of the raisins I'm constantly snacking on. Every time people see me eating them, they look terrified I'll gain weight since they're so high in calories...

Well, that's somewhat true, but it's more effective to shift your mindset first before jumping into behavioral tactics. That was my thought process.

Why would that matter? I mentioned it because of the raisins I'm constantly snacking on. Every time people see me eating them, their reactions always seem to stem from a fear of gaining weight since they're so calorie-dense...

I love them too—dried fruit and nuts in general. As I've mentioned before, I'm quite twiggy, with a BMI around 17...
I don't think it's solely due to that, certainly not, but it's true that they're high-quality, easy, and affordable foods. It's just one piece of the puzzle.

Keith Jones76 said:Well, that's somewhat true, but it's more effective to shift your mindset first before jumping into behavioral tactics. That was my thought process.

Why would that matter? I mentioned it because of the raisins I'm constantly snacking on. Every time people see me eating them, their reactions always seem to stem from a fear of gaining weight since they're so calorie-dense...

I love them too—dried fruit and nuts in general. As I've mentioned before, I'm quite twiggy, with a BMI around 17...
I don't think it's solely due to that, certainly not, but it's true that they're high-quality, easy, and affordable foods. It's just one piece of the puzzle.

I'm with you, but I think it works both ways. If you force the behavior first, the beliefs start shifting once you realize how good you feel—or in her case, when she sees the weight dropping.

It's definitely not just about that, obviously, but it's true that the food is actually solid quality, simple, and won't break the bank.

Facts. I always keep a bowl in my room... even had one client get hooked on it. Every time she came over, she'd grab some, and eventually, it just became a habit. 😍

Quincy:

I agree, but I think it works both ways. If you force the behavior first, those beliefs eventually shift once you realize how much better you feel—or in her case, when she sees the weight dropping.

It’s not quite that simple, though. You could easily get the exact opposite reaction. Or worse, someone could have a traumatic experience with a diet and end up with an entirely new set of problems.
Personally, I prefer it when people actually use their intellect and capacity for abstract thought as an advantage. I'm not a fan of methods that work just as effectively on animals. Humans are animals, sure, but we have enough specific complexities to make that distinction matter.