The FastDay Forum

Last night after an amazing meal of bbq steak and fresh beans and new potatoes from the garden and for the first time in a while a glass of red at home followed by left over plum pudding from Christmas, i should have considered myself "done" for the evening food-wise but....

a voice reminded me that there was those juicy chocolate coated raisins and nuts that i hadn't finished from the other day. Another voice said.. don't do it. be careful, you have had enough to eat all day and its time to get serious about losing that excess weight put on over christmas

the other voice telling me how delectable those sweets would be won.. and i finished the rest. i guess it was a 1/3 a pack but way too much.

anyhow my question is

what strategy to stop "that evil voice" from winning.? I guess for some its crisps, and yes, i can just not buy such things but you know how they hang around at Christmas

why do we give into food temptations in the first place, anyway?

I too find myself "over" indulging. I'm hoping worse case scenario the New Year will be the "New Leaf"

Hi @Juliana.Rivers, and a happy new year to you & everyone!

Well, I do feel somewhat qualified to offer my 2 cents' worth here, as I have struggled with bingeing & emotional over-eating for a large proportion of my life, in fact, I just did a blog post about it yesterday here. On a simple level, delay & distraction can be helpful - bath/bed/walk etc.

But once that voice starts demanding loudly, sometimes it's hard to hear the other parts of you above the din. Dr Rick Kausman, a leading proponent of mindful eating, suggests using the question, "I can have it if I want it, but do I really feel like it?" Another similar question is," is this where the answer lies?" So these questions have a delaying function, but they also may open the door to a possible deeper feeling state that is attempting to be met by eating - to find out what exactly is going on might take a little fishing & patience - were you irritated by something that went on during the day, for instance? Or are you really unused to allowing yourself to eat a treat, so that when something yummy is in the house, you can't rest till it's been consumed. I have a friend who swears by making space & time & calories to allow herself a single piece of Lindt chocolate each & every night, so, over time, she doesn't feel that food is classified as "good or bad".

If you still feel like it after going through this process, then have it - make sure you enjoy & properly attend to each morsel - don't just shove it down and not enjoy it due to guilt! You may have eaten it anyway, but you might also have learnt something about yourself.

The next step is to banish guilt about it, say "well I ate it this time, so what?". Don't berate yourself for your weak will etc, but let it go, and start again with your usual more healthy way of eating. Above all don't try to compensate or punish yourself for having had it, just let it go & forgive yourself!

Sorry for the length of the post!! Good luck!

I lost my previous, rambling post, but what I was trying to say for me the only thing that works is not having it at home. Hard around this time when there's more socialising (more leftovers from indulgent dinners). Just finished eating Quality Street chocolates. Don't like them as much as I used to 35 years ago (the last time I'd have eaten them) so purely emotional binge.

Hi @Juliana.Rivers, and a happy new year to you & everyone!

Well, I do feel somewhat qualified to offer my 2 cents' worth here, as I have struggled with bingeing & emotional over-eating for a large proportion of my life, in fact, I just did a blog post about it yesterday here. On a simple level, delay & distraction can be helpful - bath/bed/walk etc.

But once that voice starts demanding loudly, sometimes it's hard to hear the other parts of you above the din. Dr Rick Kausman, a leading proponent of mindful eating, suggests using the question, "I can have it if I want it, but do I really feel like it?" Another similar question is," is this where the answer lies?" So these questions have a delaying function, but they also may open the door to a possible deeper feeling state that is attempting to be met by eating - to find out what exactly is going on might take a little fishing & patience - were you irritated by something that went on during the day, for instance? Or are you really unused to allowing yourself to eat a treat, so that when something yummy is in the house, you can't rest till it's been consumed. I have a friend who swears by making space & time & calories to allow herself a single piece of Lindt chocolate each & every night, so, over time, she doesn't feel that food is classified as "good or bad".

If you still feel like it after going through this process, then have it - make sure you enjoy & properly attend to each morsel - don't just shove it down and not enjoy it due to guilt! You may have eaten it anyway, but you might also have learnt something about yourself.

The next step is to banish guilt about it, say "well I ate it this time, so what?". Don't berate yourself for your weak will etc, but let it go, and start again with your usual more healthy way of eating. Above all don't try to compensate or punish yourself for having had it, just let it go & forgive yourself!

Sorry for the length of the post!! Good luck!

lovely post
and ive discovered your blog. blog/jools7/eating_fasting_and_emotions_a_personal_journey_b-2089.html - really inspirational

you wouldnt believe it. been here for like 9 months and never looked at anyones blog here.

talk about selective clicking!

i must look at people's blogs more often. Is there a blogger of the year award going?

I can relate to this Juliana and I understand exactly what you are saying - I am a binge/emotional eater.

I ate like a bird on Christmas Day, as I was too busy and stressed feeding the family, but I have more than made up for it the last three days - I have been indulging on all the leftovers - everything - meat, cake, rum balls, shortbread, choc coated sultanas and peanuts, gold coins, plum pudding, ginger almond biscuits - and I am diabetes type 2!!!

Last night after my evening meal of cold ham and salads, I gorged on more biscuits, but I don't think I was hungry, I think it was just because I knew they were there!!

That is very sound advice thanks Jools - I have read that book but forgotten all about it - and today I have finally taken back control - I will forget the last three days, and it's onwards and downwards from now on.

Many thanks

No more indulging!

cheers Maggie

@jools7Very wise words. I think anything forbidden becomes irrisistable. So it's important to give oneself permission to eat it. But then there are the questions: Is this really what I want? Can I pass it up? If you think you can't have it, you have to eat it now, while it's still available, so as to be sure you get it. But if it's all allowed, you can chose. I don't eat crappy chocolate anymore. I know I could, but I can do without it, and instead eat better quality chocolate less often. And if you do pig out, so what? You know you are going to fast on Monday and Thursday - or whenever, and it's a life time project, not a diet. So if you put on a few kilos, never mind; they'll soon come off. Let's not get too serious about a few chocolates.

[janeg]

I think that the relaxation of everything over the festive period almost needs to run it's course and things get back to normal. Back to work, back to school, back to routine.
I have had a lovely run up to Christmas being away and no fasting took place. Back to the sandpit and a lovely extended Christmas.
I was worried about being able to fast properly but decided to give it a go on Friday as I was back at work. Was kind to me and decided that 16:8 or a fast until dinner would be good. Went into the brunch buffet that was provided by the client, walked around three times and had...
Coffee. Nothing really took my fancy and I was psyched up to eat.
BUT
It was work or routine so I think I was mentally ready to get back into it.
Perhaps when everything is back to normal it'll be your time to take back control.
Or
You can order a wet fish

Thanks @maggiee, Rick Kausman's original book is called ,"if not dieting, then what?" - an important piece of the puzzle for me! His website is http://www.ifnotdieting.com.au

All great advice here. Two I things I do to put the breaks on:

1. Have a couple of high protein days (to replace carbs), and help you transition off the carb stuff. Nothing like a giant steak with veggies or salad to satisfy you.

2. Make your fast day nothing but apples.

Thanks @maggiee, Rick Kausman's original book is called ,"if not dieting, then what?" - an important piece of the puzzle for me! His website is http://www.ifnotdieting.com.au

@joolsyou are a weatlh of info.

i looked at the site.. seems very intersting
this article about his philosophies is good too
http://www.dailylife.com.au/health-and- ... 2r3vp.html

All great advice here. Two I things I do to put the breaks on:

1. Have a couple of high protein days (to replace carbs), and help you transition off the carb stuff. Nothing like a giant steak with veggies or salad to satisfy you.

2. Make your fast day nothing but apples.

i had the steak and veg the night i binged

see pics here

Steaks on the barbie .. i marinated them with fresh thyme, garlic and olive oil for an hour first

Steak with home grownn beans and home grown new potatoes and home made chilli sauce

Aldi prepackaged "crunchy salad"

that makes me so hungry looking at the pics on my ultra strong fast day today!!!

anyhow i was totally full but just had to have what i couldnt/shouldnt have.

ill try Jools' ideas next time this happens. seems to not happen on a fast day except once i remember these Korean rice cakes all of 100calries had to be eaten each and every one of them.

back to the drawing board.. btw was only 400grams up in weight after "binge" day so i was relieved about that.

oh dear! I did spy some potatoes there though................

It looks amazing. I would have binged if this was laid out in front of me

[Debs]

Oh yum, yum, that looked good!!!
I only have had one binge day, and that was yesterday. It's been odd, because, although I have enough chocolate to feed an army, I haven't had any yet. Odd for me, by now usually I would have been rolling around in it pigging out! I think that because I know I can have some if I want it, I have been able to keep away from it, rather than thinking, I am going to be good next week, therefore I must eat as much as I can while I can!

I fasted this morning, had a small bag of mini Cheddars at lunchtime (well, it is my birthday!), and we went to a fabulous tapas bar for a late lunch (Movida Next Door for you lucky Melbournites!). We didn't eat a huge amount, but just enough to feel comfortable. The chocolates are still there untouched. Mind you, I deserve one after having to sprint back to the tram when I realised I had left my brand new cashmere cardy on the tram, so one feels one deserves one now!!!!!
Thank you for that really thoughtful post @jools7

Debs

[janeg]

many happy returns Debs! Dashing for cashmere deserves something rather special!