Just venting, ladies…
I’ve been doing really well with the fasting and even got to the lowest weight just a week ago. But now hubby is away and there are other stressors in life and I can’t stop eating…!
Most of it is healthy. Some of it is not. I had two bags of potato chips for lunch yesterday, for example. Drank a bottle of champagne over the course of two days. I’m up 7 pounds. I know this is mostly fiber (TMI: haven’t had a BM) and water.
I was all set to get back into the swing of things and keep my downward trajectory, but I feel stress and I feel hunger and I want to eat! I have a head of broccoli and I want to steam it and eat it. It’s not even unhealthy so of course my mind is rationalizing…
Please help me put down the fork…!
Edit: for clarity. Also, I just ate a broccoli oil free stir fry with shirataki noodles. Not highly caloric but now I’m uncomfortably full. Oof.
Ugh I feel you!
I was also doing so well a few months into IF I’d lost like 6 kilos, I felt great, never felt hungry. And then a few weeks ago me and my husband decided to get a divorce and since then I cannot stop eating or regulating the fasting windows. It’s so frustrating all the progress is being undone.If you find a new wind of motivation and/or discipline, let me know, maybe I’ll find some too.
I found that sometimes I lose even more weight after getting back into fasting after having a few splurge days in a row. I think it tricks the body - makes it keep guessing what you are going to do next. So you haven’t messed up anything. Pick a day, like Monday, and promise yourself that you will get back into it then. If you beat yourself up over it then you won’t reach your goal. Progress, not perfection. Also look for other ways to relieve stress, like a nice walk.
I am also a stress eater. For some reason feeling uncomfortably full helps me feel better too! I haven’t gone through high periods of stress on this diet yet, but fruity tea and cups of broth have helped with some cravings. It doesn’t get to the root cause of stress eating though.
It helps me to start a fasting timer (on say Zero or Vora) when I’m done eating. If I don’t start the timer I’m more likely to graze at night or break my fast early in the day. I will look at the timer throughout the day and be like okay in 2 hours I’ll be okay to eat…
I have been there and am there with you right now and it sucks. Wish I could help more.
I 100% get this too! So much so that I bought books about stress management just to try and make fasting easier!
I’ve gotten a better handle on it now but some things that helped were:
Be very mindful of exactly what stresses you and don’t fight it so much. I find that just recognizing it and making a resolution to do better next time rather than beating myself up about it worked much better. It’s not an instant fix and it takes time and self love/patience to wean off comfort eating.
Try and find healthier binge foods, but ones that you actually enjoy. Before fasting I was completely hooked on sugar. I quit it out of sheer will and eating looottsss of whole foods. Fasting has kept my sugar addiction in check but now I am addicted to nuts. I’m a small person and I can easily eat ~2000cal in one sitting when I’m stressed and want more! But that being said, when nuts and veggies are my binge foods it has been easier to jump back into fasting. If I give into my craving then fine, I eat them, then back to fasting until it sticks.
I also learned from the book “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers” that fats actually reduce the stress response in your body. So maybe that’s why I love nuts.. but maybe finding healthy fats to help calm you down will mean less food overall if fats can make you feel better more quickly. 🤷🏻♀️ something to try anyway.
Good luck! The fact that you recognize that stress is a trigger for you is half the battle! Many people binge mindlessly and don’t even realize why. Remember to be kind to yourself and don’t give up 💕
I kind of have the opposite problem. Husband is on leave so it’s like every day is a special occasion and I’m eating EVERYTHING. Gotta get back on the wagon tomorrow (tonight he’s taking me out for 🥩 …)