Hello all. I see a lot of successful stories of people who make IM work. Those who are getting results, what are your good habits and skills that make you successful? I often struggle doing it longer than a week or binge eat when I’m home during my eating window.
I think the fact that you are able to binge eat at home means you have high sugar snacks or foods in your home. Coming from someone who LOVES sweets, you just have to eat better. Find great recipes for vegetables, eat fruits instead of candy, and i swear the hunger, cravings, and urge to binge will either go away or be more tolerable.
With that said, make sure your macros during meals are higher in proteins and healthy fats. If you’re not keto, replace refined carbs with squash, potatoes, etc. If you can’t do it past a week then maybe you aren’t eating enough, too. Make sure you are also getting your electrolytes in as well.
what triggers the binges? is it access, or are you denying yourself during the week you’re fasting and then the camel’s back breaks? no judgement, i’ve got similar issues, and i’ve found i control any binging much easier if i let myself eat sweets, or carbs, or whatever i’m craving in moderation. i’d rather eat a few chocolates one day and pass on a glass of juice with dinner than not eat any chocolates for weeks, get really sad and eat a whole box, y’know?
for access, i’ve stopped keeping food in my room, where i spend all my time. having to get up and get a snack gives me more control than it being on my desk, and oops i just ate half a bag of sunflower seeds!
you can also reframe it in your head. your weight will go up and down, you’ll have days where you eat too much or not healthy. that’s life! if you have a binge day, pick yourself back up and get back on the horse the next day, it’s all okay.
Most of your food needs to be real food prepared by you. Not from a restaurant or a package or frozen. Know your food issues and avoid them. I can’t control myself with chips so I don’t buy them or keep them in my house. Meal plan. Find several go-to recipes that are easy that you enjoy and can keep ingredients stocked for the days you just can’t follow the plan. So much more of what you eat needs to be vegetable and fiber. Not only does this make you feel more full, but it changes what you crave too. And something people don’t talk about enough is sleep. How are you sleeping? Also, what’s your water intake like?
Chill out, our ancestors had to hunt and gather.. not eating for 16hrs is nothing..
I also look to the eastern cultures and see how they eat, the west is just glutinous..
Iv decided fasting is normal and actually how the body should function without KFC and supermarkets loaded full of food..