You're fat because you eat too much

[Jade]

Yes, pureed dates with a splash of nut milk and a little bit of peanut butter makes an amazing caramel substitute. I find sugar is one of those things I just have to try to keep at a minimum because the more I eat it, the more I crave it. I try not to deny myself anything, but I also just try not to overindulge. Our new grocery store has a slew of different coconut ice cream flavors that we've been sampling - coconut milk is so fat and creamy, it's very indulgent and almost like gelato in that you only need a small amount to feel satisfied.

Oatmeal is also another good suggestion and one I go to a lot (milk + cinnamon + raisins + ground almonds), I also do no bake oatmeal cookies with peanut/almond butter and cocoa powder. I just try to make sure when I'm eating something sweet that the nutritional value is still high too - that I'm not just eating primarily processed sugar and processed grains. I primarily use raw sugar or raw honey as a sweetener.

Ooo, another one I did recently was a sweet potato pie smoothie - made with nutmeg and cinnamon (pumpkin pie flavors) and then I whipped some coconut cream in the food processor. DELICIOUS!! I don't feel bad when I indulge if it's a whole-foods based snack.

I also like to do Orange Juliuses (banana + oj + milk + vanilla + ice cubes = try it!)

[isis]

drink a LOT of water even if you have to wee every half hour

how much is too much? it is possible to over-hydrate.

[Bluebell]

yes it's lethal.

At the onset of this condition, fluid outside the cells has an excessively low amount of solutes (such as sodium (hyponatremia) and other electrolytes) in comparison to that inside the cells causing the fluid to shift through (via osmosis) into the cells to balance its concentration. This causes the cells to swell. In the brain, this swelling increases intracranial pressure (ICP). It is this increase in pressure which leads to the first observable symptoms of water intoxication: headache, personality changes, changes in behavior, confusion, irritability, and drowsiness. These are sometimes followed by difficulty breathing during exertion, muscle weakness & pain, twitching, or cramping, nausea, vomiting, thirst, and a dulled ability to perceive and interpret sensory information. As the condition persists, papillary and vital signs may result including bradycardia and widened pulse pressure. The cells in the brain may swell to the point where blood flow is interrupted resulting in cerebral edema. Swollen brain cells may also apply pressure to the brain stem causing central nervous system dysfunction. Both cerebral edema and interference with the central nervous system are dangerous and could result in seizures, brain damage, coma or death.[sup][11][/sup]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

[AnthroHeart]

If I drink too much alcohol I get nauseated. I don't get so drunk that the room spins, so I don't abuse it.
Though I have 1-3 drinks a day or so. But that's when I can afford it.

[Bluebell]

i drink about 4/5 of a gallon of liquor a week, if i can afford it, i'm trying to cut back to save money though. i'm trying to better my mood+nerves w vitamin supplements. apparently vitamin D is important.

[Jade]

Hey BB, I was scrolling through bookmarks earlier and saw this, maybe it might call to you: http://www.bring4th.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=5808

[Parsons]

K-PAX, thank you so much for your supportive reply. I still very much struggle with this issue and have made very little headway. The only thing I have managed to do is set a weight limit and not allow myself to cross it. I limit how much and what type of food I eat and (generally) don't allow myself to overindulge. I am very much a creature of habit (I literally have to force myself to be spontaneous), so my solution is to replace one habit with another less destructive one. IE, I will go through the drive through and only order a burger instead of a burger and fries. My crypotonite is when I get a meal with my wife and she orders way too much food for us to eat. I end up trying to eat all of it because I feel guilty that a 2D creature (plant or animal) lived and died to be my meal.

Ankh, I was just barely able to read your post but don't have enough time to devote to the reply in which it deserves. I will reply in full as soon as I get an opportunity.

[Diana]

 K-Pax and Jade, think you for all the great suggestions! 

[Shawnna]

K-PAX, thank you so much for your supportive reply. I still very much struggle with this issue and have made very little headway. The only thing I have managed to do is set a weight limit and not allow myself to cross it. I limit how much and what type of food I eat and (generally) don't allow myself to overindulge. I am very much a creature of habit (I literally have to force myself to be spontaneous), so my solution is to replace one habit with another less destructive one. IE, I will go through the drive through and only order a burger instead of a burger and fries. My crypotonite is when I get a meal with my wife and she orders way too much food for us to eat. I end up trying to eat all of it because I feel guilty that a 2D creature (plant or animal) lived and died to be my meal.

Ankh, I was just barely able to read your post but don't have enough time to devote to the reply in which it deserves. I will reply in full as soon as I get an opportunity.

I share many of your challenges.  This has been such a supportive thread. 

[Bluebell]

Hey BB, I was scrolling through bookmarks earlier and saw this, maybe it might call to you: http://www.bring4th.org/forums/showthread.php?tid=5808

i assume i'm BB 

thank u, i'll look into that.

[K-PAX]

~ Left Bring4th to avoid bullying ~

[K-PAX]

~ Left Bring4th to avoid bullying ~

[Bluebell]

i didn't say it ain't rare but it happens. people being ignorant they do drink too much because people think water is harmless. it's not.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...d-10m.html

[AnthroHeart]

I always have a problem drinking too little water. I drink more coffee or tea, or diet sodas (with splenda). I've cut back on sugar. Only the melatonin gummies I take at night have 3g sugars. I'm not diabetic, which is a relief. But I am overweight.

[Bluebell]

i drink a lot of juice.

[AnthroHeart]

juice has a lot of sugar, and it can affect the teeth. Do you have or had cavities BB?

[Bluebell]

everyone's had cavities. i don't see a dentist. i have bigger problems.

[Parsons]

Ankh, it really seems like some vices are easier to deal with than others. I used to drink somewhat heavily (30-40 beers a week) and most definitely habitually. I stopped drinking all together for several years after getting my medical marijuana(MM) card. Years later, I felt that the MM was simply a crutch and I was no longer doing it to kill pain or really for enjoyment; it was simply a habit. I quit that all together cold turkey with almost no issue. I have since then started drinking a little, but I limit myself to 6 beers a week (plus the very occasional 1-2 beers in social situations).  To be honest, I start having health issues if I drink more than 4-5 beers in a sitting (severe acid reflux), so that also deters me from making it a serious habit again.

As with overeating/eating junk, that has been a completely different story. I feel like that addiction is so much stronger than the MM or alcohol ever was. I eat much the same as I did when I initially wrote that post and did so for a couple years before that. I still start the day off very healthy (eating a weighed-out portion of raw almonds, an apple, a banana, and a few dried apricots). I also still eat only an organic frozen meal for lunch. But I eat at least 1 bag of chips or a candy bar from the snack machine at work during breaks. And on the way home I still get some fast food.

The only headway I have made is that I weigh out my portion of almonds rather than just eye-balling it.  Plus, (again, aforementioned in my post to K-PAX) I have been pretty good about limiting my portions when I go to a fast-food place.

As to what to do when you stop denying you have an issue... I still struggle with that. I suppose the next step is to enroll in a 12 step program. I know there must be some groups out there that are similar to AA or NA for overeating.