prolonged eating

[lilmunchkin]

I have trouble eating meals throughout the day. I prefer to eat all my calories mainly at night before bed, but this is a major social life killer. Does anyone have motivation for how I can eat more than at one time? Also, once I start eating I have trouble stopping. I guess I just have difficulty shifting tasks. Advice, please?

Moderator's note: moved from "Health and Medical," so that this post would be seen and responded to by more people.

[Magna]

I'm not sure this is a strategy or motivation, but just to be clear, for SBD to work for you, you'll need to eat regularly throughout the day. Also, you'll need to eat reasonable portions of food, until you're comfortably full but not more. Prolonged eating past the point of being satisfied, even if you're eating healthy foods, isn't good. Also, you mentioned that it's interfering with your social life.

My experience is that eating healthy foods regularly helps me feel better throughout the day. I have good energy levels, and don't ever get hungry. I can't really give you health advice, but I know that going without food all day, then eating a lot, isn't a good way to go. Food should be tasty, nourishing, and satisfying, but it's not a substitute for things that may be missing emotionally. I'd suggest talking with your doctor or another health professional like a nutritionist about healthy eating and your relationship with food. I think you mentioned that you're a student. If so, your college or university probably provides free health counseling for students.

[Kimboroni]

Waiting all day to eat does tend to lead to overeating, since your blood sugar is allowed to get so low. That's why SB is designed this way-- frequent smaller, balanced meals/snacks keep your blood sugar even to help prevent bingeing later on.

[Phaytt]

I was just like you 7 weeks ago. And I did it for years and years. Not eating all day until diner and then eating the house. I have lost 11 lbs in the past 7 weeks and eating all day was such a struggle, but worth it. At first I was forcing breakfast down like it was the enemy. I decided I was ok having a serving of cottage cheese with a serving of tomato juice. It was not easy. Then I thought I would drink a low carb shake instead. And I didn't loose weight doing that. I now make a 3 egg omelette with salsa and its just enough to be filling but not so much that I am overwhelmed. For snack, and mind you I am still learning, phase one was always some almonds because they are easy. I buy raw almonds at costco or walmart. Now with phase 2 I eat a few almonds coupled with one serving of black berries, or an apple with one T low sugar peanut butter. Lunch is the meal I make the biggest as long as I am home for the day. If I have to work its not as big. My favorite a black bean salad with diced tomato, cumin, green onion, a squeeze of lime and sliced jicama. Its great for snack too. For lunch I usually have some diced chicken with it. Or its a mixed baby green salad with low sugar dressing, gouta cheese and raw zucchini with canned tuna, or no meat. I try to make my meals simple as I have a love hate relationship with food that I am working on. I got in such a habit of not wanting to add fruit and grains in and I felt like I would not loose the weight like I should. Now that I have added one or 2 servings of fruit and a serving or two of whole grains, my weight loss is more steady. I still struggle with eating all day, but its working and the more days that go by the easier it gets. My Trick now? To eat on a schedule. I eat 2.3- 3 hours apart. Breakfast at 9. ( Yes I am a night owl, up till 2 am always) snack at noon, lunch at 3, snack at 5 diner at 8 dessert at 11. That way it seems like, sheesh didnt just eat? But it keeps me focused and satisfied so I do not eat the house at night.

[graffitigarden]

I think you just have to force yourself to do it at first. Soon it will become habit.

Before I started South Beach, I was much the same way. Rarely ate breakfast, often skipped lunch, and then would usually go for after work drinks and not get to dinner until 9 or so, at which point I was starving and would just totally binge. I'd always had a hard time eating breakfast. I just never felt like eating in the morning.

When I first started South Beach back in April, eating all day, and especially breakfast, was really hard. But I made myself do it. I packed up my lunches and snacks and prepped vegetables for breakfast the night before, and just told myself "Okay, you have to eat this." It was a struggle at the beginning, but quickly became easier. Now I always want breakfast when I wake up! I try to always keep smoked salmon in the fridge, so if I'm running late and don't have time to cook anything before work, I just grab a few slices of that and some tomatoes and eat it on my way.

I think that eating breakfast every day is really key to eating in a balanced way all day long. I think you'll also find that once you start eating according to South Beach guidelines, not being able to stop eating won't be a problem anymore because you'll be full after a meal! Bread and potatoes are easy to binge on, but when you're eating mostly vegetables, you get full and it makes it much much harder to just eat mindlessly.

[lilmunchkin]

thank u everyone! I'm sorry I haven't responded sooner, I just had work so haven't had time to be on the boards much. i appreciate you're personal stories and feel better knowing that I'm not in this (night-eating resistance struggle) alone.

The only thing I worry about now, and it's stupid I know, is that once I eat more regularly, I will get my body switched so that I cannot go w/o regular intervaled meals. I see this as a weakness in comparison to what I do now How did/do you guys get over that feeling?

[Magna]

In my experience, after you get into a healthy pattern of eating, daily variations become less important. Well into phase 2, it's not necessary for me to time my meals or anything like that. And even if I can't eat, or I have to eat at an unplanned time, or I eat off-plan food, it's pretty easy to back to my regular eating plan. It's really not restrictive or inconvenient. I also feel better throughout the day, and never feel either stuffed or too hungry.

[RedRox]

The only thing I worry about now, and it's stupid I know, is that once I eat more regularly, I will get my body switched so that I cannot go w/o regular intervaled meals. I see this as a weakness in comparison to what I do now How did/do you guys get over that feeling?

Hopefully you can bring some mindfulness and awareness into how much better your body should feel and operate eating healthy foods in appropriate quantities at reasonable intervals. What you are doing now is really only working against you and is somewhat dangerous and counterproductive to your long term health and overall well-being. It's not a "weakness" to give your body proper nourishment in a timely manner. It's really what it wants and needs. What you are doing now is the illusion you have to let go of as you move forward to find a better way of living.

[Kimboroni]

To my mind, not eating all day and then bingeing is a weakness. Fueling your body properly by planning what to eat and then eating it, all on a regular basis, creates strength and health.

[lilmunchkin]

Redrox I needed to hear that! I knew I *felt* that I was losing something, and the illusion is what it is. Humans are mortal, after all, and we need food. The feeling of hunger is not a weakness in an inferior way any more than being human is wrong. I'm a Christian so this spiritual meaning/thinking is what I needed to hear.

I agree with the other posts more practical in nature, however, and definitely do see how eating as I do is considered a flaw. For me, the practical reasoning behind the prob doesn't motivate me to change as much as the above. That's all.

I mean no harm to anyone and am entirely grateful for each comment!