Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

Bingeing isn’t always about exerting control over my life. Sometimes it’s about comfort. Sometimes it’s about protection. I have found other ways to give myself protection and comfort, but I have been pretty clueless about the fact that I binge when my life feels out of control.

The worst part of it is bingeing makes me feel MORE out of control.

Sure, I feel good when I’m bingeing because I am the one who gets to choose what I eat, not my grandma or the USDA. I get to pick the restaurant. I get to order whatever I want on the menu. When I’m bingeing, I feel a control over myself that is hard to describe.

Unfortunately, afterwards, I feel like my whole life is spiralling even more out of control. When I have to deal with the aftermath of a full stomach and pants that are too snug, my mood darkens and then I find myself bingeing again.

How can I consciously exert control over my life without resorting to food?

I don’t know…

Honestly, I really don’t know, but here are some of my ideas to prevent this type of bingeing in the future:

• Notice it: Most of the time, I don’t know why I am tempted to binge. Sometimes it’s actual hunger, believe it or not. Sometimes I’m thirsty. Sometimes I’m sad. Sometimes I feel threatened. Now, I have to add “Do I feel out of control in my life?” to the list. The list I have to go through before I binge is getting longer and longer as I discover all the reasons I turn to food inappropriately.

• Create a list: I need a list of things that I can do to exert control over my life. Some ideas: cleaning up the clutter, organizing my computer, cleaning out my email inbox, or creating simplicity in my home. It doesn’t need to be as labor intensive as all that, even. It could be as simple as being able to choose which movie I want to watch without having to think about the tastes of others.

• Exert Control on My Life Without Food: This is the part that’s hard. It’s easy to have a list of things to do. Eventually, it might even be easy to recognize that the reason I want to binge is because I’m feeling out of control in my life. The hard part is actually doing it. Consciously choosing to exert control on my life without resorting to bingeing is the choice that will make the difference between hovering near obesity and enjoying life at a healthy weight.

When I learned that bingeing was related to comfort, I lost about five pounds and they have never come back. When I learned that bingeing was related to protection, I lost about twenty pounds and they have never come back. Now that I am able to see that bingeing can also be about control, maybe I’ll be able to get my weight down to a healthy weight and never have to worry about it coming back.

Negative self-talk has been my biggest problem lately. I have been consciously listening to the things that flow through my head and noticing which ones are positive and, worse, which ones are negative.

What is the worst thing you say to yourself on a regular basis?

What is the best thing you say to yourself on a regular basis?

If there was one thing you could have repeating to you over and over again without effort, what would it be?

The Question of the Week is meant to be an Inner Workout for you. Find some time during the week and allow yourself to write the answers to the questions posted. You can write them on paper, on a word processor or here in the comments section. Whatever works for you as long as you do it.

Keep writing until you find out something about yourself that you didn’t know before. I’ve also heard that it works to keep writing until you cry, but that doesn’t really work for me. Whatever works for you. Just keep writing until it feels right.

“I love every inch of my body.” How many of us can say that and really believe it. I can take my body apart and love some bits and pieces here and there, but do I love EVERY INCH of my body? It sounds strange to hear it. I love my legs. They’re strong and they take me lots of places. I love my brain. It earns me money and entertains me. I love my fingers. They type lots of words. Every inch?

Every inch includes the blackheads on my nose that I can never get rid of. Every inch includes the soft and sticky outy bits on my tummy. Every inch includes that knee I fell on back in college that gives me a twinge when I ride my bike. If I love them, does that mean I don’t want to change them? Is it okay to love my body even though it’s not perfect?

I have to think about this…

PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.

We don’t just eat healthy at home. A lot of our time is spent at work, where we need to make healthy choices.

What do you do to make sure you eat healthy at work?

Do you exercise during lunch or at breaks? If so, how do you make that work? Do you shower afterwards? What didn’t work?

How do you get past the afternoon snack attack?

What are the most risky eating areas at work?

If there was something that you could change at work to make your life easier, what would it be?

The Question of the Week is meant to be an Inner Workout for you. Find some time during the week and allow yourself to write the answers to the questions posted. You can write them on paper, on a word processor or here in the comments section. Whatever works for you as long as you do it.

Keep writing until you find out something about yourself that you didn’t know before. I’ve also heard that it works to keep writing until you cry, but that doesn’t really work for me. Whatever works for you. Just keep writing until it feels right.

Imagine the most loving person in the world. Imagine someone who could love you exactly as you are. Pretend to sit next to this person who loves you unconditionally and write down how they would answer these questions:

What is my best feature? Which part of me is the prettiest?

What are my strengths?

What do you respect the most about me?

All of us have greatness within, but sometimes self-loathing makes us blind to what that greatness is. Put aside that self-loathing and be willing to look at yourself with loving eyes. Don’t be worried about being conceited or vain. It won’t happen.

Loving yourself is the first step toward taking care of your body. Take it today.

The Question of the Week is meant to be an Inner Workout for you. Find some time during the week and allow yourself to write the answers to the questions posted. You can write them on paper, on a word processor or here in the comments section. Whatever works for you as long as you do it.

Keep writing until you find out something about yourself that you didn’t know before. I’ve also heard that it works to keep writing until you cry, but that doesn’t really work for me. Whatever works for you. Just keep writing until it feels right.

Research has shown that part of being able to effectively lose weight involves journaling your food and exercise.

How do you journal your food and exercise?

Do you use a computer?

Do you use an online service?

Do you write it down on paper?

What has worked the best for you?

The Question of the Week is meant to be an Inner Workout for you. Find some time during the week and allow yourself to write the answers to the questions posted. You can write them on paper, on a word processor or here in the comments section. Whatever works for you as long as you do it.

Keep writing until you find out something about yourself that you didn’t know before. I’ve also heard that it works to keep writing until you cry, but that doesn’t really work for me. Whatever works for you. Just keep writing until it feels right.

So many times I hear the excuse that eating healthy is too expensive.

Why do you think people have the idea that eating healthy is expensive?

What healthy foods have you found that are inexpensive and tasty?

What foods that are healthy are the most expensive?

What are your favorite recipes for healthy food?

The Question of the Week is meant to be an Inner Workout for you. Find some time during the week and allow yourself to write the answers to the questions posted. You can write them on paper, on a word processor or here in the comments section. Whatever works for you as long as you do it.

Keep writing until you find out something about yourself that you didn’t know before. I’ve also heard that it works to keep writing until you cry, but that doesn’t really work for me. Whatever works for you. Just keep writing until it feels right.

Don’t let it take 44 years before you realize how fantastic you are. Just think of the one thing on your body that you hate, whether it’s your butt, your nose, your irritating laugh, your ugly mole or your wandering eye. Whatever it is, it makes you unique. It’s what is about you that people love and they would miss if it disappeared.

Eating healthy and exercising isn’t about making your butt smaller. It’s about taking care of yourself so that you live a LONG time. The people in your life love the unique qualities that you have and they want you to stay in their lives for as long as possible. That requires that you eat healthy and exercise.

You are amazing just the way you are. Take care of yourself so you’ll stay around longer.

PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.

Are you tempted by exercise gadgets?

Do they help motivate you to do your workout?

For how long do they usually motivate you until you lose interest in them?

Has there been any gadget that has REALLY worked for you and kept you motivated for a long time?

What do you wish you hadn’t bought?

The Question of the Week is meant to be an Inner Workout for you. Find some time during the week and allow yourself to write the answers to the questions posted. You can write them on paper, on a word processor or here in the comments section. Whatever works for you as long as you do it.

Keep writing until you find out something about yourself that you didn’t know before. I’ve also heard that it works to keep writing until you cry, but that doesn’t really work for me. Whatever works for you. Just keep writing until it feels right.

When I saw this postcard on PostSecret, I realized the truth: every moment is an infinite moment. We only need to recognize it.

Next time you’re feeling down, remember. In this moment, you are infinite. You can achieve anything and you have the time to do it. Stop doing things that don’t matter to you. Stop wasting your infinity and start using it to create joy in your life.

You can do it!

PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.