I've taken zantrex 3 and that worked really good for me but I dont think I was using it properly because one day my heart started beating really fast and it kind of scared me. I was taking the maximum dose. Since I've stopped taking it though my episodes have become greater. I hate that I am unable to function without taking diet pills. My cravings are so intense without them, and I get headaches alot more now because of the caffeine withdrawal. I like the energy that I get from them more than anything else because then I actually do workout, I actually do get things done you know?

Caffeine is my hero. If I don't have it...ah...headaches, I can't handle them because they linger too much. So I like caffeine lol. I won't bother getting rid of it.

Zantrax probably has caffeine in it. Mixed with a bunch of other crap that can cause heart palpitations. It happened to me too. It didn't bother me too much, the only thing that bothers me about when that happens is that it is hard to breathe. Which is no good. Hoodia didn't cause that. I have been taking Mega T Green tea pills. Who knows if that will do a damned thing. They were cheap, so I doubt it lol. Not seeming to work at this rate.
I was thinking about getting Zantrax. I really doubt any of them work though. It's just caffeine, so I would rather take straight caffeine like I usually do. Not that I suggest that. I am a pill popper, which is another one of my habits. It's bad. I don't believe in magic pills though. Anything that MAY help though.

I haven't been energetic, I don't think the caffeine really has the affect it should have on me anymore.

I'm a caffeine freak too... Thats probably why I am so cranky when I dont either take diet pills or drink diet soda. I dont think I'll ever be able to give up caffeine because I hate the headaches.I once tried hoodia but it does absolutley nothing for me. I'm trying to do it natural, no diet pills, but may resort to taking them if I feel the urge to binge. My waist line is getting bigger every time I binge and I refuse to go back to day 1 of my weight loss journey

I'm chewing gum right now and its taking the urge off of overeating..

I think most of my problem with overeating was as a result of some abuse I suffered at the hand of an ex lover.
He distroyed my self confidence and self image to the point where I became almost agoraphobic. When I look back now, my overeating all started about the time the physical stuff happened between me and him too.
I use to use food as comfort. I was living away from my family with no one as a support network to see me throug hthe terrible things I was living through.

I always turn to food for comfort.

I have realised that I do this and so I am more armed with the ability to stop it if I want to.

You have to empower yourself, and you HAVE to realise that sometimes binging is a part of life, but that it can't be every day of the week, or even every week. YOU have to be in control of the food not the other way round!

I'm glad you started the thread. Like I have told you pete so many times before, you CAN do this - you just have to give yourself time to build up your resolve! It will happen, and you're making the right choice in coming here for support. Without this site I would have failed long ago!

Hazel,
I am soooo happy to see you here!! FOr me it was my parents that took away all my self confidence. I suffer from not having a good mother role model-the one I did have called me a fat pig, and made me run around a huge yard 20 times while jogging behind me and calling me names. I know people say not to live in the past but it is very hard. From this day I dont let myself get close to any of my dads wifes, he's on number 4. I still have no self esteem, and have a hard time going out in public for fear of people looking at me. I dont like to look at people in the eyes when I talk to them, I walk with my head down or if I'm not doing that I'm putting on an act that I am happy when in reality I am not I am crying..

Hello Pete.

Thank you so very much for starting this thread. I can really use the support.

I think I tend to binge mostly in the evenings into overnight. I mostly binge when I feel lonely, depressed, frustrated at my stalled weight loss efforts; unattractive, unwanted, etc.

I would also eat my regular Atkins meal, then bang, less than 30 minutes later I am back in the kitchen eating sandwiches mostly and any sweet items that hubby happened to purchase that day among other things.

But one thing that really frightened me was this particular day I quoted from my journal:

"Once again I slipped into the world of serious binging. I thought I was on track and fell off the wagon again in a big way. At first I didn't want to put in this journal what I really ate, then I thought how would I get the support I need if I don't. Plus I felt embarrassed after receiving such thumbs up from Pete, Richard, and Judy, etc. not too long ago. Anyways, here goes:

My originally Thursday planned dinner of Baked Terriyaki Chicken Thighs and Mixed Vegys was actually eaten 3:30 a.m. Friday morning. Then I ate Egg Sandwich w/mayo on regular wheat bread; South Beach Peanut Butter Cookies; Atkins Choc Crunch Candy Bar; Turkey & Cheese Sandwich w/mayo on wheat bread; Unsalted Peanuts; (2c) Milk; 6 Choc Mini Donuts; 1 Large Bag of Chips. Then I ate 2 pieces of fried chicken; 2 cups of regular Mac and Cheese; 1 cup of collard greens; Crystal Light; Iced Tea.

This started shortly after dinner the day prior of which I didn't eat until 3:30 a.m. the following morning after having a few drinks. (My suspicion is the alcohol that sparked an eating frenzy craving for carbs and lots of 'em). So in actuality I ate from 3:30 a.m. yesterday morning until midnight last night snacking and eating all above. That is terrible isn't it?!

You would have thought I was bulemic or something because of the amount I ate and the time frame in which I ate all that food.

THIS REALLY REALLY FRIGHTENS ME!

I have been having marital problems for weeks now and I only feel comfort in eating. Then I hate myself even more and feel more agitation each time I do this to myself.

I don't want to give up. I want to have the strength to alter this behavior of mine and stop this self-defeating action of attack upon myself."

I feel I could be more successful with Atkins and keep the weight off once I can understand and gain control of why I binge and diet like this. Some days I would binge obsessively and then the next day will only eat one meal the entire day. I notice my tummy gets very upset when I do this.

So I am looking forward to receiving alot of support here and hopefully I can also encourage you all too.
-Dee

Dee,
I am so happy to see you here... I know how you feel about thinking that you are letting other people down by binging, or eating off plan. I do that alot to myself but I've finally realized that I'm not really letting anybody down .I'm letting myself down. I know that I have a problem with food, and talking about it helps me soo much, and its great to have others that can relate to what you're going through.

I've always used food as my best friend. But when I truly think about it what type of best friend is food anyways-it makes me feel like worthless, and like total crap. I would totally write off any friend that did that to me but with food its different because you have to have food to live. Okay I dont know if I made any sense...My thought for the day..

I am surprised that the hoodia didn't do anything. Hmm.

I am chewing gum right now too, but I am not very hungry. If I do get a bit peckish I just eat a hb egg. I think it was because of all the tuna I ate late last night lol.

I just usually binge out on meat and stuff. Ung. But I suppose it could be much, much worse. Still, eating a lot more than what you should sucks. Doing it frequently sucks even more.

I honestly don't even know where I put all that food I eat hahaha.

You and me both ayustar...I feel like my tummy is never ending...But I'm determined to get my weight off. I just had a couple of bumps in the road is all with the binging but am working to get that undercontrol..

I haven't had any issues really binging out on approved food, but ....it makes me feel awful. It isn't right.

I mean if I go to a resturant, I order two huge salads. At the same time. I eat them and I still want more. The waiters are surprised.
I went to my favorite steak house and the waiter was this really awesome person. I won't forget him. Lol. I ordered the biggest cut of meat they had. 24oz piece of meat. Did I eat it? YES, did it have a salad with it? Yes, did I eat it? Yes. And some prawns too. He was kinda amazed. He wondered where I put it! It was awesome. I would do it again in a heart beat lol. I don't gain weight from doing it. It just makes me feel miserable and depressed that I can eat so much damned food. Shouldn't I be happy because I don't gain? No. I wish I didn't have to eat to survive. I have issues with eating. Either eating too much or nothing at all. I have no in between. Arg, lol.

I would try drinking tons of liquids when I eat, if you haven't tried that. I know it works for SOME people lol.

I hate water thats my problem too.. I did buy some of that fruit 20 and its pretty good. I know food is our best friend and worst enemy...My husband is like you he can eat alot and not gain anyweight. He drinks protein shakes along with creatine to try and beef up along with exercising..

When you get the behavior under control and have consistent days of eating on plan, that is when you will see the weight come off. It all about the behavior!! Its not about a diet!!

When you consume too much caffeine, it can and does cause cravings. If you can have just one cup of coffee in the morning and limit the caffeine the rest of the day, you will have a better chance to handle the behavior.

Obsessing about your weight/body and taking diet pills is very damaging to your body and your psyche. I have taken all the pills out there except the newest ones because I stopped taking them after taking fenfen back in the early '90s. Diet pills don't work!!

Once you can get a few days without any sugar, your energy will begin to come back up naturally!!

If you might be anemic, and you maybe Pete!!, taking an iron supplement will help you to have more energy too!! This happened to me and I swear that it helped my body to lose better when I got my iron to be normal. Get checked by your doctor!!

Hi Judy,
Thanks so much for your concern... I am working on not taking the diet pills. Thats why I am having so many recurrent episodes of binging.I dont believe I am obsessing over my weight/body, I am talking about my feelings, and the way food makes me feel. I still have some iron tablets from when I was anemic during pregnancy and I might take some again and see if it affects my energy. Thanks

And what would you say if I told you that you do obsess about your body and your weight? If you don't see this, then consider that you are in denial.

Pete, I do this ALL of the time!!!! I get so frustrated when I'm done, but I would just gorge on the "bad things" in the house so that the next day they'd be gone. Why don't I have the will power to give them to DBF or just dump them?