: A little over a year ago after years
: of yo-yo dieting along with
: bulimia, I made the decision to
: get control of my health and
: enlisted a personal trainer to get
: me on track to be the best ever
: for my 30th birthday. Long story
: short, she completely turned my
: diet upside down and had me
: incorporate a lot of lean proteins
: into 5-7 small meals per day. This
: coupled with exercise returned
: HUGE results not only physically
: but emotionally and mentally. I
: had more energy. I stopped
: binging, and I was on-fire in all
: aspects of my life.

: Fast forward 9 months my strict diet
: had relaxed a bit, but I had
: sustained the results and decided
: to take it to the next level and
: prepare for a fitness competition.
: To achieve the necessary physique,
: I have to be on a very low carb
: and high protein diet. Though I
: knew the restrictive diet would be
: difficult, I didn't realize my
: degree of sugar sensitivity and
: the detox of going from a healthy
: diet with a few high sugar cheats
: to a completely clean and low carb
: diet. I couldn't focus on
: anything. I couldn't sleep, I was
: constantly anxious, and I felt
: like a failure and that nothing
: was possible. My productivity at
: work was zero. I wasn't my usual
: happy self, and I started binging
: and purging. Thankfully I caught
: myself before I spiral to far and
: remembered the PnP book that I had
: bought years earlier that I never
: got around to reading. Within 2
: pages, everything clicked. All the
: struggles for so many years. My
: depression and even how my change
: last year became so easy after
: only a few weeks on the new diet.

: So I'm here looking for support and
: suggestions. Because of my
: previous changes I've already made
: it partly through a few steps
: (1,3,5). I'm working on
: incorporating emotional and
: physical feelings into my existing
: food journal, which is going to be
: really insightful. However with my
: training, I feel like I've zoomed
: to step 6, and I'm struggling with
: the fall out.

: Are there any recommendations on
: supplements to help with the
: detox? What are some no to low
: calorie substitutes people use
: when faced with a craving for
: sugar? Is there anyone else out
: there trying to do a bikini or
: figure competition?

: Sorry for the long post, but anything
: even just a hi would go a long way
: to making me feel like I'm not
: alone.

Hi Michele,
I am fairly new to this program, almost 2 months now. I can relate so much to what you are going through. I had been on a low- carb diet for a year with good results, however the restrictions led me to occasional binges on sugar. I was sick of trying to control them. I picked up the book PNP ages before I actually read it, (seemed way too scientific for me.) When I did read it, I tried all the steps at once because I had been eating that way for so long- seemed like just a few additions and I would be on my way and on the right track again with a new and improved set of rules that would keep me trim and happy.

Well, another binge came after week 3 and then a big drop in my mood and hopelessness reigned.
Fortunately, I posted and got some very much needed support and guidance from other, more experienced members of this community.

The most important thing I learned was to stop doing all the steps at once and focus on step one- breakfast. Hard for me, I thought I had that down but realized that the energy to do all 4 parts of breakfast every day was enough.

I can hear you now if you are at all like me- But what about the rest of the day? What do I eat, can I eat sugar, will I binge, will I gain weight? I had to be ok with - I do not know. I need to trust that my healing is the most important thing right now and the answers will come in time.

I have no great answer for the competition, it seems as if that is a pressure for you right now. Does the fitness competition have to now? Maybe you could do it later. The focus on dieting might hinder your ability to really get the most out of this program. I think that dieting focus does just not work. I would not be here if I did not believe it was possible to eventually have more insight into how to achieve and maintain a healthy and fit body. However, the emphasis has to shift to be on my biochemical healing first in order to do so. The first step starts that healing.

I am so new, this may not be the most informed advice. Just try not to do everything at once, it does not work. keep posting- there is plenty of support here.

Copper