CRAM Circuit Challenge

[AnnetteW]

In the past few days I've watched different YouTubes with Dr. Doug Lisle and the Cram Circuit. There is one here on this site (that I watched first) and I really liked the one with Chef AJ.

When he said overeating (or cramming) after a meal is a conditioned response a lightbulb went up above my head. This is so me and my after lunch eating. I can eat after lunch and all afternoon long and of course not be hungry for any dinner. After dinner cramming is not my issue at all. Since I've switched to whole natural foods, I'm continuing this "bad habit" with fruit and lots of it.

Today I'm starting my challenge to stop this conditioned response. I will eat my healthy lunch and enough of it so I know I'm not hungry until dinner. If I do get hungry, it will be closer to late afternoon and I can eat a small snack as needed. It sounds like one just has to power through for a few days. I also have a mixed up scheduled today so eating after lunch will be naturally curtailed for a few hours, I'm out of my regular routine which will be good.

If you'd like to join me, please post. Post your comments and thoughts and definitely post during your CRAM time.

[stillcrazy]

Good luck Annette!. I am not joining you because I have my focus on a Mary’s mini right now but I think I will go and check out the video because I know there are times when I just don’t stop eating after a meal too. I will be interested to hear how it goes for you. Vee

[sirdle]

... overeating (or cramming) after a meal is a conditioned response a lightbulb went up above my head. T

Overall, my food choices right now are very good. But I have noticed a tendency to continue eating after dinner -- and sometimes lunch -- even after I'm full. It is almost always a bag of blueberries. Or two. Sometimes three.

I'll listen to Dr Lisle today, figure out a plan, and report back after dinner.

Cheers,

====================

Here's the link:

The Cram Circuit - Why do you often feel the urge to eat late in the evenings, after already having had dinner?

[AnnetteW]

Today was a good day to start, since I was babysitting. I basically ate a late morning snack and missed my lunch. Munched on a carrot when I was really hungry. I'm just now starting in on an early dinner since we have dance class tonight and I hate to go with a full tummy. Will eat some watermelon too. I might be hungry late tonight when home, but probably not.

Tomorrow will be a normal day, and I'll have to work through that.

[moonlight]

Annette, thanks for starting this thread. I watched the Cram Circuit yesterday. Thanks, Sirdle, for posting the link. I'm going to take on the challenge to not eat after dinner. I may allow a small bedtime snack. This makes me nervous just thinking about it but I need to stop my evening grazing. I'll be acutely aware of the Extinction Curve so I won't let my mind win out on what it thinks is best. My mantra will be to STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN AFTER DINNER. I hope I don't drive everyone crazy with my calendar. I thought I'd make one for the Extinction Curve. I'm giving it 15 days. This will be a good experiment to see if I can change my Compensatory Response to graze all evening in 15 days.
Before when I was working on stopping craving I had a list of activities I could do to take my mind off a craving. The activity that worked the best was to go brush my teeth.
Extinction Curve Success
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

[Aprincess]

I have a real problem with this. That video was fantastic. I’m in! TY for starting this.

[AnnetteW]

I obviously need to rewatch the video today as I've already forgotten what the extinction curve is. I remember them talking about it though. What stuck in my head was the "conditioned response" comment. Okay, so plan for today is to rewatch a video, and perhaps I should take some notes.

I have a normal day ahead of me. Gym and physical therapy in the morning. I need to hit the grocery store on the way home for a few items. Then I'm home for lunch and the rest of the day. That is when I will work on my sewing project and rewatch the video. If I get into munchmode, I'll get my butt out of the house as I do need to go buy a birthday present. For me, being in my own home is when I want to eat.

Will post again during my cram time to update.

I'm super glad to see others are joining. Please comment about parts of the video and how you interpret them or what they mean to you, etc. I'm sure we'll all get different things out of them.

[Aprincess]

I just know, for me, I have conditioned my brain to expect more food after dinner. Sometimes, I don’t finish my dinner because I’m already thinking that I’m going to have something later anyway. So, I know it’s not imperative to keep eating dinner. Oh, the habits we form. Last night I had a heaping bowl of diced watermelon at around 9pm. Not a horrible snack but I sure didn’t get a good night’s sleep.. rofl!!! I have planned out everything I’m going to eat today in my LoseIt app. That seems to help me stay on track. I plan and then stick to the plan. I may actually see a loss this week on the scale. *fingers crossed!!!!

[AnnetteW]

Day 1 is done and complete. I'm not a nighttime eater so no worries at this point as the evening goes on.

I ate my lunch and a large serving of watermelon with it. So no more snacking all afternoon. I did snack/taste as I was making dinner, which was sushi, a first time experience and I had so much fun.

I'm not expecting my weight to be down tomorrow, due to the dipping sauce and sodium.

It's all about breaking that afternoon cram habit.

I started to rewatch the video but wasn't really in the mood, so watched something else instead. But the funny thing was, I had taken a few notes the other day and had forgotten about it, and the notes were about the extinction cycle, how day 1 sucks, but by day 3 it is so much easier, then just gets easier. So I'll give myself till next Monday, and then maybe the cycle will have been broken.

On to tomorrow. And now thinking about it, tomorrow is also a good day as I am out of the house for an appt at 2 pm. So I'll eat a lighter lunch and test myself a bit more.

[sirdle]

Yesterday went well for me.

I watched the video and what I found interesting was that Dr Lisle seemed to imply the 'cram circuit' is geared toward calorie dense foods only and nobody ever has a problem with fruit.

Humph.

Well, I definitely have a sweet tooth. Eating a bag of very sweet blueberries (or bananas or grapes, but never apples) will trigger a desire to eat more, even when I am already full. And I often find myself heading to the kitchen immediately after eating lunch and dinner -- even when full -- for my 'treat'. Perhaps this is not literally the 'cram circuit'. But for lack of a better word, that's what I'm calling it.

My plan is to use mindfulness to attack the problem.

1. start with veggies
2. eat a main course with starch + veggies until comfortably full
3. if hungry after 7:00 PM, eat more veggies

Cheers,

[moonlight]

I’m into my first night of resisting the urge to snack. I had dinner st a restaurant and when I got home I wanted to get a snack. Night time grazing is a thing for me but wanting to get a snack when I get home is another big trigger. So far, I’ve been home about an hour and I’ve thought about going to the kitchen at least 5-6 times... When I think about whether or not I’m hungry I realize that my stomach actually feels full. The eating when not hungry is big for me. I’m looking forward to kicking the habit!

[moonlight]

Extinction Curve Success
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

I made it through last night without snacking until bedtime. I had a snack (blueberries) at bedtime. It was not easy to stay out of the kitchen. My mind kept telling me what I could eat and how just eating a little wouldn't hurt anything.... I guess from Dr. Lisle's lecture I should expect the first three days to be the hardest.

Good luck to everyone participating. I love this challenge. Thanks, Annette.

[AnnetteW]

Yesterday went well for me.

I watched the video and what I found interesting was that Dr Lisle seemed to imply the 'cram circuit' is geared toward calorie dense foods only and nobody ever has a problem with fruit.

Humph.

Well, I definitely have a sweet tooth. Eating a bag of very sweet blueberries (or bananas or grapes, but never apples) will trigger a desire to eat more, even when I am already full. And I often find myself heading to the kitchen immediately after eating lunch and dinner -- even when full -- for my 'treat'. Perhaps this is not literally the 'cram circuit'. But for lack of a better word, that's what I'm calling it.

My plan is to use mindfulness to attack the problem.

1. start with veggies
2. eat a main course with starch + veggies until comfortably full
3. if hungry after 7:00 PM, eat more veggies

Cheers,

I'm totally with you here, 100%, as I'm having the issue with fruit myself. I do think it's because I'm allowing myself to have the fruit, which is a good thing, no doubt. I'm not allowing myself to have the other rich foods. If I started in on the nuts, I'd be eating them, but they are out of my current meal plan (for the most part).

So I will count it as the cram circuit too. Actually, I knew I was going to have my quart sized bag of frozen watermelon today, so I just made it part of my lunch. I ate my sushi and immediately ate my watermelon. Then I was out of the house for my dr. appointment, and stopped by the grocery store. By the time I got home it was 4 PM, and I was actually starting to feel hungry. So now I AM allowed to eat something, but I had baby tomatoes and half a cucumber, then started working on dinner.

It worked, I've made it past two days now, and I am not dying yet.

Tomorrow I am going out for lunch with friends and I do believe I will treat myself to a glass of wine. I've already decided on my meal, a vegan hummus sandwich concoction, so I know it will have extra fat/oil in it, but I'll make sure there is no cheese. And I'll be out of the house, once again, during the time that I would most likely be sitting around wanting to munch. And it will be the same as today, get home a bit later and then maybe need a snack (that's not fruit) and start on dinner.

On Saturday we are going to my grandson's birthday party, and I will make some beans to have something compliant. They are doing a Mexican luncheon. I'll skip cake and icecream at this point. I think I should be fine doing that.

Being out of the house during my cram time has been very helpful so far. I will continue to pay attention to that.

[moonlight]

I can overeat fruit, too. My favorites are blueberries and watermelon. I think it’s better than the alternatives but it is overeating and I’m really hoping to stop do that. It’s been a struggle tonight. I think I’m going to bed earlier just so I can have the one snack I’m allowing myself before bed. Tonight it was watermelon.

[sirdle]

Last night was another good night.

When I got home from work, I ate a bowl of steamed veggies. I was in the mood for some blueberries, so I deliberately ate less of my main course at dinner so I was still hungry. Then I ate the blueberries as part of my main meal, finishing up comfortably full.

Did not eat anything later in the evening because I was still not hungry.

Thanks for posting this topic, Annette! You're a rock star!

Cheers,