Newbie - Struggling - Seeking Support

superj016

Hi all. Please feel free to add me as I am new to MFP (have only used it to track) and the groups (as of today) and I need all the support I can get. Any advice or tips on how to deter binges is greatly appreciated. Although I’ve never received professional treatment, binge eating has been a recurrent issue throughout my adult life despite growing up active and athletic. Tied in with this is the fact that I have struggled with depression for years (have been on current meds for one year) and I also grew up with horrible examples of how to have a healthy relationship with food.

So, after gaining weight as a result of a series of surgeries, I recently started a comprehensive, medically supervised diet in the hopes it will be the last time in my life I ever need to lose weight. It includes very low calorie (800 per day), high protein meal replacements, meetings with a medical doctor, behaviorist, exercise physiologist, and a dietitian. Eventually, they transition you to a healthy, balanced diet and you are expected/taught to maintain that success for a year before you officially graduate from the program. In a month and a half, I have lost 30 pounds (with roughly 60 to go).

While I started out following the diet to a T, as is the story of my life, I give in to all or nothing behavior and have suddenly become victim to my cravings which is really only one specific food. The week before last was particularly difficult for me, giving into multiple binges. I reached out to the behaviorist and have since decided to seek additional support. But I don’t really know what to do next. Can you provide any further guidance?

I know I won’t overcome these issues overnight but I could really use suggestions for what to do to provide immediate relief for preventing a binge. Distracting myself doesn’t work. It’s truly an out of body experience. I will be telling myself not to do it, and yet will make the effort to drive myself to the store and buy what I know I should not be eating. I’m sick of doing it and I am ready to take a stand. Today is a new day.

Thanks in advance for your kind words of wisdom.

girlviernes

Well, a good place to start is making sure you have 3 good meals per day no matter what, and perhaps 1-3 planned snacks as well. A good meal will have some protein, carb, and fat, filling up a salad plate (about 400-600 calories), a good snack will be about 100-200 calories with two food groups. You need the foundation of enough food to make it more manageable to stop bingeing.