Underweight to Overweight!

project_nourish

Hi All,

im back to MFP after some time away.

To cut a long story, ive gone from being very underweight to a BMI of over 25. I have literally gone from a size 6 to 14 in a matter of years. I can't seem to find a happy set point of my weight. My biggest problem is that i lose weight fast by restricting, then binge and gain it back + more.
I find it so hard to break that cycle.
It does not help that i have so many people that comment on my weight gain, and you would think it would push me to lose weight, but it only makes me eat more, but eat alone at night mainly.

I wonder if anyone else has been in this situation. I just need support.

fleur23xx

Hi,

I'm sorry you are going through this bad cycle. It can be hard to stop the cycle of restricting and binging. I have gone through this myself and I'm not even sure when it happened because just a few short years ago, I ate normally. Anyways, it really creeps up on you without you even realizing. I've never binged to the point where my stomach hurts and I keep going like I have heard some people do, but I have gone crazy with eating because I restricted so much. The best thing you can do is stop restricting. I know, easier said than done. But restricting is what causes you to binge. You have to let go of the fear that you will gain weight and eat to support your body's needs. If you are restricting right now, slowly increase calories and focus on nutrient dense foods that satisfy you. Don't do low calorie this, low fat that because they won't satisfy you for long. I know this is a hard concept for most MFP members because this is a website about counting calories. Just eat real foods that feed your body and provide the proper nutrients. Once your body is properly fueled and has the right nutrients, the cravings go away and this is so true for me. When I started really increasing my healthy fat intake, I noticed my sugar cravings significantly decreased. Actually, in general, all my cravings started to go away so I don't feel the need to go crazy at a party where I'm surrounded by food. I always wondered how other people can restrain from eating everything in sight and not go back for seconds. Now I know it's because they weren't restricting.

Also, if you are not already, I would suggest incorporating an exercise regimen, especially strength training. Focus on a program that motivates you to build strength in your body, not just the number on the scale. When you focus on what your body can do, it allows you to become less obsessed with the scale and focus more on how strong you are becoming. And most likely, once you get stronger and build muscle, weight loss will eventually follow. I hope this helps.