Should I count calories when recovering from binge eating disorder?

emmieems

A couple years ago, I was 180 lbs at 5'5, I was obese and unhappy. I simply overate, wasn't active and didn't have the best health habits. I found MFP and started tracking calories, things went great at first but then I started becoming obsessed, I wasn't close to anyone at the time, I would eat 1300 calories a day or under all the time, hardly eat anything at all throughout the day and I lost my period for nearly a year. I was afraid of eating out, or not knowing how many calories were in my food, etc. in turn I developed binge eating disorder and that was no better. I had extreme feelings of guilt, ashamed, and struggled with hating myself and trying to restrict and binge again. My question is I want to recover from this cycle and enjoy life again, should I track calories? I also gained 10 lbs with my binging so I'm 149 and 5'5 so I feel like I should lose weight.

tinkerbellang83

No-one here can tell you if calorie counting is right for you whilst you are recovering, you should seek some professional advice.

snickerscharlie

Please see an eating disorder specialist. This is not something you should tackle on your own, nor is anyone here in a position to advise you, other than to implore you to seek help.

Rebecca0224

As others have said you need to get professional help. Eating disorders require special treatment.

Unknown

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malibu927

Speak with your treatment team on whether or not they think it's a good idea

WyldHaggis

I've been wondering the same thing for myself , and I have no idea what the answer is, to be honest. If it can help, here's what I'd consider:

- Are you seeing a therapist regarding your ED? What's their opinion on this? (If you never addressed the ED issue with a specialist, it'd probably be good to do that first.)
- Where are you regarding your ED? Are you still struggling a lot with guilt, all-or-nothing thinking (aka 'I blew it this morning so might as well binge all day long now' etc.), and/or binges that trigger several more days of binging? (If yes, I believe trying to count now wouldn't be a good idea.)
- At the moment, do you have specific insights about what triggered your ED and what's still fuelling it? Were there any other circumstances present at the time, that may have contributed to it? Are these circumstances still present?

PaulaWallaDingDong

You should do what your therapist advises. MFP could be a part of treatment, or it could exacerbate the problem.

kwissten

I agree with everyone above about seeking medical help first, but...
for my own personal experience (had a small bout with binging) I felt that the only way I could keep myself from "overindulging" was to track my food. Dont restrict yourself too much, but by having it laid out for you to see, I wouldnt eat in excess! Good luck on your journey!