Help! I'm a binge eater!

Zoenkylesbee125

Hey guys! I've been at this journey for a long time and have lost 125pounds. But lately, lately I've lost control again and can't seem to fix it. I'll do OK for a little while and then eat a whole bag of chips and anything else I can shove in my pie hole! Help!. Add me and let's support each other. I need accountability.. I need motivation.. What's your need?
Bobbie

TavistockToad

when was the last time you had a diet break?

88olds

Whole bag of chips as in 150 calories or 1500 calories? How long did it take you to lose 125lbs?

Have you lost by way of a radical deficit and/or lots of exercise? How far are you from goal? Is there a source of turmoil in your life?

If you’ve lost 125lbs I’m betting you have plenty of motivation. Sounds like right now you need a better plan.

Zoenkylesbee125

Like 1500 calories. I lost the weight over a year and a half by eating 1300 calories a day and working out 4 to 5 times a week or more.

I lack 25 pounds being at my goal. I just keep losing the same 10 pounds over and over.

I just can't seem to stay on track.

Zoenkylesbee125

I eat well most of the time. Until I don't..

TavistockToad

zoesbee125 wrote: »

I eat well most of the time. Until I don't..

you haven't really answered the question, but i would look into a diet break if i was you.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

Zoenkylesbee125

I'm not fond of the word or idea of dieting. I do go periods of time without watching every single thing I eat but quickly have to get back on it because I don't want to gain weight. I had a heart attack in 2010 and since then I've changed a lot. I don't want to go back.

Zinka61

I have the same problem. What works best for me is eating just under maintenance calories and getting a lot of exercise to allow me extra calories...I do best if I eat more or less the same meals at the same set times just so my mind doesn't wander too much into other food possibilities. I share your pain!

TavistockToad

zoesbee125 wrote: »

I'm not fond of the word or idea of dieting. I do go periods of time without watching every single thing I eat but quickly have to get back on it because I don't want to gain weight. I had a heart attack in 2010 and since then I've changed a lot. I don't want to go back.

have you read the link and watched the video?!

Zoenkylesbee125

I am soooo sorry you have the same. I too tend to eat the same things to keep from going too far off course. It's not easy for people that aren't in this to understand. Thank you for sharing with me.

Zoenkylesbee125

I did read the link
Great information! It makes a lot of sense too. I will reread it and start implementing it when I get a better understanding of how it works. Thank you so much for this tavistockToad!

88olds

Just a thought- a bit of a rest, and then a reboot. When a strategy or set of strategies is successful (like yours) and then quit working, there seems to be a tendency to do more of the same only harder.

What if you rework your numbers for a slower rate of loss? A program to lose 2 lbs per month that you actually follow, is better than a 5 lb program that you don’t follow.

Time to start wrapping your brain around the idea that not much changes at GW. If you don’t like how you’re living when you make goal, you won’t stay there, not long anyway.

Cutemesoon

Following because i'm a binge/emotional eater also. I lost 100lbs 2yrs ago and have kept all but 10lbs off. I've been trying to lose the 10lbs for 8 months.

plantbasedweirdo

I know you're already utilizing MFP to track your foods, but you may want to also consider using an app called Recovery Record. You log your foods, drinks, exercise, and most importantly, your thoughts, feelings, and moods that correspond to meals eaten or skipped. It's been a wonderful help for me.

It's also not for everyone, but I'm going to plug this anyway- try to carve out some time for yourself to sit and think about why you're eating this way. What triggers the urge to binge? A relationship in your life, a job, school, caregiving to a loved one, grief, some trauma? It may be worth your while to tackle the emotional root cause of your urges to binge with a therapist.

MessyApron

I've seen a couple others recommending a maintenance break, and I concur.
You said you've been eating at a deficit for a year or so now, which means it may be highly beneficial for you to take 2 or 4 weeks to reset your metabolism.

Maintenance breaks are especially beneficial to those of us with a history of binge eating. There's this nasty vicious cycle we tend to fall into where we over-restrict ourselves; we can stick to our self-imposed restrictions for a while although it makes us feel deprived, but sooner or later we overindulge and a binge happens. Then we restrict ourselves again to try and make up for the binge which, in turn, sets us up for *another* binge. This cycle can repeat until we're completely demoralized. It's one of the most frustrating kinds of emotional rollercoaster out there, and it closely resembles the psychological response of a person who struggles with drug addiction.

Maintenance breaks are an excellent tool for breaking that vicious cycle. You'll still be tracking, still be keeping up on your water, sleep, fitness, and all the other things you've been doing to lose the weight, except you'll be eating at maintenance calories instead. I know it feels uncomfortable to actively stop trying to lose weight, even temporarily, after you've put so much time and thought and energy into losing weight. At the same time, sometimes you just need to tread water for a little while.

I like to consider maintenance breaks as practice for the rest of my life. After all, losing the weight is the easy part - I've lost weight over a dozen times in my life. The hard part is *keeping* it off instead of gaining it back with interest, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

I hope this helps! Feel free to message me if you ever need someone to talk to.