Help? I think I may be relapsing

megadethmechanix4008

So basically I got to my goal weight of 123lbs just over a week ago but I had a few episodes of binge eating.
(All are calories just for the binge so not including my daily calorie allowance)
Last Thursday: 1153kcal
Last Friday: 4000kcal
This Saturday:2880kcal
Today: 3000kcal
I feel very very hopeless and upset about all of this. I'm terrified I'm gaining loads of weight and that hurts me because I thought I'd finally stopped binging.
I undid a little of the damage by lowering calories by 250kcal between binged but if I do more than that I just overeat more??
Any suggestions how to get out of this slump???
Bear in mind I'm a recovered bulimic and this scares me. Reminds me of what I was like before choosing to recover

apullum

I would encourage checking in with your treatment team. They’re there to help you, and I think their guidance is especially valuable as you transition to maintenance. A few days of overeating doesn’t mean you’re going to relapse or undo all your hard work, but your treatment team can help with the feelings of fear and hopelessness, as well as with how to approach weight maintenance. Maintenance can be difficult for all of us, so it’s good to use your professional resources to help you get started.

ninadrunner

I am a recovered bulimic as well, and i just went through this. I took a breath and checked myself. I also came on here for support (first time i have done that). I am not longer in therapy, but i did reach out to a loved one to chat. I basically went to bed thinking tomorrow i will just pick up where i left off. I did not cut calories, but just started eating my normal routine again the next day. I did walk/run an extra 2 days (burned extra 500 calories both days) because it just happened to fit into my schedule, and vola one week later i am back to normal (or however long it takes). That panic feeling inside when you eat too much then want to throw up i dismissed and i knew i had to just wake up the next morning and start again. You got this! If you are good and have some slips up, no reason to relapse. Just restart tomorrow. Perhaps repeat the steps you took when you were on the road to recovery after a night of bindging and purging to help ease your thoughts. Hope this helped.

jan110144

apullum wrote: »

I would encourage checking in with your treatment team. They’re there to help you, and I think their guidance is especially valuable as you transition to maintenance. A few days of overeating doesn’t mean you’re going to relapse or undo all your hard work, but your treatment team can help with the feelings of fear and hopelessness, as well as with how to approach weight maintenance. Maintenance can be difficult for all of us, so it’s good to use your professional resources to help you get started.

I agree with everything in this response.

I do not share your history, but can tell you that maintenance has definitely been challenge for me, with many more episodes of over eating than when I was actively losing weight. What I am finding is that maintenance, like losing, is about figuring out what works for YOU. It is not nearly as "automatic" as I had expected.

For example, I am finding that I need to eat basically the same as before, only a bit more food.

I need to find other ways to affirm my success and motivate me, since I no longer have the gratification of seeing the numbers on the scale go down.

There continue to be foods that, at least for now, I just can't eat because they inevitably lead to binging behavior. Maybe some day, but not now. I just don't bring them home.

I have to make sure I eat enough ... under-eating leads to over-eating later.

I try to make sure that I get enough sleep ... poor sleep for me leads to over eating.

When I blow it, I make sure to get rid of any "no no" foods (I will throw it in the trash can, if necessary, and then take them to the garbage can in the garage.) Then I go back to eating at my 1 pound per week weight loss plan for a few days until I feel like I'm ready to move forward in maintenance again. (I don't know how to live in maintenance yet, but I still know how to lose weight )

I met my goal in January. I am learning how to live in maintenance, but I am clearly not "there" yet. The good news is that I am still.in my maintenance range and I am getting a bit more comfortable with the process. The "panic" that I might gain everything back is definitely lessening.

I hope that this helps. Remember, You are not alone. Keep trying to work out what maintenance looks like for you.