Binge and where to start

cheyeneinthesprings

Long story short, I did a keto style diet about two years ago and I was the thinnest that I have ever been in my life. I didn't count calories, I just didnt eat many carbs. Now this year, I find myself eating more things (the keto became too restrictive for my lifestyle) and I even started bingeing about once or twice a week.
Do you think calorie counting is a way to go this time? I just want a solution to the binge eating without gaining a lot of weight in the process. I have currently gained 30 pounds and I have read brain over binge.
I really think that this manifested from a very restrictive diet. Any suggestions or help are appreciated.

Danp

It's just a guess but if you found Keto worked for you without having to pay attention to calories than it's possible that you're naturally satiated by fats and protein. This would explain how you were able to eat in the required calorie deficit automatically.

So that would be a good place to start. Eat keto-ish (calories from fats and protein) without the strict rules and see how you go. This may get you back to a state where you're eating primarily foods that keep you satisfied longer and you may end up back where you were but less restrictive.

If that doesn't work, try something different. Keep trying new things and different approaches until you find the one that you find the easiest. Then if later that one stops doing the trick then try something else.

That's the great thing. There's more than one path to creating a calorie deficit and you're never locked in or committed to just one approach. I've lost weight eating all my calories at night, I've lost weight eating 3 large and 2 small meals a day, I've lost weight eating only home prepared meals, I've lost weight eating out for every meal. I do whatever I find easiest at the time and have no problem abandoning an approach if I get sick of it or it no longer suits me and switch to something else that's more appropriate.

G'luck

PAV8888

Danp wrote: »

If that doesn't work, try something different. Keep trying new things and different approaches until you find the one that you find the easiest. Then if later that one stops doing the trick then try something else.

That's the great thing. There's more than one path to creating a calorie deficit and you're never locked in or committed to just one approach. I've lost weight eating all my calories at night, I've lost weight eating 3 large and 2 small meals a day, I've lost weight eating only home prepared meals, I've lost weight eating out for every meal. I do whatever I find easiest at the time and have no problem abandoning an approach if I get sick of it or it no longer suits me and switch to something else that's more appropriate.

QFT and co-signed!

speyerj

Logging what I eat is the only thing that has ever worked for me. The reason it works for me is that nothing is off limits, but I do need to account for it in my diary and I need to carefully measure the quantity. The act of measuring actually really helped me control binge eating because you can't accurately measure the handfuls of potato chips you are scooping out of the bag during a binge fest. You have to stop, portion them out and weigh them. And that pause, stopped the binge brain long enough to help me decide whether the potato chips were really worth it. Sometimes the answer is yes, but then I'm only eating an ounce, not half the bag.

I would recommend at least trying it. I also recommend you start small. Don't be overly restrictive in your deficit right away - start by being religious about weighing your food and logging it. After a week of this practice, decide how many calories you want to cut out per day based on a healthy rate of loss that you can sustain for the next 6 months. As you find that is working well, think about adding other fitness goals, like increasing water, protein, exercise. But start small - one healthy habit at a time, then add another after some success. Add changes that you are willing to sustain in maintenance. The goal isn't to make this hard, it's to make it as easy as possible.

Also, please visit this page and read the wonderful posts that you will find here:
Most Helpful Posts - Getting Started (Must Reads)
These are from folks so much wiser and smarter than me who know what they are talking about.

Best of luck to you. I know you can do this!

cheyeneinthesprings

Thank you!