Dealing with my depression and dieting. Advice?

losingwhatican

You've overcome so much and are still accomplishing a lot, and I hope you sometimes stop to remember how amazing that is. You're a young single mother, going to school, who's managed to get out of an abusive relationship. You want to teach and give back to people, even as you work to love yourself and raise a child. That is HUGE.

I definitely second others' suggestions to seek a therapist, and it's also time to just be gentle with yourself. If you want to cut back on bingeing, maybe look into mindful eating as a way of finding comfort in food without overeating. When I'm feeling fragile or stressed, sometimes wrapping myself in a blanket with a big mug of tea and a movie is infinitely more soothing than food. I also have a list of alternatives to bingeing, if I have particularly bad cravings (things like drinking water, chewing gum, brushing teeth, doing jumping jacks, or finding something else to occupy my attention).

Dieting takes a lot of physical and emotional energy, two things that depression (and parenting!) doesn't always allow you to spare. At your weight, you're probably not going to be losing multiple pounds a week, and that's okay! What's important is finding food and activity that makes you feel good and healthy. You can absolutely do this.