Please help

dinomartinez3

Hi all -

So I've finally reached a point where I need to ask you for some help. Last year, over the course of 8 months, I lost about 40 pounds and was at my goal weight. I was so happy and felt so confident about myself! I had never been so happy with my weight/body in my entire life. Anyway, after a few months, for some reason, I just picked up binge eating and it has literally taken control of everything. I have a new and more stressful job now, and every single time I get stressed out and feel like I can't take it, I start binging and eat WAY over my maintenance calories for the day. Over the past few months, I've gained about 20 pounds and I'm so sad that this is happening. I just don't know what to do. It's been my reaction to any stressful situation and it's really scaring me. After I binge, I don't feel like going anywhere or seeing anybody, and I become a hermit until I feel a little normal again. It's been the same cycle of the past few months. I go about a week or two binge free (and I am not underrating), and then when one annoying thing happens, I binge.

It's really stressing me out. It's not just about the weight gain that's resulting from it, but I'm concerned that I'm reacting to stress in this way.

I would really appreciate any advice from anyone. I need some motivation and something to get me off of this streak. Please send me a friend request or add me... anything you want! Or please reply to this message letting me know what's helped you stop binging or what you think I can do to get myself back on track. Also, I haven't weighed myself in the past few weeks because I'm so afraid of what the scale will say.

xoxo thank you

scubasuenc

No one can provide motivation for you. You have to provide the motivation. All anyone else can do is provide tips and tools to help you cope.

The biggest thing that I have found that stops the binging is to weigh and log everything I eat. First it shows me exactly what I'm doing to myself when I'm doing it, so I have a chance to see it starting and make a decision to stop. Also, it slows me down. When I eat I measure out one portion, log it and and put the package away. After I have eaten that portion I have to get back up and measure again if I want more. That stops me from just sitting down with a bag of potato chips and then magically discovering I've finished the entire bag without realizing it.

dinomartinez3

Thank you! I should definitely start weighing everything (and myself too lol)

kuolo

Are you trying to maintain too low a weight or consistently undereating? I would suspect it is your body's reaction to your weight and/or food intake if it started right after a 40lb weight loss.

Your goal is 110, what's your height? This might just be too low for your body to be happy at.

dinomartinez3

Hi there! I'm only 5' 1 and am considered slender (or I was at least), so I don't think 110 is too low!

kuolo

It might be good to eat at maintenance until you get this sorted out, it's definitely good you're trying to stop it early on. There are lots of reasons people binge, some emotional some habitual/physical, so you have to find an approach that fits with you. There are some good books out there, Brain Over Binge is good in my opinion, but as I said it probably depends on what is causing your binges. That one applied to my situation, it may or may not be relevant to you. But something will be. Some other people have recommended other books on these forums so might be worth a quick search.
Good luck. I really hope you manage to work it out.