Binge/emotional eating preventing weight goal

mom2mini

Hi ya'll! Glad I can be apart of your group and join everyone.
So, I am a binge eater. I have gained 15lbs in 6 months. My life has been pretty hectic, and binge eating is the way I deal with it. For example, I ate really well all day, got stressed and downed 2 bowls of cereal and 1 bowl of ice cream. Then ate a regular dinner. Something else stressful came up, and downed 3 bowls of ice cream and 2 bowls of cereal. (I had a very protein/veggie filled dinner too)
I used to never have this problem until recently. It makes me so upset. Last December I was wearing a size 1 jeans, and only weighed 103lbs and had sexy abs. Now I can't even see my abs, I can barely fit into my size 3 shorts, and I have love handles out of no where.
I am ready to lose the weight again, and not gain it back. I really need some support. I hope someone can help me get back to my 103 again.

jlohcook

Time to understand what makes you stress, and in that way you can work on controlling this eating spree that you are having. There's many strategies around managing stress eating, but first of all, understand where this stress is coming from will be a good start. We are all here to assist. Add me if you like.

mom2mini

Right now I can pin point stress coming from my son and friends. I recently moved across the country, and it has been hard to settle in. I used to live a very un-active life (besides the hours I spent at the gym) but since I have moved I am always busy, and my son is older and starting to throw tantrums. I notice I often eat during/after his tantrum.
But even if I know what is causing the stress, how can I fix it?

jlohcook

Ok, that's a good start. At least you know you are stress, managing your son. Now, perhaps you can start to also understand why your son is throwing more tantrums than before? Is he also stress from school? How is he oping with the new place, a move is usually quite stressful for kids too. Is he mixing well with friends? Chat with him to find what what's making him upset.

By doing that, you will be able to work out what stresses him and help him to manage his emotions, so that in turn it will not affect you, or at least you feel you are in control of the situation.

anticheer101

I do the same, mostly when I come home from work or school. Even when I don't feel hungry I sometimes have a snack and then think "that didn't do the trick" and eat even more to the point of feeling disgusted with myself. Everyone's binge is different (some may think an extra 200 calories or others its eating the entire fridge and looking into the freezer after)

Because my binge normally happens at night I try to just go to bed instead and set a general rule that after 8pm there's no need to but any food in my mouth. Generally its late enough that distract myself by getting ready for bed or doing my nails.

My major binges actually occur when I weigh in near my goal weight. I don't know if its some kind of psychological trigger but I feel that at least addressing and knowing that it occurs around that time helps a lot.

What can really help you is support. MFP is great for that community but also having someone in your life that you can tell them about your binging habits helps a lot more. My room-mate is some what aware of my past eating habits but not fully aware of my binging. Because of this she can be helpful without knowing and say something like " if your not hungry dont eat" and other times not so helpful by encouraging my indulging.

kelseyhere

I'm a cereal and ice cream binger too! I find it helpful to just get away from the kitchen, read a book, go on the internet, etc. TV doesn't seem to be enough of a distraction, just want to eat while watching. When I feel like I'm about to binge, I will try making myself a cup of tea first. A lot of the time by the time I'm done sipping it, the urge to binge has passed.

You might want to also consider taking a 1-2 week break from added sugars. I have found in the past that once I've abstained from sugars for a few days, my cravings go way down and my urge to binge is much less. This is difficult to do, as sugar is in almost everything, but it's not impossible. Just read the labels and watch out for breads, salad dressings, and basically anything else processed. The easiest way to go sugar-free is to eat a "paleo" type diet- lean meats, veggies, and fresh fruit (just no fruit juice!).

I definitely agree with jlohcook too, talk to your son and try to work through your stresses together. Stress alone can make you put on weight. I was going through a very stressful time a few months back and even though i was eating right and working out, I wasn't losing because I was so stressed out. My body was resisting the wait loss because I was in that stressed state. Do whatever you can to stay relaxed (other than binge!). When the stress hits, close your eyes and take a few deep belly breaths.

You go this girl! Those sexy abs are still under there, don't worry