Can you lose weight when you have a binge eating disorder?

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babycorns
babycorns Posts: 20
in Health and Weight Loss
I believe I have developed BED. I have gained a lot of REAL weight (not just water) due to my binge eating, and I really want to go back to my pre-binge weight. I feel extremely depressed and out of control. I am binge eating almost every single day.

Has anyone here suffered with BED and still managed to lose weight? What did you do?

Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    You believe you have it? Did you decide that or were you diagnosed?

    I'm guessing you self-diagnosed because if you were in therapy, you'd be discussing it with a therapist.

    Please consider seeing a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. Whether you have one or not, they can help you work through it and with any luck at all, get you back on track.

    This is not the sort of thing people generally stop on their own with any real level of success.

    Good luck.
  • Jesslane93
    Jesslane93 Posts: 190 Member
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    If there is certain foods you like to binge on, don't have them in the house.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,709 Member
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    As long as your binge is under the calories designated to you daily? Yes.

    A.C.E. Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • elephant2mouse
    elephant2mouse Posts: 906 Member
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    Mm I've never been diagnosed with any eating disorder, but I do like to eat all the time... and I have binged.

    I've found eating small snacks around the clock helps me with binging... I feel like I'm constantly eating, so I don't feel the need to binge. :flowerforyou:
  • joanna_82
    joanna_82 Posts: 151 Member
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    For me, therapy was the only thing that truly helped me be able to stop bingeing. I needed to recognise why I did it before I was able to stop it. And I had a few failed attempts because I wasn't truly ready to accept that bingeing wouldn't be part of my life anymore.

    Definitely talk to someone about it.

    For me, it was a feeling of self loathing and no confidence and no lack of respect for myself that led me to binge. it was a sort of punishment. Once I accepted that maybe I was an OK person and that I deserved to be treated nicely, then I was able to stop the binges because I knew they didn't do anything to help me.

    I still struggle with it every day, because it was my coping mechanism for so long. But I know I will never go back to bingeing. It doesn't help me in any way at all.

    I now indulge in other ways- go out for dinner, share a cake with a friend when we meet for coffee, and eat a biscuit in a meeting. But I've stopped the huge amounts of junk food eating in secret to try and make myself feel better.

    good luck. You can do it.
  • FlatTummyTrish
    FlatTummyTrish Posts: 88 Member
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    I struggled with BED for years, I've only managed to gain control of it last year. With binging yes you can lose weight if you really try but telling yourself you can't have something will make you want it more and then you'll binge and gain again it's a vicious cycle.
    Why do you binge? Is it you restricted calories too much, are you going through a rough time or is it boredom?
    What helped me was focusing on work, social life and finding a new hobby for me it was a photography blog. It really made me happy doing something interesting and improving myself so I didn't focus on food as much. As of right now, I haven't binged yet since May last year, I eat on average of 2,100 calories a day and I find time to exercise. I weigh around the same but I feel better, I feel 'normal' and definitely more in control.
    Track every single thing you eat even on binges, allocate specific time for exercise and start lifting if you already haven't. It's not just about the scale, losing inches make a big difference.
  • babycorns
    babycorns Posts: 20
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    You believe you have it? Did you decide that or were you diagnosed?

    I'm guessing you self-diagnosed because if you were in therapy, you'd be discussing it with a therapist.

    Please consider seeing a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. Whether you have one or not, they can help you work through it and with any luck at all, get you back on track.

    This is not the sort of thing people generally stop on their own with any real level of success.

    Good luck.

    Hi.

    I am seeing a psychiatrist and a therapist for my binge eating - both of whom refuse to diagnose me with anything (not just my disordered eating, but my anxiety too). They are treating me for BED and anxiety but they've not officially diagnosed me with them. I don't even know why. I asked my therapist and she said "it's not important".

    Therapy is not working. They keep insisting that this is my way of masking "emotional issues" and have taught me several other ways to deal with my emotions. They won't listen to me when I say that I am NOT emotionally eating, I am just addicted to food. Well, my binge foods, to be precise. I am constantly battling binge urges from the minute I wake up to the time I go to bed.

    My therapist refuses to accept that people can get addicted to certain foods. She tells me to "find something distracting", "go for a walk", "exercise", "journal your emotions", "take ONE bite... breathe... relax... take another bite" and all that.

    My binging isn't a psychological issue. It's like a physical reaction (perhaps, to my previous attempts at dieting. Because I only started binge eating after I started dieting). You know the kind of physical reaction you get when someone tries to poke your eyes out and you automatically shut your eyes? That's how my binge urges feel like. Like trying to resist closing your eyes when someone's trying to jab them.

    I made this post hoping to hear from people who have experienced the same thing I am and have overcome it.
  • babycorns
    babycorns Posts: 20
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    I struggled with BED for years, I've only managed to gain control of it last year. With binging yes you can lose weight if you really try but telling yourself you can't have something will make you want it more and then you'll binge and gain again it's a vicious cycle.
    Why do you binge? Is it you restricted calories too much, are you going through a rough time or is it boredom?
    What helped me was focusing on work, social life and finding a new hobby for me it was a photography blog. It really made me happy doing something interesting and improving myself so I didn't focus on food as much. As of right now, I haven't binged yet since May last year, I eat on average of 2,100 calories a day and I find time to exercise. I weigh around the same but I feel better, I feel 'normal' and definitely more in control.
    Track every single thing you eat even on binges, allocate specific time for exercise and start lifting if you already haven't. It's not just about the scale, losing inches make a big difference.

    Wow! So good to hear that you've managed to take control of your eating and stop the binging. I believe my binges started when I started restricting my calories to lose weight (I was impatient and stupid and I regret it so much now). I originally thought it was a emotional/boredom thing, and started studying again to distract myself. But it didn't work. I ended up binging in college too, and during classes, my hands and body would shake because the urges were so strong (I couldn't concentrate on my studies at all).

    I have considered going to the gym and lifting but I doubt I'll be able to do it. I am extremely sedentary, not on purpose, because I constantly feel lethargic, weak and giddy. I can't even walk up the stairs without feeling like lying down. I am getting enough sleep though, so that's not the problem. I try to push myself to do cardio every single day, but the very thought of cardio makes me want to cry and it feels like torture every time I do it.

    Thank you!
  • FlatTummyTrish
    FlatTummyTrish Posts: 88 Member
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    If cardio's not for you, have you tried circuit training? Basically you can just do 10jumping jacks, lift water bottles or jars, try to do 3 pushups and repeat it. It's not about being perfect on the first day, it's better for your muscles to gradually grow, so repeating reps is definitely motivational but good for your body and your self esteem you'll feel great when you finally do 10 pushups. You can try Michael Jillian's 30 day shred (on youtube) or try this site http://neilarey.com/.
    In terms of eating, I used to fast and restrict calories too, I can honestly say that it was not beneficial in the long run. Work out your TDEE and eat 500 calories less, this will give you weight loss and if you go over, it will still be ok for a weekly limit. I know you've probably heard this before but you have to have more protein and fibre in your diet, I drink loads of tea as well especially in the evenings. One extra thing that always works for me; when you crave something crunchy and starchy; make a big sandwich with loads of lettuce and maybe an egg. It will definitely pass and make you full! :)

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