Has anyone been a binger overweight obese and now slim

onmyown70
onmyown70 Posts: 233 Member
edited November 12 in Success Stories
I keep reading about the fat gene and it upsets me. I am curious to see if anyone has maintained a load of weight for a period of longer than a year how did you do it

Replies

  • onmyown70
    onmyown70 Posts: 233 Member
    ps I am sorry about the lack of punctuation - my keyboard has failed me!
    -
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Fat gene = excuse.

    I've only maintained for 6 months, but I started losing more than 2 years ago.
  • Yolkex
    Yolkex Posts: 13
    I've always been this beautiful. I'm just a bit slimmer now.
  • onmyown70
    onmyown70 Posts: 233 Member
    I'm sure you have always been beautiful lol. I didn't mention beauty though... my worries with weight go beyond the aesthetic these days (I gave up on the aesthetic years ago ;-)) lol
  • onmyown70
    onmyown70 Posts: 233 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Fat gene = excuse.

    I've only maintained for 6 months, but I started losing more than 2 years ago.

    well done x
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    I actually only binged at my thinnest, around 108 lbs, and that was because of all of the restricting I was doing. I've maintained around my current weight give or take 10 lbs for around 2-3 years now.
  • Jessicaisfree
    Jessicaisfree Posts: 22 Member
    Yes, I have lost 95 lbs and kept it off for many years. Yes, I did regain some when I returned to old habits, but I managed to take the pounds off again by eating small frequent meals and replacing my food addiction with a healthier running addiction.

    I think it's super important to do the mental work first though. What's causing you to eat when not hungry? What are you afraid will happen if you lose weight? You need to mentally prepare to be slim before you get there so you can handle it and not feel so overwhelmed.

    Hope this helps!
  • phyllb
    phyllb Posts: 735 Member
    Raynne413 wrote: »
    I actually only binged at my thinnest, around 108 lbs, and that was because of all of the restricting I was doing. I've maintained around my current weight give or take 10 lbs for around 2-3 years now.
    Loooove hearing that.
  • debbieHOC
    debbieHOC Posts: 56 Member
    I agree with Skinnyjessicag about doing the mental work first. So important to figure out why you over eat and what your triggers are so you can deal with them as they come back up. I just finished reading the book "Women, desire and food". It was an eye opener for me. Yes there is help and you can beat the urge to binge when you know why. Good Luck. I have just started on my journey and feel free to add me as a friend. We can all use friends to help us along our journey.
  • onmyown70
    onmyown70 Posts: 233 Member
    What great responses, thank you. Skinny, well done. I am definitely an emotional eater but also I just love food, I eat vast quantities of certain foods if I have unlimited access. I don't really feel full when eating these foods I just seem to go into a euphoric frenzy and that's something that is- will be- very hard, as food gives me a bit of a "high" I love it, but some foods I just can't - whatever my willpower is like- I can't seem to say no to another slice, bowl etc. So unless I'm not around these foods I haven't workout how to cope with those scenarios - especially as a people pleaser too. My main point, hearing the latest research was that I was concerned, I know when I have lost weight (not becoming too low) but my bingeing and urge to eat starts to come back after a while, and I'm hoping (not an excuse, it actually frightens me and I hope the research is wrong) but it says that our genetics will want us to stay at the higher body weight- we are fighting against ourselves. I know I personally have "low" days, and on these days I only want copious amounts of carbs (they can be healthy carbs). So sorry to talk about myself, but my heart sinks when I think maybe I'm fighting against my own biochemistry, if it's a matter pf psychological issues then I can hopefully do something about that! I love running too but the knees don't. However, thank you for your inspiration :-)

    Debbie- have you established what causes you to overeat.

    For me, tiredness, stress, pmt, anxiety, just getting in from having been out - food just being available - I won't go into a shop and buy bread, cake, cereals- but if I have unlimited access to it I don't feel full I just keep eating... so I try and avoid triggers or avoid my access, but having a small child I'm often tired - I often don't have a good nights sleep, so it's a struggle. I would love to have the iron willpower as some on these boards!
  • Jessicaisfree
    Jessicaisfree Posts: 22 Member
    The words "stress" and "anxiety" popped out at me right away!

    You need something to help you cope in a positive way. Excess Food is self-abuse. You need self care. Sleep when you're tired, etc.

    I think you're talking about the set point theory of weight. Exercise physiologists say that this actual number becomes lower with exercise, as our bodies accommodate and adjust based on our activity intensity, etc. (our hearts, bones, etc function better with less mass to carry around).

    I do think genes come into play, but we have a lot of control with our environment. We can choose.

    I'm not judging because I've been there, just sharing my thoughts so that it might help someone!
  • onmyown70
    onmyown70 Posts: 233 Member
    I just hope we will be able to do this. At the moment, I think of food all day. I try and be liberal with myself and find I just eat and eat. When everyone else has finished, I think about having more, I think it may correlate with low mood too. Skinny Jess well done to get where you are.
  • impromark
    impromark Posts: 119 Member
    It's true - admitting your current state isn't what you want, is really the first step.

    It was a long, arduous battle for me to lose my 80 pounds - and a constant, completely different battle to keep it off. My advice is to find your real reason you want to lose weight. Set yourself some small goals and TAKE YOUR TIME in making them, through small but constant efforts. Use those small successes to build. You probably learned to drive, and you still do it. New habits can be learned, and the right habits will make you succeed.

    And find yourself some support, both onilne (here is GREAT for that!) and in person. But above all, you need your motivation. Try some reasons on for size - literally! - and see how they work for you. IF they don't, change.

    I think you fully realize you need to change some things. You can. Give it a try. We'll be there to help where we can, but you've gotta make those steps!

    Mark
  • onmyown70
    onmyown70 Posts: 233 Member
    Hi Mark, thank you for posting. I can see from your photos you have had progress!!! Were you the "eat the whole loaf" type or did you just eat the wrong sort of things.

    I am definitely a binge eater, I have friends round and they all have one slice of cake and I am in a state of euphoria working out how I can stuff the lot after the first bite..! Greedy I know, but also I seem to be getting much more of a rush from the cake than they do. I'm trying to find ways to enjoy life without food and it's hard, really hard! Did you take up any hobbies, do you still crave eating pasta quantities.. do you find every day is a bit of a fight..

    I was starting to find it seemed so much hard work, trying to avoid the food, or to arrange alternative activities that other people were getting cross with me and the urge to eat is overwhelming vast quantities is overwhelming. I also notice my urge to eat loads (I can't buy cereal as I eat the lot) gets worse if I lose some weight which makes me worry this isn't a case of mind over matter. I'm not feeling too positive today, especially after I read that people don't get slim after obesity, they are just in "obesity remission". I don't want to agree with this and my friends have said to me then one needs to "fight it"!

    Do you feel food addiction exists - what caused you to become overweight- how do you avoid getting into that situation again- what do you enjoy in life that doesn't involve food -

    Sorry for all the questions!
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