any people with BED overcome their disorder and lost weight?

progressnotperfection44 · November 2015

hey,

i would love to hear about some stories of people with binge eating disorder or
with really bad compulsive eating issues that have overcome it and lost weight.

i keep going back to counting calories but because its what caused me to start bingeing
in the first place im skeptic- however i used to eat ridiculously small amounts (lower than 800cals)

i would love to hear how you did it/what your thought process was

Ponkeen · November 2015

Still working though some issues myself, but making sure that I am not restricting too much and drinking a lot of fluids helps.
Also, getting out of the house if I feel the urge to binge coming on. That almost always happens when I am just hanging out around the house, so getting out and doing something else helps avert disaster.
Sometimes, though, disaster happens anyway. Then you just have to pick up where you left off and get back on the wagon. No excuses. Sometime mess ups happen, but you have to take them in stride and keep going, keep going, keep going. Chances are, you'll be struggling with BED for a long time to come. It is tough, but it is also just part of your journey. And by 'journey,' I mean your whole life, not just your weight loss.
If you haven't already, you may also seek out therapy or counseling. I have had mixed experiences with this myself, and sometimes they can do more harm than good (just people, after all)but if you find the right therapist, they can be very helpful.

estrange22 · November 2015

I am struggling through this as well and really the only thing that even begins to help me is to eat enough and put it all in my diary so I can see that YES I am eating enough and then I go to bed really early each night so I don't eat all night.

tammibarbagallo · November 2015

I have!! I was morbidly obese my whole adult life (I'm 38 now) and struggled with feeling like I had zero control over my eating and I lost 100+ pounds about 6 years ago. I still struggle with what I call "mini binges" because it's hard to break that unhealthy relationship to food but here's what's helped me:
-Learn EVERYTHING you can about nutrition and how it affects you!!
-Get in touch with your feelings. If your sad, FEEL IT! See a counselor if needed. Meditate. Just learn better ways to deal with your feelings.
-Don't focus on what you shouldn't eat, focus on what you SHOULD eat! Make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need and stay hydrated. This will help bring your system into balance.
-SLEEP!!! You HAVE to get a good night's sleep! It's almost impossible to control your compulsions if you're exhausted.

lapierrecyclist · November 2015

I have been where you are, and I think I am finally out of it. I hit my highest weight ever at the end of our summer vacation this year (my daily treat was a bag of Cheetos and a bag of M&Ms, to "make myself feel better") and I said NO MORE. That was the fuel I needed to really make change stick. The changes I have made: No sugar (in the words of AA, one is too many and a thousand are not enough, for me), no junk food, no soda, more protein in my diet (Greek yogurt, hardboiled eggs, pork tenderloin, etc.), logging EVERY day. I also set my goal as 30-60 minutes of exercise but at least 15 minutes of exercise a day (I don't always meet that, but now I really notice it when I don't get exercise).

Today is my 65th day of logging. I'm down 21 lbs over that 65 days and I feel so much better (my ticker says 18 lbs but the site counts from my starting weight a couple of years ago, not my highest weight this past summer). And my junk food cravings are gone. Don't restrict your calories below 1000-1200, you will be hungry and it's not sustainable. Slow and steady wins the race. Keep going, keep logging, read the success stories and see what others have done and try some of their strategies. You'll find what works for you.

usmcmp · November 2015

I wouldn't say I have completely "overcome" it. It will always be something I have to consider. I am at a normal and healthy relationship with food and my body. I have no restrictions now and I rarely binge. It took years to get control.

BingerNoMore · November 2015

As you can tell by my name, I struggled and still struggle sometimes with the urge to binge. Food was like a drug to me, when I ate I felt good. Until I was finished and then felt so depressed and angry at myself that I would basically starve myself for the next few days, which just resulted in weight gain for me. As of now I eat normally and healthily I'm losing weight slowly but it's coming off the way it should be. It's hard learning to have patience. And nearly every night I struggle with the urge to binge. But then I remember how upset I was a couple weeks ago because of it and that makes me want to overcome it and not binge.

Hikoi14 · November 2015

For the last 11 years or so I have struggled with BED, but it has only been in the last couple of months that I have realised that it was an eating disorder. I just thought I struggled with willpower until I happened upon a magazine with an article on someone who had BED I thought I was the only one :-( Anyway since then I have come back to MyFitnessPal and have started to see a counsellor. I still binge, and understand that it will take time to deal with it. One of the comments my counsellor made that has helped me was when he was likening it to treating someone with a sleep disorder. If you have a sleep disorder then you just have to accept that you will get no sleep, and once you accept that and don't get angry/anxious/upset or beat yourself up about it then you can start focusing on learning how to sleep again. A big thing for me is beating myself up about bingeing, so I am working on forgiving myself and loving myself, and believe only once I can do this will my relationship with food become more grounded and no longer a battlefield.

CathReese33 · November 2015

I often think I have overcome the disorder - usually when I am losing weight well and feel in control. However, each time it usually ends up beating me because I have chased a 'quick fix'. I am 38 and over the years I have yo-yo'd between a UK size 18 and a 6 (more commonly between a 10 -14). I have tried liposuction, hypnotherapy and every fad diet conceivable. Currently at 175lb - which I vowed to myself last year I would never be this size again :-(
The only way I can control my binges, is if I exercise too. One, without the other just leads to failure. This time I am trying a more realistic approach and am not cutting calories too dramatically. I have started Crossfit, which I love, even though I am obese and unfit. I am trying to eat smaller, more regular meals throughout the day, as one of my binge triggers is a fear of being hungry.
I have accepted who I am and that I have my flaws. However, I have also acknowledged that there are no excuses for killing yourself from the inside out, which is how I feel when I have binged so much I cannot walk up the stairs without getting out of breath. I was no longer able to stand for a while as the weight gain caused inflammation of the tendons in my feet, causing extreme pain.
This constant self destruction has to stop and I am the only one who can do it. Waiting for that miracle exercise, diet or professional that can provide me with a cure is just delaying my ability to live in the present and see a positive future.
Yes, I will probably have more slip ups - I am human after all. But I have to practice mindfulness and remember that one cookie does not = a whole bad day.
I have found that it is easier when I abstain completely from sugar. That nasty little drug really does hook me in after one bite.
Good luck to everyone going through their own battles along their journey. One step at a time, each day and don't let those demons beat you.
Love and hugs xx

Chanchka · November 2015

thanks to the OP and everyone who responded

I've been struggling with binges and it helps to see other people who are struggling with this succeed in their weightloss!

LaurenMAP · November 2015

These responses were so encouraging to read!!!

Right now I am just focusing on just learning to plan ahead and eating balanced meals and controlled portions at regular times of day. Whether I lose weight right now is not the point. It does me no good to check the scale... it just fuels the restrict/binge cycle for me.

HG93022 · November 2015

Great post and great feedback comments. Thank you for everyone sharing their struggles. I am in recovery from BED as well. The biggest difference for me was becoming aware that my binges were a result of restricting and not dealing directly with my emotions (about anything and everything). It is a daily challenge to not "eat my feelings" but my self-confidence is a prize worth fighting for. Our feelings are a sixth sense and they give us knowledge to help lead our lives in a more healthy way. I wish you well and look forward to any friend requests from those of you who think we could be of beneficial support to each other.

cerise_noir · November 2015

Yes. 260lbs-183lbs. I do flexible dieting, strength training and little cardio.
I would say my BED is managed well, but not completely 'cured'.. It's a life long management to stay on top.

any people with BED overcome their disorder and lost weight?

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