Binge/Starve Cycle

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eithk
eithk Posts: 11 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've been dieting since September of 2015, and since than have dropped about 60lbs. I am 5'6 and weigh little under 140lbs. I usually eat around 400 calories a day, of which fills me up, until this month I've sort of changed my meal plan. I wanted to boost my meals to 1200cals and now I find myself way hungry. So now I found myself on the beginning of the week binge/starve cycling. I finally reached 135lbs and started binging like crazy, when I say crazy I mean 5000-7000cals on one day then 1200cals on the next day then the cycle restarts. I gained about 2 pounds this week and today I ate an initial 7000calories in one hour. I'm bloated af and feel as if I'm going to die. Will I gain alot of weight from this cycle? I promise tommorow I'll finally get off this cycle since this experience is quite traumatic.

Replies

  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    You are hungry and your body is telling you this by bingeing. Start eating at your maintenance calories a day until you start to normalize your hunger cues.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    What are you going to do tomorrow that's different?
  • SoulOfRusalka
    SoulOfRusalka Posts: 1,201 Member
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    Therapist. Talk to a therapist about this. 400 calories a day can lead you into an eating disorder quite quickly.
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,245 Member
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    It sounds like you've got some food issues and potentially an eating disorder. Eating only 400 calories a day is not sustainable or healthy. No wonder you've moved into a binge cycle. At your current weight you could eat at maintenance (whatever that is - but probably around 2000 a day), rather than trying to stick with the 1200 for continued weight loss. Figure out your maintenance calories and then try that for awhile and see what the scale does. If you can't break this pattern that you call binge/starve, then please seek professional help.
  • eithk
    eithk Posts: 11 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    What are you going to do tomorrow that's different?

    Eat about the maintence level and commit to exercise
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    eithk wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    What are you going to do tomorrow that's different?

    Eat about the maintence level and commit to exercise

    What's your maintenance?
  • Howdoyoufeeltoday
    Howdoyoufeeltoday Posts: 481 Member
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    The body doesn't like to starve and 400 calories is starving it. So when you finally get hold of food your brain tells you to eat as much as you can cause it doesn't know when you'll get good again. It thinks you're in a zombie apocalypse and food is hard to come by basically!

    You need to cut out restriction and try eating your maintenance or a little bellow. You'll gain weight. Lots will be water, some might be fat but that's what happens when we screw with our body I guess. I say we cause I've been through it. About a million times. It's easier said then done I know. So try going vegan. The thought of eating a lot of vegetables seems less daunting then eating a lot of meat and dairy so maybe it'll help the mental aspect of it all.

    Good luck! I'm sure you're beautiful the way you are. If you want some more insight into binging try reading brain over binge.
  • eithk
    eithk Posts: 11 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    eithk wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    What are you going to do tomorrow that's different?

    Eat about the maintence level and commit to exercise

    What's your maintenance?

    Around 1944, but I'll try to eat around 2000 just for satisfaction.
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,862 Member
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    I've been counting calories and at 5'2" have been eating 1200/day for 6 months. I've started to fall back into my frenzied "better eat all that candy/chips/you name it now, as it might not be there in an hour" -bingeing probably. To try to be more balanced with my eating I've just upped my calories by 100. If I still feel the urge to snarf down junk I'd never in a million years buy, I'll up it by another 100 and try to get to maintenance for awhile.

    Doing it the way you are is very unhealthy and not sustainable. You need to balance your calories and not go below 1200. It would be good to eat a decent breakfast and lunch so you're less hungry in the evening when so many people have problems with over doing it.
  • brianazo
    brianazo Posts: 10 Member
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    5000-7000kcal a day is pathological. I promise that if you have a discussion with a psychologist that specializes in eating disorders, it will be a productive conversation. Just as a benchmark, I run 13 miles a week and my maintenance is only 3500kcal, and I have a hard time making that most days.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    60 pounds in five months, 400 calories a day, binges...OP, please speak with a professional about your behaviors.

    http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1575987-eating-disorder-resources
  • eithk
    eithk Posts: 11 Member
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    Howdoyoufeeltoday wrote: »
    The body doesn't like to starve and 400 calories is starving it. So when you finally get hold of food your brain tells you to eat as much as you can cause it doesn't know when you'll get good again. It thinks you're in a zombie apocalypse and food is hard to come by basically!

    You need to cut out restriction and try eating your maintenance or a little bellow. You'll gain weight. Lots will be water, some might be fat but that's what happens when we screw with our body I guess. I say we cause I've been through it. About a million times. It's easier said then done I know. So try going vegan. The thought of eating a lot of vegetables seems less daunting then eating a lot of meat and dairy so maybe it'll help the mental aspect of it all.

    Good luck! I'm sure you're beautiful the way you are. If you want some more insight into binging try reading brain over binge.

    Thanks for the info really means a lot. I've inadvertently been vegan for awhile, I haven't been eating any meats,daries or anything really animal produce. I found myself binging more on carbs,oats and fruits.
  • eithk
    eithk Posts: 11 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    60 pounds in five months, 400 calories a day, binges...OP, please speak with a professional about your behaviors.

    http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1575987-eating-disorder-resources

    Not quite sure what op means.
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,245 Member
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    eithk wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    60 pounds in five months, 400 calories a day, binges...OP, please speak with a professional about your behaviors.

    http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1575987-eating-disorder-resources

    Not quite sure what op means.

    OP means Original Poster - that's you @eithk.
  • Howdoyoufeeltoday
    Howdoyoufeeltoday Posts: 481 Member
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    eithk wrote: »
    Howdoyoufeeltoday wrote: »
    The body doesn't like to starve and 400 calories is starving it. So when you finally get hold of food your brain tells you to eat as much as you can cause it doesn't know when you'll get good again. It thinks you're in a zombie apocalypse and food is hard to come by basically!

    You need to cut out restriction and try eating your maintenance or a little bellow. You'll gain weight. Lots will be water, some might be fat but that's what happens when we screw with our body I guess. I say we cause I've been through it. About a million times. It's easier said then done I know. So try going vegan. The thought of eating a lot of vegetables seems less daunting then eating a lot of meat and dairy so maybe it'll help the mental aspect of it all.

    Good luck! I'm sure you're beautiful the way you are. If you want some more insight into binging try reading brain over binge.

    Thanks for the info really means a lot. I've inadvertently been vegan for awhile, I haven't been eating any meats,daries or anything really animal produce. I found myself binging more on carbs,oats and fruits.

    Ya when you've been restricting your body looks to replace it's energy source which is carbs. Once your body realizes you're not starving it anymore it will straighten out and you'll be able to balance your meals better.

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