Regaining the weight fast, cannot stop overeating

Hi everyone,

I need some help. I was on this site for a while but I left last May. I had almost hit my goal weight, losing almost 60 lbs. Since May however, I have just ended up gaining weight. I do okay for a few weeks to a month, eat 1300 calories or so, then I binge for 2-4 days, then I eat okay for a few weeks.

I have gone up from 107 lbs to 115 lbs. I look at myself, my fat that is growing by the day and this makes me want to just give up and binge eat. I think to myself, I've messed up anyway, so I may as well just eat what I want, what difference does it make? I then eat until I feel sick and I'm usually so full, it's painful.

I know this is an idiotic way of thinking, but every time I see how much weight I've gained, I just feel so down. Especially as I am often hungry on 1300 calories. If I stick to 1300 calories, I lose weight at a rate of 1 lb every 2-3 weeks, which is too slow when I'm counting down the days until weigh day. I never used to be hungry on 1200-1300 calories, but nothing helps now.

I've considered joining the gym, but I hate exercise and most of all, how much time it takes up. Walking to the gym in the cold, spending 2 hours there, then walk back. All in all, it can take around 3 hours. But, I'm desperate. If I were to join the gym this week, work out 5 days a week, how much weight could I expect to lose per week? I'm thinking of increasing my calories to 1350- 1400 maximum, that should be sufficient, I hope.
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Replies

  • 11718100
    11718100 Posts: 18 Member
    Maybe you should speak to your doctor about this.

    I haven't seen my doctor since I was a teenager, many years ago. I don't intend to go see her now, she's unhelpful and rude. I want to help myself, before I regain all the weight back.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Okay. 115 pounds is very little. How tall are you?
  • 11718100
    11718100 Posts: 18 Member
    Okay. 115 pounds is very little. How tall are you?

    115 lbs looks very large on me as I'm only 5'1 and I have a larger percentage of fat compared to most people. I've never enjoyed exercise, so weight loss was exclusively through changing my diet only. Even at 107 lbs I had a lot of excess fat compared to most people that weight.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    go to youtube, and look up Lyle McDonald. He did a video with a guy named mario about the psychology of weight regain. its a 2 part interview. Listen to it. It might help! I am still new to maintenance myself and am just learning about trending weight. I could go into things about leptin and ghrelin hormones, but do a little research. Best of luck! Wish me luck!
  • 11718100
    11718100 Posts: 18 Member
    psychod787 wrote: »
    go to youtube, and look up Lyle McDonald. He did a video with a guy named mario about the psychology of weight regain. its a 2 part interview. Listen to it. It might help! I am still new to maintenance myself and am just learning about trending weight. I could go into things about leptin and ghrelin hormones, but do a little research. Best of luck! Wish me luck!

    Thanks, but I saw that video in October. I then did a 2-week diet break, joined the gym, worked out 5 days a week, and ate at what I thought were my maintenance calories. However, it didn't help. I felt hungrier than ever, even though I had increased my calories so much, then I binge ate for 3 days straight and went back to 1300 calories with additional weight to lose.

    Hope you have better luck!
  • me0231
    me0231 Posts: 218 Member
    edited February 2018
    When I started at the gym, I was there for about 20min 3x a week. When you start out it doesn't need to be a 3h round trip 5x a week. It sounds like you would benefit from a recomp and putting some muscle on, so find a beginner lifting program and go from there.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    sam2018100 wrote: »
    Okay. 115 pounds is very little. How tall are you?

    115 lbs looks very large on me as I'm only 5'1 and I have a larger percentage of fat compared to most people. I've never enjoyed exercise, so weight loss was exclusively through changing my diet only. Even at 107 lbs I had a lot of excess fat compared to most people that weight.
    If you want to lower your body fat%, you have to do some exercise -but in the form of a structured strength training program. You don't have to use a gym, you can do it at home, using your own body weight. (I don't exercise much myself, so I can't help you there.)

    But I think most of it is your mind, we are often our own worst critics. I would suggest setting your goal to maintenance, and aim to eat regularly, first. Get your relationship with food sorted. Then google/ask for help (on the exercise/fitness board) on body recomp.
  • 11718100
    11718100 Posts: 18 Member
    Gilgamesh wrote: »
    Hi Sam, I’m sorry to hear you’re having a difficult time. Sometimes eating has an emotional component.... are there other stressors in your life right now? Could seeking therapy, taking up meditation, or something else help?

    Or maybe you’ve lost too much weight too fast? When I first used My Fitness Pal, I lost almost 60lbs and was hoping to get to 125lbs. But once I hit 135 I became food obsessed: I thought about food non-stop, I dreamt about eating every night, and once I stopped and stared at a window display of cupcakes for so long that my husband asked me if I was ok. I had to accept I would never be “skinny”, and found that being 145ish was a happier place for me food and life-style-wise.

    And exercise can help, as it gives you more calories to eat that day. But maybe instead of joining a gym you could go for a walk daily? A shorter walk in inclement weather and a nice hour long stroll when the weather is good?

    Hang in there. Remember that not everyone can be a super-model, and if you’re always hungry then you won’t be happy, and won’t be able to maintain.

    Let us know how it goes, and feel free to share your feelings here. We are all in the same boat and I’ve found the MFP community to be a very supportive place.

    I can't bear the thought of never being slim. I've been struggling with it so long, since I was 9/10 years old. I was almost there, but have messed up. I don't know why, but I know that I have to try again to get back at least to what I was last summer. I guess I ought to exercise, but I hate every form of it. I barely move all day and am constantly making excuses for why I can't take a walk, or workout at home or join the gym yet.

    Also, I could never consider therapy - I like to keep my thoughts private and can't imagine it doing me much good anyway. Thanks for your help.
  • 11718100
    11718100 Posts: 18 Member
    me0231 wrote: »
    When I started at the gym, I was there for about 20min 3x a week. When you start out it doesn't need to be a 3h round trip 5x a week. It sounds like you would benefit from a recomp and putting some muscle on, so find a beginner lifting program and go from there.

    I have a all or nothing mentality. I think if I'm making my way there, then I might as well make the most of it. Plus, I'm usually very motivated for a month or so, before I give up.
  • 11718100
    11718100 Posts: 18 Member
    kazgorat1 wrote: »
    sam2018100 wrote: »
    Maybe you should speak to your doctor about this.

    I haven't seen my doctor since I was a teenager, many years ago. I don't intend to go see her now, she's unhelpful and rude. I want to help myself, before I regain all the weight back.

    If the current doctor you have is unhelpful and rude, you should probably find a different one. You should be getting an annual physical where they do standard blood work. Sometimes, they find things in the lab work that indicate something is not right, and waiting before getting treatment can severely limit options.

    I don't even think they do checkups, not for people my age. Think that's for people 50+, or maybe 40+ in the UK. I've never had a reason to go thankfully, so I've just kept her.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    sam2018100 wrote: »
    me0231 wrote: »
    When I started at the gym, I was there for about 20min 3x a week. When you start out it doesn't need to be a 3h round trip 5x a week. It sounds like you would benefit from a recomp and putting some muscle on, so find a beginner lifting program and go from there.

    I have a all or nothing mentality. I think if I'm making my way there, then I might as well make the most of it. Plus, I'm usually very motivated for a month or so, before I give up.
    Then you know what you have to work on - your all or nothing mentality. This is hard work, much harder than starving yourself. But also way smarter.
  • StevefromMichigan
    StevefromMichigan Posts: 462 Member
    sam2018100 wrote: »
    kazgorat1 wrote: »
    sam2018100 wrote: »
    Maybe you should speak to your doctor about this.

    I haven't seen my doctor since I was a teenager, many years ago. I don't intend to go see her now, she's unhelpful and rude. I want to help myself, before I regain all the weight back.

    If the current doctor you have is unhelpful and rude, you should probably find a different one. You should be getting an annual physical where they do standard blood work. Sometimes, they find things in the lab work that indicate something is not right, and waiting before getting treatment can severely limit options.

    I don't even think they do checkups, not for people my age. Think that's for people 50+, or maybe 40+ in the UK. I've never had a reason to go thankfully, so I've just kept her.

    That's unfortunate. I have had annual physicals since my 20's, and something was spotted in my blood work recently, that if left unattended to, could have led to serious problems.
  • me0231
    me0231 Posts: 218 Member
    sam2018100 wrote: »
    me0231 wrote: »
    When I started at the gym, I was there for about 20min 3x a week. When you start out it doesn't need to be a 3h round trip 5x a week. It sounds like you would benefit from a recomp and putting some muscle on, so find a beginner lifting program and go from there.

    I have a all or nothing mentality. I think if I'm making my way there, then I might as well make the most of it. Plus, I'm usually very motivated for a month or so, before I give up.

    Well if you go all out and then give up after a month, maybe a different approach is the way to go?
  • 11718100
    11718100 Posts: 18 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    I think I am starting to sound like a broken record because it feels like this is the third time or so I am saying this these past few days.

    You are 5ft 1", 115lbs, BMI 22 You have body fat level goals but you're not currently willing to put in the work in terms of exercise to accomplish muscle gain (or even any exercise based on your description) and thus you are under muscled and over-fat by your description and perception (which may or may not be in agreement with what others would perceive)

    But guess what. At BMI 22 you are, with a very high degree of probability, NOT MEDICALLY OVER-FAT.

    So, you have some fat. But your current mind-set and hormonal levels are not allowing you to deal with it the way you probably should which is by exercising and strength training while eating at maintenance as you're definitely in the don't lose weight it's time to recomp stage.

    So. What do you think is more important. Protecting your effective loss of more than 50lbs which has you smack dab middle of the normal bmi range... or aiming for an extra 8lbs which you've already proven you have a hard time maintaining?

    And if you're having a hard time eating at maintenance when you're 8lbs more than your goal... what happens when you're at goal?

    Yes, your hormones have reacted to the way you lost weight. They tend to do that. Their job is to get you to eat more especially if you are trying to restrict. They are currently winning. You're not helping things by continuing to restrict. Normalisation happens at maintenance.

    Fight to maintain your current weight and/or allow a very very slow regain till your hormonal levels stabilise as opposed to desperately fighting to lose more and achieving the opposite because of emotional reaction to perceived failure.

    It is time to regroup and consolidate your wins. You may even need to allow for a partial regain, or may have to hold the line for a year or two, or both, till things normalise.



    I see what you're saying, I agree with it, but I only wish I could somehow get myself to do what I know I should. I have joined the gym, managed to go regularly for a month, maybe just over, then I give up. I've tried YouTube workouts at home, again managed to do it regularly for a month or so, then I stop and give up. Maybe I'm hoping for faster results, which of course won't happen in such a short time, maybe I struggle too much with the amount of effort working out takes, maybe I hate how time-consuming it all is and eating less just seems easier. I think it's a combination off all those reasons, but whatever it is, I cannot stick to it.

    I've never been at maintenance. Not at 107 lbs as I still wanted to lose more weight, so I was still eating 1300 calories. When I binge eat, it's often a punishment of sorts for allowing myself to be as fat as I am, to be still trying to lose weight so many years on. I desperately do want to stop binge eating and I think the only way forward would be to exercise, allowing me a bit more calories so I don't constantly feel so hungry. When I gain weight, it's never in increments. I can't do 'normal eating' at maintenance as you suggest, not when I still have weight to lose. Also, I don't quite know what that is and when I did the 2-week diet break, it only resulted in further binge eating. Allowing regain is out of the question.
  • 11718100
    11718100 Posts: 18 Member
    sam2018100 wrote: »
    me0231 wrote: »
    When I started at the gym, I was there for about 20min 3x a week. When you start out it doesn't need to be a 3h round trip 5x a week. It sounds like you would benefit from a recomp and putting some muscle on, so find a beginner lifting program and go from there.

    I have a all or nothing mentality. I think if I'm making my way there, then I might as well make the most of it. Plus, I'm usually very motivated for a month or so, before I give up.
    Then you know what you have to work on - your all or nothing mentality. This is hard work, much harder than starving yourself. But also way smarter.

    I've only been working on it most of my life! Hopefully get there soon :smile:
  • me0231
    me0231 Posts: 218 Member
    edited February 2018
    Look up Paul Revelia and reverse dieting on youtube and the redefine healthy radio podcast. I know you don't want to gain and I know you want to reach a specific number, but the sad hard truth is that you won't get there. And if you do by crazy restriction you won't be able to maintain.

    After so much time in a deficit you need to give your body a break and let the hormones and adaptive processes reverse.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited February 2018
    sam2018100 wrote: »
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    I think I am starting to sound like a broken record because it feels like this is the third time or so I am saying this these past few days.

    You are 5ft 1", 115lbs, BMI 22 You have body fat level goals but you're not currently willing to put in the work in terms of exercise to accomplish muscle gain (or even any exercise based on your description) and thus you are under muscled and over-fat by your description and perception (which may or may not be in agreement with what others would perceive)

    But guess what. At BMI 22 you are, with a very high degree of probability, NOT MEDICALLY OVER-FAT.

    So, you have some fat. But your current mind-set and hormonal levels are not allowing you to deal with it the way you probably should which is by exercising and strength training while eating at maintenance as you're definitely in the don't lose weight it's time to recomp stage.

    So. What do you think is more important. Protecting your effective loss of more than 50lbs which has you smack dab middle of the normal bmi range... or aiming for an extra 8lbs which you've already proven you have a hard time maintaining?

    And if you're having a hard time eating at maintenance when you're 8lbs more than your goal... what happens when you're at goal?

    Yes, your hormones have reacted to the way you lost weight. They tend to do that. Their job is to get you to eat more especially if you are trying to restrict. They are currently winning. You're not helping things by continuing to restrict. Normalisation happens at maintenance.

    Fight to maintain your current weight and/or allow a very very slow regain till your hormonal levels stabilise as opposed to desperately fighting to lose more and achieving the opposite because of emotional reaction to perceived failure.

    It is time to regroup and consolidate your wins. You may even need to allow for a partial regain, or may have to hold the line for a year or two, or both, till things normalise.



    I see what you're saying, I agree with it, but I only wish I could somehow get myself to do what I know I should. I have joined the gym, managed to go regularly for a month, maybe just over, then I give up. I've tried YouTube workouts at home, again managed to do it regularly for a month or so, then I stop and give up. Maybe I'm hoping for faster results, which of course won't happen in such a short time, maybe I struggle too much with the amount of effort working out takes, maybe I hate how time-consuming it all is and eating less just seems easier. I think it's a combination off all those reasons, but whatever it is, I cannot stick to it.

    I've never been at maintenance. Not at 107 lbs as I still wanted to lose more weight, so I was still eating 1300 calories. When I binge eat, it's often a punishment of sorts for allowing myself to be as fat as I am, to be still trying to lose weight so many years on. I desperately do want to stop binge eating and I think the only way forward would be to exercise, allowing me a bit more calories so I don't constantly feel so hungry. When I gain weight, it's never in increments. I can't do 'normal eating' at maintenance as you suggest, not when I still have weight to lose. Also, I don't quite know what that is and when I did the 2-week diet break, it only resulted in further binge eating. Allowing regain is out of the question.

    A couple of things about the bolded. Also I have no answers for you other than you get what you put in your efforts, and opening your mind and trusting the process will get you very far and all this you are doing is for the long haul and it does take work..

    1) If you did your diet break/refeed accurately you would have indeed eaten at maintenance. Did you just add back a very small amount of calories thinking this was taking a deficit break.

    2) Because you still had more weight you wanted to lose at 107, you most likely did not allow yourself to trust the process enough to work on finding your maintenance, so the diet break you took was not a real diet break.

    Diet breaks can reset many things, your hormones, this includes your hunger as well, it also about taking a mental break as well. If you have not read about it may you should. Just some thoughts.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    me0231 wrote: »
    Look up Paul Revelia and reverse dieting on youtube and the redefine healthy radio podcast. I know you don't want to gain and I know you want to reach a specific number, but the sad hard truth is that you won't get there. And if you do by crazy restriction you won't be able to maintain.

    After so much time in a deficit you need to give your body a break and let the hormones and adaptive processes reverse.

    Paul Revelia is good! Layne Norton. DR Joe K. Mike Isreartol, yes I know I spelled it wrong, Aragon, Helms. All very smart people with years of fitness nutrition. I am currently working with Jame Kreiger who is brilliant in his own right.
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