Help! I gained 20 lbs!

Is it possible that you are pregnant? I did that at the beginning of my 1st pregnancy. I have done the binge eating during TOM, but not for very long. I never thought about my iron being low, I thought it was my body trying to compenste for my quitting chocolate. My iron being would make a LOT of sense.

Perhaps it's more than just the giving blood that stressed you out. This sounds alarmingly like a binge episode and I agree that you should consult a mental health professional to see whether you are experiencing depression or perhaps just need someone to talk to. Esp. if anything has stressed you out recently as this could be the real root of what caused the binge. Consult a general medical doctor as well to see if this is a thyroid issue. Best of luck to you and whatever you do just know that on the paths to any goal there are obstacles, it doesn't mean that your goal won't be met. Only that you must keep pushing and find a different way to get to it.

Why do you really not want to see a doctor? Doctors are here to help us.

All of this after giving blood? You're body is needing a nutrient, and you're not giving it, so that's why you're having these "cravings". You should try to take some iron...you may be anemic, maybe your body is craving iron and that's why you're eating food that's not fully cooked.

Try a multi-vitamin w/ iron. Call your Dr. and they can do blood work to see which vitamin you're lacking in.

Thanks! I didn't even think that I may not be getting a nutrient I need. I will try to find a multi-vitamin to take. I really would not like to go to a doctor.

Why would you want to avoid going to a doctor? At minimum you should have some blood tests done to check for things that could be easily corrected if identified (thyroid issue, anemia etc). No offense to MFP, I think that the advice and support here can be amazing, but using this board to find an answer to the symptoms you described without seeking real world help does not sound like a good idea.

And I have been giving blood regularly since I was 16 ^^;; So I feel I can rule out that giving blood "shocked" me. If it ever shocked me it was the first two times I passed out! Haha! But I haven't passed out since, and still give regularly.

Is it safe for me to give now (I donate again in a week and 5 days) if I am like this?

I think I would skip this time. Try the multivitamin and possibly the blackstrap molasses first. If you can't find the liquid, you can order it in pill form from Amazon.

Edited to add: I also think you should still see a doctor for a complete physical and tell her/him what's been happening with you.

While I think donating blood is a very good thing to do, you really should see a doctor and get things under control before you do it again. If there is something wrong, you might actually be harming someone else by donating.

Although you've been donating for awhile, keep in mind that it will have a different effect at various weights. At one time I was near the minimum (of what they'd allow and of a healthy range for me). And when I gave blood at that weight, I had to be very careful about getting up too fast afterwards and was a bit tired for the rest of the day. Later, when I weighed more, it was noticeably easier on my body to give blood.

If your body was borderline on some nutritional need, giving blood could have pushed it over the edge. So maybe instead of a general practitioner, you might want to start with a doctor who specializes in weight loss or a nutritionist. Another possibility would be a B vitamin, where a lack can cause a lowering of energy and for some people of mood. But we're all just guessing here without proper knowledge or tests. Learning more about the true cause is probably your best step to resolving it. If you don't like or want to go to your regular doctor, try another.

I particularly hate seeing a doctor myself, but forcing my freaked out butt into calling for a generalist appointment and then seeing a therapist to discuss some of my issues has probably been the best thing to ever happened to me. I still have issues, but I have tools to work on them and there ARE people willing to help you out there. I totally get how you would not want to go. That fear that something might actually be wrong is quite a strong enemy.

But fight it. You'll be a better person for it

So the only person I've ever told this to was my trainer, but I've battled weightless and an eating disorder for most of my life. Two years ago, however, I lost almost fifty pounds and felt like I got my life back. I was walking 2-4 miles a day, eating properly (with one cheat meal) and felt great. Then my relationship fell apart and in one year I gained it all back. I've felt physically and emotionally drained, none of my clothes fit because I got rid of all the fat ones, I've felt pretty hopeless. I was eating almost all fast food again before I decided to seek help in the form of a trainer and this website. I have also been doing a juice detox this week to jump start my weightless and reboot my body. Just start small. Don't set unrealistic goals. A set schedule helps too. You mentioned that your schedule is pretty open. I teach, and even though I love my summers, I tend to get kind of down without routine and structure. I wish you the best and it can be done. I'm down 18lbs since the beginning of the summer and I plan to 20 more before I start back in fall. I wish you the best!!

A couple things:

1. I recently lost 39 pound and then went on vacation and gained 15 pounds back in two weeks. So heres what I did: I reset my weight, (did a sad weigh in to put back on the weight), and started back at it. Once I lost my first pound, it became addicting again. Better than the best food. Im sure you know that feeling as well (seeing that you've lost weight also). So Ive only lost 6 of those pound this time. But the important thing is knowing that im going in the right direction, and hopefully you see that as well. I also hope that the support here helps, being that you reached out to us.

2. Another thing ive been doing lately is whenever I get the urge to buy junk food (potato chips in particular), I buy them. My pantry is now stocked with $.99 bags of chips lol. Its ok... I know that they are there, and I will eat them eventually when I know that Ive worked really hard for them, with a wide variety to choose from at that. Will probibly go over my calories on that day. Actually im sure I will go over my calories that day. Once I start eating them I probibly wont want to stop. But people get full, and tomorrow's another day to start over. Go ahead and indulge every once in a while. But when you wake up the next day, start with you diet food all over again. Shock your body but remember the new life you chose and the reasons that you chose this new lifestyle. Write them down if you have to, to see it in a bright light.

Hope this was helpful. Good luck!!!