[Ali87]

I know I have a very unhealthy relationship with food. My problem is that I don't know what that relationship is.

Ever since I was very young i seem to have had an overeating disorder. I also at most times show signs of Compulsive overeating and Binge eating disorders.
Now I know most people have problems with their disorders rearing their ugly heads when they are stressed or unhappy but mine seem to be there for no reason except that i feel something bad will happen if i don't over eat (crazy), made worse with trying to diet.
However their have been very stressful times in my life (i.e deaths in family, breaking up with boyfriend etc) That always cause the same reaction. I go on crazy restrictive diets. I've managed to lose 60lbs in some cases before i get over what's been troubling me and then i start with the over eating and binging enough to get me back where i started.

Over the last year it has improved, mainly i think because i am in a very active job and it keeps me away from food and i can burn alot of calories so i don't worry too much if i seem to over eat.
But over christmas i was back home and put on 10lbs in 3 weeks. so I decided to diet, managed 6 weeks and lost 20lbs. But now i'm back into the binge eating - it's like my body or my mind refuses to let me lose wieght. And now i feel even worse then before christmas because i'm completely out of control.


I went to the Doctors a couple of years ago with concerns about my psychological health and how it effects my weight. I wondered if i would be able to get a session or two with a psychiatrist just to see if there really was a problem.
My doctor just told me i needed to go on a diet and handed me a diet plan and instructed me to come back in a month so they could monitor my weight.
I went a couple of times before i realized if it was simple as that i could do it at home. I knew already what i needed to eat (or not eat) to lose weight, and you'd think if i could i already would have, right?

anyway.
Anyone else have this kind of problems? Can anyone give it a name?

[patchworkpenguin]

Ali, I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help with a name, but I wanted to congratulate you on the weight you have lost so far. That is an accomplishment indeed.

[paris81]

Have you tried going to a different doctor, or to a counseler who specializes in weight loss/eating issues? It's too bad what the doctor said to you, obviously if it were so easy to lose weight, there wouldn't be sure a huge weight problem in our country! I think some docs just don't know how to talk to patients about anything that's not physiological.

Good luck, and congrats on the weight you've lost already!

[duqserb]

Ever hear of a book called Life Without Ed? It was one of the first things my therapist told me to buy. And it talks about exactly what you said....a persons relationship with food an what they call it. She basically names her eating disorder ED and talks about the conversations she would have with him in her head...and her struggle to separate herself from him. I'm maybe half way through the book. Anybody with any type of eating issues I think should read it....gives a lot of insights :-)

~D~