[TTL2007]

Hi,

I'm new here and have a question for some of you who are in recovery from binge eating. I've been a binge eater most of my life (can remember some examples from childhood/teenager), but it's getting worse as I get older - and harder to keep the weight off.

My two goals are 1) to stop the destructive behavior and 2) to lose weight.

Question - do you recommend that I just concentrate on not bingeing without focusing on calories and losing weight or should I be doing both at the same time? (for example - following a ww plan, getting weighed, etc...)

I know that the scale is a trigger for me - if I don't lose enough I eat more and if I do lose I feel like I can cheat a little. But, I also know that I'll be really disappointed if I don't lose any weight at all since I'm not weighing myself and really watching portions, etc...

Thanks for your input. Good luck to everyone!

[shelby897]

What works for one person may not work for someone else. I'm in the same boat as you as far as scales go -- if I'm up I eat, if I'm down, I eat.

I found using a nutritionist works best for me. I only allowed myself to be weighed by her. I get hyper over a too restrictive diet and counting points freeks me out so I'm just trying to make better selections and avoiding my trigger foods. Some days it works, some days it doesn't.

It's all trial and error. I found this website a great source and pick and choose ideas from almost everyone!!

Good luck.

[sumu1]

I'm still pretty early in recovery and have had some wobbles in the past couple of months but I agree that the thing that helped me most lift out of it was my nutrition. I binged, purged, and was diagnosed with depression. Even on meds I still binged and purged. It wasn't until my mom was diagnosed with diabetes that I had that moment of clarity that at the rate I was going I could also add diabetic onto my list.

It sounds pretty basic but I was looking at old fitday entries and how I was eating, even on days that I restricted. I would eat 3000 cals of processed foods, get no nutritional value out of any of it. And I could eat 1000 and I'd have the same outcome. I decided to dig a little deeper and use that handy,dandy little food pyramid I've heard so much about over the years. I swear, it's teaching yourself to eat all over again. I've lost 15 lbs over the last 3 1/2 months, take my multi, B complex and Omega vitamins and keep my food mix at 25% fats, 45% carbs and 30% proteins. Plus, I get out into that fresh air and move. And of course I'm working on my emotional aspects of things too.

Honestly, I'm finding my body is getting what it needs so my urge to binge is dramatically decreased. Plus, I don't deny myself but I have a "clean" house (nothing in here that is a trigger food, including take out when alone, I can and will eat a whole pizza). I'm learning I'm allowed to feel and express my emotions. We are not naturally "moderate" people. Someone can tell you,"anything and everything in moderation", but for us that takes WORK. Embrace your non-perfection. I slid back into it one weekend but since I'd been living binge-free for awhile it didn't have the same satisfaction it once did. It made me feel tired, guilty, and out of control. It no longer made me feel in control.

I've rambled. I've had an ED most of my life and binged/pursed for the better part of 8 years. Nutrition seemed to be the key for me too. Hope this helped. You can get out of it. Start reading all you can about getting better and add good things slowly. Only 15lbs in 3 1/2 months would have driven my crazy on prior "diets". But I'm doing it without hurting myself this time and that's worth it.

[ennay]

For me....(and I totally agree with Shelby, everyone is different)...working on the destructive behavior can be counter productive. If I focus on "dont binge dont binge dont binge" that is a negative and so....I binge.

If weighing yourself is a problem, then dont, for me it isnt but I broke the emotional attachment to the scale mostly (oddly I am ok with fluctuations up, its when the scale goes DOWN that I have more problems)

For me what worked was focusing on the diet, calorie counting , portion control, plan, whatever. And exercise - I binge much less when I exercise.

I think the keys for me were

1) calorie count and focus on healthy foods but keep the calorie range in the upper end of loss mode so I dont feel too restricted.

2) dont be so restrictive (I eat certain treat foods daily and weekly) that cravings turn into binges. ONE small treat is ok.

3) exercise exercise exercise - I feel better about myself. I usually only binge out of self hatred or boredom

4) When a binge happens...sit down and as accurately as possible (I understand the binge blackout) write down every single thing you ate and record it and its calories faithfully. Dont try to compensate, dont eat less or exercise more to "make up for it", just acknowledge it and move on.

5) Gain perspective on what kind of damage a binge really does. MOST of the time a binge is not terrible in the grand scheme of things. You dont gain 10 lbs because of a binge.

6) Look back and try and figure out what triggered a binge, but dont stress if you cant figure it out. I have trigger foods that are banned from my house and I try to avoid when out. I have danger foods that I allow myself only when I go out or I get in very small portions for a specific meal and then get rid of. I have binge situations that I still am not in control of. I am still learning.

7) Dont beat yourself up if you have a setback. One binge is not the end of the world. I would say that since Nov 15 when I started this journey I have probably had 1-2 binges a month (they tend to be smaller and shorter in duration than in the past, but they are still there). Look at my ticker. It happens, if you move on its OK. Its getting down on yourself because of it that creates a bad situation