[Crunchy Pip]

Toning it down would burn less cals though. It wouldn't help my weight loss (which is already crap even with the hardcore workouts).

[bingefree2013]

I hate to tell you this, but the bingeing is what's hurting your weight loss, not a possible reduction in workouts. The workouts lead to binge eating, ergo you gain more weight. Reduce the intensity of the workouts, and it's probable you might stop binge eating, ergo you will lose weight from stopping bingeing alone. I'm not trying to be mean or a know it all, just trying to get you to look at it another way and help because bingeing sucks! Exercise doesn't burn that many calories anyway. It's highly overrated when it comes to weight loss.

Two years ago I was like you. Exercised hardcore thinking I would drop a lot of weight, faster. Well I exercised so much, I became ravenous every night after my last workout. Like you, I also ended up with incredible urges to binge, which I followed every time, effectively ruining every single days efforts.

Eventually I got fed up, started eating what I wanted when I got hungry and quit exercising except for a few short dancing sessions in my basement *for fun* whenever I felt like moving (which may have only been once per week!). I ended up losing 25lbs. The decrease in appetite from ceasing all hardcore exercising solely with the intention of burning calories, aided by weight loss - the total opposite of everything the "experts" put out there.

[stressedstudent]

Yes I would agree with the previous poster. I have the same problem, where after I go to the gym I overeat, but more because I feel like I "deserve it" (whatever that means!) The last time I lost my excess weight was when I was eating smaller portions (ie fewer calories at each meal, but still eating some of the junk food I like), and exercising about 3-4x a week. I used to punish myself with long workouts, but that only exacerbated the feeling of 'deservingness' afterwards, and then it became a bad cycle.

While it's definitely frustrating, you should still pat yourself on the back for going to the gym- that's half the battle. For some of us, the rest of the battle is the eating part.