Now im a daily binger
Up 23 lbs. yet cant seem to control eating. One thing turrns into the whole box.
Ive gone from feeling great to sick stomach, bulging out of my clothes and unhappy. Any advice to get back to healthy ?

Been there, it's a horrible place. 2002-2004 I lost 106lbs; when I restarted in June last year, I'd regained 102 of them. Eeek, that's the first time I've written that figure down!

Anyway, they only way I could get control back was to start from scratch with a whole new diet programme. I devised a very strict 1200 calorie diet, and stuck to it obsessively.

Now, I'm not recommending as low as 1200 (I'm on 1400 now); and I'm not recommending obsession; but no matter how much I'd lost before, just carrying on trying to "be careful" on a day to day basis just wasn't working for me.
Once I'd sat down and written out a week's meals on a self-created chart, I began to feel a hint of control creeping back.
Once I'd done the shopping for the meals, a bit more.
Once I'd stuck to my chart for a day and then a week, control had really come back. HTH a bit x

Hey. I know I've been there as well.
Can you eradicate the temptations from your home until you regain control? It took a while for me to walk through the snack isle and not pick up the chips.

You have to look at where you where and where you're going an go cold turkey. Cut out all the sweets and junk food and soda. when you feel the need to binge, binge on fruits. I hope this helps and you can get back on track soon.

Remember. you are in control and you can decide to eat health.

Its not your fault. Compulsive eating patterns tend to be progressive. That means that they get worse over time, whether we treat the disorder or not.

For some people, starting a new diet plan works. Some people benefit from counseling to stop the thought process behind the bingeing. Some people find that once they leave a bad job or a bad spouse they no longer need to binge. Mindful eating is great for some folks.

None of those things worked for me. I was a really bad compulsive eater. I really couldn't stop myself and that was scary to me. I was so involved in eating that I had to have some kind of sugary treat multiple times a day or I would feel sick. I was tired all the time. I was doing crazy things before and after meeting with friends or family, because just eating what everyone else was eating was never enough for me. I was spending soooo much money on food - I don't know how I managed to keep a roof over my head. I'm talking almost $200 a week for one person. I weighed about 300 pounds.

The good news is that I don't do that anymore. I lost over 100 pounds. I eat 4 times a day. I don't eat sugar at all and I don't want to. There is a way out if those other things don't work for you. Its pretty labor intensive, but if you are as bad off as I was, there is an option that's tailored to people who need really intense help.

Completely agree with Rosenante. I was going through one of those binges last week. Went up by 4 lbs in about 3 days. Uugh. Was totally discouraged and felt totally out of control.

Key is to gain a sense of control.
1. Wake up tomorrow and weigh yourself and mark that as your start weight. Leave your guilt and regrets for poor decisions behind. Get a fresh start.
2. Make a weight loss goal plan with milestones and non food based rewards.
3. Clean out your pantry. Be ruthless in throwing out the junk.
4. Plan a weekly meal plan in MFP like website and go food shopping. Just stick to the produce section. Chew gum or drink water while shopping.
5. Track everything you eat. Everything. Just by acknowledging you will feel in control. Strange but true.

As Rosenante said every time you follow the plan you will gain a shred of control. Let that build slowly.

I think people regain because diets just don't work.

Have you ever thought about trying Intuitive Eating?

Once the diet/binge cycle is broken, your eating can normalize. Once that happens, your weight begins to normalize too.

Here's a link to IE resources.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/chic...resources.html

I recommend starting with Intuitive Eating by Tribole & Resch. It outlines what IE is and also shows the science of why restrictive dieting fuels the binge cycle.

Good luck, whatever you decide and remember that this is a physiological issue, not a character defect.

This is me and I am freaking out. I can feel the depression creeping in and am not sure which came first. The gain or the depression
I lost 75 pounds in 2015 and even with a small gain at the end I felt so in control. I am up 17 pounds from my low. My low was 4 pounds under normal BMI so I called that goal.
Now I am trying to get back to the good habits I had then.
I started a new weightlifting program which made me hungry. I may back off on the heavy weights.
I signed up for a 5 mile in June
They days are longer so I can get more fresh air and sunshine.
I am hungry all the time and just crave sweets.

This is me, too, only I've lost track of how many times I've done it. I weighed 110 until I quit smoking 20 years ago. I gained sixty pounds the first year, lost it all the second year, gained back the 60 plus 20 more the next year and so on. I would say I've lost about 70 pounds about 15 times. I now weigh 205.

Do I know how to lose weight? Sure. I track 1200-1400 calories per day, either in a notebook or on My Fitness Pal, and give up sugar since it triggers me.

Do I have self-discipline? You bet I do. I've stuck to the above plan for as long as a year, never once cheating, even through holidays.

Can I keep it off? No.

Do I eat like the famine starts tomorrow when I'm not on the plan? Yes.

Is Intuitive Eating is a great idea? Yes, but I also think there. comes a time when it's just too late. Normal eating is a concept with which my brain has permanently lost all connection.

Eat when I'm hungry? I am always, hungry.

Is there any hope for lasting change at this point? I don't really think so, but I also know I have joint pain and depression at this weight.

It isn't lost, it always there to be found.

So long we are alive, change is possible.

The more times we try and fail, the greater chance we will eventually succeed.

What is that saying?? Something like ,"It isn't the falling down, it's the getting up that matters".

I'm sorry you're going through this, and I'm glad I found this post because I've battled this disorder most of my life. There is light at the end of the tunnel, just hold on, let go of the shame, forgive yourself, and continue to reach out and be committed to your good health.

Of course there is hope! There is always hope as long as we are sucking air.

I share your experience of simply not being able to work with intuitive eating alone. It was interesting and a good piece of the puzzle for me, but it doesn't address how much some of us have damaged our hunger/satiety/insulin/digestive enzyme system.

There are foods that cause me to act in a way that is not sane. I can't eat these intuitively. I don't want to anymore, but that's because they are out of my system and I can see clearly what they were doing to me. Asking me to only eat sugar when my body is asking for sugar is like asking a nicotine addict to just smoke until he feels like he's had just enough. The nicotine is telling him that he needs more, but he really doesn't. There is never a time when I really need cake.

People who push IE on everyone just don't get this. When I eat sugar, I don't have the ability to eat intuitively because I'm not thinking straight. As long as I stay within my personal food guidelines, I have the ability to feel it when I'm full. I don't crave most of the time. Giving into my cravings makes me crave more. That's the difference between someone with a real compulsive eating disorder, and a more ordinary compulsive eating HABIT. Only you can know which category you belong in.

Thank you for that, Blog. Your whole post resonates with me and it helps just to know someone else gets what I'm up against. My problems with weight and sugar started when I quit smoking and I believe I use and abuse sugar the same way I did cigarettes. Total avoidance is the only way for me to deal with either of them.

Binging is so hard. The best way I can explain it to myself is that it is an emotional habit which are so hard to break. The best thing I find works is trying to disrupt the routine of the habit. For me, I love ordering pizza and fries and other stuff from a local pizzeria and having it delivered on Saturday night while my husband is at work. I started associating it with me time, relaxation, and didn't I deserve that comfort after all I do?

To keep myself from doing that I have to be out of my house on sat night - so now I try to book that night out with people. It's worked for a month or so, so maybe something similar might work at your side?

Best of luck - binging is such a beast to manage! :::hugs:::

have no advises here but i just wanted to chime in saying that I do know what are you talking about since I am in the very same situation. 4 years ago I have achieved my goal, then I went up to 28 lbs and now it is impossible for me to lose them... Just wanted to say that we're both in the same situation.

I will share what has worked for me. I am a very low bottom food addict. I have been binging for years. I started as a child. My life was so unmanageable. Chronic isolation and loneliness were part of my life. I was above 280 lbs.

Overeater's Anonymous was what helped me. I am an addict; much like an alcoholic or drug addict but with food. I was lucky to have some strong meetings in my area but there are also online and phone meetings. I have lost almost 100 lbs. so far and stopped overeating a year ago. I have about 33 more lbs. to lose and my food plan will be modified slightly when I reach goal.

PM me for more details. This is just what has been working for me. Everyone's path is different. I am a 60 year old lady from New England. My life has completely changed.

Robin