[bookjunkie]

Hi,

I'm new here, so I hope I'm posting this in the right section. In a nutshell, my problem is this:

After years of yo-yo dieting - caused by extreme dieting followed by compulsive eating - a couple of years ago I managed to lose weight successfully. I possibly even lost a bit too much and went down to 7 stone 11 lbs (I'm 5'4 and 1/2 tall). I did put on a few pounds and went up to about 8 stone, where I was happy.

However, I've had a few bingeing sessions this year (goodness, you have no idea how good it feels to be able to tell people, even if it's not face to face), and my weight went up to about 8 stone 6 lbs.

I was happy enough to stay at that weight, but lately I find my weight creeping up, only incrementally (I weighed myself this morning and I was 8 stone 7 and 3/4 - digital scales!) I've not been bingeing lately, I do a fair bit of exercise and my eating has been on track, yet my weight seems to be creeping up. It's only a bit at the moment, but I'm scared that it will continue, and I'm not sure how to stop it. All I know is that I don't want to undo all the hard work I've done.

Does anybody have any tips or advice? It would be very much appreciated.

Thanks
Ruth

[bargoo]

Stop bingeing ! I find it helpful if I plan my meals ahead of time. It only takes me about 5 minutes to prepare my menus for the day. If I fail to plan I plan to fail. Good luck.

[Shannon in ATL]

Plan and track! I still log calories and macros every day.

[bookjunkie]

Thank you for the replies

Yeah, I do tend to plan my meals and eat really well for most of the time. The trouble is that when I binge, I REALLY binge. It's a problem I've had for the best part of 20 years....I can go for weeks and weeks eating really healthily and then all of a sudden a binge just kind of creeps up on me and catches me unawares. And as all compulsive eaters know (I think - it's not a subject that is easy to talk about), it's got nothing to do with hunger, or anything. Bingers don't stop when they feel full, or even when they feel sick. I just wish I knew how to conquer it, because it's bingeing that has led me to put weight on when I've lost in the past.

What was worrying me more though was that I seemed to be putting on weight even though I hadn't binged for quite a while. Only slightly - half a pound here, half a pound there - but I want to nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand. I was quite pleased today though (after I posted this thread) - had a great workout at the gym and seem to have dropped a pound and a half, which has spurred me on.

I'm going to keep coming here for motivation - seems like a lovely and very friendly place.

[Shannon in ATL]

I found that when I got a little more complacent I creeped up in weight. I would grab a handful if raisins instead of counting or not weigh my cereal or yogurt, etc. A few calories here and there added up to five pounds over a year. So when I say plan and teak that is what I mean - keeping a diligent eye on the foods outside of the binging. I can't do the intuitive eating thing.

Do your binges have a trigger? Sounds like you've beeen doing a good job controlling them.

[bookjunkie]

Yes, I think you're definitely right about planning and tracking, which I do try to do.

As for binges having a trigger - I'm having a hard time identifying it, but I'm sure there must be one. I used to have the old problem of if I had a little something naughty, I would just think "I've blown it now, might as well start again tomorrow and eat everything 'bad' today." Nowadays I think the trigger is less obvious; it's always when I'm on my own though, never with my husband or friends. It's just a kind of urge that I get sometimes, very difficult to describe unfortunately Sometimes I can go for months and months without having a binge, other times I can binge two or three times a week. At the moment, I think I'm having a good run at not bingeing!

Thanks for all the advice - it's very helpful to have somewhere to come and talk about all sorts of dieting/weight loss issues.

[Mudpie]

Hi Ruth. Your posts accurately describe me! Both in physical size and behaviour. I'm not sure how many lbs. are in a stone but I'm 5'4" and weigh 134-137 lbs.

My lowest weight attained during dieting was 129 lbs. and I wavered between 130-133 for over a year.

I have stopped the "eat 'til you " bingening but I tend to overeat on the weekends - a "reward " for being "good" all week. I too found my weight creeping up very slowly (see first paragraph).

I'm trying to come to grips with the realization that I have to count my calories stringently and write down what I'm going to eat for the day.

Every day. For the rest of my life (I'm 54 years old and in good health so that's a lot of writing ).

I have a quote at the bottom of my signature. I want to pursue the "hard life of being healthful".

Please do join us in the weekly chat thread if you feel like it! I can sometimes stop a binge (usual trigger for me is loneliness) if I go there and read or post instead

Dagmar

[bookjunkie]

Oh Dagmar, thank you so much. It's great to know that I'm not alone, and I certainly will be popping along to the chat thread. Thansk again

[mkroyer]

How long have you been maintaining? and have you continued to eat (with the exception of the binges) the same caloric amounts since dieting and losing the weight?