Hi everyone - I was wondering if there are any experienced maintainers out there who have BED (Binge Eating Disorder) yet have managed to keep their weight off. As you might have gathered from the question...I have it and although I am having no problems with urges to binge, I get afraid that it will return to haunt me. I have not binged (and my binges were horrendous) for 16 months and have no wish to go back to that nightmare. Leigh

I used to eat in a way that felt out of my control but greatly reducing sugar/carby foods has nearly eliminating those feelings.

I thought I had a problem with food, turns out I just had a problem with some foods. It might sound draconian and restrictive, but I pretty much don't eat chips, pretzels, candy, cookies, cold cereal etc. I try not to keep it in the house. For me, if I eat one Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie, I want to keep eating until the sleeve is empty. If I don't eat the first cookie, I am fine.

I do allow occasional treats, but I'm careful. I'll split a dessert in a restaurant, get a scoop of ice cream from an ice cream parlour, get a biscotti for my latte. I do not buy gallons of ice cream for the house or keep boxes of biscotti around.

It works for me and I'm very grateful to be free from the Sugar Monster.

Hi Glory - yes, I agree and am already keeping what I call "trigger" foods out of the house. It really helps. I think one of the problems is that I lost the weight on a VLCD programme in the UK and it is really difficult to transition back onto real food and work out what to do to maintain. Leigh

Just curious - is BED an "official" clinical disorder now? It's something I've done since I was a teenager. I just always thought I didn't have much willpower . . .

Dagmar

Did your program not have a plan to transition you back to "real life?"

I'm not diagnosed, but I know I have it and have maintained for 18 months. It's been difficult but it's getting easier. All I can say is I just keep trying. Trying new strategies and conquering one trigger at a time.

The biggest thing that has helped me is less restriction and acceptance. A lot of my binging is hormone induced or stress and those are often uncontrollable and I've learned to just let go and let them happen. When I do the binge tends to be less severe. I also listen to my cravings. If I'm craving chocolate day after day I can't deny myself or it will backfire.

I also have my no restrictions Sundays where there's no calories and no food police. This is just what works for me, hope you can find what works for you cause I know how painful this disorder is.

Dagmar - It is a clinical diagnosis in existance from early 1990s. I do not like labelling things and people but I fit the criteria exactly. The problem has been chronic. Willpower never solved it nor did medical/ psychological intervention of any sort. It is a horrible disorder to have.
Glory - Yes the vlcd has a transitional stage which lasts a month. I finished it a month ago and at this stage am personalising a diet for life that suits me as an individual. I think I'm doing ok but feel anxious about the Cookie Monster returning with a vengance. it has been hard losing this weight and I love where I am.
Ncuneo - You have given me huge hope for the future! I am still on a steep learning curve and finding out which foods I react to. At the moment my eating seems settled and I am not having problems with urges to binge but I am afraid that they may return. It is great to hear of your ongoing success. Leigh

A month doesn't seem very long...the transition to maintenance is HUGE. Especially if you were doing some kind of program that didn't give you a lot of choices, now....you have lots and lots of choices and I bet it's an interesting change. I would recommend tracking everything, staying accountable and watching the scale to see what happens.

I've never been diagnosed, but I think I have it. At its worst, back in 1999, I answered those online questionnaires and said yes to most questions. I saw a therapist and she didn't think I had it (or at least that it was a mild case), but I felt bad enough to look for therapy. Anyway... I lost 37 pounds 16 years ago and have kept 27 of those off. The other 10 I regained due to binging. In my case, the binging got worse after dieting. I'm 100% sure that what makes me binge is too much deprivation of foods I like. That's why when I'm trying to lose nowadays (like right now) I never go too low in calories (1500 is the least to keep my sanity). And I allow my favorite foods in moderation. I have chocolate everyday, for example. The binging has been under control for the most part, but I can't say I'm "cured". I haven't eaten to the point of feeling pain in over 10 years, but I do still eat to the point of discomfort once in a while. I absolutely do not try to avoid "trigger" foods because to me that totally backfires. I start obsessing about them and then I binge. Funny how most people need to stay away from their triggers. For me what works better is the opposite.

Glory- Yes, a month is no time at all. It was pretty terrifying and is still a bit of a rollercoaster ride but I am determined to learn all I can and stay on plan.
Clara - Just shows how different we all are! If I ingest any "trigger" foods I suffer from the most horrendous cravings which take hours to go away. Also any time I eat I always want more. I have to leave the table immediately otherwise I just keep eating
I do feel I have come to maintainance very unprepared. However, I have lost all my weight and am determined to work out what I have to do in order to stay here. Leigh

Oh, I always want to eat more, too! Of pretty much anything. It's worse with chocolate or other things I love, but I feel that if I allow myself instead of denying all the time, the cravings are more controllable.

I came to maintenance very unprepared, too. I ate what I think was way too little (about 1000 calories/day) and just thought that I would go back to that diet every time I gained a little. It worked for a while, but then I started binging. I couldn't stand a single day of 1000 calories anymore. That's why nowadays I never go too low. But it took me forever to find something that works (kind of) for me. I'm still trying to lose weight.

I thought I had BED for a while - I was dieting but really maintaining because once every couple weeks I would sit at home and eat 5000+ calories' worth of junk food and feel hung over. Binging was almost an event. I don't miss the shame and embarrassment at all, but in a sick way I sometimes miss eating chocolate until I couldn't eat any more.

I couldn't tell you how I stopped - I think getting off my birth control pill helped, as well as being less harsh on myself in terms of dieting.

I have BED, however I'm not maintaining right now and have never successfully maintained (lost alot in 2006).

It is real, I have it (my mother begs to differ because she thinks its hereditary and neither of my parents have BED LOL).......

I digress....

Congrats to you for being binge free for 16 months and you should check out the chicks in control section of 3FC - you might find some great insight there.

Good luck

<<Funny how most people need to stay away from their triggers. For me what works better is the opposite.>>

Same here. I don't have a single food that I don't allow myself to eat. I want to keep enjoying food as one of life's various pleasures -- otherwise I would probably decide that maintaining my weight loss is not worth it.

Last year I learned that I CAN keep so-called trigger foods in the house without eating the whole thing. I used to think it was impossible, but changing my belief has helped me change my behaviour.

F.