doudou, the counselor may be able to help you find that missing piece!

Sometimes a part of us inside is unhappy and afraid, for reasons we don't even remember. Perhaps the missing piece is something like feeling safe--feeling confident--feeling supported. Perhaps the missing piece is our sense of self-worth, or our youthful energy.

Food won't fill up that empty space.

Don't give up! Hang in there!

Jay

I am absolutely concerned about my eating habits. i will try to find that will and power again, i just hope it doesn't take much longer. Thanks again for ur help

couldn't agree more Jay. i know for sure that food doesn't fill that empty space it actually does the opposite. Food has taken away so much from me, i never seem to enjoy my life because of it.
thanks for ur support

Doudou, I know from here, and from other threads, that you're an international student, and very lonely, and have been bingeing as a result. If you're interested in my 2 cents, you need to really reconsider a few of your mindsets.

The first is the "I want to lose this weight as quickly as I gained it". This impatience is the root cause of many failed diets, and many a binge eating disorder. It makes us attempt plans that are too restrictive, too drastic, and/or simply do not suit us (I don't believe there's a one-size-fits-all way to lose weight). What you really need to do is completely adjust your attitude, and make yourself be OK with the fact that this is going to be a slow process. And let's face it - you're not going anywhere fast right now because of all the bingeing. So maybe try something less dramatic, and accept that the loss will be slow, but at least it will happen, because you'll be able to stick to your plan.

Secondly, I'm not a fan of Atkins, but personal bias aside, I agree with some of the others, maybe it's just not the right plan for you. Sure, it worked for you in the past, but you're continually going off plan this time around. There must be a reason for that.

Lastly, I totally understand that you want to lose some weight. That's why we're all here, after all. But I strongly urge you to re-order your priorities. Your #1 priority at this point should be getting your bingeing under control. You're not fat now, so there's no urgent need for immediate weight loss. Until you stop bingeing, you'll have a devil of a time achieving any kind of permanent weight loss. Plus, it's a helluva hard habit to break, so the sooner the better - trust me, I was a binger for years. Doing much better now, but only because I changed my mindset, and refuse to do restrictive diets any more.

Of course, to get the bingeing under control, you'll likely still need a plan of some description - I know the fear of "But if I'm not dieting, I'll eat everything in sight!" (I've been there too). A bunch of us who have walked a mile in your shoes are liking the Bob Greene Best Life Diet - you might want to look into it. Best of luck to you.

Hey there Janie, thanks for the advice. i'll look into Bob Green's diet. Thanks for your support.

doudou -
you've gotten some really good responses here & some fine support. Please allow me to add that when you say you want to "lose weight fast" you're basically sabotaging yourself then & there.

No matter if you use Atkins, Weight Watchers, SouthBeach, whatever - when you "lose weight fast" you are basically losing only water weight, and you'll eventually ditch your diet & go back to your old eating habits; therefore putting all that weight back on again... & usually MORE weight on top of that.

The really TRUE WAY to lose weight & keep it off can be any number of diets... but the simple fact of the matter is that you have to DO IT FOR LIFE. You cannot do it for a little while, lose the weight, & then expect to keep it off. Whatever you use to lose weight, you must commit to it forever.

Nobody ever likes to hear that. Me, included! - but it's the total truth.

Good luck! - I think you can do this! - you just have to find the right way for you.