I started with counting calories and exercise. Nothing spectacular but being religious about counting calories works.

Towards the end, I stopped calorie counting and worked on portion control instead. I was very restrictive for most of the time, minimizing (but not entirely eliminating) processed carbs and I primarily ate lean proteins, veggies and some fruits.

My diet is more varied now. I have realized that carbs won't kill me so I eat a lot more of them now. Didn't affect my weight loss at all.

I actually found a local eating disorder treatment center that offers a program for binge eating disorder. I interviewed with a therapist and was approved for the program. Insurance actually picked up quite a bit of the initial cost.

It is a 12-hour/week program. It offers a mixture of sessions on body image, nutrition, and behavioral therapy. Mainly group sessions but you also have an individual therapist. I still attend but do fewer hours per week since I'm doing better.

The focus is on breaking the binge behavior, not losing weight. I ended up losing, much to the treatment team's concern. I was fully committed to maintaining as part of the program but lost anyway, probably due to exercise because I have followed their meal plan recommendations.

I have been going there for seven months. The program has changed my life. I still have some binge thoughts and I went through a rough patch in April and May but am back on track. As a result of this program, I truly believe I can recover fully from binge eating and maintain the weight loss.

My cholesterol was ok but my HDL was very low. That has gone from a 37 to 49. My BP was borderline, in the 125/85 range. Now I am typically below a 100/60. Pulse rate in the low 50's.