Think I may have an eating disorder

AJman

Hi all.
I posted something similar to this in the weight watchers thread but I think I need more help from just ww so I'm going to look for advice from everyone.
My name is AJ and I've been a ww member since March 2007. I'm from Sligo but currently living in Galway. So far I've lost 4 and a half stone. I modelled at the ww fashion show in Claregalway last November. WW has done wonders for me.
There is only one problem... now I have crashed and I don't know how to get myself back up. It's weird how this has happened after all the weight I've lost and how well I was doing. I was 2lbs away from my target in August but I've since gained 10 and I'm back to where I was at the start of the summer. I lost 2lbs at my weigh in this week but that was only because I worked SERIOUSLY hard towards the end of the week as I just couldn't bear another gain.
I've found myself to be binging a lot - almost every single day in fact - for months now and it only happens in the evening or at night. I wake up with the most positive attitude but when evening comes my attitude completely changes and I just binge. I am great for tracking through the day but one bite of something sweet and it's "Sod this for a game of soldiers!" and I go all out. I'm absolutely fed up. I'm thinking of food 24/7 and having a constant battle in my head.
I think I may be suffering from a binge eating disorder, which is quite upsetting really after how far I've come. I was reading online earlier that people with BED binge because the worse they feel about themselves and their appearance, the more they use food to cope. This is exactly my problem. I may have lost a lot of weight but I still have quite some around my belly and chest area. I find myself looking up photos of ripped guys online just to get motivation so that I can get it in my head to look like that but it's just not working. I've been trying to lose weight for so long that I think I'm just fed up. This time last year I thought I'd be ripped by now but it's just been a viscious circle. I'm not giving up and normally I'm a patient person but I think I've lost all patience with this now and I just don't know what to do.
I just want to go back to tracking normally and losing weight normally like I always did. I MUST be at my target at Christmas and I told a lot of people I would as I'm not going to be overweight for another festive season, but going the way it's going that's never going to happen.
Has anyone any advice on how to get back on track? As it's only 12:30pm I'm feeling very positive but I KNOW that this evening it'll be different.
AJ

mathepac

I'm not sure what suggestions were made to elsewhere, but try this site for insight into whether your suspicions about having an eating disorder have any foundation. Start with their FAQs then maybe navigate around the rest of the site.

BodyWhys

HTH

alanna22

Hi AJ, firstly a huge congrats on the weight loss thats amazing! Really well done
About the BED, ive had experience with this so wanted to reply. I completely understand how you're feeling and have certainly been in that position myself, thinking about food all the time and being good only to ruin it with a binge. Today for example I was stressed out and (as a weightwatcher myself) used 15 points before noon. . But, as you probably know, eating doesn't help in the slightest, generally just makes things worse.
I've found that you need to get food out of your head. Remember your goals and think of how you'll feel when you reach them. Don't think of yourself as being on a diet, sometimes that just makes you feel like you're being deprived and you crave sweet things more.
Think of why you start binging, how you feel when you do, how you feel after. Are there triggers that start you off? Foods that makes things worse?
I find jaffa cakes are my trigger, I can't just have one I want the whole pack, and a glass of milk goes lovely with it and then its something else and on and on. .
You need to find something else to 'comfort' you or take your mind off it; a bath, a book, a walk. Exercise can be great and is so beneficial but you need to really want it and it's easier to do when there's a purpose to it. If you feel like you're going to start binging, get out of the kitchen, a walk can work great or even just put on some music.
Fill your house with healthy/low point foods so a binge will do less damage if it happens.
You can do this, this lull in weight loss is only temporary, just a little thing to make your challenge a little harder but you are way more than able to overcome it. Hope this helps and best of luck

ya-what-now?

Hi AJman,

Firstly congratulations on losing so much weight. I'm a ww'er myself and have around 6stone. Please don't be too hard on yourself - this in itself could be the root of all problems, but I'm no professional so I'd definitely suggest you look at that bodywhys website and seek information from more qualified people too

But at the same time I have been in the same mindset as you're describing so often, and I think a lot of people who are losing weight or overweight would definitely sympathize wtih where you're coming from. I'm not too far from my goal myself and have really hit a plateau which has been going on for a good few months now. I'm doing weight watchers since early 2008. Recently I've gotten my head back in the game and I am going to do my best to keep the focus. But what I do know is when you're not focused and eating what you want sometimes you just need to give yourself a break.

If you are constantly focused on the things you're doing wrong it can be really hard to get your head back in the game and return to eating a balanced diet. My suggestions would be to change up your routine. If you're finding that the evenings are really your weakest point, see if you can rope a few friends into some activity 2 evenings a week - whether it be football or a spinning class or just going to a gym if you're a member. Try and pair up with friends so you have somebody else to help with your motivation and it gets you out of the house at your worst time.

Keeping yourself busy is definitely a good distraction, and once you start something new, you might find it really helps you get focused again. But if you're finding the binging is persistant I'd definitely talk to somebody with more knowledge on the matter.

Best of luck

offroadannie

on a practical note, maybe you are run down/tired out - you could try vitamin b supplements or iron? might explain why cravings start as the day goes on, need something to boost your energy

you've done brilliant so far and are now taking steps to get back on track, so fair play to you

Blatter

I think alot of people can relate to you. Personally, I also don't think of binge eating as an eating disorder in the same way as bulimia or anorexia, simply because many people go through these phases and get through them without medical help. I'm going to give you some tips to help you with this.

No1. Distinguish between emotional eating and eating when you're hungry. This is relatively simple, when you are genuinely hungry, it dosen't just happen all of a sudden, it builds up over time and your body will give you signs, ie. stomach rumbling. If it is a sudden rush that you experience, and you find yourself wanting to eat because of anything else ie. feeling bored, commercial break on tv., feeling down, feeling elated, etc. then drink a pint or so of water and tell yourself this is emotional eating and I'm not actually hungry. After a while, your body will stop expecting food in accordance to your emotions. This is the root of binge eating, and the only way to permanently stop binge eating.

No.2 Keep your blood sugar levels in check. Google information on the GI index and learn all about it. It will tell you foods that raise your blood sugar levels, keep them steady, and cause a decline in them. In general, it's refined carbohydrates(White bread,sweets,junk) which cause the steep rise, natural carbohydrates(Whole grain, plain yoghurt, fruit,) which keeps the levels steady and fats/proteins(cheese, meats, nuts) that will cause the decline. The problem with WW is that they promote a high carb, low fat diet, which leads to peoples' blood sugar levels being dragged all over the place. My advice to you would be, to keep your blood sugar levels in check, limit your intake of refined carbs greatly, and up your intake of proteins and fats. Eat natural, non refined carbs in moderation.(150-200g a day)

Do these two things, and I promise you it will work out for you. Btw, the diet I suggested above, with a weights program thrown in, will get you ripped.

Hope I've helped.

neuro-praxis

http://marinotherapycentre.com/

Give these guys a ring. You may be suffering binge eating disorder. Just call them for a chat and see where you go from there. For now, try to stop stressing about food or weight. The more you stress the more you'll eat (as I'm sure you know).

Loaloaloa

I know how you feel. I seem to be going something similar for the last while. I lost a stone with ww. Then lost a further ten lbs through low carb and exercise. That brought me to my goal weight but I revised and decided I wanted to lose another 1/2 a stone. I looked great, felt really fit and was getting loads of compliments... but instead of this galvanising me to stick with my plan, I got fed up and would eat healthily for a few days and then binge eat rubbish. Or start full of motivation every morning and then, like you, have one bad thing, say a piece of chocolate after lunch, and decide 'no point now' and have a huge dinner followed by desert, followed by cheese and toast etc etc. I think it could be that food is not just fuel in your mind. There's still an association that eating loads of bad stuff is a treat instead of self destructive behaviour. I'm trying to focus on how good I felt and keep reminding myself of that whenever I'm tempted to hit the cupboard in the evening. I put on ten lbs over goal over the summer because of this stupid behaviour so Im hoping to have that off again for xmas. Good luck.