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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to accept to feel so hopeless surrounding my binge eating

34 replies

Glucose95 · 05/05/2024 13:57

Hi all,
it took a lot of courage to write about this so please be kind…

Throughout my life I have always struggled with food. Maybe due to childhood trauma - not sure - but I can remember using food as a coping mechanism for stress since I was about 10.

I am late 20s now and have endured years of my weight up-young from about 10 stone to 19 stone.

I did so well throughout 2023, avoided UPF, stuck to mainly natural foods and brisk walked daily. My weight was about 11 stones in November.

Fast forward to today, and I am now back at 16 stones and my weight is only going up. I am binging on so much sugary food, just as a coping mechanism for stress. Like, when I am stressed I may go for chocolate. The problem is though, when I do it is not just one bar I go for, I often eat about 8 in one sitting.

I know it is all due to stress, but I can’t help but thinking how much it causes me to spiral in general. When I am the weight I am now I have less confidence (eg won’t take photos etc) and feel lower than I would be if I was back at where I was last year. All my nice clothes are at a smaller weight as I don’t want to buy new clothes as I am now as I don’t want to stay here. It just spirals….

Does anyone else use food as a coping mechanism for stress, and if so please could you share strategies for getting past this?

I just feel so hopeless about myself (eg weight) when I go through one of these binging periods.

Are there NHS services for this type of eating?

I heard someone speak on the radio and describe their situation (which totally resonated with mine) and it was described as “binge eating disorder”.

I never really saw myself as having an eating disorder before, but the more I think about it the more it makes sense…

Will I be stuck in this constant state of flux with my weight throughout my life?

I worry that it won’t be a long life with all of the health complications that eating so much sugar can bring…

OP posts:
BMW6 · 05/05/2024 16:53

I'm another suggesting an addiction support group - try your local CGL (Care Grow Live) support groups.

StillYourFavouriteRegret · 05/05/2024 16:46

Oh this is all very familiar!

I was such a binge eater after a childhood traumatic incident. I think at my biggest I was 16 stone, and I'm pretty short so it wasn't great.

I don't honestly know what changed. I just woke up and was ready to get a grip of it. The overeating made me feel so ill, I had awful reflux and slept terribly if I had binged.

I went through months of pretty much solely eating homemade soup; now I eat lunch and tea but keep to decent portions and really minimise the carbs.

I think my stomach has shrunk as my appetite has just dropped through the floor; I honestly don't know how I used to eat what I did. Food pretty rarely enters my thoughts now whereas before it dominated my days.

So..I'm sorry I don't have specific advice for you. But you can go cold turkey on it, you really can. When you start to feel so much healthier and good about yourself, you're just motivated not to backslide.

Debtfreeme · 05/05/2024 16:39

I have tried overeaters anonymous, similar to AA for people with problems with food and I deli d it really helpful. It’s a really hard one but I can’t eat sugar in any form and accepting that and cutting it out has been life changing. I really felt like an alcoholic around food

TryingAgainAgainAgain · 05/05/2024 16:33

twohotwaterbottles · 05/05/2024 16:28

Hey OP. Please reach out to your GP to discuss your concerns about a possible rating disorder. It sounds like a talk with a health professional may be of benefit here. Good luck 😊

And what do you think OP might be offered by the overwhelmed primary care service? If it's anything like my experience, in effect? nothing. Cookie cutter 'see your GP' responses are unhelpful.

twohotwaterbottles · 05/05/2024 16:28

Hey OP. Please reach out to your GP to discuss your concerns about a possible rating disorder. It sounds like a talk with a health professional may be of benefit here. Good luck 😊

TryingAgainAgainAgain · 05/05/2024 16:23

You could report your post to MN and ask them to move it to 'weight loss chat', especially if you want to be shown kindness. AIBU isn't great for that.

If you search for binge eating on MN there's quite a bit of information including book and support group recommendations. I've had similar issues and am now considering the weight loss injections such as Mounjaro, as many people find this reduces the 'food noise' in their heads.

WiseUp · 05/05/2024 16:22

I take Elvanse (lisdexamphetamine) for ADHD, but it is also prescribed for binge eating disorders. It’s completely sorted out my binge eating, too. I wouldn’t say I had an eating disorder, but I did binge on sugar at times of stress. I no longer do.

Obviously, therapeutic interventions that get to the root of your disordered eating night be preferable. But I just thought I’d add my experience.

MySmallWoo · 05/05/2024 16:19

I can sympathise as I had a gastric sleeve out of desperation and went from 19st to 10st.

I've regained 30lbs and don't know how to control myself :(

Original poster
Glucose95 · 05/05/2024 16:17

Wow, this thread gets no replies!

OP posts: