VLCD and my one hour weekly Psychodynamic therapy

[GoingForGoalWeight]

I need some advice please.

In January 2010 i started a weekly Weight Watchers class and in twelve months I'd lost over seven stones.

In January 2011 I started to have weekly one hour Psychodynamic therapy sessions.

This January, 2012 I have put back onthe seven stones as a result of eating to quell emotions, memories etc thrown uo by the therapy.

I now weigh 26 stones 11 1/2 LB.

I'm due to restart therapy with same therapist after Christmas break for the next twelve months.

I cannot go back to Weight Watchers as I'm unable to control food portion sizes. I really do not want to be 30 stones by Summer.

I have not discussed stopping therapy yet with my therapist.

I have obviously always overate but when i started Weight Watchers i felt very different, i lost a ,lot of weight, fekt good and felt confident enough to sort out my bad learn't behaviour from my childhood.

I'm about to start a VLCD which involves no food and I'm worried that I will break the diet because therapy compels me to stuff my face. I could have stroke/heart attack. It has to be diet or therapy not both. Guess I'm worried I could undo our good work. therapy has really helped and I'm more peaceful. S?till long way to go though and weight stops me living my life to fullest which therapy is trying to get me to do grrr

So should i get to goal weight and then restart therapy..

Sorry it is long and rambly ,,

Thanks in advance

I'm not sure you are seeing things in their right perspective. It isn't therapy that makes you 'stuff your face' (get out of the habit of saying unpleasant things like that about yourself) it is the emotions that you have been pushing down finally getting out. You can control emotions with strict dieting as much as with overeating so that's why you were so good at doing WW, you switch to 'diet mode' and all is well. I know, because I did the same. I'm now after several years of therapy (and still not finished) slowly (note that word) losing some weight with the help of my doctor.

I understand your health concern, and you are right to be worried, but this is not the time to crash diet (and that is assuming that your VLCD is prescribed by a doctor). 'Breaking a diet' is one mindset to get out of. It's not a prison sentence. You need to learn to eat healthily and balanced, away from diets that harm you (rapid weightloss and gain is believed to be more harmful than being statically overweight).

What in the end really helped me is learning that eating was a childhood survival tool and really helped me then. Then tackled the childhood stuff in therapy, then used CBT techniques to actually tackle the bingeing, because knowing why you binge does not stop it.

I can recommend Christopher Fairburn's 'Overcoming Binge Eating', you can get it on the NHS Bibliotherapy program.

Thank you madmouse.