Please help! I have about 100lbs to lose!

[AnnieOnAMapleLeaf]

Hi everyone. I need some serious help. I have dieted off and on for the past 10 years and nothing works for me in the long run.

I am a severe binge/comfort eater and will eat until I feel ill. I need to learn to cope with stress in other ways but my first instinct is to reach for chocolate, chips, burgers, pizza etc.

I am around 230lbs (I think) and I feel gross. I am tired of being the ugly, fat girl but I have zero willpower.

Can anyone help?

as you know, it is your head that needs the treatment first and you can't get that from the internet.

please make for the GP for some psychiatric assistance to deal with your eating disorder (yes, I know it isn't that easy). We can all stay 'stop buying crap, eat properly, move around' but you know all that!

recognising it is the first step. Good luck!

Thank you special. Unfortunately, my doctor is crap and it will likely be 6-8 weeks before I can get in (I'm in Canada).

I'll do my best until then. But for what it's worth, I absolutely do not have an eating disorder. I just eat way way too much.

Annie
For now, do not change what you eat.
BUT
Record it.
Join MyFitnessPal
Log every single bite and sip
At the same time, start to keep a food / mood diary so that you can start to get your head around the triggers for overeating.

You have to be honest with yourself : if you eat a whole jar of peanut butter with a spoon, log it.
On the other hand if you get through a day eating like a thin person, log it and feel proud

100lb is entirely doable : 6 - 8 months and you'll be there

BUT
to save yourself having to go through the process again, have a look at some mindfulness courses to get your head into the place that your body needs it to be.

Hi OP, I am in a similar position, starting weight of 205 pounds and I am down to 193 pounds through a combination of logging all my food on my fitness pal and asking to be referred to the gym by my GP. It took a few weeks to come through but they were amazing and didn't make me feel bad about myself, just offered encouragement. They worked out my body fat and it is 45%, that really hit me hard - nearly half of my is fat! I feel tired and irritable as lack energy all the time.

I've stopped buying chocolates, biscuits and treats that I pretend are for the dc, which I then binge on myself. Usually soup and ryvitas for lunch when I'm at work, but no snacking in between like I used to. Dinner is usually a large mixed salad and grilled chicken or fish or a stir fry with half the amount of noodles if usually eat. I snack on healthy foods like nuts, seeds, fruit and raw vegetables. I've also stocked up in dates, figs and low fat yogurts and good quality honey for a sweet fix.

My number one tip which may or may not work for others is a cup of hot water first thing in the morning. It makes me feel great in the mornings and I'm not a morning person at all, usually grumpy and still tired as if I haven't slept.

What I've realised is to not stop eating all together as this is not healthy and slows down my weight loss so I try and full up on lots of vegetables and fruit and eat 2 proper meals a day instead of a bowl of cereal when I'm exhausted after work.

I have another 70 pounds to lose and I am determine to do it! Good luck.

There is an app called Recovery Record, on android, don't know about iPhone. It is a food diary where you also log emotions and hunger levels. It doesn't count calories, it is a way of getting you to think about what you eat. It is,supportive and sends little rewards if you use it daily. It's anonymous and there is a buddy system, also you can contact an ED specialist if needed though I've not used it for that. It is more than just a dieting tool.

[https://www.recoveryrecord.com/] tells you a bit about it.

amiga
That App sounds FAB
www.recoveryrecord.com/patient_overview

Bisgetti
Your system sounds splendid.
And YYYYY to no more snacking.
SAve your calories for nice flavoursome filling meals and eating healthily gets easier by the day.

talkinpeace that looks like brilliant advice.

Thank you Talkinpeace. That's exactly how I see it, rather than eating low quality food, I'm trying to eat nutritious meals and the mfp helps me work out what essential vitamins I'm lacking in my diet.

I forgot to add that I'm a classic emotional eater, binge eating in the evenings when the children are in bed and eating secretly. I eat when I'm happy, sad, bored, tired. I have such an unhealthy relationship with food it makes me sad. There was a recent thread asking what people of a healthy weight are eating on a daily basis and that was a real eye opener. Can't believe it taken me so long (am nearly 40) to work this out.

Sorry for my long posts OP, but hopes some of this helps.

Thank you so much for all of the messages.

I have used My Fitness Pal in the past and it did work for me. I lost about 25lbs before I fell off the wagon into a bucket of Oreos. Maybe I'll reinstall it and try again.

Part of my problem is, regardless of my moon, I love junk food. And unfortunately it is considerably cheaper than the healthy options here.

I also have a fitbit which is back on my wrist again. I need to work myself back up to 15,000 steps again. When I was dieting before I found that if I pushed myself to 15,000 or more I could, generally, allow myself a few treats per week.

Annie I'm 228, started at 238. Have put on the weight from trying to numb myself emotionally after being diagnosed with a chronic long term illness.

I'm trying to lose the weight and tackle my binge eating. If you do join MFP again PM me your user name. We both have food issues and similar starting weights and want to lose the same amount of weight. We could help motivate each other.

Best of luck!

Annie
You love junk food because you have conditioned your body to like it.
Please trust me that you can train yourself not to crave it.

Interestingly you mention "treats per week"
I have to admit I've never understood that mentality.
Unless I'm willing to post on FB what the extra achievement in the week is then I cannot see what I've done to earn a treat

the whole treat mentality - as avidly promoted by the food industry - is really dangerous because it encourages a feeling of failure if you cannot have a treat

Christina is trying 5:2 - it might be worth you having a look.
The main cheerleader on the current threads is a wonderful lady called Bigchocfrenzy who used to excel at inhaling a 1lb tub of Haagen Daas

You are not alone.
But once you realise that the binge has to be balanced by 5 or 6 sane days, life will get better
and your long term health will improve.

Hi Annie, how was your weekend? I had a little blip when my sister bought over some mince pies on Saturday!

I will walk to work this morning

Annie,

I know it might sound stupid, but in the evenings when the children go to bed, why not try to do something with your hands that doesn't involve eating?

I think comfort eaters - and especially in the vein that you describe - are actually a bit like smokers. It's partly emotion, but also very much a question of habit, and something to occupy your hands and mouth.

So if you try and keep your hands and brain busy, it may well be much easier to deal with those times where you are craving the process of eating, even when you know you aren't hungry.

It doesn't even have to be something of any practical value - look at some of the DIY projects on pinterest and give one a go. Look at the tutorials on youtube and learn how to fold a few different things in origami. If you have a partner there, get a pack of cards and play a game after dd has gone to bed.

I think mindful eating would really benefit you as it requires you to think before you eat, considering if you really are hungry or is there something else that would be just as satisfying that you could do.

They are many books available on the subject, but Beyond Chocolate is a good one to start with. The authors also do workshops (which are really good) and you'll be happy to know it's not about dieting, it's about learning to listen to your body and eat only when you are hungry.

Good luck. X

I do too. I think I do count as an eating disorder when you look at criteria for binge eating/uncontrolled eating.... especially the feeling of guilt afterwards, sense of being out of control and lack of ability to control it.

Will watch thread for any advise!