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I think I have an eating disorder . . .
So, this isn't the usual anorexia/bulimia lark. In fact, I can't stop eating. I'm not huge, but I could really do with shedding a couple of stone. I feel like crap and I am really unfit. I'm currently over 12st, and should idealy be no higher than 9.5st as I am really short (5'2")
However, I can't stop eating. I get depressed, tell myself I need to lose weight, try and eat well. But I come over all manic and find myself raiding the fridge at midnight. It's beyond a lack of self control and tbh, I am getting scared by it.
I used to be quite fit and healthy, going to the gym etc. I managed to get from 11st down to 9st 10lb. But then I hooked up with someone really unsuitable, and had exams, so a combination of not being able to get out to excercise (I had revision) and boyfriend-induced-depression made me eat a lot and put on a lot of weight. That was nearly 4 years ago!
Since then, I have had more exams, really bad depression at times and just have not been excercising. I find going for a run cripplingly demoralising as I am so exposed to other people, and I don't have a gym close enough. As I am not at school anymore, I can't use my old gym very easily. People suggest taking up a sport, but who wants a fat, inexperienced 18 year old on their team? Besides, I am so unfit that the whole experience is painful, and I don't cope with that very well. Not an excuse, I know.
so, to summarise, I can't stop eating. It is getting obsessive. I am scared. I have tried self control and whenever I do, it is like I sleepwalk towards food.
Is this worth bothering a professional about, or do I just have to keep trying?
However, I can't stop eating. I get depressed, tell myself I need to lose weight, try and eat well. But I come over all manic and find myself raiding the fridge at midnight. It's beyond a lack of self control and tbh, I am getting scared by it.
I used to be quite fit and healthy, going to the gym etc. I managed to get from 11st down to 9st 10lb. But then I hooked up with someone really unsuitable, and had exams, so a combination of not being able to get out to excercise (I had revision) and boyfriend-induced-depression made me eat a lot and put on a lot of weight. That was nearly 4 years ago!
Since then, I have had more exams, really bad depression at times and just have not been excercising. I find going for a run cripplingly demoralising as I am so exposed to other people, and I don't have a gym close enough. As I am not at school anymore, I can't use my old gym very easily. People suggest taking up a sport, but who wants a fat, inexperienced 18 year old on their team? Besides, I am so unfit that the whole experience is painful, and I don't cope with that very well. Not an excuse, I know.
so, to summarise, I can't stop eating. It is getting obsessive. I am scared. I have tried self control and whenever I do, it is like I sleepwalk towards food.
Is this worth bothering a professional about, or do I just have to keep trying?
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I think you should see your GP.. I understand your problem completely and have suffered in the same way. You need to break the cycle, its not the easiest of tasks, but your doc might have some ideas on how to get started.
Don't be scared, do you have a friend you can enlist to help you? Sometimes its good to have someone around to say 'Do you really want to do that?'
Don't be scared, do you have a friend you can enlist to help you? Sometimes its good to have someone around to say 'Do you really want to do that?'
well, my boyfriend tries to remind me that it isn't healthy, but I just end up snapping at him. I feel rotten about that. But as soon as people start going on about my weight, I get very defensive.
definately definately go see someone, a counsellor, psychotherapist or someone n maybe they will be able to help you understand why you have these binges and give you coping methods to help you not do it. dont't feel its not serious enough to see someone coz if its making you feel so unhappy then its definately serious enough
good luck
good luck
Anonymous
It's beyond a lack of self control and tbh, I am getting scared by it.
No it's not. It's meant to be hard, otherwise everyone would be slim and toned.
Just stop eating biscuits.
DanGrover
No it's not. It's meant to be hard, otherwise everyone would be slim and toned.
Just stop eating biscuits.
Just stop eating biscuits.
Would you give that advice to anyone with a compulsive issue?
Yes, self control is the issue here. But sometimes people need help with it.
Anonymous
Would you give that advice to anyone with a compulsive issue?
Yes, self control is the issue here. But sometimes people need help with it.
Yes, self control is the issue here. But sometimes people need help with it.
No. Randomly wanting to jump out in front of a bus is not normal. Wanting to eat chocolate at midnight is.
So as long as the subject of the obsession is "normal", the degree of the obsession is irrelevant?
It may not be a mental thing, but it could well be a form of addiction.
It may not be a mental thing, but it could well be a form of addiction.
Oh, and incidentally, it was wanting to jump in front of a bus that started all of this . . .
You should get some help with this, chick. It doesn't sound like a pleasant experience at all, and from what you've described it seems as though you might benefit from a bit of professional help. Your GP will be able to refer you to a local counselling service. Well worth it in my opinion.
In the mean time, you could try some of the following methods. Before you feel like you're about to have a binge ask yourself what you're feeling at that moment. Are you upset or stressed out? An emotion can trigger eating. So, ask yourself how you feel and then ask yourself if eating will solve this problem. It most probably won't. Think twice, I guess.
Also, you could try keeping a food diary. Before each new day, write out meal time slots with snack slots too, so, "Breakfast... Snack... Lunch... Snack... Dinner... Snack". This way you can keep track of what you're eating and when, and also can help to regulate your eating a bit more. If you eat regularly throughout the day, you will find cravings become lesser in the evenings.
Also, avoid your triggers! If a trigger for you is, for example, being bored during the evening (and what do you do when you're bored? Eat!), try and plan an evening or structure it so that you don't find the time to be bored and result in eating.
If you find yourself needing to binge, you could try and put it off for 10 minutes. Usually in 10 minutes the cravings will have gone, and you'll have been successful!
Is it a matter of pure habit that you're now eating during the evening? Maybe it's subconciously in your brain that you just eat in the evening. Almost like it's programmed? Try and break it! Keep yourself busy, like I said earlier, or you could try having a bath or something.
If you find yourself unable to give in to a binge, maybe you could keep healthy foods around, because a binge on fruit is gonna be healthier than a binge on, for example, carbs and fats.
I hope you find that helpful.
In the mean time, you could try some of the following methods. Before you feel like you're about to have a binge ask yourself what you're feeling at that moment. Are you upset or stressed out? An emotion can trigger eating. So, ask yourself how you feel and then ask yourself if eating will solve this problem. It most probably won't. Think twice, I guess.
Also, you could try keeping a food diary. Before each new day, write out meal time slots with snack slots too, so, "Breakfast... Snack... Lunch... Snack... Dinner... Snack". This way you can keep track of what you're eating and when, and also can help to regulate your eating a bit more. If you eat regularly throughout the day, you will find cravings become lesser in the evenings.
Also, avoid your triggers! If a trigger for you is, for example, being bored during the evening (and what do you do when you're bored? Eat!), try and plan an evening or structure it so that you don't find the time to be bored and result in eating.
If you find yourself needing to binge, you could try and put it off for 10 minutes. Usually in 10 minutes the cravings will have gone, and you'll have been successful!
Is it a matter of pure habit that you're now eating during the evening? Maybe it's subconciously in your brain that you just eat in the evening. Almost like it's programmed? Try and break it! Keep yourself busy, like I said earlier, or you could try having a bath or something.
If you find yourself unable to give in to a binge, maybe you could keep healthy foods around, because a binge on fruit is gonna be healthier than a binge on, for example, carbs and fats.
I hope you find that helpful.
I can't say I've been in the same situation as you, because I don't think I've ever obssessed with food that much. However, I've struggled with my weight, I put on a lot of weight when my brother died 'cos nobody really cared about eating healthily then in the house, and I just kind of carried on eating ever since, but just kept putting weight on. I weigh about 13st now, I don't feel HUGE 'cos at the moment I've taken up swimming and an aerobics & slimming class, I know I'm eating healthily and doing all I can to get fit and get the weight back off me! (where it belongs)
It's really hard to say when you need help for something; if it's really obsessive, 'cos nobody's in your mind. I used to eat a lot, mainly because I was bored, or I'd get cravings for chocolate muffins..which I still get..but that isn't the point :P What kind of things are you eating when you do eat meals? Maybe you're eating loads because you're not eating stuff that fills you up. Carbohydrates contain the same amount of fat per gram whether they're sugary or starchy, it's just that a potato will fill you up, whereas a bar of chocolate will just leave you wanting more.
I used to love hockey, don't want to join a team right now because I know I'm not half as good as the other players and it's too much trouble to find one at the moment with lots of schoolwork etc, and I can see why you might not want to go swimming or to the gym, so buy a fitness video! I have one that has 3 20min workouts on it and I do one every day when I'm not doing something else (e.g. swimming/aerobics) and I find it really helps. Last time I did that and ate relatively healthily I lose quite a lot of weight.
Motivating yourself to do something is REALLY difficult. Don't buy chocolate/crisps/biscuits etc. If they're in the house you know you'll eat them. Get someone to get fit with you, my mum's healthy eating and exercising with me at the moment too so I'm finding it's a LOT easier to stick to because of that.
It's hard to get started...but once you do, it gets easier, you won't crave sweet stuff when you've been off it for a while, and you can still treat yourself every now and then, you can lose weight without starving.
It's really hard to say when you need help for something; if it's really obsessive, 'cos nobody's in your mind. I used to eat a lot, mainly because I was bored, or I'd get cravings for chocolate muffins..which I still get..but that isn't the point :P What kind of things are you eating when you do eat meals? Maybe you're eating loads because you're not eating stuff that fills you up. Carbohydrates contain the same amount of fat per gram whether they're sugary or starchy, it's just that a potato will fill you up, whereas a bar of chocolate will just leave you wanting more.
I used to love hockey, don't want to join a team right now because I know I'm not half as good as the other players and it's too much trouble to find one at the moment with lots of schoolwork etc, and I can see why you might not want to go swimming or to the gym, so buy a fitness video! I have one that has 3 20min workouts on it and I do one every day when I'm not doing something else (e.g. swimming/aerobics) and I find it really helps. Last time I did that and ate relatively healthily I lose quite a lot of weight.
Motivating yourself to do something is REALLY difficult. Don't buy chocolate/crisps/biscuits etc. If they're in the house you know you'll eat them. Get someone to get fit with you, my mum's healthy eating and exercising with me at the moment too so I'm finding it's a LOT easier to stick to because of that.
It's hard to get started...but once you do, it gets easier, you won't crave sweet stuff when you've been off it for a while, and you can still treat yourself every now and then, you can lose weight without starving.
It is an obsession problem - its not a "just stop eating" thing. And you deffinetly need to see someone and if u cant feel like you can do that - deffinetly get someone to watch u and keep u in check - make it someone u really care about becuz its more difficult to lie to them. i know because i was beuliemic for a long time and my bf used to ask me about it and i felt i couldnt lie to him and stuff so he helped me get through it. i know how u feel cuz i used to binge eat and then feel awful and get rid of it. So u should def see someone
Ok, firstly, and I don't want to be offensive, but I'd say you most probably are quite large. I know people say BMI doesnt calculate very well but I doubt you're a body builder since you dont exercise so, your BMI is you are 12st 2ish is 31.1 which is in the 'obese' category. So I really think you should go and see your doctor as your binging is clearly affecting your health. Honestly I dont think you have an 'eating disorder' and this may sound horrible but you just need to get off your bum and do some exercise, if this is that important to you then you will do it, and when you realise that youre starting to lose weight hopefully you'll feel better about yourself and therefore stop the binging.
Anonymous
Honestly I dont think you have an 'eating disorder' and this may sound horrible but you just need to get off your bum and do some exercise, if this is that important to you then you will do it, and when you realise that youre starting to lose weight hopefully you'll feel better about yourself and therefore stop the binging.
Maybe you should do some research and actually know what you are talking about, before making uninformed assumptions.
Binge Eating Disorder.
srslysweets
Maybe you should do some research and actually know what you are talking about, before making uninformed assumptions.
Binge Eating Disorder.
Binge Eating Disorder.
Ok so they're recently decided there's such a thing as a binge eating disorder, that just means that people binge, what I mean is that I don't think it's such a psychological problem as e.g. anorexia. but I do think that some people just lump themselves into that as an excuse to not do anything about it, in the same way that is sometimes done with depression. That may sound harsh, but I think in some cases it is true. I said that she should go and see a doctor. But doing some exercise and seeing weight loss might be just a valid way to realise you don't need to binge.
Anonymous
Ok, firstly, and I don't want to be offensive, but I'd say you most probably are quite large. I know people say BMI doesnt calculate very well but I doubt you're a body builder since you dont exercise so, your BMI is you are 12st 2ish is 31.1 which is in the 'obese' category.
Not forgetting that BMI doesn't distinguish between muscle and fat. It could class an athletic person as overweight. Muscle is more dense than fat.
spacecowgirl89
Not forgetting that BMI doesn't distinguish between muscle and fat. It could class an athletic person as overweight. Muscle is more dense than fat.
Yes but she says she doesnt exercise so BMI is likely to be a fair indicator.
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