For the longest time, I didn't realize that I was a compulsive overeater or that I suffered from Binge-eating disorder. I just thought that I was a fat, ugly, disgusting slob, who ate way too much. I felt so bad about myself. I couldn't understand why I couldn't stop eating. I mean a normal person can eat a handful of potato chips, I had to eat the whole bag, and I couldn't stop myself from doing it.
Because of this, I'm obese and facing some serious health problems like hypertension (high blood pressure), which can lead to kidney failure or heart failure. I don't want to die young. Like I said in my previous post, I don't believe that any other weight loss program out there will help me lose the weight because it doesn't really address the underlying reasons for why I eat so much and why I feel so out of control.
The other day, I went to my doctor, who kept telling me to lose weight. Do weight watchers. Do this. Do that. It's frustrating. If you suffer from this and you are overweight or obese, then you know how I feel. You feel annoyed because it's the millionth person telling you to lose weight. You feel ashamed because of your weight. You feel out of control. You feel as if no one understands you. My doctor doesn't understand and it's such a shameful issue for that, that it's hard for me to talk about and be honest.
People only see the effect and not the cause of my weight. So they give advice, admonish or try to diagnose based solely on my weight. But no one has EVER asked me if there was something else going on with me emotionally. I'm seen as a non-compliant patient who is refusing to lose to weight. It's sad. Because the more people tell me what I need to do, the more I want to run and hide and eat a gallon of ice cream, because at least the ice cream will make me feel good for a little while.
I have tried to make my mother understand, but I don't think she gets it. She's a nurse, she sees it from a physical health perspective but not a mental health perspective. I know that if I lose the weight that every single one of my health issues will get better. I want to be better. I do. But there is so much more work that I need to do before I can even contemplate losing weight and I don't think my mom or my doctor's understand that.
So what is binge eating and how do you know if you suffer from it?
People overeat all of the time. But there's a difference between the person who overeats occasionally and the person who does it on a continued basis. Here are the symptoms:
Because of this, I'm obese and facing some serious health problems like hypertension (high blood pressure), which can lead to kidney failure or heart failure. I don't want to die young. Like I said in my previous post, I don't believe that any other weight loss program out there will help me lose the weight because it doesn't really address the underlying reasons for why I eat so much and why I feel so out of control.
The other day, I went to my doctor, who kept telling me to lose weight. Do weight watchers. Do this. Do that. It's frustrating. If you suffer from this and you are overweight or obese, then you know how I feel. You feel annoyed because it's the millionth person telling you to lose weight. You feel ashamed because of your weight. You feel out of control. You feel as if no one understands you. My doctor doesn't understand and it's such a shameful issue for that, that it's hard for me to talk about and be honest.
People only see the effect and not the cause of my weight. So they give advice, admonish or try to diagnose based solely on my weight. But no one has EVER asked me if there was something else going on with me emotionally. I'm seen as a non-compliant patient who is refusing to lose to weight. It's sad. Because the more people tell me what I need to do, the more I want to run and hide and eat a gallon of ice cream, because at least the ice cream will make me feel good for a little while.
I have tried to make my mother understand, but I don't think she gets it. She's a nurse, she sees it from a physical health perspective but not a mental health perspective. I know that if I lose the weight that every single one of my health issues will get better. I want to be better. I do. But there is so much more work that I need to do before I can even contemplate losing weight and I don't think my mom or my doctor's understand that.
So what is binge eating and how do you know if you suffer from it?
People overeat all of the time. But there's a difference between the person who overeats occasionally and the person who does it on a continued basis. Here are the symptoms:
- Eating unusually large amounts of food
- Eating even when you're full or not hungry
- Eating rapidly during binge episodes
- Eating until you're uncomfortably full
- Frequently eating alone
- Feeling that your eating behavior is out of control
- Feeling depressed, disgusted, ashamed, guilty or upset about your eating
- Experiencing depression and anxiety
- Feeling isolated and having difficulty talking about your feelings
- Frequently dieting, possibly without weight loss
- Losing and gaining weight repeatedly, also called yo-yo dieting
Here is an example from a binge eater's journal:
8:10 am--1 plain bagel and 1 cup decaf--office--Feel good. Determined to do well.
8:25am--1 cup decaf--office
11:00am--1 banana--office
1:10pm--1 cup vegetable soup,small vanilla yogurt--office
8:00pm--pasta salad with salami, potato salad--kitchen--Too much I've broken my diet again
8:30pm--6 scoops ice cream, 10-15 ritz crackers, 16 oz bag of potato chips, diet coke, large slice of cake, 5 kitkats, diet coke--kitchen--Crying, feel my life is pointless, I can't stop, I've no self-control, I just give up
If the above example is something that you go through on a frequent basis, then you may suffer from binge eating disorder.
If you do, then you must get help as soon as possible. This disorder could lead to serious physical and mental health complications, like diabetes, depression, suicide and so forth. If you've gotten help, please follow this blog, I will have plenty of steps and ways to combat this! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!
By reading this, I feel as if you need to get on track with your mental state first, before even doing anything with your diet. First of all, you have to change your deeatest mindset.
ReplyDeleteYou need to INVEST money into weight loss. Because money as a form of energy will give you the results. If you want free instant weight loss success, it won't happen. You have to pay for your failure. Pretty much.
No investment, no results. Simple. You have to outguilt, your guilt.
Thank you for your reply. I don't think you really understood what I was saying. I know that weight loss won't be easy or fast.
ReplyDeleteAs a binge eater, anything with weight loss will ultimately fail if it doesn't address binge eating. Binge eating is not something that one can just wake up and get over. It takes a lot of work and that's what this blog is for. Once the binge eating is under control, then I plan to focus on losing weight.
I personally don't believe in paying for information that you can get for free. Some people need the structure of a group or an individual. I know what the correction portions for food are, I know what's good for you and what's not good for you. But it's pointless, if I'm going to end up stuffing my face with a pound of cheesecake.
The best weight loss programs are the ones that do not make you go on crazy diets. You will not lose weight if you are uncomfortable with the food you are eating. You will feel stressed about trying to remember what you can and cannot eat. Being stressed will not help you to lose weight. It might even make you gain weight. Thanks a lot...
ReplyDeleteI like this all description about binge eating.
ReplyDelete