Support needed with eating disorder!

[GorgiePaul]

Hi, I've been directed here by my SW consultant, and this is my first posting.

Having joing SW in January this year and lost 2st 12lb by the middle of May - by which time I'd been elected group man of the year; I hit a period of clinical depression - a feature throughout my life.

Since then, my weight has remained more or less the same, mainly because when I'm depressed I experience a number of food phobias and tend to binge on easily accessible things that don't need much preparation, such as yogurt.

Now, even when I use such foods as SW classifies a 'free' and therefore supposedly unlimited for this purpose, clearly there comes a point when it is unhealthy and, even if not actually contributing to weight gain, certainly not condusive to further weight loss; and of course the other problem is that it all but encourages the bingeing - which isn't a good thing at all!

Does anyone else experience such problems - and if so, how do you deal with them?

I've been to my doctor - he is referring me to a counsellor and to the community dietician - and this forum is SW's response...

Thanks in advance,

Paul.

 

[bluemoon]

Hi Paul, I can't offer much advice but I just wanted to welcome you to the board. Hope you can find the answer x

 

[Taz]

Well your SW consultant has directed you to a good site as everyone here is very supportive. I don't really know what to suggest about the binging but I'm sure there are others on here who have had the same experiences. You seem to be getting the help you need from the docs and anything else you need you should be able to find here x

 

[Starlight]

Just wanted to welcome you to Minimins Im not on SW myself but Im sure someone will be along very soon to offer advice.

 

[GorgiePaul]

Thanks all. I've done as you've suggested, Dancing.

As you've probably guessed, I haven't really worked out to navigate around this site as yet - it has taken me all this time to work out how to get back to my thread!!

 

[Pixie]

Hi Paul,


I went through something very similar in my early 20's after overcoming anorexia & bulimia in my teens.
It lead to me putting a massive amount of weight on (around 6st in 6 onths)
I lost 5st of this weight last year with Lighterlife,however have put on 19lbs over the last 18 months.
At the minute I am trying to get into SW as a healthy way of eating although its not easy, I have the similar eating patterns to you in that my diet is very limited (im veggie & very wary of most foods, I tend to stick to 'safe' foods)
As you say this seems to have hindered my weight loss as I have so far lost nothing in 16 days on SW (in fact have gained a little have been told this will be water as I was not previously eating food just proten shakes)
Personally I think it would be a good idea for you to stick to SW plan as it will help you to maintain your weight (if not lose slightly) while you work to overcome your issues.
At least this way you can have as many free 'safe' food you like.
Good luck x

 

[mod-karen79]

Hi, I've been directed here by my SW consultant, and this is my first posting.

Having joing SW in January this year and lost 2st 12lb by the middle of May - by which time I'd been elected group man of the year; I hit a period of clinical depression - a feature throughout my life.

Since then, my weight has remained more or less the same, mainly because when I'm depressed I experience a number of food phobias and tend to binge on easily accessible things that don't need much preparation, such as yogurt.

Now, even when I use such foods as SW classifies a 'free' and therefore supposedly unlimited for this purpose, clearly there comes a point when it is unhealthy and, even if not actually contributing to weight gain, certainly not condusive to further weight loss; and of course the other problem is that it all but encourages the bingeing - which isn't a good thing at all!

Does anyone else experience such problems - and if so, how do you deal with them?

I've been to my doctor - he is referring me to a counsellor and to the community dietician - and this forum is SW's response...

Thanks in advance,

Paul.

i can 100% relate to where you're coming paul. i agree that SW offers a healthy way to lose weight, etc, but it doesn't address the binge eating element that so many of us struggle with and that's always been a concern of mine. i'm lucky in that i don't binge like used to when i was younger, but i'm prone to the occassional day (1 or 2 days a week). on these days i just try to make the right choices with what i do binge on, but sometimes i do choose high carbs foods like pasta, which obviously don't help when i can eat a 500g bag of pasta in one sitting, but it's just something i have learnt to live with. i accept that this may not help me lose weight, but if i wasn't on SW i may end up eating something like a large pizza hut pizza to myself, which would cause me to gain.

if i do have one of these binge days i will try and regain control but having the next 2 or 3 days on success express or at least have loads of fibre and vegetable based meals.

i too suffer from depressive periods, but i have had counselling (for anxiety, panic attacks and depression) and although i thought it didn't help at the time, on reflection it definately has. i have to say my counsellor was crap at helping me with my weight issue - she simply said eat healthier and less amounts!!! derr thanks for that love! lol

i hope you can find some way of dealing with your problem as your weightloss has been great so far

 

[Taz]

On the subject of free food being a 'licence to binge', I have to disagree. It's like saying that VLCD's are inciting anorexia. Any diet is designed to help people lose weight in a safe and controlled way but ultimately the individual is responsible for the way they manage that. If you have a tendency to binge then surely you would do it with or without the guidelines of SW? It seems like the free food is providing you with an excuse to binge even though you don't actually need one. What would you have binged on if you weren't a SW member? Would you have exercised restraint if you were eating 'normally'? I'm guessing that the answer is probably No and therefore the things you are binging on now are most likely healthier foods in general and having them as 'all you can eat' foods has provided you with a convenient scapegoat to a problem that is actually separate from dieting and weightloss.

I'm sorry if this has come across as being a little harsh but it is just my opinion of the situation. Eating disorders are rarely about weight and should be dealt with properly. You seem to be doing the best thing by consulting with your doctor but I always think that a weight loss plan is never a good idea for someone with an eating disorder as it will only highlight any issues they have with food

 

[KD]

Thanks all. I've done as you've suggested, Dancing.

As you've probably guessed, I haven't really worked out to navigate around this site as yet - it has taken me all this time to work out how to get back to my thread!!

I've replied on your other thread as it was feeling neglected

BTW, you can find your thread by going to the darker blue bar (above) and clicking on quick links, then 'subscribed threads'.

Another way is to have replies to your messages go into your email box. You'll get the link there too.

Oh...another way is to click on your name in the light blue box above, where it says Welcome. That will take you to your profile, then click 'statistics' and 'find all posts by GorgiePaul

 

[KD]

On the subject of free food being a 'licence to binge', I have to disagree. It's like saying that VLCD's are inciting anorexia. Any diet is designed to help people lose weight in a safe and controlled way but ultimately the individual is responsible for the way they manage that. If you have a tendency to binge then surely you would do it with or without the guidelines of SW? It seems like the free food is providing you with an excuse to binge even though you don't actually need one. What would you have binged on if you weren't a SW member? Would you have exercised restraint if you were eating 'normally'? I'm guessing that the answer is probably No and therefore the things you are binging on now are most likely healthier foods in general and having them as 'all you can eat' foods has provided you with a convenient scapegoat to a problem that is actually separate from dieting and weightloss.

I'm sorry if this has come across as being a little harsh but it is just my opinion of the situation. Eating disorders are rarely about weight and should be dealt with properly. You seem to be doing the best thing by consulting with your doctor but I always think that a weight loss plan is never a good idea for someone with an eating disorder as it will only highlight any issues they have with food

Interesting read there Taz. I found myself going Yes! Yes! followed by

, followed by Yes! Yes! then

Just my opinion and all that

 

[one day at a time]

Hi GP,
As this is not a medical forum and can only say what we know and what we have experienced and of course offer you support.
There was a 2 page article in The Times "Wrong kind of shrink" around the gastric by passes and band etc which deals with volume of food but the patient or client then has to go away and deal with the complusion to eat which of course they are unable to do at first.
Iit mentions people liquising Mcdonalds foods.
" if you are eating because of a need in your brain rather than a need for stomach satiety signals, having your stomach reduced is not going to solve that" Quote....
It goes on to say that people who cant placate with food tend to get depressed or swap addictions ( if it is addictive eating)
I suppose the work has to be on the desire to eat and i agree for myself that eating vast quanities of free food doe not help as its feeding the addiction.
I am a complusive eater so setting a start and finish to a meal as well as not eating in between meals helps.
Unless you eat complusivley its very hard to understand its not the same as over eating and again thats my own experience a complusive eater cant stop and eats to oblvion or gets ill.
Gillian Riley has done a very good book and runs seminars on the subject of complusive addictive eating. Any way sorry if it sounds a bit heavy but its life consuming to be in its grip keep posting and asking lol Simone

 

[dehli]

I can't really help as I used to pig out on chocolate (but now I don't have it in the house I can't do that) but I don't think that's the same as bingeing.

Have you tried going to a hypnotist?

One thing that may help, is keep a diary and every time you get the urge to binge, write down everything you're thinking and feeling before you start, and what set off the urge, if you know. If you do binge, write down afterwards how you're feeling. If you do this every time, you may see a pattern emerge showing what triggers it, and you may be able to make sense of your feelings and where they stem from. Most people with addictions are using it to hide feelings or suppress memories.

Good luck with it, I hope the doctors can help you.