Do I Have An Eating Disorder?

[CharlotteW]

Hi.

Here's the situation: I'm 5'6 and weigh 260 lb. Big girl right? Well, I'm kinda built like a mini fridge, I think, but still BMI index says I need to lose half my body weight. Problem is I can't lose weight. Sometimes I find myself munching out of boredom or stress, but I feel compelled to eat more at usual times. I feel great discomfort if I don't up-size my combo meal or don't have a second helping. I wolf it down as fast as I could as though someone were going to take it away from me. And if I don't indulge, I get very, very pissy and angry and I've been known to lash out at people when I'm not feed properly. Does this sound like anything? What should I do? Any thoughts are appriciated.

[Sally]

Hey, welcome to the club!

Not officially an eating disorder, it is a combination of emotional eating and habbit.

First and this is very hard, slow down when you eat, it takes the food a little time to actually arrive at the stomach and send the signals to the brain - how long, if you eat as fast as I do and I'm trying to slow down - you can finish a complete Thanksgiving dinner with dessert and still finish that peanut butter sandwich before the full signal can hit the brain.

Second, change the kinds of foods you eat, counting calories alone will not do it if they are all'empty' calories you will have to continue to eat - your body will demand it.

Eat foods that are more filling, a lot of people will tell you to stay away from all starches and carbs but you need some of them and for the calories and the food value pasta and rice are both very good side dishes - it depends on what you put on them - pasta with alfredo sauce - NO!, pasta with marinara sauce -YES!, rice with butter or rice pudding - NO! - rice with a little soy sauce - YES!

If you must snack - make it an apple, an orange, a pear, a bunch of grapes or a banana - potato chips are the absolute worst - a much bigger offender than French fries.

Do not rule out dairy completely, milk and cheese are excellent sources of vitamins and esential minerals - they also contain some fat, but not enough to make those few calories really hurt.

A little know secret - 2% milk is really a poor way to reduce fat because Homogenized milk is only 3% to start with - in the days of whole milk straight from the cow, it was much higher, the only fatremoved was to make some butter and ocassionally some whipped cream - half and half doesn't approach the old fat levels.

Never eat watching television, never eat standing up, take a break and eat your meals slowly and then try to walk for about as long as it took you to eat - that will encrease your exercise level.

Now, I'll try to do this too and we'll see how it works, OK?

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest Leigh]

i think they put something in the food...especially if you eat a lot of fast food.... (i'm a health freak myself, thank goodness, saves me a lot of pain since i have what i call an "addictive personality")...

anyway, i would suggest seeing a professional nutritionist and maybe getting someone to help you (or rather make you) exercise... compulsive over eating is a SERIOUS health problem, and like any addiction it takes hard work and dedication to beat it..

i have an analogy for you, if you'll let me. imagine that you were addicted to crack... would you want professional help?

then you owe it to yourself not to think diets or ignoring it will make this problem go away. what you need is a lifestyle change, and major changes in your eating habits.

think about it.

peace&love

Leigh

[Guest ~Nikki~]

Hi.

Here's the situation: I'm 5'6 and weigh 260 lb. Big girl right? Well, I'm kinda built like a mini fridge, I think, but still BMI index says I need to lose half my body weight. Problem is I can't lose weight. Sometimes I find myself munching out of boredom or stress, but I feel compelled to eat more at usual times. I feel great discomfort if I don't up-size my combo meal or don't have a second helping. I wolf it down as fast as I could as though someone were going to take it away from me. And if I don't indulge, I get very, very pissy and angry and I've been known to lash out at people when I'm not feed properly. Does this sound like anything? What should I do? Any thoughts are appriciated.

I feel for you girl, am the same way. I eat for every reason there is. It doesn't matter the emotion, I eat. My wife and my pychologist are figuring out I have a compulsive disorder, or several actually.

If you would like to talk more about it I am willing to. I am in the chat a lot, you can look for me there

I know it helps to talk with someone and it keeps you responsible for yourself.

I go th BK and aalway upsize and get extras, bt I refuse to buy the diet drink.

I so badly want to buy my dresses and skirts off the rack in the "NORMAL GIRL" section, not the "FAT GIRL" section, the clothes are so much more prettier. and fit so much nicer to the body. My dream is to be a size 12. I would be so happy to be a 14 or 16 though. right now I am 24/26.

I'm here if you would like to talk.

Nikki

[Guest A.S.]

Hi.

Here's the situation: I'm 5'6 and weigh 260 lb. Big girl right? Well, I'm kinda built like a mini fridge, I think, but still BMI index says I need to lose half my body weight. Problem is I can't lose weight. Sometimes I find myself munching out of boredom or stress, but I feel compelled to eat more at usual times. I feel great discomfort if I don't up-size my combo meal or don't have a second helping. I wolf it down as fast as I could as though someone were going to take it away from me. And if I don't indulge, I get very, very pissy and angry and I've been known to lash out at people when I'm not feed properly. Does this sound like anything? What should I do? Any thoughts are appriciated.

I can relate to that and been there and one it. I used to over eat so much that i made myself sick which that's not good. It is not good to wolf it down the food. I been there and I can't lose weight because I find myself munch myself out of boredom or stress and drinking out of my boredom. The best way to do is finding support such like here on this site and talk to other people. If feeling stress out or whatever, try to talk to someone to get it off your chest. For me it is hard because I deal with over-eating since my teens. I am hoping to see what everyone else gotta say

[Guest aadenr]

I had this problem a lot when I was younger. I'm now learning to control it. I found that if I wanted something and I knew I wasn't hungry, I started thinking of other things that are more important, or I go to my room and start lifting the weights I have in there. It makes me feel better than just having the guilt of eating the food I didn't really need. This helped me lose 10 pounds, and right now its at 220 and hasn't changed since then. Since I want to get too 200 at least, I started drinking more water. I carry a water bottle with me all day long. I refill it right away when its gone, and I find that it keeps me eating less and I actually enjoy drinking water more. I don't even notice anymore when I take a sip from my water bottle since I'm so used to it now, which is a good thing. Eating slower will help you a lot. Makes you eat less. It takes something like 20 minutes for your brain to tell you you are full. I saw this guy on TLC, Paul M. He has these 4 golden rules, which I really like, and have worked for me. You could probably try it. His rules are:

Eat when you are hungry, don't starve yourself

Eat what you want, not what you think you should eat

Eat slowly, enjoy it. Don't rush it

Stop when you are full

He says that even if you eat, and you are full, and are hungry again 15 minutes later, then eat again. Don't starve yourself, ever. Your body isn't 'stupid' if you know what I mean. Its not going to tell you that you are hungry just to make you fat lol, and if you don't eat, even if you did already eat, the next time you do eat, its just going to be stored as body fat.

Your body will then want less food if you do this (since your eating less), and store less fat, and you'll lose weight. This guy is amazing. You should look him up, if you've never heard of him. He also says to drink more water, try doing some exercise during the week, even if its just walking for 15 minutes and as you get healthier you can up the time you do. So go from 15 to 20, etc. And try not to eat heavy foods late at night either.

This has really helped me, and I hope it helps you guys too.

[Guest Taki]

I have something similar to that, but I never keep the weight on (I'm only about 140lbs and a size 9 because sometimes I will have periods where I just don't eat) As far as losing the habit of overeating, I limit myself to some fruit and sometimes toast or bagels for breakfast and when I want something to eat when I know I'm not hungry I'll get a drink of water and that would subside it.

[Guest MandySue]

I know the feeling like you I also weigh over 250 but I'm happy so live with it.