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You are currently browsing the Binge Eating Disorder Help weblog archives for May, 2007.
I’ve seen commericals about this show that aired last night on TLC and it made me sad. Even though I have no idea who these women are, my heart breaks for them. In the commercial, everything is black and white and you hear “I just want to feel normal”.
This show, Big Medicine, “offers a behind-the-scenes look into the controversial world of bariatric surgery”.
I wasn’t able to watch it - Did any of you? Have any of you had this surgery?
I went shopping this weekend and tried on a whole bunch of clothes. Any pants, shorts, or capris were a size 6 and any shirts were a size small. The first thing up was a cute white shirt and I really liked it, so I hoped it would fit. Wouldn’t you know that it was too big? I was shocked and figured that it was that particular shirt, so I tried on the next one. Same thing. How could it be that a size small is too big on me now? Me, an extra small? Puh-lease - I don’t think so. The dressing room person brought me an extra small in only one shirt because they didn’t have the other in that size. The extra small fit. I was standing in the dressing room wearing an extra small shirt without having to stretch out the sleeves because it hugged my arms too tight. There was no stretching out or altering of any sorts. It fit my body perfectly.
I wasn’t totally happy though. I just figured that it was those particular 2 shirts that were off. Next to trying on the bottom-wear.
First a pair of white shorts. Just so you know, I had tried on these same shorts about a month ago. I thought they would be perfect for my Florida trip. It was too bad that they were a little too snug on my waist and they clung to my thighs a little too tight for comfort. I was up for the battle with the white shorts again just to see if by miracle they would fit this time. Again, these shorts didn’t fit… but not because they were too tight. Nope, this time there was too much room in the waist and my legs didn’t even seem to touch the material. OK very strange (the same proved true for the pants and the capri’s) and then a lightbulb went off in my head: Could it be that I am on my way into a size 4? No way Kristin, you are 140lbs and to be a size 4 you have to weigh in the 130’s at the very least. (I made up that rule on my own, by the way.)
I tried on a super cute dress that was a size small. What in the world was going on here? This dress didn’t fit right either - too baggy in most areas. Ugh.
Here’s what I realized to be true (that I pretty much already knew)… First, it does not matter how much you weigh. All bodies are different and the pounds are pretty much irrevelvant. Second, I am losing somewhere because things are too big (and it’s just not a coincidence that all things were too big). Third, my body image is still not 100%. Yes, it’s true. Although I do not see myself as the same girl that I was when I weight 190lbs, I still see a girl that can pick away at her flaws. Sure, I can appreciate the 50lbs I’ve lost and see it in pictures. I can notice how far I’ve come with overcoming binge eating disorder… but there is still something that pops into my head occasionally that tells me that I should worry about silly things.
You know yesterday I wore a pair of Abercrombie jeans. Now being that I’m 27 yrs old, I have grown out of the Abercrombie stage. Why did I wear these jeans then? Oh because I could. Because the last time that I wore them I was about 19 yrs old and in my freshman year of college. College! Wow. That was an eye-opener for me and I will admit it felt really good. I mean, really good. I have always liked those jeans and have kept them in my closet for all of these years, despite Rob trying to get me to throw them (and other things) away a few years ago.
“One day I will fit into these again and then I will know that I made it!” I said the same thing about skirts when I weighed more. “When you’re a size 6, you can wear skirts again and feel really good about yourself.” I randomly picked size 6 as the magical number and then when I got down to a size 6, I felt like I should have felt differently about myself. Interesting why that doesn’t hold true.
Our thinking with body image is mostly negative and very detrimental to ourselves. So, why do we do it then? I think that it’s just the old habit of beating ourselves up about flaws, constantly comparing ourselves to others, and the infamous celebrities and their battles to be thin.
For me with this shopping instance, it was just weird because I used to associate size small with someone that is skin and bones. The realization that someone (me) could have curves AND still be a size small never really crossed my mind. Plus, I don’t want to be skin and bones - I quite enjoy having an athletic build and with some curves.
Well, I’m changing… As of now, I am proud to say and accept that I have lost enough weight to almost be a size 4 (From a tight 14 to an almost 4 is pretty darn good!). I promise myself that I will accept the size in the dressing room and not think that the store went crazy and made a whole bunch of clothes bigger than the size they put on the tag. And most importantly, I will love myself and not say or do anything that will make my body image one of a negative thing!
FREEDOM from binge eating is what it’s all about.
Freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it without feeling consumed by binge eating. It’s truly priceless. But for most people, it’s only a dream that seems so far from reality. But the reality is that true freedom CAN be accomplished by anyone with the right mindset.
It never happens as fast as you’d like. And often times you have to work much harder than you had thought it would take to obtain it. You’ll fall down many times. You’ll want to quit 1,000 times. You’ll want to give up 10,000 times. And sadly, most people do.
True freedom from binge eating is reserved for those who are willing to stick it out. It’s reserved for those who are willing to do whatever it takes to be able to say that they have finally won the battle over binge eating and are now binge-free.
True freedom is staring you in the face. It’s yours for the taking and all you have to do is work for it.
How would your lifestyle change if you didn’t have the struggles of binge eating? How would it change if you believed in yourself more and knew that you could accomplish anything?
You need to take a serious look at your life, your goals, and figure out the freedom from binge eating that you desire.
You need to look at why you want to be binge-free. What is the single reason, your biggest “WHY“? You then need to use that as rocket fuel to help push you to where you want to go. And believe me, sometimes you have to use that fuel 10 times a day. And there are several days where it feels like your fuel has run out. But to get to where you want to go in life takes WORK.
Why do most people fail for the most part? It’s because people fail themselves. They give up. They give up on themselves and they give up on their dreams. They get used to the life they are living, used to struggling with binge eating, and they become stuck.
You have your shot at freedom. Right here. Right now.
What do you want your life to be like? Think it. Feel it. Imagine it. And take that image in your mind and use it as the unstoppable driving force within you to propel you to overcoming binge eating.
Do not let people or life get in the way. Keep pushing… keep moving forward.
Are you willing to truly do whatever it takes to get to where you want to be? If you are, let’s make 2007 YOUR year of beating binge eating disorder!
I’m so excited that today has finally come! We’ve been working on this membership site for months and it’s a great feeling to be able to get it out to the public today!
Click on the “home” tab above to learn more about how you can get the support that you need and beat binge eating disorder!
Here’s to a great day =)
How often have you been stuck in a bad mood? Your mind starts thinking about how much you have to do, how frustrated you are, how bad your life is, and then you just get trapped in the middle of it.
Don’t let your moods trick you. Chances are, your life probably isn’t as bad as you make it seem. When we are in a bad mood, we lose all perspective of the situation. Everything in our life will start to seem bad at these times. When people are feeling discouraged and upset over something in their life, they tend to become aware of all facets of their life and remember all of the bad things that have happened in the past. This allows past things to resurface and upset you. Maybe there was one time when your husband or wife wasn’t helping out as much. Even if this is the case, just because you are in a bad mood does not mean that you should resurrect it from the past. Leave it there and get on with your life. It is in these bad moods, where eating food can play a huge factor. When things are not going right, it seems so easy to give in to food nd have an all-out binge. I know, I’ve been there many times before.
Now, think about a time when you were in a good mood. How did you feel? All aspects of your life are just wonderful. You love your job, your husband/wife is the love of your life, your children are priceless jewels, and everything is just great. When you are feeling so happy about your life, there isn’t a need to binge as often. Most people binge when they have some negative feeling going on in their life, instead of when they feel optimistic about their life.
Here’s the truth of it all: We are all going to have bad days. It’s just part of life. Remember that it won’t last forever though. This mood will pass. You aren’t going to permanently be in a bad mood and it’s not worth a binge. Try to do something that you like or try to think about a good moment that you have had in the past. Just remember that it will not help any to start scrutinizing everything in your life while you are in a bad mood. This is when you will see the negative and it might trigger a binge.
Realize that bad moods are just a part of life. Try not to take these moods too seriously, as they shall pass. Just keep on reminding yourself of that and hindering a bad mood from triggering a binge.
People always want to know how to stop binge eating. While there is not one thing that will solely help, this acronym might help you think twice about bingeing. Yesterday I was talking to one of my friends and telling her about the small hinges quote I had heard. She told me about something that she had recently heard and I want to share it with you. It is HALT.
Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired
Here’s a good secret on how to stop binge eating: Before you reach for food, ask yourself if you are really hungry or if you are just eating because you are angry, lonely, or tired. If you realize that you want to binge because you are feeling lonely, pick up the phone and call a friend. If you want to eat because you are mad, go and exercise to work off that negative emotion. If exercise doesn’t appeal to you, go and do an activity that will quickly shift your mood from mad to happy. If you want to eat because you are tired, lay down and try to take a nap.
If after you ask yourself these questions you realize that you are truly hungry, then go ahead and eat! Not only will HALT help provide you insight for the ultimate question of how to stop binge eating, but it will help you to really listen to your body and figure out what it is that you want. When you know what emotion you need to tend to, you can cater to that feeling in the proper way instead of binge eating!
Binge eating disorder is more common in people who are obese, but it affects people with healthy weights as well. However, there’s little information on how many children and teens are affected by the disorder because the condition has only recently been recognized, and many people may be too embarrassed to seek help for it.
Adults in treatment often say their problems started in childhood or adolescence and it’s believed that around 4-5+ million people have binge eating disorder. And although the majority of people with other eating disorders are female, it’s estimated that more than a third of individuals with binge eating disorder are male.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
Children and teens who sometimes eat a lot don’t necessarily have binge eating disorder. Kids can have huge appetites, especially during growth spurts, when they need more nutrients to fuel their growing bodies. So it can be difficult to determine whether a child has binge eating disorder. But several signs distinguish someone who binge eats from someone with a “healthy appetite.”
Parents may first suspect a problem when they discover large amounts of food are missing from the pantry or the refrigerator, though it’s hard to imagine one child could have eaten so much.
Other signs of a problem include:
Children who binge eat may also experience feelings that are common to many eating disorders, such as depression, anxiety, guilt, or shame. They may avoid school, work, or socializing with friends because they’re ashamed of their binge eating problem.
People with binge eating disorder are usually very upset by their binge eating and may become depressed. Research has shown that people with binge eating disorder report more health problems, stress, trouble sleeping, and suicidal thoughts than people without an eating disorder do. People with binge eating disorder often feel bad about themselves and may miss work, school, or social activities to binge eat.
People with binge eating disorder may gain weight. Weight gain can lead to obesity, and obesity puts people at risk for many health problems, including:
Most people who binge eat, whether they are obese or not, feel ashamed and try to hide their problem. Often they become so good at hiding it that even close friends and family members do not know they binge eat.
Most of us overeat from time to time, and some of us often feel we have eaten more than we should have. Eating a lot of food does not necessarily mean that you have binge eating disorder. Experts generally agree that most people with serious binge eating problems often eat an unusually large amount of food and feel their eating is out of control. People with binge eating disorder also may:
Binge eating also occurs in another eating disorder called bulimia nervosa. Persons with bulimia nervosa, however, usually purge, fast, or do strenuous exercise after they binge eat. Purging means vomiting or using a lot of diuretics (water pills) or laxatives to keep from gaining weight. Fasting is not eating for at least 24 hours. Strenuous exercise, in this case, means exercising for more than an hour just to keep from gaining weight after binge eating. Purging, fasting, and overexercising are dangerous ways to try to control your weight.
Binge eating disorder can really make us feel totally stressed out and overwhelmed, can’t it?
Looking at the times that you binge, do you ever find that the days you are more likely to binge are the days that you feel overwhelmed, stressed out, or strive to have a perfect day?
I remember putting insurmountable pressure on myself in the past to achieve perfection, and when I failed (because who is perfect?) I would binge. Food would comfort me before I would realize that I was just setting myself up for failure time and time again.
I think that the feelings of being overwhelmed or stressed out are triggers that lead to a binge. It’s the same cycle over and over: You feel overwhelmed and don’t know how to handle it so you turn to food because you feel like you will regain control of the situation and the feelings that you lost. This happened to me so often. I would find solace with any kind of fast food.
Think about this: What would happen to your life if you could abolish your need for perfection and learn to turn the feelings of stress into peaceful situations? Instead of always looking at the imperfections of life, learn to make peace and allow them into your life.
When you focus on imperfections, you are placed further away achieving any inner peace. Instead of fixating yourself on the fact that you binge and are overweight, why not remind yourself that, while you wish to change, you accept how your body is right at this very moment. Learn to make peace with all of your imperfections. What are the good things about yourself that you love?
Focus on all of your good qualities and work on changing the bad ones. Start loving yourself no matter what your size is. You won’t be able to move forward with weight loss and ending binge eating unless you can acknowledge your body (and all of the flaws that come with it) in the present time.