New here and finally admitting I have a problem

Why can't you "just" get a handle on this? BECAUSE THIS ONE TOUGH DISEASE! It's hard to kick, and it's a very serious issue. Have you tried seeking professional help, either from your family doctor or from a therapist of some kind? It might really help. At any rate, it's a good place to start.

I'll be thinking of you, and I'm always here if you want to chat. Keep posting, and let us know how things are going.

Vero

S..I agree...you can't expect to do this without help. It's not because you are weak, but because this is a monster of a disorder, and you simply need professional help to move past it into a life of freedom! You can do it!
Please check into your options for seeing someone who is experienced with treating eating disorders...you deserve to get the help you need! Please keep writing, and also take caution to refrain from using numbers in your posts....take care...Jan ♥

S,

The problem is dieting, not you. ♥ Dieting doesn't work. Over and over and over people pump hundreds and thousands of dollars into weight loss programs, and then when they fail, they blame themselves instead of the diet. What an easy business to be in, eh?? :P Been there, done that. The trouble is, that our bodies can only go so long without adequate nutrition. Then, they demand what we have withheld, and we often end up eating more than we would have otherwise. Been there, done that, too. ;0) And one of the biggest problems with the whole dieting world is that our view of "normal eating" is terribly skewed... Using what I had been taught to eat through various weight loss programs, I cut my calories below that... And then beat myself up when I ultimately binged. It came as quite a shock to me, in my recovery, to find that I need to eat TWICE as much as I was, just to maintain my weight! WOW!!

I don't know if you feel ready to talk to a therapist about this... I had to reach a pretty desperate place to do that myself. :) But I think it would be great if you would think about seeing a nutritionist; particularly one that specializes in eating disorders. I bet you'd be shocked to learn what your body actually needs, once you're able to separate yourself from the diet mentality. I know it's hard... I'll be 35 in a couple of weeks, too. ♥ When food issues (self-esteem issues) stretch back so far, it can feel impossible to overcome. But I promise you, it IS possible. The important thing is to seek professional help now. Don't wait until the problem gets worse. I waited too long, and my bingeing morphed into anorexia. Yeah... It's all a lot more connected than we think...

Lots of love to you,

Jen

Welcome to our group! :o) Taking the first step is always hard, but I promise that having people to talk to helps. I've only been on here a day .... and already my day has started with a smile. I've tried many other websites with no luck. I believe this one has been the best thing to have happened to me in a while. Try to have a healthy relationship with food. Think about how you want your girls to look at themselves when they're older, and make sure that you portray that to them. I have a 2 and 1/2 year old son that looks up to me, and when I'm constantly looking in the mirror I can tell he's observing what I'm doing with a mindset of "I should do that too like my mommy". Stay positive. Keep an open mind. Don't give up!!! We're all here to help you.

welcome to support groups!!! as you can see we are very supportive here! thanks so for reaching out!

love
maureen

This is a prime example of why diets dont work - as hopeful said. It must be a lifestyle change and not a crash course to losing ___ amount of weight.

With regards to your mild ED, I do believe you would benefit greatly from seeing and speaking to a professional about this....you are not alone.

I understand exactly what you're going through. I constantly think about food. When we go to family gatherings, I make sure I make something healthy and avoid all desserts and, like at Thanksgiving, no stuffing or gravy. Just white turkey meat, and not much of it. I'm either restricting too much or b/p. I'm also always comparing myself to others. Always. And the worst part is I don't need to b/c I know I'm a healthy weight and size. I don't have any advice to offer you, but I do have empathy because I know exactly how you feel. So I'm here to listen at any time.

I am new here too but wanted to say hello and welcome. You sound alot like me.....except our lives since having babies have differed (though not the ED part). I am 31 years old so close to your age. Good luck and you have already started your journey to recovery by admitting your problem and seeking help and answers. If you need to chat you can call on me if you feel you want to. Will be watching out for your posts to see how you are going.

J

Hey there. I've also suffered from unhealthy eating and eating disorders (ever since a pre teen) and have three kids and am close to your age. It is such a battle to eat right. I too have been exercising much more than before (not excessive) and finding the scale going up even though I haven't eaten much except at night, and mostly junk food. It's been defeating everything else I've done, ugh! I feel like giving up on it, because it seems i'm more hungry when I do exercise, and the binging has become worse. I've been finding it hard to sleep and wake up feeling depressed that I overate once again. I've developed health problems from the purging even though I only do that occasionally anymore. Now, I more go without then binge food. I do feel good that I have gotten so close to being free from all this, comparded to how I was just a few years ago. However, I can't seem to eat right, but desire desperately to do so and be happy and healthy. I haven't gotten much sleep because the kids are young, and that seems normal when talking with others. It feels like such a vicious cycle that I need to get out of, I want to so that I can be a better person for all.
Sab

A lot of this has to do with the intense self-giving that motherhood brings. I am also overweight by 50 pounds, have two beautiful daughters that I adore and love to give to, but by the end of the day I feel famished emotionally and make up for that by eating.

Other than the extra weight, my life is great. My job, though demanding, is satisfying on many levels. I am single (divorced) with no strong desire to remarry or even date (though I miss sex!). It seems men are still attracted to me (I am tall, so "hide" the weight to a certain extent). I have good close friends and am very active mentally.

I do love to exercise and do so about 4 times a week though am planning to increase this to 6x as I don't like being this overweight.

I know that most of my overeating is related to just wanting and needing some plain old unconditional love. Don't get me wrong; I get a lot of love from my kids, but I miss adult to adult contact. Both my parents are dead. I don't know if I could face the extensive time and energy put into dating -- I just don't have the time!

Thanks for listening......