not gaining weight even though we binge? i dont get it

My Question to put it straightforward:  I used to be heavy/thick, I lost a lot of weight. I am at a weight I like to be but I binge a lot still.  I have sort of been able to maintain my weight for the past half a year but according to science it does not make sense since I eat ...a LOT. Are any of you other women mystified as to why your not putting on the pounds that you've been dreading that you put on from all your huge binges the week before?  Are you crying and beating yourself up from your many binges  and then only finding out the next week or so that you have not put on any weight? 

Does anyone have any explanation to this?  I'm not even really mad at myself right now for binging so much even though my back hurts, im bloated, i know it cant be good to be this over-stuffed....but i know im not gonna gain weight..because after a year of binging like this i really havent gained the weight that i should have. 

I'm not mad that i'm not gaining weight.. .i'm greatful but i just want an explanation!

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So I have a ravenous appetite. I'm reading this article on Why We Crave Snacks right now. Its 2:33am and i've been snacking since 12:30am.  Thats 2 hours!  I probably ate about 3000 calories within the past 2 hours of non stop snacking.  I'm a petite girl . I used to be a bit overweight but I lost all the weight and now no one would ever believe how much I snack/binge/whatever you want to call it because I'm still relitavily small. I'm 5'3"  I weigh 107lbs and have mantained that weight since december.  It flucated between 100-110lbs throughout this year but pretty much in between those numbers. 

 

 

When you binge, it might SOUND like a lot of food, but don't forget that you have to eat 3500 calories MORE then you burn just to gain 1 lbs.  So, even though you eat a whole pizza and you think omg I'm going to gain 5 lbs (this is just my example lol - insert your own), you're really probably only eating at maintenance, or maybe slightly over.  You have to eat like that for a long period of time to gain any significant weight.

Think of how hard it was to lose that weight.  Why would you gain it all back at once just cuz of a couple of binges.  It comes back the same way it leaves - slowly!  If you eat 500 calories over what you burn every day for a week - that's only 1 lbs!

So, don't beat yourself up over the odd binge - the more you feel guilty about it, the more you're going to want to do it, which leads to more binging.  Accept that you went over your calories, it's no biggie, and move on. :)

kukua i understand what you are saying and i knew that a response  like yours would be the first to pop up. But I know for a fact that I'm eating well over 3000 calories and it happens for about 3 days..some times longer

Yes but are you eating 3000 calories OVER what you burn?  You probably burn at least 2000 calories a day, so if that lasts for 3 days, that's a total of 1000 calories a day over what you burned - not even one pound.

Don't worry, you're probably packing on the fats pretty quickly. It's just less water in your body. More fats + less water can equal to same weight.

This may be a stupid question, but...are you working out or exercising at all? I started eating a lot more recently, but am still losing weight as a result of exercising.

I'm not sure, except to say that your current weight is at the very low end of normal, and depending on your frame and genetic factors, it may actually be too low. If this is the case, I would think your body would be dying to gain a few pounds, and would take advantage of the opportunity to do so. However, if you're eating less than you should be outside of the binges, that might explain the lack of weight gain. I don't binge, but I eat a LOT too (2100-2400/day, every day), and have struggled to put on any weight (I'm 5'3", 112, and still am not menstruating, so I need to keep gaining until my body finds a happy weight).

maybe you are compensating for the binges and not even realizing it?  Do you tend to undereat on days you don't binge, or exercise a lot?  If so, you may be balancing out your binges...but being very hard on your body.

hello Flashdance9, it sounds like we have something in common: boredom eating!  Your metabolism may be high enough right now to stave off weight gain; do you work out?  If so, the bingeing means you probably need to eat more during the day.  Say, perhaps five or six small meals of healthy food, and then your body may not feel so deprived.  If you already do that, please move on to the next paragraph.

To address the boredom eating, I usually get off my duff and do something useful like housework, which distracts me from my munchies and is productive.  Or you could take a walk, or read a good book, or call a friend...the list is endless.  Good luck!