same number but different look

I am posting here because I am not sure I understand this correctly.

I have been struggling with overeating during the past few months. well, the problem started back in Sept 07.

everytime I binge, my weight goes up to 177. after a few weeks of dieting and working out, the weight goes to 158.

I have had a recent binge last weekend. My weight is up again to 177.5 as of today. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS I LOOK BIGGER NOW AT 177.

how is it the same number on  the scale but I am getting bigger?

can anyone suggest a good workout strategy to deal with this?

:((

thanks

You diet, diet, diet, then lose muscle mass. Then you binge and put on fat. Keep that cycle going and your body fat gets higher, making you look larger.

you say you "look" bigger, but are your cloths actually fitting differently? if not then maybe it's a self image thing.

where is the solution????????????????????????????????????? ???

i am in a serious problem.

Stop binging. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't think that this is something any exercise can fix. (Unless I'm misunderstanding your post/question. If so, I'm sorry.)

You can't outtrain your diet, and if you are binging so much that your weight is jumping up almost 20 pounds (how is that possible? and how long does it take to go away, since I can't believe you are consuming an additional 70,000 calories in a weekend?) you need to figure out how to avoid binging, not what exercise can be done to compensate.

I'd imagine, since you aren't putting on that much fat at once, that it is mostly water retention and the weight of the food in your stomach, which is going to make you look puffy and your belly will be very swollen, hence looking worse than you did back when you were 177, and not binging.

How much are you eating on non-binge days, and how much are you burning (total, not just exercise)? My first thought is that if you are restricting your calories too much, you are setting yourself up for worse and worse binges.

my skirt doesn't fit me any more. I used to wear size 6. now, I have to wear the one that I used to wear before I start CC. size 14.

Original Post by safina1:

my skirt doesn't fit me any more. I used to wear size 6. now, I have to wear the one that I used to wear before I start CC. size 14.

 I'm not sure what this post means. You used to be smaller - when? When you were younger? Last week?

on non binge days, I eat 1500. sometimes 1600. very healthy and clean diet as I used to last year and I was very happy.

I don't want post a long story about my binges but I do binge. and it is a very bad one. non stop eating sometimes.

let me remember what I had yesterday:

nuts ( lots of them), small cup of ice-cream, bread from cosi, 8 cookies ( kashi trail mix cookies), 2 pieces of cakes from starbucks, a smoothie, fruit and I don't remember what else..

I swear I don't understand it either. after any binge, which ususally happens on the weekends,  I can't fit in my skirt . then I start my diet again during the week, sometimes, I eat healthy for a few weeks, then I can fit in my old skirt.

yes, I was younger last week. to be accurate last Thursday. I have had a binge since last Friday and I am wearing a size 14 now.

but seriously, I am getting bigger. how can I break the cycle?

The only answer I have is to consult a doctor or nutritionist who deals with this sort of thing - I don't know how bingers stop the cycle. People on the health & support forum might have more answers?

Have you tried Jenny Craig's diet program. I believe it's a good program. I join about a month ago, not because I'm over weight, but I wanted to learn to eat more healthy - a more balance daily diet. It's been pretty good along with this website to keep myself on track and do my daily exercises. Their planned menus are pretty cool that allows you to have all the favorite goodies you may usually eat, but in portion sizes.  I admit the first week was hard, but now it's a piece of cake and doing it half the time. Mondays through Fridays for breakfast and lunch with snacks. I cook or eat out for dinner and weekends - but now I'm able to use portion control and make the right choices. I don't even think about binging at all. And you also have a in person or on the phone support help for follow-up with your progress.

It's true what the other members here are saying that you can work out all you want, but you won't see the dramatic changes unless you change you eating habits.

 One thing you might want to try is yoga.

 No, I'm serious - as exercise yoga mostly sucks; unless you have an extrodinary instructor. But it does work to destress you, as mindful meditation and movement, and allows you to reconnect with your body in a healthy way.

 I think that's important to you right now, to reconnect with your body in a way that lets you see it's not the enemy. Besides - stress hormones affect body fat storage in all sorts of ways, elevated cortisol levels means your body fat tends towards increasing abdominal and "love handle" fat storage. The effect is not pronounced and not immediate, but over time your stress load will change how your body deposits fat.

 Do as amethystgirl recommends. And then, in addition to that you might want to try out a yoga class or two and see if it agrees with you.

Original Post by safina1:

my skirt doesn't fit me any more. I used to wear size 6. now, I have to wear the one that I used to wear before I start CC. size 14.

sorry, but apparently my question wasn't very clear. if you use to wear the size 14 skirt at 177# does it actually fit differently now that you have lost weight and binged back up to 177? or do you believe you look larger because you are comparing yourself to the 158 weight.

 

i don't really know much about binging, but when you have this need to eat have you tried eating healthier and more filling foods? there's nothing in your profile (literally) to give any indication what your home life is like. is there anyway to stop surrounding yourself with the unheathly snacks: "small cup of ice-cream, bread from cosi, 8 cookies ( kashi trail mix cookies), 2 pieces of cakes from starbucks"? even kashi trail mix cookies will do damage if eaten in excess.

satrswoman, it doesn't fit differently. I remember last year when I was 177 and losing on cc, I mean at that time, I was full of energy, working out regularly. Now, at 177, I am out of breath, tired with no energy. esp after my binges.

it has been like this for 7 months. diet, binge, weight gain, i reach 170's, back on track for a week or a few weeks, back to 158, weekends+binges...

no progress this year but I am determined to do anything that can help me to lose weight again.

Melkor, thanks for the yoga advice. I will try that. my gym offers plenty of classes but I have never thought about it as I know it is not useful for fat loss.

I am not sure about consulting with a nutritionist. most of them give out meals plans that I can easily get online on cc. Another question, how can I pick one who deals with that sort of thing?

I used to do my weight training workouts while I was dieting. How come I lost muscles??

should I focus now on more weight training? or what??

Safina, you should seek out former bingers in one of the other forums.  They may be able to provide you with advice on how to stop.  Consult a doctor and nutritionist and maybe a therapist...binging is usually a sign of some other problem.  You need to get to the bottom of why you binge if you ever want to stop it.

so should I stop thinking about any workout plans? I have to confess that I am bloated and tired so I can't really work out as I used to.

 It's a question of priorities - and you need to place "Taking care of Safina" higher on your list. There's no shame in reaching out for help when you need it. Exercise might help you feel better, but a real, permanent solution to your problem involves finding your "why" - why you have a binge problem and what triggers you.

 Yoga or something to that effect might help you connect more to your body, but you probably need more help than a yoga class can offer.

Melkor, do I look bigger now because - as mentioned above- I lost muscles and I store fat easily when bingeing? I have been thinking about this and wondering. I used to do my weight training every week so how come I lost muscles? maybe it is a water retention and bloating from the sodium?? how can you tell? well, I measured my body this morning and there is a big difference in numbers. can water retention cause that difference ? I mean can it affect my measurements?

why do I binge? I know why and I am trying to solve it but extra help will be great. I just don't know where I should go.

 I will tell you something. I used to overeat since I was a child. I don't know why but I guess this is the problem that fat people suffer from.

Water retention and bloating in general can cause ten pounds of weight gain easily, so the weight gain you're experiencing may not be actual fat gain. Sodium-based water retention is deceptive that way - and yes, it can absolutely affect your measurements. Your body can store water subcutaneously, that's what causes the puffy look.

 The best place to start would be with your health care provider, and see if they can refer you to a local support group or counsellor - life is all around easier when you have an offline support system in place.

thanks. and also I will not forget about the yoga:)

I am surprised to learn that water retention can affect my body measurements. I know for sure it affects the scale reading. I can gain 10 pounds on the scale in a couple of days because of the water retention but I always use my body meaurements as an accurate way to show if I have gained fat or not.

isnt that true?

measurements can be deceiving as the scale is!

I know for me, my measurements go up when I have a lot of muscle mass, too, cuz my muscles are bigger!

I can't say for sure but it does sound like you've lost muscle mass......but melkor and amythest know what they are talking about!~