By Barbara Brody
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Joseph Goldberg, MD
If you have binge eating disorder, getting well needs to be your No. 1 priority. You’ll first need counseling to find out why you are overeating and how to stop.
When your bingeing stops, you’ll probably lose weight. Keeping that weight off -- and reaching a healthy weight -- is important for your overall health. That can be hard for anyone, but it may be especially tricky for binge eaters. You’ll want to work with your doctors and a dietitian to make sure you don’t have a setback.
“You want to establish a healthy eating pattern and not slip into dieting, which could set up the next round of bingeing," says Randy Flanery, PhD. He is the program director for Webster Wellness Professionals, an eating disorders clinic in St. Louis. "You might be able to lose 20 to 30 pounds [when you stop bingeing], but you'll probably gain it all back plus another 10 if you don't address the underlying issues first.”
Here are 5 ways to help you maintain a healthy weight without risking a setback.
1. Don't obsess over the number on the scale.
Weight loss should not be your main focus while getting better. Focusing on it can interfere with your treatment, says Cynthia Bulik, PhD, distinguished professor of eating disorders at the University of North Carolina Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders. Talk to your doctors about a realistic goal weight.
Keep in mind, it may be different from what you think or what’s considered “healthy” for your height on a body-mass index (BMI) chart. Flanery says such charts are helpful but not always perfect. For example, if you've been 200 pounds for most of your adult life, it might make sense to aim for 160 even if the BMI chart says 130 is the healthy weight.
2. Don't go long periods without eating.
Many people who struggle with their weight believe that they have to deprive themselves in order to slim down. That might work in the short run, but it's bound to backfire, says Timothy Brewerton, MD, executive medical director of The Hearth Center for Eating Disorders in Columbia, SC.
"It's very hard for people to grasp the idea that to weigh less you have to eat more, by which I mean eating regularly throughout the day," Brewerton says. Ask your doctors how much you should be eating.
source : Binge Eating: How to Keep a Healthy Weight Without Having a Setback
