Getting back on that darn horse!!

[genesis23]

Hello all, I'm Jenna and I'm hoping that FitDay can help me jump-start my weight loss. I'm 6ft and I'm at 218lb now, which is about a 15lb weight gain in the last two months. I caught a really nasty flu and am still mildly sick and have absolutely ZERO energy. I've been having a pity party which has included a lot of chicken noodle soup, crackers, and junk.

When I'm doing "well", I eat excellently -- fresh, healthy, local organics, heavy on the fruit, veg, whole grains, lean protein etc., but my problem is the "all or nothing" mentality I've seen other posters talking about... if I break down and eat some chocolate or white bread, I eat the whole thing and go crazy, and then get depressed about what a fat loser I am which makes me eat more. If "food addiction" is a real thing, then I've definitely got it. I LOVE eating, and if it didn't harm me the way it does, I would definitely have it as my #1 hobby.

In the last 3 years I've dropped almost 100lb -- not totally sure of my actual start weight, I was too scared of the scale, but it was at least over 280lb. I took up running, biking, and using the elliptical at home, and got down to just under 200lb. I'm not a small gal to start with, so I think 180 is about the lowest I would be comfortable at. Frankly, I'm a lazy bum at heart, I'd much rather eat chips and candy on the sofa than go for a run, but I KNOW it's no good for me.

I won't yammer on, but I'm having a hell of a time getting back on the proverbial horse. I can barely run 2k without stopping, and I just ran a 10k race in April in under an hour. *Groan of frustration* Something has to change!

I need a big kick in the butt!! Looking forward to chatting with you all!

[mecompco]

Welcome, and congrats to you for getting back in control! I've fallen into the all or nothing trap myself a time or two (and still fight in, sometimes). I'll share a book with you that I found really helpful, though much of it may not apply to your particular situation.

Amazon.com: Overcoming Binge Eating (9780898621792): Christopher Fairburn: Books

Whether you have an eating disorder or not (I tend to think that many of us who have been 100 pounds or more overweight must have some sort of disorder) it is an eye opening book and addresses amongst many other topics, the all or nothing thought process.

I hope you stick around and that FitDay works as well for you as it has for me.

Regards,
Michael

[genesis23]

Hi Michael, thanks for the book recommendation! I will definitely be checking that out, I can use all the help I can get. I definitely have a disordered eating pattern and seem to have very little self-restraint around certain food types, and I would love to be able to "control" myself... I'm pretty sure this is going to be a lifelong battle for me but if I can find ways to even partially restrict my obsessive eating habits, that would be great.

Also, I was reading your weight loss stats in your signature, and congratulations, what a great job you've done! Wow! What an inspiration!