Starvation response (binge eating) help!

[artrius]

We all know that the body entering starvation mode is bad... it slows the metabolism and catabolizes our hard earned muscle.

So here's the deal. I've always been a fatty, starting out at around 300lbs. I dieted down and lost about 75 lbs over the course of 6 months (starting about 2 years ago) by eating on average, 1200 cals a day. I was probably around 27-28% bodyfat, and I had some decent muscle. Just over a year ago, I joined the military; I was about 225 when I entered. Through boot camp, I lost another 15-20lbs. However, I was NOT eating right, and that's when my problem started.

I felt like I was getting fat during boot camp, so I would frequently not eat at all. Near the end of boot camp when we were done with most of our training and had some liberty, they allowed us to have some junk food runs. Due to a starvation response (I guess), I started binge eating on junk food. I never really had the problem in the months following boot camp.

I got out and hoped the problem would go away, but it didn't. I started off with my normal starvation diet, eating around 1200 cals a day. I finally decided, after a while, that this was bad, and upped my calories to around 2000-2200. I gained all the muscle that I'd lost back and then some. Even though I bumped up my cals, the problem hadn't gone away.

Well, its been a year since boot camp. I've been frustrated with this problem for a while. The binge eating is DESTROYING my efforts at getting thin. I am currently around 235 with a good amount of muscle mass, but I still have a lot of fat. Because of the binge eating, I have been doing 5-6 days of cardio a week (40 min in the morning), but the binging sets me back quite far. It only happens like once or twice a week, when I'm bored, hungry, and/or tired. I have no idea why I do it, my brain just goes into autopilot sometimes and I can't stop it from happening.

Recently, I checked my bodyfat (via a simple measurement calculation), and it was not improving. I totally tripped out that day. I was fed up with it. So, I've recently said F*CK this, and I'm just going to try another method for a while.

All I can think of is that technically speaking, my calories are a lot lower than what my metabolism *should* be. By any equation or thumbrule that I use, my total daily cals for maintenance comes out to be around 3500, with my level of activity (lifting 5x per week, very heavy, doing cardio at least 3x per week, playing racquetball on the weekends). And that's with a fairly conservative approach to activity modifiers. (Currently 235lbs @ around 18% bf)

So what I'm going to try is to up my calories to 3500 and cut back a little on cardio (to 3x per week). I want to see if giving my body more food will nix the problem. Maybe, I hope, the problem is just some sort of starvation response. I don't plan on losing any fat on this; I just hope to resolve the situation.

So I guess the question is: what do you think I should do? I'm tired of trying to cut right now. I don't want to see a shrink about this. I haven't given all the details, but it is a *VERY* serious problem for me. I have been known to consume an additional 5000 (yes, 5000) cals in one day in a short time due to this problem (boosting the total to 7000-8000 cals).

If you can help me, please do. I'm about at the end of my rope.

 

[Grebe22]

I had the same kind of problem with the binge eating following restrictive dieting. For the last five or six months, I was trying to get cut up without burning muscle. I'm 6'1" 180 lbs. and didn't have a ton of fat to get rid of then, but I wanted abs really bad for the summer. I ran for 60 minutes 5x a week first thing in the morning, then did weights in the afternoon 5x a week. I kept calories around 2,250 and tried to be "perfect" every day. Then, come Sunday, when I had no classes or work and nothing to keep me busy, I'd start just downing everything in sight that I hadn't allowed myself to eat all week, and by the end of the day Sunday I felt incredibly bloated and sick and I had basically undone all the work I did during the week.

I read a lot about people binging because they are being to restrictive with their diets, so I decided to not try to eat "perfect" every single day. For the last month, I've kept calories at 2,300 a day, I do morning cardio (only 45 mins. now) 4x a week, and lift in the afternoon 5x a week still. But now, if my brain is craving something "bad" I'll let myself eat something "bad" in controlled amounts. For example, I'll fill a small bowl with salsa and eat Tostitos Scoops with it until the salsa's gone, and then no more chips and no re-filling the salsa. I feel satisfied, like I ate junk (probably because chips ARE junk), but I didn't completely bomb on my diet. The other day, I ate 1/4 of a frozen pizza; it came out to be about 600 calories, but I didn't get down on myself afterwards, and then just worked a little bit harder when I lifted two hours later.

One month after changing the way I look at my diet, I am very very close to having those abs I've been trying so hard to get. The best part is, I don't have such bad cravings anymore, and I've gotten really good at not giving in to the "wrong" things. I got home from work yesterday and my mom had a deep dish pizza from Old Chicago and two boxes of Krispy Kreme's sitting there. While my fat-ass brother (who's gained 90 lbs. of fat in the last year...pisses me off) ate 3/4 of the pizza and 3 Krispy Kreme's, I went and had a turkey sandwich; I didn't even WANT the pizza or donuts.

Good luck with your problem, I know the feeling and it sucks, it's one of the most helpless feelings you can have, and I remember how it seemed like my brain just took over and I was out of control. The key is moderation; if you crave something, let yourself have some, but then you gotta have restraint and stop yourself from the binge.

 

[Gymgurl]

try uping your cals so your not starving and also balancing out your meals. Give yourself a day to cheat a little. When you are restrictive, you tend to rebel. let yourself know that you can have anything in moderation on that day.

 

[SubjectiveIllusion]

Please see your doctor. This could turn into a serious eating disorder that may affect you for the rest of your life.

Lotsa Love bro

 

[artrius]

If upping my cals does not fix the problem, I may very well have to see a doc. I definantly do not want to have some frickin eating disorder for the rest of my life.

 

[Grebe22]

I was really close to going and seeing a doctor, especially because psychological disorders run in the family; my dad's got mild depression, and my brother, mom, and grandpa have attention deficit disorder. I do consider myself to be mentally healthy, though, and fighting through the binge eating the last month has made me believe in myself 100x more than if I'da resorted to seeking medical help (or relying on medication to get through it). But if you can't make it stop, then a doctor's visit might be the best thing for you! There ain't no shame in it man, better alive, happy, and healthy than dead, depressed, and binging.

 

[artrius]

True that. For the last few days, I've been eating more, as I said. Today, I went and did legs, and I must say, I think I had the best workout ever (for legs, at least). So now I say, F*CK bodybuilding for now. I'm gonna just work on strength and mass. Bodybuilding is too damned stressful, because I trip out over the slightest gain in bf%. I'm not gonna let myself get fat (I can't because I'm in the military), but I'm gonna eat more for sure.

Thanks for the help on this. I'll keep you updated on how this goes.

 

[LaRoche]

Wish you the best. I know what you mean - I have recently been undergoing the same thing. It all started last summer, when I was doing lots of cardio. I'm 5'8" 160 lb now, but last summer I was lifting hard and due to all the cardio and holding back on my diet, I was 145-150. I know it doesn't seem like much of a variance, but to me it was the pshycological impact - my abs never looked better, and I did everything to keep them and myself looking lean. Went winter rolled around, my cardio options were restricted - it gets cold up here in Canada. I slowly noticed the weight coming back on and I went to 170 by new years. There were times when I just said F this and did exactly what you are talking about. I'm now a bit leaner, but the problem remains - like sometimes I have planned for just one piece of chocolate when I come home from work - and something in my brain kicks in and I'm like roaming the place looking for anything to eat. Then afterwards I feel pretty down. I've read on various boards that are are some things that can help - like brushing your teeth and just going outside for a walk. There's also some things that I've noticed help me: drinking lots of green tea or any hot tea, maybe a hot milk, or gonig outside and having a nice cup of coffee in a nice coffee shop - caffeine is supposed to help. It's also just a matter of calming yourself down somehow. I find that I just need to calm down when I go all out - its not so much that I'm hungry, but I'm saying F everything. I would say for me going for a walk to a nice coffee shop and getting my cappucino is soothing - when I come home I just have to remind myself that tomorrow is another day - I'll have that time to eat well - after my workout, when I'll give it all I've got - and say F everthing while doing my deadlifts. Keep it up - good to read your post.

 

[SubjectiveIllusion]

You know this is out of hand!!!

Call your doctor.

Do it NOW!!!

 

[chewyxrage]

You know this is out of hand!!!

Call your doctor.

Do it NOW!!!

back off bro, I think he saw your post the first time

let him at least attempt to fix it himself, damn