‘I Lost 190 Pounds After Getting My Binge Eating Under Control’

From Women's Health

I grew up overweight, but I didn't really become aware of it until third grade. It hit me one day in gym class when a boy I had a crush on told me I looked like I was pregnant-I was devastated.

From there, my weight continued to climb-and I tried every diet to fight it. I tried the cabbage soup diet, SlimFast, low-fat foods; but by the time I was 14, I weighed 285 pounds.

Then, my weight started to yo-yo. In high school, I tried out LA Weight Loss and lost 85 pounds, but gained it all back (and then some) so that by my sophomore year in college, I weighed 353 pounds. But it didn't end there: I had gastric bypass surgery as a 19-year-old college student and lost 154 pounds. But, 10 years later, my weight crept back up 305 pounds.

Once I hit 325 pounds again-my second highest weight-I knew I needed to make some changes.

In January 2017, I made a New Year's resolution to lose weight once and for all-and my first step was getting treatment for binge-eating disorder, depression, and anxiety. I realized I needed help when I found myself living the same dismal day over and over again-and food was my only oasis.

It took therapy to make me realize how awful my eating habits had become: I ate from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed. I'd often eat until I felt sick, go to bed, then wake up and do it all again the next day-and sometimes I'd even wake up in the middle of the night and snack. I also had physical symptoms: I always felt lethargic, sluggish, and bloated.

In therapy, we worked on developing normalized eating habits-but absolutely no crash or fad dieting.

I did still revamp my diet though, and I chose to keep it as simple as possible for myself. I ate 1,200 calories per day, which meant I had to drastically reduce my portion sizes. Because of that, I began eating foods that were already portioned out for me, like cans of soup or 100-calorie packs of popcorn. I also cut way back on fast food. Here's what I typically eat in a day:

• Breakfast: Coffee and a vanilla protein shake

• Lunch: Progresso Light Chicken and Vegetable Rotini Soup, an orange

• Snacks: 100-calorie bag Orville Redenbacher popcorn sprayed with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray and sprinkled with Truvia, a sugar-free gelatin cup, or a low-fat cheese stick

• Dinner: Steak Portobello Lean Cuisine, with sautéed mushrooms and half of a light English muffin

• Dessert: Halo Top Ice Cream (rotating flavors, but Peanut Butter Cup is my favorite)

I also started to exercise regularly, committing to 45 minutes of movement daily.

Before therapy and dieting, I was constantly in pain and out of shape-even hoisting myself out of bed every morning was super-painful.

After I saw some progress with dieting, I added in exercise and chose to do essentially all cardio: primarily walking on the treadmill and increasing the incline gradually. I used the elliptical machine for some variety. Finally, after several months and feeling more fit, I mounted the stair-stepper machine and it became my go-to for an intense workout.

Two years after I decided to make a change, I've lost 190 pounds.

I always tell people that small, daily efforts really add up-all of my progress was achieved one day at a time. On really difficult days-which I still have-I take things one meal or one moment at a time.

And while I'm proud of my weight loss, I want other women to know that they should never put their lives on hold while they're waiting to lose weight, like I did in the past. If there's no weight or size limit on your interests, then get out there and pursue them now. It makes the journey the much more enjoyable.

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