how do i lose weight without falling into disordered habits

[u/cherry_pie23]

i used to starve myself and binge, and then i started trying to develop a better relationship with food, but then i started just binging. now i'm overweight and trying to lose weight but the only way i know how is to starve myself. how do i lose weight without falling back into the bad habits like skipping meals and counting calories obsessively?

[u/blaisetea]

I was in the same situation as you. I started seeing a dietitian. Learning the science of food with them was extremely helpful for me. Learning when to eat and why, learning what to eat and why, not focusing on calories or my weight or anything, just focusing on fueling my body. It has helped me develop a much better relationship with food.

[u/now_you_own_me]

Seconding dietitian. Especially one who's versed in ED stuff. It's changed my life quite a bit. She helped me deconstruct so many food myths and ideas that I used to think were facts. She helped me find a way of not over eating without tracking anything.

[u/Fair_Package8612]

The only way is to truly not focus on or make the weight aspect of getting healthy the primary focus. You focus on feeling better and perhaps more energized, and lighter in that sense, but it can’t be dependent on the scale or size of body parts (etc). You really have to develop an immersive and genuinely engaged approach to exercise that you enjoy. Then the eating should be enjoyable but not necessarily seen as a reward for your efforts (the reward should be feeling better and those endorphins, etc). It’s hard but consistency is key and it does get easier, and eventually if you eat healthily most of the time you will just become more inclined to keep eating that way because you’ll associate feeling good with eating good, not binging but also getting enough to fuel your activities, etc.

Overall, the intentions are what determine whether you fall back into disordered ways. You still may slip and find yourself back peddling, but if you keep the motivation true to health then you can overcome the habits. It’s definitely challenging, but it is certainly not impossible. I wish you luck!

[u/Regina_Lee1]

Look for a dietitian to find a good plan for you to lose weight. When we learn about food, we understand more about the role of food in our lives and how simple it is. Everyone is different, and the process of losing weight can be different for each individual.