I am 27 years old and I feel too old to have these issues, but I lost a lot of weight 5 years ago. Ever since then I have yo-yoed [within a range of 20 – 25 lbs]. Now, I’m *** and 5’7”. I just can’t eat normal. I was eating every 3 hours when I was ***, but now I eat like every 2 hours and then no dinner. I just can’t get on a regular schedule and I’m a candy addict! Ugh. Sorry, I just needed to vent. – J.G.T
Dear JGT,
Venting is a great way to get those racing thoughts in your head to settle down, at least for awhile. One suggestion for more lasting relief from racing thoughts, if you’re not already doing so, is to find a mental health professional (therapist or psychologist) to talk to about underlying issues that may be driving the eating issues.
It makes sense that your weight is yo-yoing if your eating has been erratic over the past several months or years. Your body’s natural set point is likely somewhere in the middle of your high and low weight of late. Finding peace with food involves eating intuitively in response to body cues of hunger/fullness and giving yourself permission to eat foods that you truly enjoy and find satisfying. Finding your body’s natural set point weight also involves exercising moderately (3-5 times per week, up to one hour per session, one session per day). By allowing the body to weigh naturally what it wants, it alleviates a lot of the obsessions about food and appetite fluctuations.
So take a deep breath and be kind to your body. Honor natural hunger/fullness cues, exercise sensibly and allow your body weight to do what it will. Making peace with food and activity goes a long way toward overall mental, emotional and physical well being.
Juliet N. Zuercher, RD