Losing while binging.

Question
hi, I've been dieting for three years now and it has been very successful. However, lately I've been having serious hunger prang. I mean SERIOUS hunger prangs that I can't just drink water and ignore. I crave for carbs. It mostly happens most strongly at night after 9. Sometimes, I wake up in the night to eat cos' the prangs are bothering me. I don't just eat, I binge on muffins, cookies, bread, nuts, dried fruits---all the unhealthy stuff. I don't know why I'm having this problem now and it's very very hard to stop even though I keep telling myself I won't do it again. I'm so ashamed because I've lost my self-control. Do you know what is causing this now and how can I stop it? It has never happened before until these recent months. I am a vegetarian and I've never craved this crazily before.
Also, I checked the scale today and I was shocked. I thought I must've gained like a gazillion pounds cos' it's been going on for a while. It turned out I barely gained since I last weighed myself. Over the summer, I didn't watch my diet so I gained 8 lbs. My goal is to lose those pounds again. My second question is; How come I didn't gain even though I've been binging these few months?

Answer
I really cannot tell you what is going on without working with you one-on-one.  I have no idea what you have been doing to "diet" so cannot even comment on that. If you are really depriving yourself to diet or lose weight, that could be a possible reason.  If you are not eating enough calories or eating too early before going to bed maybe that would be a reason.  I really don't know without knowing what you are doing.  There is not ONE answer for everyone, it is a personal issue.  Again, I wouldn't know why you didn't gain weight without knowing what else you are doing.
It does sound like you need some help straightening out your diet though.  My suggesion would be to find a dietitian in your area that CAN help you on a personal basis.  You can check out www.eatright.org to find a dietitian in your area.
Kim Tessmer, RD LD

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