When Binge Eating Disorder Causes Weight Gain

When you have binge eating disorder, it can sometimes come with massive weight gain as a side effect. It seems pretty obvious that overeating can cause you to gain weight, but that's not always the case and it should never be an assumption. But when it does happen, the reality of gaining weight quickly because of binge eating disorder can be very difficult to process and come to terms with.

Looking in the Mirror with Binge Eating Disorder

When my disorder got out of control I gained about 110 lbs in an 18 month period.
Sometimes it seemed like the pair of jeans that I wore the previous week were suddenly an entire size too small. The weight piled on so quickly that I refused to weigh myself or even think about it in order to avoid dealing with reality.

My binging just increased because, while I tried to make myself completely oblivious to what was happening to my body, I could not escape the fact that I was suddenly unable to wear most of what was in my closet. Suddenly, my "fat" clothes didn't fit and I had buy even larger sizes than that. Not only that, but as my body gained weight, so did my face.

I remember looking into the mirror one day and literally not recognizing myself because I looked so vastly different. I had never been this large in my life and I had no frame of reference for this face. It was different and strange and I really didn't like it. I just kept thinking, "Who is this person?"

Readjusting Your Identity Around Binge Eating Disorder and Weight Gain

Major changes to your body affects not only how you look but also your body image, your self-esteem and your place in the world. I remember once going to a mall and needing to buy new jeans. I went through the store directory to find a plus size store that would have something in my size. There was nothing.

An entire mall, dozens of clothing stores, and none of them carried any clothing that would fit me. It was then I realized that being able to find clothes in your size is a luxury and it was one that I no longer had. What kind of person was I now that I was being excommunicated from the vast majority of clothing stores?

Binge Eating Disorder, Weight Gain and Your Self Image

To be totally honest, I lost my self image when I gained all of the weight. I pretty much stopped looking in the mirror. I put no stock in my appearance or body. I didn't feel sexy or desirable and, moreover, didn't feel that I was allowed to. I felt different; I saw myself as different; and I didn't like any of it. When binge eating disorder caused weight gain it made dealing with the mental component of my disease all the more challenging.

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