Expert: Meg - 11/26/2006

Question
Hi, I am a vegetarian and I have been very successful for a diet for three years. I jog everyday for 45 minutes. I have managed to lose 20 lbs!! However, in the last seven months, I have been binging. I don't know why but it's like my body is crying out for me to eat and eat. I keep eating and eating yet I don't get full. I think there's something fishy going on. I even binged on foods that aren't vegetarian, that is, ones with eggs and butter. I feel like I've completely lost track this year and I really want to lose what I have gained. I binged on cookies, bread and cake! I have avoided those! I feel so ashamed. I've binged every other day and I can see my weight going up like crazy. Why am I losing track right now after being successful for so many years? How can I get back on track? It's really really hard. It's so hard for me to lose weight because I'm so hungry by 9:00pm and I binge and binge to the point where I eat 4000 calories total a day. Please help me. Tell me how can I lose that weight and stop this mad behavior that is possessing me for the last three-five months.

Answer
Hi Yan,

Thanks for your question and I'll do my best to help you out.  You may also want to consult a nutritionist who can help you assess your diet.  My guess is that your current vegetarian diet is not meeting all of your nutritional needs.  Perhaps you are not getting enough protein?  Or, if you have cut out any type of food (like carbs) this might cause your body to binge as well.  I've found a lot of vegetarians who cut out fat and thus set up a binge cycle as well.  So, the first thing I'd recommend is taking a close look at your diet and accessing if it is indeed well balanced.  If not, then by adjusting it, you can probably curb the bingeing.  Also, check to see that you are eating enough calories for your size and the amount of exercise you are doing.  Running for 45 mins a day is great, but it also ups your daily calorie requirement.  

Another aspect to look at is if you are eating high fiber foods.  Generally, this is inherent in a vegetarian diet, but not always.  If you are not, then add high fiber cereal, more veggies, whole wheat breads, brown rice, etc.  

You mention avoiding certain foods and a very restrictive diet is another thing that can lead to bingeing.  If you have cut out cake/bread and yet are craving them, then find suitable vegetarian substitutes and plan to have them as treats with your meal plan.  

I'm a bit confused as it sounds like you are a strict vegetarian/vegan?  Meaning, you don't eat ANY animal products?  If so, this does make getting all of your nutritional needs met (although it absolutely is possible-you just need to be more vigilant about making sure that you are doing it).  There are a lot of vegan foods out there including vegan treats and perhaps incorporating some into your meal plan so that you know you will get the occasional cookie or sweet will help you stop bingeing.

Also, if you don't already take a comprehensive vitamin, you might want to do this.  Vegetarians are very commonly deficient in B vitamins and there can be other deficiencies that are helped by a multivitamin.  

So, I would first advise you to take a close look at your diet.  If you do this and can't figure it out, consider consulting a nutritionist.  If you still feel like you are hungry with no explanation, then maybe see your doctor to rule out medial causes.  However, I feel like its probably that something is not quite balanced.

Here are a few links that might  be of help:

www.vegsoc.org/info/goingveg.html

www.bbc.co.uk/food/vegetarian_and_vegan/veganproteins.shtml

www.vrg.org/

www.goveg.com/

vegweb.com/

I hope this helps and feel free to write again if anything is not clear or if there is more that I can help with.

Take care!
Meg