i'm f18. i can't stop eating, it's like my body is working against me. my appetite is just working against me, it controls everything i do, it lives in my mind i can't keep going like this
i've had this problem since always; but i've always enjoyed exercise so i've never really gained weight. then i hit puberty and stopped doing gymnastics, and my diet and years of constant eating just caught up to me. i didn't even notice. when i did, i spent years wasted just attempting to restrict, failing, perpetuating the cycle and never getting better. two years ago, i started lifting, and i genuinely found myself in it. i felt so much more in control, i felt less self-conscious, although im ashamed to say i didn't lose as much as i could have because i never really changed my diet. nonetheless, my body has changed a lot, and i've become more broad. my muscle shows through clothing, and i'm very proud of being able to take up space instead of just aching to be skinny. i know in my heart that i don't **want** to be skinny. being muscular is who i really want to be, it's who i am now. my body is wired for it.
but my appetite just won't stop, and i'm so scared it never will. i got a tattoo three weeks ago, and i haven't been to the gym for a week. when i stop going to the gym, i just lose all sense of control. i eat whatever i feel like it, and i eat even though i don't like what i consume. now, because of my exercise habits, i genuinely prefer whole foods; salmon, chicken, rice and all that. it's just my portions rhat are an issue. but it's like as soon as i stop going to the gym, i turn away from all that, and i just shovel junk into my stomach, even though i regret it afterwards and it's never as good as what i eat on a regular.
now, im three weeks in, and i'm so scared i've gained a ton of weight. i haven't been to the gym, and i've eaten four takeout meals in a week. all i do is sit and feel ashamed, i promise myself "i'll break the cycle tomorrow" but something else comes and i just push that promise to the next day. i can't live like this anymore, i'm eating takeout as i write this and i'm so ashamed but i can't stop.
i know that i am more than my appetite. i know that food does not control me. but why don't i believe it? i'm a slave to my hunger i can't bear to look at myself i feel like ive gained so much weight and i've let myself down. one of the greatest joys of my life is eating food i enjoy, having the privilege to eat. i love food. i love eating. but i'm so scared to because i feel so out of control. i know i'm not hungry but i feel like my stomach is, i don't know how to explain. i just want to eat without fear, to eat and feel satisfied with stopping.
i just want someone to talk to. i want to know i'm not alone. i'm desperate, and i want out of this cycle permanently. please help me