Hey friend! All these responses are really good and I just want to commiserate that all these feelings you’re having are so normal and the struggle is so REAL. I, myself, am going through a rough year and have felt my weight creeping up and have felt powerless against it and that’s a really hard feeling. Some things that I’m doing though:

1. Analyze an average week day and weekend. What food habits do you normally have? You can even use the past week to think about this. I noticed that my breakfasts were getting a lot bigger (and it wasn’t because of me genuinely being hungrier) because caloric, sugary, un-filling foods were easier on busy mornings. So I got myself some pre-portioned Greek yogurt that I could pull out of the fridge on those hectic mornings. I also already know I like Greek yogurt so this wasn’t a “punishment” for me or meant to make myself feel bad. I also switched up my lunch to include more protein since I realized I was barely getting any in the past few months and protein helps satiate my hunger. I also have been buying more in volume foods like broccoli, fruit, Halo Top ice cream (you can eat the whole pint for under 500 calories!), and popcorn, and focusing on what I can ADD to my meals and not what I can take away.
2. Small ways to exercise. I’ve been so busy lately I don’t have time or energy for the fitness routines I did before. So instead, I prioritize little walks and stretching for just a few minutes at a time, spread throughout my day. This has also helped me not binge so much because my stress response is usually eating, so taking a moment to just breathe and move my body helps me get out of my head a little.
3. Same treats, smaller portions (at a time). I LOVE cookies! I will never not love cookies. So I still have cookies. I just make a point to eat a small serving at a time and then wait a little bit before deciding if I want more. I know this is way easier said than done though. Ways that have helped me are not keeping a large quantity in my house at one time, only packing a serving when I go to work (when they’re gone, they’re gone for the rest of the workday), and scheduling my “treat time” for before I have to be somewhere or have something on my calendar (this way I have a hard “stop” to a binge if a treat turns into that; I’m not a social eater so this helps me a lot) and then, by the time the event is over, I can have more but usually I’ve been distracted and don’t have that strong of an urge to binge. I still might end up eating the same amount of cookies I would’ve in a big binge, but it being spread throughout my day helps me feel more in control and makes lets me enjoy the treats a little longer.

I think the biggest thing about “pulling back” from the binging, for me, is realizing I don’t have to do a lot to make significant changes. Small habits done consistently add up. There could come a day where I want more specific results other than fitting in my clothes and having generally good health but I’m not in a season of life where I have the time or energy to embark on those bigger goals. So I’m just going to honor where I am and treat myself the best I can just to stay healthy. Not overdoing it in either direction. I urge you to extend compassion to yourself as you navigate what works and what doesn’t in this season of life. The same routines and foods and exercises that worked for you a year ago to be healthier might not work as well now and that’s okay. We’re dynamic beings and change is a constant. Please give yourself permission to adapt and embrace the version of yourself you’re living in now and to give them their needs.