An investment banker in New York City, Elissa was good at what she did, but she was also stressed out and overweight. Health problems were going to be added to her portfolio if she didn't make some changes quick.
Elissa's Story
"It was a tough life"
Not too long ago I was an investment banker on Wall Street. I was working 14 to 16 hour per day and that's when my eating started to get out of control. I would get to work at 8 or 8:30a.m., and there wasn't a day I left before midnight. I would still try to work out but when you only sleep 4-5 hours it is hard to get in a good work out. I would try to eat well through out the day, but once night time came you would eat when you were stressed or bored, and then we would go out and drink and I would drink a lot. We would do whatever it took to stay up. For me that was binging on food.
"I started to see the physical damage."
I noticed I was gaining weight and buying clothes in bigger sizes. At first, I didn't connect it to stress until I went home for Thanksgiving one year, stepped on the scale and saw a number I never, ever wanted to see. I realized my eating was the one aspect of my life I could not control. I felt so demoralized because I am such an A-type personality and I am used to being able to control everything.
"It wasn't until I went on a two week vacation with my family that anybody else actually noticed that I had this problem."
It was something that people had sort of noticed before but didn't realize how serious it was until we spent two full weeks together. What I learned by working through my problem is that women who have these issues have them at home and alone. My friends always thought I was a healthy person because I would eat really well and exercise around them and do the things that a normal and healthy person would do. Then I would get home and be stressed because some guy didn't call me or I screwed something up at work and I would just eat.
"I found a doctor to help me change my behaviors when I felt stressed or unhappy."
I discovered I had a stress related eating disorder, which is probably different for each person. In my case when I had a bad day at work I would eat more. I would reward myself with foods that were unhealthy or if I was just bored I would eat. When you wake up the next day after a binge you feel horrible about it. You are this really controlled person who loses control. Understanding the underlying issues made all the difference.
"I have certain foods that are trigger foods."
I like crunchy foods to satisfy my stress. I would eat a pound of almonds, or I would eat a whole box of granola. My doctor told me to throw those foods away. I couldn't have those foods in my house because I would devour them. I would say to him, "I just want to eat like a normal person," and he would say, "Why do you want to be normal, no one in this world is normal?" He got me to understand that each person is different and each person has individual weaknesses and strengths. My weakness may be perfectly normal for someone else.
"I re-discovered my passion for food instead of being afraid of food."
I can now deal with stress and uncertainty. I don't stress binge eat anymore. I might eat more celery, but I don't run to my cupboard to eat everything that is in my house. I started cooking more, and I started entertaining and having wine tastings. Even if you have issues with food there are ways to overcome it, there are different or better foods that you can eat. For instance in my curry chicken I don't use mayo, I use non-fat yogurt and mustard. I use bison instead of beef because it is lean.
Actually admitting that there is something wrong is the hardest part -- I didn't do it by myself -- and if you don't have a good support system, it is even harder. Once you admit it to yourself and seek help, it gets easier.
