Binge eating disorder recovery: Kelly Clark

By Maria / Client Stories

my binge eating disorder made it impossible to focus at work & none of my clothes fit
I can’t remember the last time I went this long without bingeing
my doctor told me I couldn’t lose weight after turning 40—Kelly proved her wrong

Binge Eating Disorder Recovery, by Maria

My first memory of dieting was when I was 12 years old. But my relationship with food became problematic long before that. When I was 9 years old I began hoarding food. Now I’m 42. After 30 years of restricting (daily), bingeing (several times a week), taking laxatives, skipping meals and so on, I finally have freedom from dieting. And I love my shrinking body.

Country: England
Career: MBA Grad working for a leading global consulting company

My binge eating disorder was all about extremes

Before working with Kelly, a good day would be:

exercising in the morning (indoor cycling or yoga)
clean eating for lunch
& an early dinner by 7 pm

And my worst day would be:

no exercise
eating clean for breakfast & lunch but then bingeing in the evening
(e.g. eating a whole bag of nuts, minimum 3 bars of chocolate, bag of chips with cheese, etc.)

On average I’d binge about 4 nights a week

As soon as I’d see a bag of nuts and dried fruit I’d need to finish them all.

Then I’d be up all night because I was so uncomfortable.

Nuts and dried fruit are so dense and difficult to digest. So I’d take laxatives.

The next morning I’d still feel sick. And I felt terrible about myself.

Eating 5 chocolate bars at once… Who does that?

Having a binge eating disorder made me think about food all the time

I was so preoccupied because along with bingeing I:

exercised when I worried I ate too much
skipped a meal if I ate something I regretted
looked in every mirror, and even windows to check how big I looked
felt guilty if I wasn’t eating diet food
felt ashamed buying laxatives
was always on and off diets
never felt satisfied after eating a meal

It was awful.

I hate to even think about it.

My binge eating disorder recovery came after I’d tried everything

The weight-loss methods I tried before working with Kelly Clark included:

intermittent fasting
Keto
cutting carbs
etc.

I tried all kinds of diets, pills and spent a lot of money.

But I’d end up overeating at night.

For years I kept thinking about how much better everything would be if I felt good in my body. But I always failed big time because I wasn’t consistent 🙁

My binge eating disorder escalated and I knew I needed help

I felt so stuck because I was so ready to lose weight (around 8 kg) but worried I didn’t have the motivation and energy to do it.

After years of being on so many weight-loss plans I didn’t trust myself.

The worst part was that my attention span and focus had decreased so much that I could only read a few lines at a time at work and it was taking me double the time to complete a task.

I'd been on so many weight-loss plans. I was losing faith in myself— Maria, EnglandAt that point in my binge eating disorder I was so confused about how long I should exercise and what and how much I should eat.

When my clothes weren’t fitting anymore I spoke to my doctor. But she said because I was over 40 I wouldn’t be able to lose the weight.

Thankfully another health care provider recommended Kelly. And she’s proved my doctor wrong!

My colleagues have been asking me if I’ve lost weight because it’s showing on my face and my brother-in-law asked if I’ve lost weight too 🙌🏻.

The answer is… YES!

They can even see the change over Zoom.

My binge eating disorder recovery has improved every part of my life

I love Kelly’s approach so much because it’s 100% natural.

There’s no dieting.

No going hungry.

And her whole program is personalized to me.

Also, all the feelings of disappointment in myself are gone.

Eating used to be so chaotic and emotionally charged. Now I sit down at meal time and enjoy regular meals. It’s sort of elegant.

I’m also enjoying regular exercise (rather than using it to punish myself).

My shrinking waistline is wonderful but it's the other benefits of recovering from binge eating disorder that have made me feel like me again— Maria, EnglandAnd I sleep so much better.

Because I’m not an emotional eater any more there’s been such a positive ripple effect in every aspect of my life.

Now that my mind is out of the fog that binge eating disorder creates, I can say that my shrinking waistline is wonderful but it’s the other benefits of recovering from binge eating disorder that have made me feel like me again.

All the other parts of my life have exploded (in a good way!)

Recovering from my binge eating disorder gave me freedom

Now I:

am totally “on” at work
no longer think about food all the time
don’t snack mindlessly
have way more energy
enjoy occasional treats without overdoing it or feeling guilty

Finally I know that overeating is the natural result of dieting. Restricting leads to bingeing. (Thanks Kelly!!)
Kelly has helped me achieve more in just a few weeks than everything I tried for 30 years— Maria, England
Being able to trust myself again has improved my confidence. Not just with food but also at work.

Kelly has helped me achieve more in just a few weeks than everything I tried for 30 years.

I’m no longer showing up at work exhausted

Now that I’m not wasting time bingeing, there’s space in the day to just sit on the couch and read or go for a walk and really enjoy the moment, rather than feeling anxious and worried about my life.

Also, my supervisor noticed such a difference she suggested I apply for a new role within the company.

So I’ve started the process of being interviewed for higher ranking positions—ones with more seniority and more responsibility.

And I’m learning Spanish! Something I’ve wanted to do for years.
The other day I walked into the grocery store and found myself in the fruit and vegetable area. Before I'd go straight to the chocolates and wine— Maria, England
The other day I walked into the grocery store and found myself in the fruit and vegetable area.

Before I’d go straight to the chocolates and wine.

I was like… “Who is this person?” (Feeling very proud of myself!)

Kelly’s binge eating disorder recovery method is different to anyone I’ve worked with before

Kelly is really gentle, encouraging and fun and she totally kept me accountable.

What makes this whole journey lasting, is that Kelly didn’t tell me to eat this or eat that. She guided me to keep me on track but let me get healthy in my own way so I could find my own version of success. You’ve got to eat food you like!

Now I never feel deprived. Like I went out for lunch with my sister and she ordered ice cream for dessert. But I didn’t want any. I never thought that would be me!

I’m super happy to say that even on New Years Eve I didn’t want any treats because I had a fulfilling and nutritious dinner 🎉 I knew I could eat something sweet if I wanted to, but I just didn’t.

In fact I crave natural, healthy food.

And I can eat a handful of nuts and just stop.

I have never felt so in control without restricting. I am glad to have trusted the process. I just feel healthier and my energy levels, my sleep, my bowl movements are all in check.