Transformation Tuesday | My Battle With Binge Eating

All of my life, I had always been the “chubby girl” in school. While I was never considered obese, I was always just a little bigger than all of the other girls in my grade. Between my sophomore and junior year, I had a lot of stress and emotion that I wasn’t quite sure how to deal with – which lead me to develop a binge eating disorder.

I wasn’t aware at the time, but the way I was eating (normally during the day, and then binging on unnecessary and crazy amounts of calories at night) would slowly get me up to my highest weight ever. In June 2012, I weighed 200 lbs. with 45% bodyfat standing at 5’7″ and 17 years old. My clothes were getting tighter and tighter, I had no self-esteem, and I was very depressed. However, one fine day something hit me – I decided I had enough of being overweight and feeling like total crap all of the time.

I started off as a “cardio queen” – running cross-country while lifting weights on the side. Looking back though, I definitely did not eat enough calories to fuel my body properly – I went from one extreme (overeating) to another (barely eating at all). I loved doing cardio and did over an hour a day when I first started – little did I know though, that this was a huge mistake.

When I found female figure and bodybuilding competitors online, I knew in an instant that this was what I wanted to aspire to be. Subsequently, I started focusing more on lifting weights and less on cardio – I ended up losing 62 lbs. in 8 months, putting me at 138 lbs.

I say it so nonchalantly that it almost makes it sound easy. However – through the entirety of my weight loss journey, I battled the eating disorder that got me up to 200 lbs. in the first place. In the first couple of months of my dieting – I did not binge eat one time. Looking back, I don’t know why or how it didn’t happen, but I just didn’t.

Come the third or fourth month however, my binge eating came back – in fact, the binge eating disorder (BED) is one of the most prevalent eating disorders in the United States. My nutrition would be on point all week, but when the weekend came I would eat upwards of 4000-5000 calories in just one sitting.

This went on for a long time. Once I met my current boyfriend (Nick) though, I started to get my BED under control. He helped me gain control of my emotions and learn to not deal with them by eating copious amounts of unhealthy food.

This is where Quest Bars come in. I found them at a local supplement shop, and once I tried them, I was hooked! Quest Bars have helped me overcome my eating disorder and lose 60lbs. The fiber in them keeps me full, and the flavors make the bar taste like an amazing dessert. I usually limit myself to one bar a day – but honestly, they are hard to resist! I love the fact that they have 20 grams of protein per bar as well. They are the best way to “cheat clean”, and I never feel guilty for enjoying one.

Finally though, I went through a real bulk up stage and gained a good amount of muscle – I slowly went from 138lbs to 154lbs. Nick encouraged me to lift heavier weights & we both got into Power Bodybuilding – a combination of powerlifting for strength mixed with bodybuilding for aesthetics. Squats, deadlifts, and benching soon became my favorite lifts to do. Deadlifting is my favorite overall.

I am currently in preparation for a figure competition in May 2014 – Quest Bars come in very handy for competition prep because they easily fit my macros and they’re very filling. I hope to do very well at my competition!

If you would like to follow Kait’s progress along the way, follow her on Instagram!