Binging and splurging

Cheeky_0102

I know that some of my bad eating is learned and some of it is part of my "psychological issues" (managable levels of anxiety, ADD, depression and who knows what, i don't care i don't need a label to feel valudated in my nuttiness)
So much of how we eat food is affected by how we SEE food. I just want to clear these two terms up.

Binge -
Noun A short period devoted to indulging in an activity, esp. drinking alcohol, to excess.
Verb
Indulge in an activity, esp. eating, to excess: "she cannot help binging on chocolate".

I consider the word binge to refer to eating disorder like behaviour, and i have been there. You eat until it hurts, and you keep eating for whatever reason, it tastes good, you can't stop the repetitive behaviour. I think of it as almost involuntary, or an automatice pilot thing. I ate tortilla chips and natcho cheese one night until i threw up. That to me is binging.

Slurge
Noun 1. splurge - an ostentatious display (of effort or extravagance etc.)

Now doesn't that sound better. we all deserve decadence and extravagance in our lives. In a healthy lifestyle there is room for indulgance, in fact for me, i need to change it up here and there, a high day here, a low day here. My body doesn't adjust to a set amount of calories and i have greater success.

I'm suggesting we move away from saying i totally binged on something and save that term for the really disordered eating, there is a difference between (i got really drunk last night and i was a total alcoholic)

I love to splurge on am iced coffee, or a small blizzard, or chinese food... my next major athletic feat (a 200 km ride in september) will earn me a poutine.

do you think I'm splitting hairs, or do i have a valid point about not putting a negative spin on normal behaviour?

emilycarr71404

I think you have a very valid point. Well done.

Cheeky_0102

I think we all need to remember not to say "i can't eat this" or "i can never have this"

There is always a time and place. If you eat right 99% of the time you can let loose however you want! I go for more 80% good 20% bad so i can stay sante and call this my lifestyle not my diet.

Unknown

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Cheeky_0102

i see it as a binge when you didn't mean for it to happen. If i bought a tub of ice cream with the intention of eating the whole thing, that's a splurge. If i wanted some chips, thought i could ration them over a few days but found myself licking the crumbs off the bottom five minutes later, that's a binge

eating until you throw up is an extreme example.

dbmata

Splitting hairs. Call it what it is, and move on.

If it was a binge, it was. If it was a splurge, it was.

Let's be balanced, personally responsible adults here.

Iwishyouwell

I find that when I live the majority of my life eating in a lower carb way, and sometimes combined with IFing, that I can "splurge" occasionally as much as I like with no ill effects.

I think life is too short to spend your entire life constantly being afraid of any food. Eat in a way that makes you feel good, and helps you stay healthy, and fit, and then try and develop the control necessary to overindulge from time to time if you like to.

But know yourself. Some people avoid ever "splurging" because they know, like an alcoholic, they are unable to stop.