Diet over exercise? Binge cannot be undone?

ForRainyDays

Hi,

Is it true that diet is the fundamental component to weight loss? Does that mean that when I binge, my exercise afterwards has no effect? Because it sounds like once I binge, what's the point, right? I can't ever exercise it off...

Is there any better way to work off a binge? Or is it just stuck on me, waiting for weeks of cleaner eating just to be removed and to maintain a weight? I hope not, because I'm looking to lose weight, not maintain! :P

What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance!

KarenJanine

It's all calories in vs calories out. So if your binges take you over your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure, ie total cals burned in a day) then you will gain weight. If all your binge calories still leave you below your TDEE then you will lose weight.

touchafaith

Hi! I've heard that weight loss is 80% food/diet and 20% exercise. I think exercise after a binge is not pointless because you'll be burning some of the calories off that you ate. If in a binge you ate 800 calories then exercised for 3 hours over the next couple of days and burned 800 calories then technically they would cancel each other out, that's my understanding of it at least but I'm still learning about all of this! Your best bet would be to get your binging slowly under control (easier said than done I know) and then you should see some good results not just on the scales but in yourself. I don't exercise at the moment as I'm really struggling to find the time but I've lost 5lbs in 2 weeks by just sticking within my allocated calories. I will slowly add exercise when I'm ready. Hope this has helped a little bit!

Bobbie8786

Well, since you don't define what you consider a binge to be, I will just assume it to be a lot of really empty calorie junk food consumed in a relatively short period of time, as it is rare to hear the word binge in relation to consuming massive quantities of lettuce and broccoli. So, in this case I would say that yes, diet is ultimately the key to successful and long term weight loss. Also, I do believe that binge eating and then trying to compensate with excessive exercise is now considered part of an eating disorder.

I think the expectation that "binging" can be part of a successful weight loss program is rather unrealistic. Just my opinion of course.

TavistockToad

It's all calories in vs calories out. So if your binges take you over your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure, ie total cals burned in a day) then you will gain weight. If all your binge calories still leave you below your TDEE then you will lose weight.

this!

if you exercise, it can reduce the effects of a binge, because you are burning off some of the extra calories, but if you eat more calories than you need, you will put on weight.

if it was me, i would look at the psychological reasons behind the binges, not just work out how many calories you need to burn off to not gain weight.

KellyyT

Working out is NEVER pointless. But it does depend how often you do this and what you consider to be a "binge". i also don't think if you over-eat your cals, and then put in an extra work-out or two to compensate, equates an eating disorder. if so, majority of the people on MFP have eating disorders, including myself. i also don't think that every "binge" needs a psych evaluation. sometimes you want the damn pizza or cake, so you eat it. big deal.

if you binge today, but cut back on cals for the rest of the week or toss in an extra workout, you can balance out so that your average for the week is within your cal count. this is pretty much what most people call "cheat days" or "cheat meals"; i call it eating. simply put? you'll still lose weight if at the end of the week, your cals are in order.

JesterMFP

There are lots of good reasons to exercise*; "undoing" a binge isn't really one of them. One of the problems with trying to undo binges with exercise (or any other form of purging) is that you start linking the two together, and exercise becomes either a punishment for binging, or a kind of 'get out of jail free card" for binging. Neither mentality will help you to break free from the actual problem - the binge eating.

Depending on the numbers involved, you may be able to "get away with" losing weight while binge eating, and your activity levels can be a factor in that. I'm guessing that's not really how you want to live though. (I'm assuming you're talking about actual binging, and not just periods of non-"clean" eating.) Bottom line is, in practical terms, it's much easier to not eat an extra 1000 calories than it is to burn off 1000 calories through exercise. If not eating those excess calories feels impossible, then it might be worth seeking professional help.

*Good reasons to exercise (aka "the point"):
-for cardiovascular fitness - fitter heart, lungs, better blood flow
-for more energy & better sleep
-to be stronger
-to release betaendorphins and other feel-good chemicals to boost your mood
-to build confidence
-to improve libido
-to maintain your lean mass (eg. muscle mass and bone density, both very important, and it's especially important to maintain them while you're losing weight)
-to learn new skills & do fun things you haven't tried before
-to be able to run further/faster, lift heavier, cycle further etc
-to look fitter and healthier and more "toned"
-reduced risk of nasty diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some forms of cancer, osteoarthritis and depression

TavistockToad

i also don't think that every "binge" needs a psych evaluation. sometimes you want the damn pizza or cake, so you eat it. big deal.

eating a pizza or a cake isnt a binge... its just eating a pizza or a cake.

proudandprejudiced

i also don't think that every "binge" needs a psych evaluation. sometimes you want the damn pizza or cake, so you eat it. big deal.

eating a pizza or a cake isnt a binge... its just eating a pizza or a cake.

You're right, if you just want to eat that pizza and you eat it, that's not a binge. Binge eating is uncontrollably eating large amounts of food in a short quantity of time, that food can be healthy or unhealthy - it's not WHAT food you eat, it's how you eat it. However, I don't think that many people would consider uncontrollably eating a lettuce that was 100 calories a binge. It does tend to be a high amount of calories in a short amount of time.

JesterMFP

i also don't think that every "binge" needs a psych evaluation. sometimes you want the damn pizza or cake, so you eat it. big deal.

eating a pizza or a cake isnt a binge... its just eating a pizza or a cake.

Yeah, to be honest I think part of the problem with these kinds of posts is that we don't know exactly what is meant by "binge". It's an over-used word and people sometimes use it to mean exceeding their calorie goal by a few hundred, or eating so-called "bad" food, even if they stay within their calorie goal. People start dieting, beat themselves up for what they imagine to be disordered or "bad" eating, and end up with a seriously unhealthy relationship with food that can lead down the road to actual disordered eating. :frown:

Regardless of whether OP is actually binge eating, the fact that she is trying to "undo" it with exercise is slightly worrying to me.

Destin65

Whatever you do please maintain an active lifestyle if at all possible. Don't get down on yourself and think that exercise in some fashion would be futile. Walking costs no money and anyone can do it. Just 30 minutes of walking a day is a very good exercise for anyone to do and can help you burn calories while keeping the heart healthy through exercising it by bringing up the heart rate. If you can try and get up to 120 bpm heart rate, if not then do what you can. Something is far more productive than nothing and you will be all the better for it.

As someone already mentioned, the 80% diet and 20% exercise is good advice to follow. At least one of my fitness model friends of Facebook swears by it. Also, try to fight off cravings, or even binges, by being proactive. As one relayed to me, if you start feeling a hunger pang or craving and it is not time to eat yet then drink a glass of water. If that curbs it then your body was telling you that you were thirsty. If that doesn't work then eat something light and healthy like fruit. If that curbs it then that's all you needed and got you through a hunger/craving attack. If not, then that means you are probably genuinely hungry and can consider having your meal early. Over time you'll learn to listen to your body as it will tell you what you need. Also, drink more water and make sure you are getting the recommended daily dose of potassium if you are not restricted on that. I was carrying a lot of water weight myself and quickly lost some pounds simply by upping my potassium intake (I was rarely eating fruit or veggies) and cutting back on my sodium intake. Too much sodium will make your body retain water and you'll put on the pounds from water weight. I was shocked to find out I was carrying an estimated 10 pounds of water weight alone! Once I adjusted my diet I quickly lost those pounds over a couple of weeks and felt better.

As for the binges, not sure what to tell you on that except to try and minimize the damage if at all possible. Most things are ok in moderation. Rewarding yourself on a Saturday for sticking to your diet all week probably won't hurt much. That being dependent on how much you fall off the wagon of course. Sometimes I would splurge like that after being a good boy for a while but then sometimes I'd feel letdown and, depending on what it was I ate/overate, sometimes felt miserable. So as a result I'd splurge less on my rewards, lol. You are what you eat, as they say. If you eat bad then you will look and feel bad. ;-)

Francl27

Depends on the binge. But seeing that, as far as I'm concerned, binges are usually 1000+ calories, yeah, it's unlikely you can burn off that much from exercise in a day, unless you're a runner or something.

ash190489

Hi! I've heard that weight loss is 80% food/diet and 20% exercise.

100% dedication!

joyfuljoy65

i also don't think that every "binge" needs a psych evaluation. sometimes you want the damn pizza or cake, so you eat it. big deal.

eating a pizza or a cake isnt a binge... its just eating a pizza or a cake.

You're right, if you just want to eat that pizza and you eat it, that's not a binge. Binge eating is uncontrollably eating large amounts of food in a short quantity of time, that food can be healthy or unhealthy - it's not WHAT food you eat, it's how you eat it. However, I don't think that many people would consider uncontrollably eating a lettuce that was 100 calories a binge. It does tend to be a high amount of calories in a short amount of time.

Are we not all trying to come up with a new way of eating that we can stick to for the rest of our lives? this is not a diet! And if we eat the occasional cake or pizza, well then we do. As long as our overall 'diet' (as in the food we eat) is now healthy and not something we angst over all the time surely that where we should be aiming at?!

I know that in the future I will be out with friends celebrating and will eat steak and fries and drink wine; I will enjoy chocolate and cake when celebrating; I will not spend the rest of my life beating myself up over these.

A binge to me is when you eat a lot of food - so much you feel sick - and then have to wait a couple of days before you feel right again - the same as when you binge drink. Yes, this upsets your body, and yes it may involve putting a couple of pounds on as excess water is retained in processing it, but if it is an occasional thing then eventually your body will sort it out. The concern is that people binge regularly and then expect a quick trip down the gym will sort it - your body will not know what is happening and that is the start of a slippery journey down a road I for one do not intend to go on.

deanjou59

Working out is NEVER pointless.

^^ This!