Trying not to binge

Options
elizabeth7708
elizabeth7708 Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So my birthday is tomorrow and some of my friends have a planned a huge party. A lot of people have told me to just eat my maintenance and go back on track the next day. But I've tried that before and I ended up eating over my maintenance for weeks after. I want to keep track of my calories, but still enjoy my birthday. Any ideas?

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Options
    Are you usually restricting too much, quantity and/or quality, really restricting, or just feeling restricted? This is the most common reason.
  • elizabeth7708
    elizabeth7708 Posts: 17 Member
    Options
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Are you usually restricting too much, quantity and/or quality, really restricting, or just feeling restricted? This is the most common reason.

    No I eat a 250 calorie deficit, but I just slip into my old habits really easily :neutral:
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Options
    elizabeth7708 wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Are you usually restricting too much, quantity and/or quality, really restricting, or just feeling restricted? This is the most common reason.

    No I eat a 250 calorie deficit, but I just slip into my old habits really easily :neutral:

    I hear you. I had a bad medical scare this past spring and stess ate my way through it even though I knew better.

    One of the things I've read (and learned before and am relearning) that I'm finding helpful in getting back on track is that setting limits on yourself (keeping treats to a specific quantity, for example) is like exercising a muscle. It takes practice for that muscle to get strong, and the first few times you work it, it's going to be challenging.

    In the past, I had absorbed that truth and put it into practice. I had developed strength in that "moderation" or "willpower" muscle, but it was through conscientious exercising of it - mindful exercising of it. It wasn't always easy, but I knew what I was doing and trusted the process.

    I'm having to do that again. I am employing a lot of distraction techniques to walk away when I've had enough while I use self-talk to remind myself that I'm exercising new "muscles". I grab a diet soda, chew some gum, brush my teeth, take a walk, or play a game on my phone.

    New habits are formed by repeated actions. Repeating not overeating can be hard when you've slipped into binging for a while, but if you go in with a plan ahead of time to combat the binging, I think you have a better chance of success.

    Good luck!

Categories