3 day binge?! Emotional support on getting past it

eardabac18

So I got down below my goal weight by 2
pounds (female, 18, 5'6 and 123 lbs). But this weekend I ate comfort food because my parents visited me from college... 3000 calories one day and 2500 calories the next two days. (A pumpkin muffin (600 calories), a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (300 calories), a ton of jolly ranchers, 2 times at Panera bread (bread, salad, and soup, averaging 600 calories per meal) sushi rolls(300), 2 egg rolls(200) 2 dumplings(200) some calamari (200), 6 cookies (300), 1/2 a pastry (300), countless mints and tootsi rolls(400), an entire packet of wasabi peas(550), beef jerky (300) and spicy snap peas(450), a soda (150), PLUS soup and salad and carrots on Friday(300))......And I didn't run on any of those days, my Usual form of exercise! Just writing this made me ashamed of myself..,,Scared to step on the scale right now, feeling unmotivated and bloated and worried about how much I could've gained. Advice on tomorrow? I'm tempted to not eat at all. Any one else deal with binges?

Nony_Mouse

First, it's done. Let it go, don't take any silly drastic measures to counter it.

Second, you're the same height as me, and several years younger. 2000 cals, if you're moderately active, is probably at least maintenance for you, so unless you mean you ate 2000 over maintenance, those two days are fine. And in the grand scheme of things, that other day really isn't that much.

You'll probably have some water weight for a few days from extra sodium and carbs, and some food weight from additional food in your system, but in terms of fat gain, it's pretty minimal. You may want to avoid the scale for a few days to let the rest settle down and not freak yourself out further with the spike on the scales.

Advice for tomorrow? Eat as you normally would.

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RodaRose

I hope the visit went well otherwise. It was only a few days. You can get back on track.

Take measurements and lots of pictures so you can see your progress without depending on the scale.

TavistockToad

what is maintenance for you?

kommodevaran

I think you first and foremost need insight to understand what is going on.

3000 calories in one day is not a binge.
You choose what to eat because you want it, your parents didn't force you to eat certain foods (I hope).
The need to "confess" and detail what you've eaten is disturbing. Nobody else cares what you eat.
Taking a day off from exercise is no big deal. You actually need rest days.
Feeling shame for doing something as important and good and innocent as eating, is just being cruel to yourself.
Don't fear the scale, it just gives you a number, no judgement of character.
Unmotivated for what?
Everybody's bloated these days. If you feel that you've eaten too much, it's just that.
You will gain one pound by eating 3500 calories above maintenance.
Do not fast tomorrow. Go back to your usual diet, or maybe you should even loosen up a bit, if your post is anything to go by.

If you still feel anxious, it's time for professional help.

eardabac18

I've eaten as little as possible today (300 cal) to undo the damage.... my
maintnence is 1300 calories

tulips_and_tea

eardabac18 wrote: »

I've eaten as little as possible today (300 cal) to undo the damage.... my msintnence is 1300 calories

Have you read all the responses you've received? If so, you'll see that this is the opposite of what has been suggested. Now, if you're plain not hungry, then doing this one day (or part of the day) is fine. But you cannot erase or undo the past. Learn from it, let it go, and move on.

tracymegan

Leave the weekend behind you. Do NOT try undo what you have done, that never works, it changes your bodies want to start storing food when you put it in a greater deficit. Just move on. You ate...it was good...and back on plan today.

TavistockToad

eardabac18 wrote: »

I've eaten as little as possible today (300 cal) to undo the damage.... my
maintnence is 1300 calories

Why did you post if you have ignored everyone's advice?

And, given your stats there's no way you maintain on such a low amount...

kristen8000

eardabac18 wrote: »

I've eaten as little as possible today (300 cal) to undo the damage.... my
maintnence is 1300 calories

Um, no. Not the right approach. Eat over 1200 calories like every other day and forget the last couple.

And what you did, wasn't a binge. It sounds like a normal weekend to me!

MystikPixie

I don't think it's wise to have a 300 calorie day even after all that carnage over the past three days. You are still at a great weight, it's going to take more than 3 days off to mess that up. Just enjoy the memories and move on as normal. PLEASE eat more than 300 calories today, there is no reason to make yourself suffer over the past.

AnnPT77

I'm about your size (5'5", high 120s), and also in maintenance, but way older than you (61). Weekend before last, there were two days where I ate around 4500 and 6500 calories. In a week, without doing anything extreme, just a moderate deficit, I was back to starting weight. No big deal.

Detailed story (and some philosophizing) here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10603949/big-overfeed-ruins-everything-nope

Doing a big cut - as if food were a sin and you needed punishment in expiation - is a Bad Plan. It expresses a bad relationship with food, sets you up for binge/restrict cycles, and more. Just eat normally, maybe a bit on the light side.

Granny sez: Guilt and drama burn no calories, and they don't feel good. Drop them, and just get back on a healthy course. You'll be fine.

Edited: typos

sofchak

I worry about the long term implications of this, OP. Do you expect to eat 1300 calories every day for the rest of your life - even on holidays, birthdays and vacations? Do you expect to never miss a planned cardio exercise ever, even if injured or on vacation?

I recommend you take a step back and reassess whether or not your plan is sustainable. There’s this thing called LIFE! There are going to be visits with the family, planned outings, days when you have obligations that are going to take up your entire day... how do you expect to live life with such rigid rules?

Please consider how to create a long term plan to maintain a healthy lifestyle so you don’t stress out every time you enjoy a little extra food. You are headed down a dark path if you continue your current approach. Good luck.

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eardabac18

Thanks for the support! I stepped on the scale for the first time since Friday morning and I weight 124.8 pounds... so a 2 lb weight gain?

ashliedelgado

You're likely still seeing the impact of your weekend, it's only Tuesday. A weekend like that, I would expect anywhere from a 4-8 lb spike on the scale for me, which takes a couple days to even out. I bet if you're on track with your usual routine, if you weigh tomorrow you'll be lower, and the next day lower still.

davidylin

I agree. There is no need to panic and you should be able to just resume normally. Two days of bad eating is just a small bump in the road. It'll resolve in time if you resume your typical activity.

toxikon

There's no way your TDEE is 1300 for your height, even if you sit on the couch all day. Are you confusing it with BMI?

Graelwyn75

I had a terrible binge day on Sunday, probably around 6k calories total, given the amount of sweets/candy I consumed... not happened in a long time, and yes, it is hard as I usually maintain fairly rigid control, even when going out somewhere, but I know there is nothing I can do other than get back to my regular programme and hope it doesn't make too much of an impact come Saturday's weigh in. I learnt my lesson as I felt like rubbish the next day and my workout was painfully uncomfortable. But I agree your TDEE is highly, highly unlikely to be 1300.

eardabac18

So my BMI is 1300, and I eat 1300 calories a day and run 5-6 miles daily (5 days a week). Once I ate 1600 calories daily for 3 weeks without running and gained 6 pounds! (I gain weight super easily). It's a struggle to figure out maintenance.

TavistockToad

eardabac18 wrote: »

So my BMI is 1300, and I eat 1300 calories a day and run 5-6 miles daily (5 days a week). Once I ate 1600 calories daily for 3 weeks without running and gained 6 pounds! (I gain weight super easily). It's a struggle to figure out maintenance.

Your BMI IS NOT 1300.

If you mean BMR then you're talking about the number of calories you burn in a coma.

You want your TDEE....

toxikon

Yeah, when I said BMI I meant BMR - whoops. Basal metabolic rate - how many calories your body would burn if you were in a coma.

Your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is your BMR + all your daily activities, including sitting on the couch or at a desk. Even at a desk, you're burning more calories than you would in a coma.

Your TDEE will tell you your maintenance calories.

I like to use this website to calculate my TDEE: http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/

DX2JX2

Assuming your true maintenance is something like 1600 calories, you ate a total of 3200 calories over maintenance for the weekend. Less than one pound. Big whoop.

Also, you don't gain weight easily. You just notice it more. The same way gamblers tend to focus more on their losses than their wins.

eardabac18

my weight hasn't gone done and has stayed near 125, so I guess I have a two pounds weight gain, but that's life!

TavistockToad

eardabac18 wrote: »

my weight hasn't gone done and has stayed near 125, so I guess I have a two pounds weight gain, but that's life!

Water weight hangs on for longer than 2 days for me....

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AnnPT77

eardabac18 wrote: »

my weight hasn't gone done and has stayed near 125, so I guess I have a two pounds weight gain, but that's life!

Still only been a couple of days.

Digestive system transit, mouth to the other end, can - per research - take 50+ hours, so if you ate greater volume than usual, some of that still may be a factor.

Depending on what else is going on in your life (exercise, food, monthly cycle, healing), water weight can take a week or so to reverse.

Patience!

Glad you're able to be a little more philosophical about it, though: That's healthy.

leejoyce31

AnnPT77 wrote: »

eardabac18 wrote: »

my weight hasn't gone done and has stayed near 125, so I guess I have a two pounds weight gain, but that's life!

Still only been a couple of days.

Digestive system transit, mouth to the other end, can - per research - take 50+ hours, so if you ate greater volume than usual, some of that still may be a factor.

Depending on what else is going on in your life (exercise, food, monthly cycle, healing), water weight can take a week or so to reverse.

Patience!

Glad you're able to be a little more philosophical about it, though: That's healthy.

You provide awesome feedback. I also opened the link you posted above. I really enjoyed that post. You are inspirational and encouraging without being condescending.

AnnPT77

leejoyce31 wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

eardabac18 wrote: »

my weight hasn't gone done and has stayed near 125, so I guess I have a two pounds weight gain, but that's life!

Still only been a couple of days.

Digestive system transit, mouth to the other end, can - per research - take 50+ hours, so if you ate greater volume than usual, some of that still may be a factor.

Depending on what else is going on in your life (exercise, food, monthly cycle, healing), water weight can take a week or so to reverse.

Patience!

Glad you're able to be a little more philosophical about it, though: That's healthy.

You provide awesome feedback. I also opened the link you posted above. I really enjoyed that post. You are inspirational and encouraging without being condescending.

Aw . . . (blush) . . . thanks!