Compensation

meganlfouts2013

Does anyone else struggle with overeating or indulging one day and restricting the next to try to balance it out? I know that’s not the healthy way to do it but I can’t seem to get out of this cycle. I feel like I binge or indulge on food that’s not in my diet then struggle to eat normally the next day. I feel like this is really hindering the last bit of weight loss I need to achieve. Any help/tips/support would be appreciated

kommodevaran

The first step is awareness, the second step is wanting to stop. The third could be planning balanced meals you want to eat, finding outlets for frustration/sadness/boredom, getting enough sleep and rest, being kind to yourself and having healthy/realistic fitness/weight expectations/goals.

tcunbeliever

I calorie/carb cycle, so I have "eat more" days (3/week) built into the plan along with "eat less" days (4/week) to compensate - this has definitely improved my adherence to plan because now if I get a craving I know I can just wait for my next "eat more" day to satisfy it and for some reason that makes my brain stop being crazy obsessive about whatever I am craving. Plus, I lift weights on my "eat more" days and that seems to rev up the appetite for me anyway and this plan gives me more food on those hungry days.

TavistockToad

meganlfouts2013 wrote: »

Does anyone else struggle with overeating or indulging one day and restricting the next to try to balance it out? I know that’s not the healthy way to do it but I can’t seem to get out of this cycle. I feel like I binge or indulge on food that’s not in my diet then struggle to eat normally the next day. I feel like this is really hindering the last bit of weight loss I need to achieve. Any help/tips/support would be appreciated

Stop telling yourself there are foods you can't eat...

stanmann571

meganlfouts2013 wrote: »

Does anyone else struggle with overeating or indulging one day and restricting the next to try to balance it out? I know that’s not the healthy way to do it but I can’t seem to get out of this cycle. I feel like I binge or indulge on food that’s not in my diet then struggle to eat normally the next day. I feel like this is really hindering the last bit of weight loss I need to achieve. Any help/tips/support would be appreciated

When you say last bit, what are your stats(Gender/height/weight) and what's your goal?

For someone without an ED(eating disorder) binges are normally the result of excessive privation or restriction.

briscogun

Well, I'm not sure how "restrictive" you are being on The Day After, but last Saturday I had a banquet type deal and just ate everything not nailed down. It was a very nice restaurant that I may not get back to any time soon so I just ate some of everything. Whatever, its one meal on one day, why stress?

The next day, though, I wasn't super hungry. Probably because I still had like 2,000 calories trying to be processed! So I did end up eating less then maintenance the next day but only because I didn't want to/need to eat as much after eating/drinking excessively the night before.

Some people "bank" extra calories during the week knowing they are going to chow down for a meal on the weekend, not sure how cutting back the day after is any different? As long as you aren't starving yourself with some twisted logic and guilt about food then go for it.

AnnPT77

briscogun wrote: »

Well, I'm not sure how "restrictive" you are being on The Day After, but last Saturday I ha a banquet type deal and just ate everything not nailed down. It was a very nice restaurant that I may not get back to any time soon so I just ate some of everything. Whatever, its one meal on one day, why stress?

The next day, though, I wasn't super hungry. Probably because I still had like 2,000 calories trying to be processed! So I did end up eating less then maintenance the next day but only because I didn't want to/need to eat as much after eating/drinking excessively the night before.

Some people "bank" extra calories during the week knowing they are going to chow down for a meal on the weekend, not sure how cutting back the day after is any different? As long as you aren't starving yourself with some twisted logic and guilt about food then go for it.

IMO, banking works better, at least for me: Saving calories for a later day means that that later day evens up the books. Restricting after a heavier-eating day can set up a sense of deprivation that can lead to craving/over-eating. While losing, I just went back to my normal deficit routine after an unplanned over-goal day, and looked at it as a few hours/days delay in reaching goal weight. Since you have to go 3500 calories over maintenance calories to gain a pound, usually an over day just wipes out part of today's deficit, at worst another couple of days or so after. As long as it doesn't happen often, it's NBD.

If you go over goal, just log it, think about why it happened, decide whether the delay in reaching goal was worth it, plan some new strategies for similar future occasions if needed, then just go back to your healthy routine. Eating over goal is not a sin that needs to be expiated. It's just food.

kshama2001

meganlfouts2013 wrote: »

Does anyone else struggle with overeating or indulging one day and restricting the next to try to balance it out? I know that’s not the healthy way to do it but I can’t seem to get out of this cycle. I feel like I binge or indulge on food that’s not in my diet then struggle to eat normally the next day. I feel like this is really hindering the last bit of weight loss I need to achieve. Any help/tips/support would be appreciated

How many pounds do you want to lose total and what weekly weight loss goal did you chose?

NovusDies

briscogun wrote: »

Some people "bank" extra calories during the week knowing they are going to chow down for a meal on the weekend, not sure how cutting back the day after is any different? As long as you aren't starving yourself with some twisted logic and guilt about food then go for it.

By banking calories I know how much I have to spend. I can build the bank over several days with slightly increased deficits. If I run into a day where I don't feel like saving I may have less to spend later but I am under no pressure to eat less. However, if I eat on a loan I run the risk of feeling obligated to make it up despite how a particular day is going.

The other thing is I am already paying off a huge calorie loan because of weight gain. I think it is better to have an entirely new mindset so I don't repeat past mistakes.