Binge eaters: What do you do to stay positive after a binge?

SerenaKitty

I went 12 days without binging, which for me is the longest I've gone without a binge in many years.

How do you stay positive after slipping up?

Springfield1970

Hopefully this will happen less and less often for you!

I turn it into a 'bulk' and add muscle by going weight training.

Or I just forgive myself, see it as a unplanned celebration of food and see that it's just a day and a small amount of body fat.

Anyway, what is a binge in your book? Keeping score of calories usually helps. We've all done it. Pick yourself up dust yourself off and start again.

By the way, congratulations on your binge free 12 days!

SerenaKitty

Hopefully this will happen less and less often for you!

I turn it into a 'bulk' and add muscle by going weight training.

Or I just forgive myself, see it as a unplanned celebration of food and see that it's just a day and a small amount of body fat.

Anyway, what is a binge in your book? Keeping score of calories usually helps. We've all done it. Pick yourself up dust yourself off and start again.

Thanks! It actually wasn't that bad compared to my usual binges. But I feel very sick from eating what I did - far past the point of comfortably full.

A binge to me is any time I eat until I feel sick. Today, that happened to take a lot less food than my usual binge. So I suppose that is a good thing.

uconnwinsnc

I went 12 days without binging, which for me is the longest I've gone without a binge in many years.

How do you stay positive after slipping up?

I enjoy it. They usually taste pretty good.

SerenaKitty

I went 12 days without binging, which for me is the longest I've gone without a binge in many years.

How do you stay positive after slipping up?

I enjoy it. They usually taste pretty good.

Yeah, food is great. Unfortunately, I've had BED for years so in my case, a binge is not an enjoyable experience. More like eating to punish yourself and make yourself sick.

usmcmp

Since I do strength training I view it as a calorie spike day and good for the muscles. It happens less now than it used to. I've also learned that eating less early in the day leaves me more calories for the evening which is when I usually binge. Having a big dinner and a big night snack keeps me on track and satisfies that need to feel stuffed.

amanda_richelle

Just remember that one bad meal/bad day isn't going to undo all the good you've done.

kelsully

Sometimes I will use the reports feature of MFP and look at the average Net Calories over the past 7/15/30 days and see that the binge is not terribly detrimental in the long run. I tend to not have huge binges but feel the same kind of guilt for days in which I go over or eat without being thoughtful of my consumption and eat all willy nilly.

SerenaKitty

Since I do strength training I view it as a calorie spike day and good for the muscles. It happens less now than it used to. I've also learned that eating less early in the day leaves me more calories for the evening which is when I usually binge. Having a big dinner and a big night snack keeps me on track and satisfies that need to feel stuffed.

That is a good idea. I tend to do the opposite - huge breakfast and normal dinner. It may help to either even out my meals or have a somewhat larger calorie allowance for dinner. Thanks for sharing!

seren1ty74

Forgive yourself. Drink a ton of water. Work out. Eat sensibly. Forgive yourself.

kelsully

Since I do strength training I view it as a calorie spike day and good for the muscles. It happens less now than it used to. I've also learned that eating less early in the day leaves me more calories for the evening which is when I usually binge. Having a big dinner and a big night snack keeps me on track and satisfies that need to feel stuffed.

^^^^ I feel fine during the day on very controlled meals and find I feel less deprived and more in balance if I leave a bulk of my calories for dinner and my evening snack too..then I can have a treat and not feel like it was not a binge

brandnewsnickerpuss

I'm not sure if I have any great advice to give, but I would suggest some self care of some kind, to get your head on straight. Maybe some gentle exercise (a walk? yoga?) but nothing too extreme as that might turn into some nasty binge-restrict cycle which is not good either.

I think the real question is how to stay positive *before* a binge, because maybe that is the key to not bingeing? I dunno, I'm no expert and I'm struggling with the same issue myself.

SerenaKitty

Thanks, guys. Very helpful. I will not let it mess with the positive changes I've made.

usmcmp

http://www.niashanks.com/2013/09/20-tips-binge-eating/