What you do if you overate?

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  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    If I overeat in one meal in a day, I'll adjust my calories for the rest of the day to try to stay within my goal. If I'm over for the whole day, then the next day I'll be back to my normal calories. If I'm over for the whole day early on in the day and I get hungry again later, I'll eat high protein low fat low carb foods, so I still get enough protein in avoid hunger (which is likely to lead to me overeating on carbohydrates even though I'm already in surplus). Also, I might do some extra exercise to burn off extra calories. But only within the same day. For me, doing extra exercise to compensate for overeating or to earn more calories to eat more isn't something that will mess with my head or cause me to get into any negative cycles. But in terms of the next day, being hungry leads to unplanned snacking which leads to being way over on carbohydrates, so restricting the next day is likely to cause a cycle of excessive restriction and overeating. If I happen to not feel that hungry the day after overeating (which sometimes happens), then I'll just let myself be under on my calories but I won't make myself go hungry.
  • lightandflight
    lightandflight Posts: 28
    I overate by about an extra 2,000 calories on saturday, and I made sure that I tracked every last one of them. It was super painful, but I did it anyway. Then on Sunday, I made some pretty bad choices too, but I didn't go over calories, and today I tried to make better choices and I came in with my regular calorie count again.

    I feel like its important to count calories on the days you binge and overeat ESPECIALLY. That's when you need that data to be super honest with yourself.

    Later go back and figure out WHY you overate (I went to a baseball game with a friend who I generally eat too much and drink too much around), then come up with a strategy for what to do if you end up in a similar situation, and then get back to normal.
  • xDawnsgrace
    xDawnsgrace Posts: 436
    I overate quite badly Friday. Like, I binged. Probably got near 4,000 calories (If I'm lucky). That being done, I fasted most of Saturday and had about 1,000 calories total and was very active. Sunday was Father's day and I had family over and my children, so I done goofed again. I'm trying to fast the entirety of the day today.

    I figure the idea that our bodies operate on a 24-hour clock is just our imagination and that if I ate an excess of calories yesterday that my body can survive off of them today. Hopefully I'll be strong-willed today and just be fine with proper hydration. Hopefully I'll learn my lesson that the holes I'm trying to fill with food are naught but emotional.

    friend, fasting to compensate for overeating is not good. It can lead to more overeating and bingeing.
  • lightandflight
    lightandflight Posts: 28
    Also, I've heard of people using a weekly average instead of a daily count. It might make you feel better to distribute your excess calories over the week and do it that way.

    For example, my MFP says I should eat 1200cals, but I usually eat closer 1400 because of exercise etc. So 1400calsX7days/wk=9800calories/wk.

    So when I overate and had 2,852 calories I can just put that into the daily average and see where that goes.
    (Take your (9800)cals/wk-(2852)binge=6948cals then divide that by 6= 1158 cals/day that week).

    I would probably add an extra 100cal workout per day so I could eat a little more than that projection, but you get the idea. You can do that with planned "cheats" too, if you are going to a party or something and can plan ahead.
  • jstout365
    jstout365 Posts: 1,686 Member
    I usually have my day planned out in advanced so I know rough amounts of what I will be eating. I don't typically go way over unless I am having a "bottomless pit" day where no matter how much I shovel in my mouth I am still starving. Those days I try to make good choices, but the calories go over and I am okay with it. I've learned that it doesn't have to do with my self control, but is how my body tells me I've been too low on calories over some amount of time.

    Days where I just say screw it and eat all the foods I want regardless of nutrition and actual hunger, those days are few and far between so I just go with it. I've been in the calorie/food tracking mindset for over 2 years now. One day won't hurt anything if I keep it to one day and don't let it turn into a string of days or weeks.
  • dearannna
    dearannna Posts: 60 Member
    ...go for consistency over perfection.

    If you're looking to change your eating habits long term then this is the most valuable piece of advice I've read. Think about how much good one day of healthy eating will do in a month where you spend the rest of the time making poor choices - not a great deal!. One day of poor choices in a month of health eating will do the equivalent amount of damage. Your consistent behaviours over a long period of time are what is important and will determine whether you lose, maintain, or gain weight, not the occasional splurge (or occasional salad!)

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