How do you keep from slipping off the wagon?

Lexandrei

I've been over-eating big time one meal a week for the past month and I'm getting sick of it. Everything usually balances out after a few days but these meals are really hindering my progress. I'd catch myself slipping several other times during the week and stop that nonsense just in time.

I'm not under-eating at all (sticking to between 1,200-1,500 a day). I'm not getting as much exercise as I usually do during the school year because my gym's located back at college and I'm home for the summer. I work in a 20-30 minute run per day with calisthenics.

A typical meal on my good days is: 1/3 cup oatmeal+banana+lotus root powder+protein powder, fruit and egg whites for breakfast, giant salad with about 200 cal of protein and 1/3 cup greek yogurt for lunch, a giant salad plus a small portion of whatever my mom makes for dinner.

My "binge meal" usually consists of several giant handfuls of nuts, 1-2 sandwiches, an unholy amount of fruit, several servings of crackers and whatever leftover cooked dead animal is lying around in my fridge. Usually this adds up to over a thousand calories because of the nuts. I even this out by keeping a closer eye on my next few meals but am feeling frustrated because it's stalling my weight loss.

If you had this issue, how did you stop it? I genuinely feel ravenous during these times and try to make the healthiest options.

blaccoffee

If it frustrates you why keep doing it?
^Ask yourself that next time you go to binge eat.

That's what I do whenever I think am about to binge eat. I think about the positive and negatives to what I'm about to do. Usually I will notice that what I'm about to do is going to make me happy for maybe 5-20 minutes then make me feel disappointed for a few days afterwards due to my progress slowing down.

Jeanne130LBS

If it frustrates you why keep doing it?
^Ask yourself that next time you go to binge eat.

That's what I do whenever I think am about to binge eat. I think about the positive and negatives to what I'm about to do. Usually I will notice that what I'm about to do is going to make me happy for maybe 5-20 minutes then make me feel disappointed for a few days afterwards due to my progress slowing down.

Jeanne130LBS

great reply Blaccoffee

MKEgal

I think about the positive and negatives to what I'm about to do. Usually I will notice that what I'm about to do is going to make me happy for maybe 5-20 minutes then make me feel disappointed for a few days afterwards due to my progress slowing down.

This.

Is the enjoyment I'm going to get out of that hot, soft, sweet doughnut going to outweigh the hour or so on the elliptical it will take to burn off the calories?
That's pretty much my question to myself, since I'd like to see some results for spending that much time, effort, & sweat, instead of the scale & tape measure holding steady.

Or I consider how little real food I'll be able to eat & stay within my calorie limits if I eat whatever it is that's tempting.
I still eat cookies, and chocolate, and tonight I had pizza & beer, but I do it within the calories I've allowed myself. (And I go by total actual calories, ignoring the "net" number.)

If you're regularly binging, maybe you need to tweak your calories up by 50-100 & see if that stops the problem.
Or allow yourself that one meal a week that's over your calorie goal, and as long as you're not something like double what you normally eat, don't stress about it.

nixxthirteen

I fit enough junk and treats into my allotted calories. I have figured out how best to divide up my daily amount to be full and satisfied around the clock. So really, unless it's a rare special occasion, I have zero need to overeat. Like, it's seriously useless.

I just look at my progress and stick to my calories as best I can, day in and day out. There's no other option for me,

Unknown

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chadya07

could it be that your calories are set too low for your activity level? if so you would end up really hungry...

like..i am fine with calories but i dont get enough protein a lot of the time... then at the end of the week i am like "steeeeeeak" and i seek out burgers and such.

maybe you should assess your daily goals and see if you dont either a. need to eat more to fit your activity or b. if one of your macro or micro nutrients are really low,,, maybe your body is hungry for something.

if that isnt it.... maybe you should PLAN for a special meal (save up calories or eat little during the day so you can have something you want at night)

premiumchilenita

sometimes when I'm in that zone of just eat coz I can mind frame it gets a little crazy. I go for a walk around the block, drink some water and see how I feel after that.

It works for me.

fushigi1988

If you regularely need a 'binge' meal, you might have your calorie goals set too low.
Try to eat a little bit more on your normal days and see if it goes away. Just fit in some small tasty snacks every day or so.
So instead of 1500 everyday, maybe try 1600-1700, so you can eat some chocolate or something.