What do you think qualifies as a binge?

Erilynn93

I was just curious what everyone's personal feelings were really. I'm learning to be easier on myself as I used to consider anything even the slightest bit over my calorie goal as a binge, but I'm slowly learning that a binge is (in most people's opinion) when you eat more than 2000 or even 3000 calories a day (which I've never been higher than 2500 since starting my 'weight loss journey' (hah)). I used to even consider eating over 1100 calories a binge, but luckily, I'm healthier than that now, both mentally and physically.

So what is your guys' opinion?

MsHarryWinston

I consider a binge (my own personal binge) to be 2,000+ calories. My daily goal is between 1300-1500 at the moment and then tapering back to a firm 1,300 come Oct 1. If I hit 2,000 it means I've thrown up my hands for the day and said "Eat ALL the things!!" which to me is a binge.

cat_monster

No way would I consider 2000 calories a binge. That's only a little more than my daily allowance. I would see 2000 above my daily allowance a binge, which is quite easily done with a large dominos and a few beers.

Unless I'm missing something?

majigurl

anything that doubles my usual caloric intake for the day.

Which I have done for the last 2 days. BUT .. it has all been healthy foods.. I'm feeling sick and I just want to eat.. so lots of raspberries, yogurt, big helpings of clean eating meals.. so .. yeah.. eating everything. but I have nothing bad to eat.. still binging though.. But the way I look at it.. if my body feels I need it.. I eat it..

I usually never feel this hungry.

Kalikel

Any food eaten that you didn't plan to eat and feel guilty about eating when you've done it. If you're out of control, you're binging. The amount can be 300-10,000 calories. The focus is on control.

People can eat 5,000 calories in one day and not be binging.

"Binge" is one of those words (like "clean" and "moderation") that gets defined differently by everyone, so I don't think my view is THE view.

NOW_is_my_time

This is an interesting question. I've always wondered this myself. When I think of binging, I think of someone eating so much in such a short period of time that they feel sick, like they're going to throw up. But that could just be because when I think "binge", I can't help but think "purge" at the same time.

MsHarryWinston

Any food eaten that you didn't plan to eat and feel guilty about eating when you've done it. If you're out of control, you're binging. The amount can be 300-10,000 calories. The focus is on control.

People can eat 5,000 calories in one day and not be binging.

"Binge" is one of those words (like "clean" and "moderation") that gets defined differently by everyone, so I don't think my view is THE view.

This is exactly what I meant. If I'm over my daily goal by 300+ calories then it means I've lost control. I've CHOSEN to throw out my goal. To me, loss of control = binge. That's how I define it. And no an extra 300 cals isn't earth shattering to me, and I won't beat myself up about it. "Binge" isn't necessarily a DIRTY word to me, that's just the word I use to define the action of loss of calorie intake control.

MamaRiss

I've never really thought about it. I've never seen myself as binge eater, though others may think I was. But I allow myself to go over goal by no more than 400. I won't lose at that amount, but I won't gain either. I guess I would consider a binge more of a feeling than an amount, an immediate feeling of "oh, crap, what did I just do? I cannot recover my day after that"

molls10m

Any food eaten that you didn't plan to eat and feel guilty about eating when you've done it. If you're out of control, you're binging. The amount can be 300-10,000 calories. The focus is on control.

People can eat 5,000 calories in one day and not be binging.

"Binge" is one of those words (like "clean" and "moderation") that gets defined differently by everyone, so I don't think my view is THE view.

^^^ this, I think about whenever I have a huge craving for pasta and I eat normally all day and then suddenly make a box of spaghetti or ziti and eat the entire thing, regardless of how many cals it is, for me I think that's a binge. It's whenever I feel out of control with my eating and I feel disgusting afterwards. Obviously I haven't felt that way in a few weeks because I've been getting a lot of support here but the craving is always there for carbssssss!

Cortneyrenee04

I agree - I define it as the loss of control. For me, it's like being outside of my body, just shoveling in food without thinking or even tasting it. And then the guilt of losing control. Calorie wise, it could be 500+ in a matter of minutes.

Thankfully, this doesn't happen much these days.

ucabucca

Binge is a control issue and out of control eating issue and possible eating disorder. Medically it is considered a large amount of calories not just an extra glass of beer or dessert etc. Going over even 500 calories is just a bad day weight loss healthy whatever your goals are. it is normal to occasionally go over and eat unplanned. You should never feel you can only eat planned food then you are heading into eating disorder. Each day is different and normal is never exactly the same each day.

Erilynn93

This is an interesting question. I've always wondered this myself. When I think of binging, I think of someone eating so much in such a short period of time that they feel sick, like they're going to throw up. But that could just be because when I think "binge", I can't help but think "purge" at the same time.

I know exactly what you mean. I was just thinking about this last night because I had wayyy too many sweets yesterday but I was still under my calorie limit. I was also thinking about cause I've had issues in the past, and while I never actually purged, I did have some laxative.


But I wish there was a like button for people's posts in a forum. You guys all seem to have come to same conclusion that I did, it really varies from person to person and no one view is the correct one (like with most things is life haha). Thanks for everyone's answers!

onefortyone

For me, it is only a binge when you feel, emotionally, that the continual eating is out of your control. Number of calories it contains isn't as important, as binge eating is an emotional disorder and the calories consumed are simply a symptom of a much larger problem.

Brolympus

Anything over my calorie goal. It is important to realize that going two, three, even four hundred calories over you goal once or twice a month is not going to break your fitness plan either. There has to be a bit of flexibility in your plan. However, completely blowing it going 500+ calories over is just a good way to get back into bad habits. Gotta be careful.

Liftng4Lis

Definitely, loss of control, regardless of the amount.

markrichtsspraytan

I think 500 calories above my goal would be a binge. It means I've either eaten a lot of the healthy/low calories foods I have in my house and I'm stuffing myself with them OR I've ignored my goal to eat healthy and bought some high-calorie food I didn't need to eat.

persistentsoul

Any food eaten that you didn't plan to eat and feel guilty about eating when you've done it. If you're out of control, you're binging. The amount can be 300-10,000 calories. The focus is on control.

People can eat 5,000 calories in one day and not be binging.

"Binge" is one of those words (like "clean" and "moderation") that gets defined differently by everyone, so I don't think my view is THE view.

I agree. My personal binges tended to be many times the amount of calories I needed per day, that is how I ended up being more than twice the size that is healthy for me. I ate anything from 4'000 - 20'000 calories per day on a binge day and am diagnosed as having binge eating disorder. Other days i ate nothing at all and some days were normal healthy calorie intake. Now that I am more in control anything over my intended calories or portions feels like a bit of a binge but nothing like as bad as my old binges.

smarionette

I don't measure binges in calories so much as how I feel. If my stomach feels bloated and I just want to sleep after eating...that is a binge to me.