Is a binge SO bad?

adamb83

All - I'm having some SERIOUS cravings lately.

I have been doing very well for almost a year - making good food choices, staying at/under/around my calorie goal, working out regularly. I've lost more than 60% of the total amount I want to lose... it's going great (with some minor plateau irritations thrown in now and then).

But suddenly, I'm really wanting some bad food. I'm craving things I've NEVER liked, like chili cheese fries. I really want to splurge on a deep dish Chicago style pizza or maybe a bean burrito covered in salsa.

My favorite food in the world is pizza - specifically that Chicago-style deep dish I mentioned. I don't want to "treat" myself to food, because rewarding weight loss and fitness with food just seems counter-productive to me. But, honestly, would it be SO bad to go get myself a pizza this weekend? I haven't had a slice in 6 months... I can do a double workout to make up for the extra calories.

No biggie, right? Or is it? Could it be a slippery slope?

Queen_M

Binge - bad.
Slice of pizza - no big deal.

Just work the pizza into your calories and go for it. Or have a cheat day, some people have them every week, you can have one after 6 months .

_persephone_

I say go for it. It's what you do most of the time that counts, not what you do once in a blue moon, so I doubt it will do you any harm. As long as you get back to normal tomorrow, it's all good.

supercatie18

EAT IT!

CasperO

Up to you. You know yourself better than any of us do.

Y'know, I quit smoking almost 5 years ago. Now a couple times, when drinking, I've been tempted to bum a smoke. Have one "For old time's sake". Never done it, never will, terrified of it. I'm pretty sure that if I have one cigarette I'll be destroyed by cravings and smoking a pack a day again in no time.

So are you that way with pizza? Could you keep it as a very occasional treat, worked off on the bicycle of elliptical or whatever? If you can control yourself and not make a habit of it then you probably can treat yourself.

Great job on your weight loss BTW.

UsedToBeHusky

Honestly, you have to answer that question for yourself. I find that I can only manage my cravings by allowing myself some of the food I am craving, but for others, it can be a slippery slope. I can tell you that one pizza is not going to completely ruin you. Nor will your friends be angry, ashamed, or embarassed if you do. If you try it and fail, then you just dust yourself off and get right back in the game. You will know yourself better for the future.

melsinct

Binge - bad.
Slice of pizza - no big deal.

Just work the pizza into your calories and go for it. Or have a cheat day, some people have them every week, you can have one after 6 months .

I agree. Work it into your calories for the day or have a nice cheat meal. After 6 months you definitely deserve it!

adamb83

I say go for it. It's what you do most of the time that counts, not what you do once in a blue moon, so I doubt it will do you any harm. As long as you get back to normal tomorrow, it's all good.

Good point - thanks!

adamb83

Binge - bad.
Slice of pizza - no big deal.

Just work the pizza into your calories and go for it. Or have a cheat day, some people have them every week, you can have one after 6 months .

I agree. Work it into your calories for the day or have a nice cheat meal. After 6 months you definitely deserve it!

I feel like I deserve it too - but then I trip up on that "deserve" word. I don't want to deserve bad food... makes me feel funny! I get what you're saying and I get what I'm thinking (rationally) but it's the emotional side of it, I guess. Worry, worry, worry.

HittingHerStride

I agree with someone above, a serving not so bad, a binge yes bad. It's probably better to have a little of something to get over the feeling of I just have to have it. or it can get ugly and turn into a binge.

adamb83

Thanks for the thoughts.... I do think it would be okay, but I feel guilty about wiping out a few days' worth of workouts for one good fat meal (even if I do love it!). I think I need to shove that guilt feeling out of the food relationship altogether, though.

HittingHerStride

I would suggest removing the word bad food altogether. Unhealthy is better.

ElizabethRoad

Splurging on something like that is fine, but personally I eat that kind of thing pretty frequently. If it doesn't fit my calories for the day, I can make it fit for the week. I don't believe in depriving myself of stuff I love.

adamb83

I agree with someone above, a serving not so bad, a binge yes bad. It's probably better to have a little of something to get over the feeling of I just have to have it. or it can get ugly and turn into a binge.

True - have a slice or two for dinner when I'm really craving it, or lose my mind a month from now, buy an entire pizza and eat the whole thing throughout the day? Lol

blytheandbonnie

I had a friend that used to say "One cookie won't make you fat. A package of cookies everyday will." I think about that when I want something that is usually considered 'unhealthy'.

_Timmeh_

You had me at chili cheese fries!

ilookthetype

Binge - bad.
Slice of pizza - no big deal.

Just work the pizza into your calories and go for it. Or have a cheat day, some people have them every week, you can have one after 6 months .

This. A binge is part of a disordered eating cycle, when I would binge it would be thousands of calories and I'd do nothing but sit and eat for hours, sometimes purging in the middle. Satisfying a craving/having a cheat day is not a binge

StephanieJ82

Do it!!! nothing Crazy! But get a small pizza and share it.
I have a "cheat" day once a week and I lose every week still. I think If you deprive yourself of cravings you get obsessed. I know I do. Thats when something bad might happen. Like Eating till you die. lol But seriously maybe all you need is a Cheat day once a month!
Good luck and enjoy that Pizza!

StephanieJ82

You had me at chili cheese fries!

bahahaha!!! Me too!

adamb83

You had me at chili cheese fries!

bahahaha!!! Me too!

Lol. And I have NEVER liked 'em - but for the past week or so, I just keep thinking "Wow that would be gooood right now." Haha

adamb83

Do it!!! nothing Crazy! But get a small pizza and share it.
I have a "cheat" day once a week and I lose every week still. I think If you deprive yourself of cravings you get obsessed. I know I do. Thats when something bad might happen. Like Eating till you die. lol But seriously maybe all you need is a Cheat day once a month!
Good luck and enjoy that Pizza!

Eating 'til I die is definitely not the way I want to go! (Now I've got that Bette Midler line from Hocus Pocus in my head:"Dance, Dance, Dance Until You Die!" <-- But at least that would be healthy, sorta).

eig6

When I want to eat something unhealthy, I eat it on Sunday because I usually sleep in and eat my breakfast and lunch calories together (or lunch and dinner depending on what it is) so I can have something with more calories. Maybe you could do that as well as work it off, that way you're not going over so much on calories.

Im_NotPerfect

From what I understand, if you're craving something, your body is missing some kind of vitamin or nutrient. If you are finding a common ingredient in all of the things you're craving (like cheese or salsa) maybe you're body needs calcium or something like that.

That being said...anytime I have a craving and I try to avoid it, I tend to eat a ton of other things, even if they're low calorie, and eat more calories than the craved item would have been in the first place!

ArroganceInStep

All - I'm having some SERIOUS cravings lately.

I have been doing very well for almost a year - making good food choices, staying at/under/around my calorie goal, working out regularly. I've lost more than 60% of the total amount I want to lose... it's going great (with some minor plateau irritations thrown in now and then).

But suddenly, I'm really wanting some bad food. I'm craving things I've NEVER liked, like chili cheese fries. I really want to splurge on a deep dish Chicago style pizza or maybe a bean burrito covered in salsa.

My favorite food in the world is pizza - specifically that Chicago-style deep dish I mentioned. I don't want to "treat" myself to food, because rewarding weight loss and fitness with food just seems counter-productive to me. But, honestly, would it be SO bad to go get myself a pizza this weekend? I haven't had a slice in 6 months... I can do a double workout to make up for the extra calories.

No biggie, right? Or is it? Could it be a slippery slope?

It will kill you, and then make you gain 50 lbs of fat.

Uncontrolled binges are generally not a great idea, however there's no rule saying you can't plan in a scheduled 'cheat' day or meal or have a refeed period. In fact some people (myself included) believe it's a healthy component of any long term diet.

Just make sure you account for it somehow (and I don't mean you have to save up calories or something, I'm saying it would likely be better if it were a planned event and not just random), and don't let it become a constant thing.

neverstray

Dude, you should totally binge. Eat everything in sight and everything you've wanted to eat but didn't. Do it all in one day.

Next day, you'll feel so great. I doubt that you'll be puking and squirting. You'll feel awsome and ready to conquer the world. So, I say DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

adamb83

When I want to eat something unhealthy, I eat it on Sunday because I usually sleep in and eat my breakfast and lunch calories together (or lunch and dinner depending on what it is) so I can have something with more calories. Maybe you could do that as well as work it off, that way you're not going over so much on calories.

That's actually a really good idea - I could make that work on a Sunday, for sure.

adamb83

"...anytime I have a craving and I try to avoid it, I tend to eat a ton of other things, even if they're low calorie, and eat more calories than the craved item would have been in the first place!"

Very good point..

adamb83

Dude, you should totally binge. Eat everything in sight and everything you've wanted to eat but didn't. Do it all in one day.

Next day, you'll feel so great. I doubt that you'll be puking and squirting. You'll feel awsome and ready to conquer the world. So, I say DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What's the opposite for "bump" on here?

liftingheavy

I would figure out which one I want the most and just have it. If it's pizza, eat as much as you want that one day and throw the rest out.

When I've wanted something and tried to compensate, like, having wheat pasta and plain marinara instead of a pizza, I eat that and still eat the pizza.

Then it's out of your system. 6 months is a long time to be good.

mstemen

Dude, you should totally binge. Eat everything in sight and everything you've wanted to eat but didn't. Do it all in one day.

Next day, you'll feel so great. I doubt that you'll be puking and squirting. You'll feel awsome and ready to conquer the world. So, I say DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rude.

I say if you have a craving moderation won't kill you. A binge is bad. I find now though after eating pretty well for the past 5 months that 2 pieces of pizza fill me up and I'm good. Have a big salad with it I now also get a thin crust and lots of veggies instead of the tripple pepperoni with pan crust and am just as satisfied.

bluberrygoo

If I'm craving something, I work in to my calories.