i cant help but binge on my 'free days' HELP

spark409

hi guys
so im really good with caloric control mon-frid
but on the weekends im out of control
snack bars, fruits, biscuits, sushi, popcorn, pies, buns, sausage rolls you name it...

i just eat way tooo much

how can i control myself?
please, i am begging for help !!!!

i feel like on the weekends im ruining all the good work ive done mon-friday
not to mention feeling bloated aftering bingeing.
i need all the advice i can get

rkcampbell

Why are the weekends "free"? It's ok to occasionally have a cheat meal, but try to stay within or close to your calories. I personally find if I have a whole "cheat DAY" (or 2 in your case) it gets out of control. It really comes down to self-control. Are you logging these "free days"? If you're going to have a cheat day/meal give yourself limits (I'm only going to go over by 500 max, etc.) to stick by. Then you're still being held accountable.

alpine1994

I hear ya on the weekends! The second I am off of the weekly routine of going to work, bringing lunch, etc. everything just kind of fell apart. I'm getting better at it. Partially because on the weekends I make sure whoever I'm hanging out with knows that I'm trying to eat healthy, so I tell them to help me! It usually causes them to eat healthy too so they don't feel weird eating something unhealthy in front of me (even though it doesn't bother me). Also if I go out I offer to be DD so that will keep me from drinking and eating horrible bar food.

I started out by forcing myself to be good on EITHER Saturday or Sunday, so it would be like a cheat day instead of a cheat weekend. Now it's down to a cheat meal.

spark409

ideally i dont want to have any cheat days... what i mean is that i usually have no control over myself on either sat or sun,

yeah usually i go to the shops, eat, then open the computer and log ... and then i feel bad
as i said im really not proud of myself..
this behaviour is disgusting i know...
i really want to know how i can take control of this situation.

spark409

i really really really want help for this.
im just going to be very honest with you all.

i am REALLY good with caloric control mon-fri

but on the weekends i lose control and when i think on it, im pretty much constantly eating morning to night and usually only take a break from eating when i feel physical pain.

im so ashamed of myself for this. i dont even know why i do it. all i know is i just want to taste the food, cos i feel like it.

my friends and family are really worried, but i cant really talk about this with them, because they get so upset.
if there is anyone out there who has been in my position and can give me some advice i would be eternally grateful.

rkcampbell

ideally i dont want to have any cheat days... what i mean is that i usually have no control over myself on either sat or sun,

yeah usually i go to the shops, eat, then open the computer and log ... and then i feel bad
as i said im really not proud of myself..
this behaviour is disgusting i know...
i really want to know how i can take control of this situation.

Plan ahead before you leave. Any time I go to a restaurant, I look up the nutrition info ahead of time and plan for it. If it's not in my budget I don't eat it. Look for lower calorie alternatives to satisfy your cravings.

Example: Went to a Women of Faith conference earlier this month and we had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I did my research ahead of time and planned my dinner from the Skinnylicious menu. Then I split a low-carb cheesecake slice with my mom. The cheesecake ended up being 300 calories and satisfied my sweet craving.

I realized as I got into the whole logging thing that you definitely have to plan. And then it comes down to just telling yourself "no!!!". I know it's hard, but hang in there!!! YOU CAN DO IT!

Bernabrook

I have the same problem, weekends are hard for me. i gain half the weight i lost in those 2 days! i dont havee a cheat/free day, just a free meal.i eat whatever i want as much as i want.

spark409

i think a major character flaw in me is that i am a really extreme person. im a real perfectionist.

its almost like its a "all or nothing" thing for me.

so on mon-fri i have perfect caloric intake and i go to the gym 3 x a week and so on...

but if i have a little treat, thats even a bit (eg: 100cal) off my usual intake, i feel like ive already lost the plot and ruined my day.
(which is stupid i know, cos im only making it worse by eating more food after that 100 cal)

can anyone relate to this?

lalimiranda1

Try fruit snacks under 100 calories, bownies under 90 calories, light popcorn without the butter, green apples, drink tea, red skinny wine, michelob ultra light beer, sangria with lots of ice, I can go on and on:)

rkcampbell

Never EVER let yourself fall into that!!! Think of it this way. If you stubbed your toe, would you say, "Well I already hurt it, I might as well just amputate the foot"? If you slip a little, just get back to it the next day. Don't allow yourself to just binge because you "already went over". Just accept it for what it is and move on. It's just like hitting a plateau. You accept that you didn't lose anything and keep going. You don't just say screw it and ruin all the hard work you've already done. I've been there! This is a journey and there will be bumps in the road but it's all about dusting yourself off and continuing on.

lalimiranda1

join a dance studio salsa, belly dance, zumba, flamenco or a gym. I dance and believe me it helps. I'm just trying to loose 10 or 15 lbs and at my age it's hard.

geekyjock76

Where are you going to eat all these foods you know aren't conducive to your goals? Restaurants, bars, friends, etc?

Before I walk out the door, I eat something and usually bring a protein bar to eat later at night.

Also, I don't establish a cheat day. I simply reserve up to 10% of my daily calories to whatever I want to eat, provided it doesn't take me over my goal. By having my Japanese candy every day, I don't feel the urge to binge on weekends because I've missed having something like that all week.

spark409

Where are you going to eat all these foods you know aren't conducive to your goals? Restaurants, bars, friends, etc?

Before I walk out the door, I eat something and usually bring a protein bar to eat later at night.

Also, I don't establish a cheat day. I simply reserve up to 10% of my daily calories to whatever I want to eat, provided it doesn't take me over my goal. By having my Japanese candy every day, I don't feel the urge to binge on weekends because I've missed having something like that all week.

i just go to the supermarket, dairy etc.. i usually drop in on the way to university.
i usually find i buy way too much, but dont feel too bad, because Ive only bought not ate
and then im at uni and i have all this food in my bag. and i think ok ill just have half the bag of chips not all because the whole bag is 400 cal etc.. but then i find myself going back to the shops to get more food

its a vicious cycle

Athijade

Open your diary. Then people can get a good feel for how your normal days are. How many calories you eat, how much you work out, how your macros work, ect. You might be shocked what people can find.

rborgner

No such thing as a free day...I find that planning ahead works best...even though I know we're going out for dinner, a lot of times you can check the nutrition on the menu online, or at least check out the menu online and try to pick what you're going to eat ahead of time. I also try to eat under my goal during the week so even if I go over on the weekend (just don't get carried away), I will still come in under "budget" for the week. Regardless, keeping track every day is the best motivater in my opinion...when I stopped tracking my food, the pounds creeped back up. As soon as I started to track again, the weight started coming back off! Good Luck!

geekyjock76

i just go to the supermarket, dairy etc.. i usually drop in on the way to university.
i usually find i buy way too much, but dont feel too bad, because Ive only bought not ate
and then im at uni and i have all this food in my bag. and i think ok ill just have half the bag of chips not all because the whole bag is 400 cal etc.. but then i find myself going back to the shops to get more food

its a vicious cycle

There's your answer, then. Walk in with a list of approved foods and walk out only with that which you need. If you want a candy or snack to eat every day as a "filler" to get you to your calorie goal without going over, then choose something. Secondly, do not bring more than what you need to eat when you go out. It seems like you have an issue with portion control as well as spontaneous shopping.

maroonmango211

short answer would be dont have cheat days. If portion control and limits are too hard to keep and self control is lacking, simply don't allow cheat days or foods at all for a time. Your body will stop to assosiate weekends with it and it will be easier in the future to add them back in once in a while.

lt3ag4s

sounds like you are eating on the fly. plan what to eat on the weekends. knowing that you are likely to eat a bit more, plan in some additional exercising to balance it out.

MyOwnSunshine

Here's my advice:

Weekends are hard because they aren't as structured, so maybe you need to add some structure to your weekend meals. Plan them out on Friday and then stick to your plan.

I would also advise trying a "treat" meal and/or "sweet" on the weekends. Factor it into your plan, and maybe have one weekend day where you allow yourself 400-500 more calories in order to have your treats/cheats.

You need to get out of the all or nothing mindset on the weekends and plan some reasonable meals with splurges so you can stay on track without feeling deprived.

If you can't handle the treat/sweet thing with moderation, then maybe you should plan your weekend in advance, log all your food, and stick to your plan.

Best of luck.

mccbabe1

Why are the weekends "free"? It's ok to occasionally have a cheat meal, but try to stay within or close to your calories. I personally find if I have a whole "cheat DAY" (or 2 in your case) it gets out of control. It really comes down to self-control. Are you logging these "free days"? If you're going to have a cheat day/meal give yourself limits (I'm only going to go over by 500 max, etc.) to stick by. Then you're still being held accountable.

BUMP

txcraftr

Do you do any intentional exercise on the weekends? When I exercise hard I don't want to overeat. Are you with a lot of friends and family? They have done studies where the more people you are around the more you eat mindlessly. I don't know if its the distraction or the "I don't care" thing that comes into play. I have problems with overeating when the whole family and kids get together. They always bring snacks and I don't want to feel deprived so I eat whatever everyone else and everyone is running around so I tend to eat more than I would if I was alone. I'm working on it but its not easy. Sort of comes down to HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO LOSE THE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF. sorry I didn't mean to shout.. I'm in the same boat and I bet a lot of others are too. We need to build coping skills to stop the mindless eating. Maybe the first step could be giving yourself a little chat in your head in the morning about how you want to do today. Then build on it. Don't just grab food willy nilly, plan and fix your meal and sit down and eat it at the table. Eat the whole meal and then you won't be grabbing stuff all day. If you go out to eat plan like the above lady said, look up the calorie counts of the major chains on line and plan. Also if you go out with someone share an entree or take half home for another meal and if you really want dessert get it and share it or take half home for another meal. Sounds hard but once you try it a couple times it gets easier. It helps to log it before you eat it too, then if you see its going to be too many calories cut back on something like half a roll instead of a whole one. Baby steps, baby steps. Its like learning to walk. Hope this helps.