Tonight I binged.

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bluecrayonz
bluecrayonz Posts: 459 Member
in Motivation and Support
Has anybody ever tried so hard only to see the scale go up? It's like no matter what I do or hoow hard I try I'll always be fat. I can eat perfectly for 6 days and then mess up on the 7th and the whole week of progress is lost because I gain the weight back. I don't know what to do anymore. I want to lose weight so badly but i Can't be perfect all the time and the second i deviate I watch the scale inch up...
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Replies

  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    Read the bookm'Eating less' by Gillian Riley. It's about out of control eating and is BRILLIANT!!
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    Try replacing those binge foods with easy to grab fruits and veggies. And dont' freak out if you have a binge day. Just relax and get back up. Everyone falls now and then.
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
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    What you really need to do is figure out why you binged. Are you depriving yourself completely of foods you love? Are you eating enough calories to begin with? Are you stressed out? Did something upsetting happen? Knowing your binge triggers is the first step on the way to preventing them. Why did you binge?
  • Stdavis53
    Stdavis53 Posts: 233 Member
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    Don't worry about weighing yourself every day. If you don't follow a routine on weigh in days/nights before, your weight will never truly be trackable. I know that I personally have a pretty set routine for the evening before the days I weigh in. I don't eat or drink anything after 7PM. I do my workout sometime around 8-9, drinking water as needed, but usually no more than 16 oz. And I weigh in the next morning after the uh.. morning ritual. If you eat and drink super late, it can definitely effect the scale the next morning. I know that with the amount of water I drink (usually over 20 cups a day) I can easily have a couple pounds of water weight that I carry over to the next morning.

    Also, I only weigh in twice a week. I don't look at the scale except for those 2 days, and I make sure I followed my routine the night before. Consistency is the best way to get accurate numbers on your true weight.

    Either way, this type of thing works for me. And as for the binge eating... Keep raw almonds/fruit/green salad stuff around. You can eat cups of that stuff and barely rack up enough calories to do any damage.
  • bluecrayonz
    bluecrayonz Posts: 459 Member
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    What you really need to do is figure out why you binged. Are you depriving yourself completely of foods you love? Are you eating enough calories to begin with? Are you stressed out? Did something upsetting happen? Knowing your binge triggers is the first step on the way to preventing them. Why did you binge?


    I binge when i see the scale go up and i say screw this its not working anyways
  • bluecrayonz
    bluecrayonz Posts: 459 Member
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    Don't worry about weighing yourself every day. If you don't follow a routine on weigh in days/nights before, your weight will never truly be trackable. I know that I personally have a pretty set routine for the evening before the days I weigh in. I don't eat or drink anything after 7PM. I do my workout sometime around 8-9, drinking water as needed, but usually no more than 16 oz. And I weigh in the next morning after the uh.. morning ritual. If you eat and drink super late, it can definitely effect the scale the next morning. I know that with the amount of water I drink (usually over 20 cups a day) I can easily have a couple pounds of water weight that I carry over to the next morning.

    Also, I only weigh in twice a week. I don't look at the scale except for those 2 days, and I make sure I followed my routine the night before. Consistency is the best way to get accurate numbers on your true weight.

    Either way, this type of thing works for me. And as for the binge eating... Keep raw almonds/fruit/green salad stuff around. You can eat cups of that stuff and barely rack up enough calories to do any damage.

    thanks your right i really need to stop weighing myself all day every day its just so hard idk i became addicted to the scale
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
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    . Keep raw almonds/fruit/green salad stuff around. You can eat cups of that stuff and barely rack up enough calories to do any damage.

    Really? The green salad stuff, yeah, but almonds have plenty of calories. If you've never had a problem with binge eating, recommending food for someone to binge on is not the best idea.
  • Lineae
    Lineae Posts: 5
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    Great point I always suggest only weighing in once a week first thing in the morning after you potty, but before you eat or drink anything! Our weight fluctuates sometimes even hourly, so weighing yourself daily will be frustrating!
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
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    thanks your right i really need to stop weighing myself all day every day its just so hard idk i became addicted to the scale

    It is hard to stay off the scale sometimes, but weighing yourself every day isn't a good measure of progress because there are so many fluctuations going on. Aim for once a week or maybe twice if that works better for you. Just do NOT let a flat piece of equipment dictate how you feel about yourself. The number on the scale does NOT define you and it's normal to see your weight bounce around due to water weight, hormones, muscle water retention, time of the month, etc. Take your measurements once every couple of weeks and use those to mark your progress. Scale weight can sometimes be just water, but when you go down in inches it's usually because you're losing fat. Good luck!
  • Lineae
    Lineae Posts: 5
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    If you think you are addicted to the scale try and break the habit...I you are having a lot of trouble breaking it then put the scale somewhere that it will be a process to get it ready to weigh yourself...make weighing yourself an inconvience...when it is staring at you from the floor it is more tempting than when it is shoved in the linen closet!
  • 141by2016
    141by2016 Posts: 179
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    What does your diary look like? Sometimes when we eat too little, we can easily get that desperate feeling need to eat. Also, stick with it for 30 days, don't weigh yourself. After 30 days of healthier eating and exercise, check.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
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    Don't worry about weighing yourself every day. If you don't follow a routine on weigh in days/nights before, your weight will never truly be trackable. I know that I personally have a pretty set routine for the evening before the days I weigh in. I don't eat or drink anything after 7PM. I do my workout sometime around 8-9, drinking water as needed, but usually no more than 16 oz. And I weigh in the next morning after the uh.. morning ritual. If you eat and drink super late, it can definitely effect the scale the next morning. I know that with the amount of water I drink (usually over 20 cups a day) I can easily have a couple pounds of water weight that I carry over to the next morning.

    Also, I only weigh in twice a week. I don't look at the scale except for those 2 days, and I make sure I followed my routine the night before. Consistency is the best way to get accurate numbers on your true weight.

    Either way, this type of thing works for me. And as for the binge eating... Keep raw almonds/fruit/green salad stuff around. You can eat cups of that stuff and barely rack up enough calories to do any damage.

    thanks your right i really need to stop weighing myself all day every day its just so hard idk i became addicted to the scale

    You have to understand, you're GOING to gain weight during the day. No way to stop it if you're eating healthy. Water weight, the weight of the food you eat, etc, so on and so forth. You will lose weight if you keep at a deficit...period. It's fact. Eat at a deficit, exercise for body composition, and enjoy life.

    IF you have a desire to weight yourself everyday, then keep a journal of it, learn what your body does, watch the weight go up and then down...but keep it objective. DO NOT use the scale to measure actual success or failure...use it as a trending tool. Measure yourself, take pictures, use a mirror and the way clothes fit. The scale is only good to measure trending.

    You don't have a whole lot to lose, not really, so take it easy, understand that it's going to take time, and that you'll need to just keep at it. If you continue with the "I gained today so screw it" attitude...then you're right, you're going to gain so screw it.
  • paul7799
    paul7799 Posts: 98 Member
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    I promise I am not a creepy, old man but whoever you are in that picture neither girl is fat in my book.

    Anyway, oh yes, guys struggle with it too. I saw a picture of myself with a head like a basketball and decided to lose weight.

    But it's going to be alright for you. I binge sometimes too. You are only human and you only live once.

    This whole weight loss thing takes a lot of time, and quite frankly it does suck. You will get there though, adjust where you can, and try and let yourself be human. Please.
  • Stdavis53
    Stdavis53 Posts: 233 Member
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    . Keep raw almonds/fruit/green salad stuff around. You can eat cups of that stuff and barely rack up enough calories to do any damage.

    Really? The green salad stuff, yeah, but almonds have plenty of calories. If you've never had a problem with binge eating, recommending food for someone to binge on is not the best idea.

    Raw almonds aren't bad. Its the roasted salted ones that rack up the calories. I can have a small handful of them and only have about 50 calories in my hand. And if your going to binge on something, its better to be the stuff I posted then sweets and junk food regardless. I think you missed my point.
  • dhakiyya
    dhakiyya Posts: 481 Member
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    Has anybody ever tried so hard only to see the scale go up? It's like no matter what I do or hoow hard I try I'll always be fat. I can eat perfectly for 6 days and then mess up on the 7th and the whole week of progress is lost because I gain the weight back. I don't know what to do anymore. I want to lose weight so badly but i Can't be perfect all the time and the second i deviate I watch the scale inch up...

    the weight gain you see if you "deviate" for a second is probably water and glycogen, not fat. If you eat too little for a while, your body burns up your glycogen stores (glycogen is not fat, it's stored in the liver), so your weight goes down, because glycogen is stored with water. Then, when you eat slightly more, your body replaces some of your glycogen stores, along with water. So your weight goes up. It's not fat, so don't stress about it. In fact, most women who are in your situation (sudden water weight gain when eating slightly more than usual) probably need to eat more on a day to day basis, and also need to switch their focus from scale weight to inches and/or body fat percentage. Weight changes on a day to day basis are not losses or gains in fat, they're water weight fluctuations. Big drops on the scale may be loss of muscle mass and/or glycogen. Sudden gains in weight after eating too little are water and glycogen, not fat. Fat is gained and lost slowly. Look for the trend over time, if you're losing fat, you'll see a steady loss of 0.5 to 2 lb a week (up to 3lb a week for the very obese). Losing or gaining this amount or more in a day or two, or within a day, is just water weight and possibly glycogen. Fat is gained slowly too, and one meal of overeating won't make you put on weight if you're eating a healthy eating plan with a moderate deficit the rest of the time.

    Understand that you have to overeat by 3500 calories to put on just one lb of fat, and that will remind you that if you gain 2lb overnight, it's just water.

    Regarding the scale, try weighing yourself only once a week, on the same morning, when you get up after using the bathroom and before having breakfast. You can see a trend over time, rather than water weight fluctuations messing with your head.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Stop trying to be perfect. That's obviously not working for you. How much are you eating on the days you don't binge? If you have a calorie deficit that is too big, that can lead to binges for some people. Also, it's pretty clear that seeing a gain on the scale is a trigger for you at the moment, so I would definitely stay off that for a while. Remember that you weight is constantly fluctuating anyway. It doesn't just measure fat, but the amount of fluid in your body (which is very variable) and how much food/waste is in your body at the time. Lots of things can make you retain water, and you can easily gain a couple of pounds overnight just from water retention. I weigh every day (no problem with that if you can handle it) and I see a gain probably 3 days a week on average. Even when I'm doing everything "right". That's how common it is.

    So - if you're constantly weighing, you will see a gain. If you binge every time you see a gain, you're not going to make progress. Not to mention that as soon as you binge, you will gain more weight from the additional food, and water retention from the additional carbs/sodium that you consume. Can you see the problem?

    Get off the scale until you can be a little less emotionally attached to the number. Focus on eating well (enough, but not too much) and getting some exercise that you enjoy. Focus on getting fit and healthy. Look at other ways of measuring your progress and accept that this is going to take time. Stop panicking about being "perfect". Perfection isn't required to achieve your goals.

    One last thing - based on your stats (stated elsewhere) you're not overweight. That's another good reason to focus less on scale weight and more on body composition. If you're trying to achieve a certain "look", you probably want to lose fat while maintaining the muscle that you already have. A small calorie deficit combined with strength/resistance training might be the best way to achieve that.
  • bluecrayonz
    bluecrayonz Posts: 459 Member
    Options
    Has anybody ever tried so hard only to see the scale go up? It's like no matter what I do or hoow hard I try I'll always be fat. I can eat perfectly for 6 days and then mess up on the 7th and the whole week of progress is lost because I gain the weight back. I don't know what to do anymore. I want to lose weight so badly but i Can't be perfect all the time and the second i deviate I watch the scale inch up...

    the weight gain you see if you "deviate" for a second is probably water and glycogen, not fat. If you eat too little for a while, your body burns up your glycogen stores (glycogen is not fat, it's stored in the liver), so your weight goes down, because glycogen is stored with water. Then, when you eat slightly more, your body replaces some of your glycogen stores, along with water. So your weight goes up. It's not fat, so don't stress about it. In fact, most women who are in your situation (sudden water weight gain when eating slightly more than usual) probably need to eat more on a day to day basis, and also need to switch their focus from scale weight to inches and/or body fat percentage. Weight changes on a day to day basis are not losses or gains in fat, they're water weight fluctuations. Big drops on the scale may be loss of muscle mass and/or glycogen. Sudden gains in weight after eating too little are water and glycogen, not fat. Fat is gained and lost slowly. Look for the trend over time, if you're losing fat, you'll see a steady loss of 0.5 to 2 lb a week (up to 3lb a week for the very obese). Losing or gaining this amount or more in a day or two, or within a day, is just water weight and possibly glycogen. Fat is gained slowly too, and one meal of overeating won't make you put on weight if you're eating a healthy eating plan with a moderate deficit the rest of the time.

    Understand that you have to overeat by 3500 calories to put on just one lb of fat, and that will remind you that if you gain 2lb overnight, it's just water.

    Regarding the scale, try weighing yourself only once a week, on the same morning, when you get up after using the bathroom and before having breakfast. You can see a trend over time, rather than water weight fluctuations messing with your head.
    thanks for the information and advice
  • mrsjas2000
    mrsjas2000 Posts: 908 Member
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    That happens to me all the time, everyone always tells me that you need to have a cheat day but if I do all my progress is gone to, I have to go all 7 days or forget it
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    It might be time to focus on being healthy and not your weight. You need to get off the scale. Youre still very young. What sports and activities do you enjoy?
  • brimir
    brimir Posts: 72
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    . Keep raw almonds/fruit/green salad stuff around. You can eat cups of that stuff and barely rack up enough calories to do any damage.

    Really? The green salad stuff, yeah, but almonds have plenty of calories. If you've never had a problem with binge eating, recommending food for someone to binge on is not the best idea.

    binge eating disorder is terrible. I have it and some times it just takes me over... I understand where you are coming from. I find if I drink so much water i feel sick i don't think about the food for a while... but it's only for a while. i find also if I keep myself busy with friends or family or cleaning I'm too busy to be able to eat enough though i think about it non-stop if i'm with other people i'm not going to scarf food! :)

    good luck with everything. I took some group therapy classes to help with balanced eating and ways of reducing triggers... if you need to talk. feel free to add me.

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