Recovery after massive cheat...anyone???

Don't beat yourself up girl, just learn from it and remember how you feel and you won't binge like that again.

I don't deny myself something I love. I like you, also love chocolate so I bought a bar of the Cadbury dark burnt almond, split it into bags of 3 squares. So when I am craving some chocolate I reach for that little baggy and it satisfies my craving and I have only consumed 80cals instead of *insert what ever # here* if I had restricted myself and then binged. I also make up measured out chips (crisps for you UK people) and popcorn into baggys. Helps me to keep on track when I fancy a treat.

Don't be sad, you're still killing this journey...

It's not cheating, it's eating. You don't need to "recover" or atone for this. Just carry on as normal. Fasting for a day because you ate too much chocolate only sets you up for a really bad relationship with food where you alternate between over-eating and punishing yourself for it. You haven't failed, you just ate a bit more than you intended to. Carry on as you were. Your success doesn't rest on what you eat on isolated days, it's all about how you eat on a daily basis. If you are prone to eating more than you intend to, then look at ways of preventing that happening in the future.

You said one of the BEST things I've heard all day.

the OP is the 2nd post here on MFP, and I just woke up to say that their diet is making them sick.

What is going on with people on diets making their bodies sick??????????????

I think people ought to rethink their diet and just eat a variety of good foods.. eff these stupid strict diets that eff up people's health!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't quite think she's saying that her diet is making her body sick. I'm thinking she's saying that after all the candy (chocolate) from last night, she's not feeling well. Which can make sense, especially if your body isn't used to eating a large amount of the stuff.

ok that may be true.. i just reacted to like the 2nd post i read and someone's sick.. makes me think about this strict dieting and what it could do. but maybe im wrong.

Just FYI last night I ate two ice cream sandwiches like this after midnight right before going to bed.


This morning my scale showed over half a lb weight loss anyway. It kept my previous loss and added to it.

I mention this to illustrate that it does not matter the particular thing you eat so much. I noticed you did not say I went over by X calories, but mentioned the chocolate specifically. It's weird that nobody ever says "HALP! I overate raw cabbage and dressing to the tune of 1500 calories, do I have to fast the next day?"

Overall your body will lose weight as long as you are consistently eating fewer calories than you are burning, through exercise or otherwise. I like to look at it as a weekly average to make room for those days when I might be less hungry and know I can eat more cals the next day since I notice I get hungrier usually after a low hunger day like that. It also gives me wiggle room on days I'm hungrier and just HAVE to have that high calorie thing. I have a couple days to make up for it by shaving off cals or spreading the cals out over multiple workouts in the coming days. Maybe this will work for you and make that candy bar enjoyable and worth it.

It's not cheating, it's eating. You don't need to "recover" or atone for this. Just carry on as normal. Fasting for a day because you ate too much chocolate only sets you up for a really bad relationship with food where you alternate between over-eating and punishing yourself for it. You haven't failed, you just ate a bit more than you intended to. Carry on as you were. Your success doesn't rest on what you eat on isolated days, it's all about how you eat on a daily basis. If you are prone to eating more than you intend to, then look at ways of preventing that happening in the future.

You said one of the BEST things I've heard all day.

the OP is the 2nd post here on MFP, and I just woke up to say that their diet is making them sick.

What is going on with people on diets making their bodies sick??????????????

I think people ought to rethink their diet and just eat a variety of good foods.. eff these stupid strict diets that eff up people's health!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't quite think she's saying that her diet is making her body sick. I'm thinking she's saying that after all the candy (chocolate) from last night, she's not feeling well. Which can make sense, especially if your body isn't used to eating a large amount of the stuff.

ok that may be true.. i just reacted to like the 2nd post i read and someone's sick.. makes me think about this strict dieting and what it could do. but maybe im wrong.

Well, if I may weigh in here with some conjecture. When I read it, I read it as her thoughts about the eating of that bar might be making her sick. I noticed a lot of people who do those "Clean" or food eliminating diets read repeatedly as part of their learning about the diet that the foods they are supposed to avoid will "make them sick" or are "bad for them" with lot's of scientific sounding mumbo jumbo surrounding these ideas. I can see how thinking about this the entire time you are eating a large portion of something you consider off limits might mess with your head enough to make you feel physically ill, due to the anxiety. Much like people with nervous tummy's might get a tummy ache before school or when missing someone or looking forward to a worrisome event. In this way, yes I do believe the diet can make them sick as these symptoms are felt as real. They affect the persons ability to eat subsequently and are usually remedied by real solutions like crackers ginger ale and the like in the short term. In the long term. The stressor should probably be addressed.

Are your pictures current because it looks like you must be pretty close to goal weigh?

I have found that over the years I have had huge cheat days and evens weeks (holidays, vacations) and I haven't gained much weight. I get maybe a couple lbs over what I like and then return to normal eating and back to where I want to be. It is not the end of the world if you eat over your caloric goal a few times in your life. It isn't even the end of the world if you end up a couple lbs over your goal weight. Just keep in check and make adjustments as needed. Weight loss or maintenance is more fluid. Its not so black or white. Thank goodness I don't have to be perfect and can enjoy life a little too much sometimes.

Enjoy that chocolate and then continue on.

I went off the rails a few weeks ago, but I didn't punish myself for it- I just tried to eat super healthy and worked out a little more than usual the next week. It was fine. I'm not a fan of "cheating" - I like "treating." I plan out things that I want to eat or have been craving. If I want pie or ice cream or chocolate (love the Hershey's dark chocolate!) or cheese dip or... etc., I just plan for it and make it part of my calories. That way I get to have what I want, and it still works! I like someone else's idea of having a piece or two throughout the week- that way it's better for you than sitting down with the entire bar and ending up with a massive sugar rush and crash. I had donuts last weekend, but I knew I was going to have them, so I planned the rest of my day to have fruits/veggies/lean protein/complex carbs to balance out my coffee & donut breakfast. LOL

To be fair with you this isn't the worst cheat in the world, and tomorrow is another day, Just don't do it everyday sort of thing.

Had a massive crack last night and had a cheeseburger, chips and cake, and I was gutted after I did it, but after I went for a run today it just felt like a slip up and a moment to just move on.

You recover by hitting your nutritional goals precisely the next day.
So that means, if you fast, you will be failing for a 2nd day in a row.

Just FYI last night I ate two ice cream sandwiches like this after midnight right before going to bed.


This morning my scale showed over half a lb weight loss anyway. It kept my previous loss and added to it.

I mention this to illustrate that it does not matter the particular thing you eat so much. I noticed you did not say I went over by X calories, but mentioned the chocolate specifically. It's weird that nobody ever says "HALP! I overate raw cabbage and dressing to the tune of 1500 calories, do I have to fast the next day?"

Overall your body will lose weight as long as you are consistently eating fewer calories than you are burning, through exercise or otherwise. I like to look at it as a weekly average to make room for those days when I might be less hungry and know I can eat more cals the next day since I notice I get hungrier usually after a low hunger day like that. It also gives me wiggle room on days I'm hungrier and just HAVE to have that high calorie thing. I have a couple days to make up for it by shaving off cals or spreading the cals out over multiple workouts in the coming days. Maybe this will work for you and make that candy bar enjoyable and worth it.

This is not a chipper :mad: