How do you recover after a binge?

ebayaddict0127
ebayaddict0127 Posts: 523 Member
in Motivation and Support
I blew it last night. Rum, pizza... I ate roughly 3000 calories. My plan today is to stay on target. Have fruits and veggies. Drink water like it's my job, and take a nice long and fast walk. I'm bloated, tired, and feel horrible...

What do you do after a bad night?

Replies

  • tayloryay
    tayloryay Posts: 378 Member
    That sounds like a good plan! Don't try to overcompensate and restrict because you may end up binging again. Go back to your normal plan, and stick to it! And remember today will be better!! :) Don't beat yourself up, but do try to learn from the mistake! Figure out what caused you to binge and avoid those triggers in the future.
  • bluetuesday5
    bluetuesday5 Posts: 99 Member
    Very topical. Last night I drank a bottle and a half of wine, then ate 5 burgers and a box of praline. I've just fasted through most of today and had a walk, then a nice chicken meal tonight. You really won't gain much in one day.
  • aarar
    aarar Posts: 684 Member
    I blew it last night. Rum, pizza... I ate roughly 3000 calories. My plan today is to stay on target. Have fruits and veggies. Drink water like it's my job, and take a nice long and fast walk. I'm bloated, tired, and feel horrible...

    What do you do after a bad night?

    I just do exactly as I'm supposed to and eat my regular calorie allowance. It'll all balance out in the end.
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Forget about it and move on!!!!
  • ayalowich
    ayalowich Posts: 242 Member
    I blew it last night. Rum, pizza... I ate roughly 3000 calories. My plan today is to stay on target. Have fruits and veggies. Drink water like it's my job, and take a nice long and fast walk. I'm bloated, tired, and feel horrible...

    What do you do after a bad night?

    I look at my #'s. I've been doing MFP for about 8 months and in that time I've probably had 7-10 really bad days, and a bunch of holidays where I went overboard. I remind myself that a 3,000 calorie day is only 1,000 over my goal and in essence about .3 of a pound. The scale looks bad the morning after, but once everything flushes itself out, that extra 1,000 calories didn't make a dent in my progress. I've not strung 2 or 3 of those 'bad days' in a row so I really don't worry about it too much. In 48-72 hours assuming you bring things back to normal and also get your workouts in, you will be pleasantly surprised the next time you step on the scale.

    Don't beat yourself up too much. We all slip up. Life is tough so it's fine to indulge every once in a while.

    BTW, pizza sounds really good. Perhaps this week I'll reward myself.
  • Quieau
    Quieau Posts: 428 Member
    Really, the best way to recover from this one is to prevent future ones. Let this be your guide that 1200 calories is not enough for an active body. Your body is gasping for ... food.

    Think of "dieting" like holding your breath, metabolically speaking. Sure you can hold your breath, easy! *Whoooshuoop* Okay, how long can you hold it? Is it still easy? It gets hard! Then harder! Then, no matter how hard you try NOT to, you gasp for air. Your body takes over and forces you to do what you are apparently not doing without its overthrowing you. Breathing. Eating. Feeding yourself what you need.

    Binging is the gasping for air that comes from holding your "breath" instead of easy slow steady breathing.

    Try the TDEE method or at the very least, make your CURRENT BMR the minimum calories for each day (which means eating back any that you exercise off!).

    Then ... no more binges. Slow and steady loss that feels good and looks good and is so much healthier for your body than the rigors of feasting and starvation.

    Hope this helps! Sent with love ... <3
  • invisibubble
    invisibubble Posts: 662 Member
    Just carry on as normal. The occasional calorie spike won't hurt - in fact, some people swear it kickstarts their metabolism.
  • tinklemar
    tinklemar Posts: 71 Member
    I did the same thing last night. I just did a good workout, drinking tons of water today and will make sure I stay at my calorie goal. I had fun, and treated myself to food that I have not ate in a long time. I don't feel guilty, i will just refocus today :)
  • sheepysaccount
    sheepysaccount Posts: 608 Member
    I am the same. Last night I couldn't stop munching. I blame my dad for sending me chocolate :D

    I am staying very much on target today. Maybe even 100 calories under because I am just not hungry...
  • TArnold2012
    TArnold2012 Posts: 929 Member
    That is the past, start again with the next bite !!! Returning after a bad choice is what counts.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    I know it's hard, but don't try to "make up" for it, that generally only makes things worse. Just go back to your good habits and pick up where you left off. Oh, and forgive yourself. That'll help, too.
  • Momjogger
    Momjogger Posts: 750 Member
    If you are severely restricting, you need a "bad" day every once in a while. The next day I eat extra veggies, no processed carbs, eat about 1200 to 1500 calories, get in some extra exercise and I'm usually fine.
  • kimboa62
    kimboa62 Posts: 4
    I'm jumping back on the wagon today as well. I was bad for the past two days. Drinking wine blows it for me every time. I just need to stop with the occasional wine nights and stay focused. I'm back to tracking and exercising and hoping I'll see some progress in the next week. I was good for 5 days last week and did not see the scale change at all. Discouraging.
  • wrenegade64
    wrenegade64 Posts: 410 Member
    HIT IT AND FORGET IT!!! I don't dwell on it at all. They happen. Last I knew, none of us have a computer chip in us where we can program ourselves. I have a "3R" theory---REMEMBER why I want to get in better shape, REFOCUS on the things that I need to do, & REBOUND. HOWEVER, I do try to limit my indulgence episodes to maybe 1 every 2 weeks AND I attempt to limit it to just one meal and not an ALL DAY ESCAPADE.
  • ebayaddict0127
    ebayaddict0127 Posts: 523 Member
    I don't intend to eat less than normal today to "make it up." But I do plan to make much healthier choices and get some water in!
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,585 Member
    I just drink a lot of water try not to feel too much self hate/pity and eat my normal way again

    lots and lots of water
  • miller2010
    miller2010 Posts: 4 Member
    I go back to eating healthy, just like normal. I wouldn't fast or skip meals, just go back to eating healthy and exercise.
  • Nissi51
    Nissi51 Posts: 381 Member
    Forget about it and move on!!!!

    ^^^^^^^ This! And drink lots of water
  • QueenMaryam04
    QueenMaryam04 Posts: 43 Member
    I do that sometimes when i do i dont dwell on it and i try to eat better!
  • ChaseAlder
    ChaseAlder Posts: 804 Member
    Just start again the next day. If I try to compensate by eating lighter the next day, I just blow it again. I just pick up where I left off.
  • RECowgill
    RECowgill Posts: 881 Member
    Plan better. When I overeat, I redouble my efforts to only eat what I should. Prelog all my food for the day and stick to it. Otherwise, just eat normal. But with better planning.
  • IVMarkIV
    IVMarkIV Posts: 116
    Modest amounts of cardio followed with lots of water for a day or two while not overcompensating diet wise (I.e eating like only 500kcals a day for a few days). The stomach pain, cramping, diarrhea, and especially the fluid retention is what helps remind me not to go A-wall on binges...my binge food of choice would be an entire jar of coconut mana (that's 15 oz. of nearly pure saturated fat goodness!)

    Word to the wise, for cheat foods, try to only keep or store small, modest quantities on hand for when you do feel like "cheating"; rewards every now and then are perfectly healthy mostly for keeping sanity whilst dieting long term.
  • popshoveit
    popshoveit Posts: 42
    Wine sometimes does it to me too. Alcohol makes me hungry, and makes me more likely to think "well I ate 200 cals over my limit so I might as well just EAT THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF MY PANTRY AND SEND MY HUSBAND TO THE GROCERY STORE FOR A CHOCOLATE CAKE" (I have really done this, on several occasions) so I have to make sure that if I am drinking I have already factored that into my day, calorie-wise, and know that I have healthy food on hand for a snack later on.

    What I tend to do is just make sure the next few days are really good days with a lot of water and exercise. As long as I'm eating enough and I'm satisfied with a few small pleasurable things (a small chocolate candy etc) I do fine. In fact that's normally how I eat. It's just certain things tend to open the floodgates - alcohol, or visiting my parents, being anywhere else (like at the cottage for a week, yikes!) so know what your triggers are and work on them.
  • beaches61
    beaches61 Posts: 154 Member
    did you binge because you are restricting yourself too much and you are not going to be able to stick to it? 1200 calories is pretty low, many people find it difficult, I upped my caloric intake from 1200 after a couple weeks because it was too hard to stick to unless I exercised a ton every day.

    better to have a plan to lose weight gradually that you can stick with than one that is not realistic and that results in you going off it.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Normal day the next day. I've never made myself sick from eating too much though!
  • ebayaddict0127
    ebayaddict0127 Posts: 523 Member
    did you binge because you are restricting yourself too much and you are not going to be able to stick to it? 1200 calories is pretty low, many people find it difficult, I upped my caloric intake from 1200 after a couple weeks because it was too hard to stick to unless I exercised a ton every day.

    better to have a plan to lose weight gradually that you can stick with than one that is not realistic and that results in you going off it.

    For me 1200 calories has been incredibly easy to maintain and my doctor does not disapprove. My binge was an emotional response to some crappy events that occurred this week. My brain is still conditioned to drink alcohol and eat crap when things get bad. I just need to retrain my brain... I was doing very well the past two months.
  • charlicee
    charlicee Posts: 53
    Move on and try to be careful in the future. An occasional binge is good, gets the metabolism going actually.
  • CherylG1983
    CherylG1983 Posts: 294 Member
    Forget about it and move on!!!!
    :drinker:

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