Binge Days: Why they can be beneficial for your weight loss

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  • Stilllosing26
    Stilllosing26 Posts: 256 Member
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    one of the worst ideas I have seen on an MFP thread in a while..yea, lets encourage people to binge eat, which is a border line eating disorder…

    OP you are brilliant….

    I don't binge eat. I don't have an eating disorder. You need to go back and read through some of the previous posts. I'm not dealing with these rude, and unintelligent responses.
    perhaps you'd be best refraining from starting threads like this and THIS :
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1279368-your-worst-binge-food

    The title should say Cheat days, not binge. I apologize. Now I am just being harassed. It's actually really upsetting me, as I never had bad intentions. :(
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    After reading this string I wonder if I will ever post anything. People are so mean to each other on here. Can a person not post their opinion or what is working for them without everyone jumping down their throats. Geez.

    Seriously. It is very difficult to be proud of an accomplishment when there are so many people who love to argue. Why are you here if you disagree? You don't have to agree with something.... But it is not nice to be so rude to people who are just trying to make suggestions.

    I don't see gorging yourself until you are physically ill as an accomplishment. Nor do I think having a blowout day once a week where you gorge yourself is a good idea. Days where you go over calories? Sure. They happen. But depriving yourself most of the week and then having a "cheat day" where you "reward" yourself with food for being so good the rest of the week just seems like disordered eating* to me, as well as a recipe for disaster. It's very easy to blow your deficit doing that, and it makes it easier to start justifying behaviors that can derail your lifestyle because it's your "cheat day."

    And as to why I'm here if I disagree….lots of people read these pages. You don't have to be a member here to view the forums. Lots of people are not well versed in food and nutrition. Posts like this have the potential to set people up for failure without there being some due diligence of presenting the other side.

    *Disordered eating, not eating disorder. Two separate issues. Disordered eating has to do with the person's relationship with food and one can have disordered eating without being diagnosed with an eating disorder.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    one of the worst ideas I have seen on an MFP thread in a while..yea, lets encourage people to binge eat, which is a border line eating disorder…

    OP you are brilliant….

    I don't binge eat. I don't have an eating disorder. You need to go back and read through some of the previous posts. I'm not dealing with these rude, and unintelligent responses.
    perhaps you'd be best refraining from starting threads like this and THIS :
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1279368-your-worst-binge-food

    The title should say Cheat days, not binge. I apologize. Now I am just being harassed. It's actually really upsetting me, as I never had bad intentions. :(
    i actually linked another thread on your "worst binge foods" that you can't have in the house.
  • csy108
    csy108 Posts: 58 Member
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    And then, after a weeks hard work, we go into the pantry, and go way over our calorie limit.

    This is by far the primary reason I have been obese since I was in elementary school - the belief that at certain regular intervals I could depart from an otherwise relatively healthy way of eating and disregard the calorie content of food as if it was "free". This advice is definitely not for everyone, and for even more people, rather than have a "free" day, most people would benefit from logging all these calories to ensure they aren't going way over their calorie targets. Otherwise this leads to the "I did all the hard work but got no benefit" panic that sends people into emotional eating.
  • Stilllosing26
    Stilllosing26 Posts: 256 Member
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    one of the worst ideas I have seen on an MFP thread in a while..yea, lets encourage people to binge eat, which is a border line eating disorder…

    OP you are brilliant….

    I don't binge eat. I don't have an eating disorder. You need to go back and read through some of the previous posts. I'm not dealing with these rude, and unintelligent responses.
    perhaps you'd be best refraining from starting threads like this and THIS :
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1279368-your-worst-binge-food

    The title should say Cheat days, not binge. I apologize. Now I am just being harassed. It's actually really upsetting me, as I never had bad intentions. :(
    i actually linked another thread on your "worst binge foods" that you can't have in the house.

    I understand. My meaning of the word binge, is entirely different than someone else's. I am sorry.
  • Stilllosing26
    Stilllosing26 Posts: 256 Member
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    I never intended to offend anyone. I just wanted to share something that enabled me to reach my goal weight. I am sorry.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    one of the worst ideas I have seen on an MFP thread in a while..yea, lets encourage people to binge eat, which is a border line eating disorder…

    OP you are brilliant….

    I don't binge eat. I don't have an eating disorder. You need to go back and read through some of the previous posts. I'm not dealing with these rude, and unintelligent responses.
    perhaps you'd be best refraining from starting threads like this and THIS :
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1279368-your-worst-binge-food

    The title should say Cheat days, not binge. I apologize. Now I am just being harassed. It's actually really upsetting me, as I never had bad intentions. :(
    i actually linked another thread on your "worst binge foods" that you can't have in the house.

    I understand. My meaning of the word binge, is entirely different than someone else's. I am sorry.
    best of luck on your journey.
  • Stilllosing26
    Stilllosing26 Posts: 256 Member
    Options
    one of the worst ideas I have seen on an MFP thread in a while..yea, lets encourage people to binge eat, which is a border line eating disorder…

    OP you are brilliant….

    I don't binge eat. I don't have an eating disorder. You need to go back and read through some of the previous posts. I'm not dealing with these rude, and unintelligent responses.
    perhaps you'd be best refraining from starting threads like this and THIS :
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1279368-your-worst-binge-food

    The title should say Cheat days, not binge. I apologize. Now I am just being harassed. It's actually really upsetting me, as I never had bad intentions. :(
    i actually linked another thread on your "worst binge foods" that you can't have in the house.

    I understand. My meaning of the word binge, is entirely different than someone else's. I am sorry.
    best of luck on your journey.

    Thank you. Sorry for the confusion.
  • leantool
    leantool Posts: 365 Member
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    I would rather not do that,i am a small frame short woman and my budget is low. I don't deliberately eat calorie dense food on my own. I rather wait for an eating out with friends or family when i indulge in biriyani to sweets anything at all.if it is a more than 500 cal surplus ,i divide those 500 cals in 7 days and eat a little more deficit. works for me.for everyday one chocolate square or 49 cals of dark kitkat fingers....i work them into my calorie goal.

    That said,what you are doing is obviously working for you,congratulations for your loss.
  • FireOpalCO
    FireOpalCO Posts: 641 Member
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    I honestly dislike the term "cheat day" or "cheat meal" as bad as "binge". I'm not in a relationship with my diet and I'm not misbehaving if I have a day where I don't stay at a calorie loss. Yes, word choice does matter and affects how you think.

    Instead I have days where I plan that I'm not going to track. They aren't regularly occurring, but do crop up. For example on Mother's Day I will eat whatever appeals to me that day and not bother to track, but I'm not going to approach the day like "I'm out of prison I can have ANYTHING, so let's have EVERYTHING." Saturday was a "not going to bother to track" day because I took my son to the zoo. I still had my normal breakfast (around 200 calories), had my 80 calorie coffee at Starbucks while he had a treat of a blueberry muffin and chocolate milk, but when we were at the zoo I had a slice of pizza and an ice cream cone, and had my normal dinner. I might have finished the day in a deficit, and I might not, and honestly don't care. But I take comfort in knowing I didn't go nuts and have three giant meals and a Frap, etc. and kept using what I've learned.
  • trishamae
    trishamae Posts: 5
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    I could not have said this better and I agree completely. We all have those things we really crave and if you do then take a day of the week, like a Friday evening and sit down and enjoy some of the foods you miss. I do this and I actually do lose more weight. I don't do it every week, but I do it when I get to the point if I don't eat something I really have been craving I will eat way more than I should over a number of days. That has not happened, because I give myself that free evening to sit and watch a movie and enjoy whatever I want to eat. I really think if those dieting would try this you would see that it works. :smile:
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    There's actually some scientific data to back up why "cheat meals" or "refeed meals" are beneficial to fat-loss....it's all about planning, and knowing what *type* of "cheat" is the best for you goals...

    http://averagefitnessfreak.com/refeed-to-lose-body-fat/

    This is the start of what I was getting at. It is not required for the majority of people. Very lean people are the exception.

    Also, from memory it only boosts leptin for a short period of time.

    All about leptin here. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-hormones-of-bodyweight-regulation-leptin-part-1.html

    I'm def not an expert, but from what I understand it can also be beneficial to those eating at defect for long periods of time? From what I've researched, you go with a high carb/low protein and low fat re-feed.

    So, to the OP's question, maybe not necessarily a regular cheat meal or day just for the sake of sanity...but just a way to boost levels back in order to help the continuation of fat loss....? Correct me if I'm wrong :)

    Diet breaks :smile: Eating at maintenance for 2 weeks or so will be more beneficial for those in deficit for a long time than one reefed day. It does come down to the individual and there circumstances though.
  • trishamae
    trishamae Posts: 5
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    Everyone handles dieting differently. I would not call it a bad idea, maybe a bad idea for some, and if it is bad or you or anyone else for that matter then they should not do it; however, that doesn't mean it is a bad idea for everyone. I had lost more weight in the weeks when I did go over my calorie goad and just enjoyed the foods that I hade been missing. So, bottom line what works for some does not work for all. Each person has to determine that, and should. I wouldn't use the word Binge because that is not what I am doing, and I'm not cheating. I take one evening or two and eat a few things I would not if I stuck to my diet. It gets rid of the cravings, I have enjoyed my meal, and I ready to get back on my diet. It's all a mindset. :)
  • Stilllosing26
    Stilllosing26 Posts: 256 Member
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    I could not have said this better and I agree completely. We all have those things we really crave and if you do then take a day of the week, like a Friday evening and sit down and enjoy some of the foods you miss. I do this and I actually do lose more weight. I don't do it every week, but I do it when I get to the point if I don't eat something I really have been craving I will eat way more than I should over a number of days. That has not happened, because I give myself that free evening to sit and watch a movie and enjoy whatever I want to eat. I really think if those dieting would try this you would see that it works. :smile:

    Good for you! Glad we think alike!
  • juggie49
    juggie49 Posts: 7 Member
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    I know what you mean but think of it this way. The folks that are ready with a snarky comment are usually the ones that need the most help. They like to point out what they believe are everyone else's faults and that makes them feel better. They should try giving encouragement to others rather than tearing them down. Sad. Really sad.
  • MamaMia1953
    MamaMia1953 Posts: 4 Member
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    Jtick, what a great comment!
  • juggie49
    juggie49 Posts: 7 Member
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    Hang in there. The snarky people are usually the ones who need the most help. Being mean makes them feel better. I NEVER got from your post that you're a binger in the clinical sense. Folks need to go have a piece of chocolate and calm the **** down.
  • Stilllosing26
    Stilllosing26 Posts: 256 Member
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    Thank you juggie49 :)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    This is such a terrible idea and it is horrible advice for you to be giving people.

    You need to address your issues with food as you have already been told by many members before. Don't justify it now and try to get people to do the same thing you are doing.
    This a million times over.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    Hang in there. The snarky people are usually the ones who need the most help. Being mean makes them feel better. I NEVER got from your post that you're a binger in the clinical sense. Folks need to go have a piece of chocolate and calm the **** down.
    Direct quote from the OP "One day, after my mom had made a batch of about 20, I decided that my hard work should pay off so I ate the whole thing throughout the day, in it's entirety." How is that not a binge? That is not a free day or a cheat meal. That is a binge. Eating over your calorie limit is a cheat. Eating an entire pan of 20 brownies is a binge. There is nothing helpful or useful about eating an entire pan of brownies.
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