What to do the day after a binge?

Binged bad last night. I think it was emotional eating to be honest. I had a twix bar, a large hershey almonds choc. bar, a subway sandwhich with two cookies. Then later on i had 3 (!!!!) doughnuts, a LOT of lemon oreos, some cereal, and a row of ritz crackers. It's so embarrassing. i've been on track ALL week. i don't know what got into me.... now the question is, what do i eat today? do i even need to eat today? i just don't know. I'm so tempted now, because we still have all the binge food in the house (A friend of my mom's bought it to get on our good side, i guess). I have almost no self-control with sweets. I won't buy them myself but if they're there they're so hard to resist.
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Replies

  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
    Nothing much to do - start fresh today!
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    Move on, get back on track. Maybe look at what might have led to the binge.

  • cchapps
    cchapps Posts: 2 Member
    get rid of the treats that allow you to binge… (good intentions are hard to resist) its tough but you can have them when you reach that place you want to be. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels…. say it over and over. And don't beat yourself up we all do this behavior once in a while.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Pull your bootstraps up and move on.
  • cchapps wrote: »
    get rid of the treats that allow you to binge… (good intentions are hard to resist) its tough but you can have them when you reach that place you want to be. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels…. say it over and over. And don't beat yourself up we all do this behavior once in a while.
    thannks for your answer & i wish i could get rid of them, but i don't live by myself & the food is theirs too. Haha i think if i threw it away, they'd hate me.
  • CariJean64
    CariJean64 Posts: 297 Member
    HIDE IT!! And just move on. :-)
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    cchapps wrote: »
    get rid of the treats that allow you to binge… (good intentions are hard to resist) its tough but you can have them when you reach that place you want to be. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels…. say it over and over. And don't beat yourself up we all do this behavior once in a while.

    I don't know i think most things taste better than thin feels.

    Maybe learning moderation will be more beneficial. Demonizing food is more likely to lead to binges for some people.
  • tenmilesaday
    tenmilesaday Posts: 10 Member
    hey beautiful. Thanks for the vulnerability. This issue is super complex and because it's 'just food,' I think we and everyone around us feels like we'll just eventually stop the behavior, get over it. But 'just food' has been my drug of choice for my entire life. I feel ya. so hard. I'm married and I have to lock all carbs other than fruit and veggies in a room that I can't get to at night. And be brutally vulnerable with someone I live with. For me, that's the husband. Who doesn't really stop me if I decide to do this anyway. last night, didn't lock it up,, totally binged. you can look at my food diary. i say, for now, don't tiptoe around it and try to figure out why--Just treat yourself like a doctor would and set yourself up however you can to make it impossible to do this to yourself. You are the best rehab facility you have right now. No one will understand exactly why we do this but us, and so don't expect anyone to be as serious and concerned about it as you will need to be to survive this--Maybe complete freedom from an addiction is possible, but most addicts don't leave their drugs available to themselves, no matter how 'recovered' they are. You're going to have to get real with these roommates. Lock that *kitten* up and ask for understanding and help. I would love to dialogue further, if you feel like that would help.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    As others have said, get back on track. Nothing special to eat today, just try to do it right.

    And as a side note... "lemon oreos"???? Oh, dear. Now I'm in trouble.

    51637601.png
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    Definitely eat like usual today.

    Have you thought of seeing a therapist or dietician? They can help with binge eating. There is also a binge eating support group here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/726-binge-eating-support-group

    Finally, you sound a bit like me... what helped me a lot in particular was logging binges, limiting my starchy and added sugary foods (by eating lots of fruits, veggies, fats, and protein), and eating 3 meals plus snacks every day.
  • kristimason3
    kristimason3 Posts: 131 Member
    I kind of wish there was a food rehab and that someone would force me to go there and stay a few months. A place like the biggest loser but in town where a nutritionist manned the kitchen like a security guard and between that and a team of personal trainers you had no choice but to meet your goals. That would be awesome. Oh to be rich and hire a team!
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    I don't eat less the next day, just get back on as if you didn't mess up. It will eventually balance itself out, in a few days
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Please share how those lemon Oreos tasted. I've been dying to know, if you've head the PB ones, those, too. I think we should all benefit from your binge, lol. ;)

    You should consider seeing a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. They can help you work through your issues with food. People do get better!

    Don't waffle! Make decision and if you are going to eat something, eat it. Give yourself permission, even if you shouldn't. Never eat a single bite thinking, "I shouldn't do this, but I'm doing it anyway." Just think, "I choose to eat this and I'm eating it and enjoying it."

    You have to retrain your brain to know that Yes is yes and No is no. Stop the whirlwind of "God, I shouldn't be doing this!" and eating. You aren't lying to yourself, either. You did choose to eat it! It's not out of your control. What you're doing is finally acknowledging that you've chosen to eat it.

    Slow down and enjoy what you're eating while you're doing the Yes, I choose to eat this thing. Enjoy it just as you would if you'd given yourself permission.

    It's a huge step, this acknowledgement that you're choosing to eat your food. If you just work on that, without focusing on "I shouldn't be eating this!", you've come a long way.

    What you should do today is forgive yourself immediately. The guilt and shame only serve to help repeat the process. They take you into "I shouldn't have done it" and lead to "I shouldn't do it again" and right back into eating when you think you shouldn't. It has to stop. No more guilt and shame.

    Just concentrate on acknowledging your decisions to eat today, whether you're consuming too many calories or not. It's a very simple first task. Spend your time saying, "I choose to eat this," and even "I choose not to eat that." The stuff you choose not to eat can (in fact, should!) be things you don't want to eat. "I choose to have tuna fish for lunch. I choose not to have a salad."

    Retrain your brain. That's where it starts. That's what you should do today. It's a big enough step. :)
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
    No need to torture yourself over what happened yesterday. Today is a new day, journal your food and move on. Be kind to yourself.
  • trinatrina1984
    trinatrina1984 Posts: 1,018 Member
    I kind of wish there was a food rehab and that someone would force me to go there and stay a few months. A place like the biggest loser but in town where a nutritionist manned the kitchen like a security guard and between that and a team of personal trainers you had no choice but to meet your goals. That would be awesome. Oh to be rich and hire a team!

    Lol that would be nice but completely unnecessary - all you need is MFP - a little knowledge and the willingness to take control of your actions. The best bit is it's free!
  • vickyjane1710
    vickyjane1710 Posts: 20 Member
    i just get rid of everything tasty in the house cos now i have a taste for it, and then carry on like normal, as long as it only happens once it all works itself out :-)
  • TheRealKit
    TheRealKit Posts: 97 Member
    There is a patient I have that always makes me smile huge!

    Even though he is paralyzed the 1st thing he always says with a amazing smile is "It's a new day, yesterday is gone and we can start brand new".

    Can't change yesterday. Start fresh today :)
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,200 Member
    Are you on a low carb diet?
  • LiftAndBalance
    LiftAndBalance Posts: 960 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    You should consider seeing a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. They can help you work through your issues with food. People do get better!

    Don't waffle! Make decision and if you are going to eat something, eat it. Give yourself permission, even if you shouldn't. Never eat a single bite thinking, "I shouldn't do this, but I'm doing it anyway." Just think, "I choose to eat this and I'm eating it and enjoying it."

    You have to retrain your brain to know that Yes is yes and No is no. Stop the whirlwind of "God, I shouldn't be doing this!" and eating. You aren't lying to yourself, either. You did choose to eat it! It's not out of your control. What you're doing is finally acknowledging that you've chosen to eat it.

    Slow down and enjoy what you're eating while you're doing the Yes, I choose to eat this thing. Enjoy it just as you would if you'd given yourself permission.

    It's a huge step, this acknowledgement that you're choosing to eat your food. If you just work on that, without focusing on "I shouldn't be eating this!", you've come a long way.

    What you should do today is forgive yourself immediately. The guilt and shame only serve to help repeat the process. They take you into "I shouldn't have done it" and lead to "I shouldn't do it again" and right back into eating when you think you shouldn't. It has to stop. No more guilt and shame.

    Just concentrate on acknowledging your decisions to eat today, whether you're consuming too many calories or not. It's a very simple first task. Spend your time saying, "I choose to eat this," and even "I choose not to eat that." The stuff you choose not to eat can (in fact, should!) be things you don't want to eat. "I choose to have tuna fish for lunch. I choose not to have a salad."

    Retrain your brain. That's where it starts. That's what you should do today. It's a big enough step. :)

    This is pretty good advice! Not feeling guilty about food was a very important step for me to overcome bingeing. I might still have a whole half-litre package of Ben&Jerry's every now and then (much less frequently than I did, though), for example, but when I do, I consciously choose to eat it and ENJOY it. For me, this also lead to actually being able to stop before the package is empty if I don't want any more—instead of finishing it without even enjoying it and feeling terrible about it like I did previously.

    In the long run, locking away food won't solve binge eating. You have to change your mindset or you'll go through life like a constant obstacle course of temptations and triggers.
  • lee134
    lee134 Posts: 280 Member

    weight.png

    Get back on the horse and try it again .
  • mkoffinas
    mkoffinas Posts: 3 Member
    It happens to the best of us. Don't beat yourself up over it. A couple of things my dietitian told me that definitely resonated.

    1) Have a plan! If we were to go to work without a plan of what to accomplish that day, and simply sat at our desks, we would most likely be fired at some point right? So why don't we allow ourselves the same logic when it comes to our health?

    2) Decide (as much as you can), before you put something in your mouth, if the number of calories are something you can deal with.

    For me, I LOVE cheetos, and since I've bought them on occasion for my husband, I'll pull out MFP app, and decide how many calories am I willing to deal with. Sometimes it's a 1/2 a serving, sometimes, it's 1/4 of a serving, or sometimes, after looking at my intake for the day, I decide it's not something I am willing to deal with.
  • lisainpotown
    lisainpotown Posts: 18 Member
    You know what I do? I track it ALL in my fitnesspal. It is hella embarassing! But the truth is, if you look at people's food diaries, no one eats perfectly, and those missed days...we all know it's worse on those days! MFP gives us accountability and awareness. It's about progress, not perfection. I am sure that this is not the first time you ever overate in your life, and it probably won't be the last. Strive to make the next time a little less outrageous and rein it in faster. Success is about picking yourself up quickly from failure, gracefully and frequently.
  • Solar07
    Solar07 Posts: 83 Member
    Lemon Oreo cookies are the best!
    With that out of the way, you can't beat yourself up. We've all been there, and we'll probably be there again. You already said you knew it was an emotional binge. Plan now what you can do if the situation comes up again. That way you'll be ready. Good luck!
  • BryVia12
    BryVia12 Posts: 181 Member
    First of all, most of us have those kind of days. Keep on going, eventually those binge days will become more spaced out. Food is not the enemy, self hate is. Ask yourself: Why am I sabotaging myself? Why am I abusing myself? Why am I not listening to my body? Take a serious look at yourself (by this I mean look inward). If you can answer these questions, you will be more able to find success.

    We all have temptations, the more you resist them the more results you will have, mentally and physically. It gets easier with every victory. Start new today. Best wishes to you.
  • hey beautiful. Thanks for the vulnerability. This issue is super complex and because it's 'just food,' I think we and everyone around us feels like we'll just eventually stop the behavior, get over it. But 'just food' has been my drug of choice for my entire life. I feel ya. so hard. I'm married and I have to lock all carbs other than fruit and veggies in a room that I can't get to at night. And be brutally vulnerable with someone I live with. For me, that's the husband. Who doesn't really stop me if I decide to do this anyway. last night, didn't lock it up,, totally binged. you can look at my food diary. i say, for now, don't tiptoe around it and try to figure out why--Just treat yourself like a doctor would and set yourself up however you can to make it impossible to do this to yourself. You are the best rehab facility you have right now. No one will understand exactly why we do this but us, and so don't expect anyone to be as serious and concerned about it as you will need to be to survive this--Maybe complete freedom from an addiction is possible, but most addicts don't leave their drugs available to themselves, no matter how 'recovered' they are. You're going to have to get real with these roommates. Lock that *kitten* up and ask for understanding and help. I would love to dialogue further, if you feel like that would help.
    Thank you <3 . They don't understand, i guess. To them its as simple as, "just don't eat it" . Its NOT that simple. I'm recovering from Bulimia right now, and almost every weekend we have junk food in the house. I can't deal. I'm really trying to get better, but it makes it so hard to have all these foods here. It's taunting me. I've already broken down today. And to some people it seems like such a trivial thing to cry over, it does to me too, its just FOOD right? One of the most basic human needs. Yet its making me crazy.
  • Are you on a low carb diet?

    No, i have oatmeal at least once a day, sometimes twice. I'm not on any specific diet, just trying to feed myself what i think it's right. Lots of fruits, veggies, proteins etc.. I know it can be harmful to one's psyche to restrict, so i try not to. Plus i want to lose through habits i can substain for life, haha i don't think i would last a lifetime low carb

  • I kind of wish there was a food rehab and that someone would force me to go there and stay a few months. A place like the biggest loser but in town where a nutritionist manned the kitchen like a security guard and between that and a team of personal trainers you had no choice but to meet your goals. That would be awesome. Oh to be rich and hire a team!
    hahaha, if you only you knew how many times i've wished for something like that to happen to me. I've thought and researched them all, weightloss summer camps, local biggest loser competitions, everything. The weight loss camps are a pretty penny to join though, i tell you

  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
    Log through your binge so that you're back in control as soon as your next meal. Log as you binge so you have a shot at control or eating a half portion. Write in your log (Food notes) about your emotions and ideas for next time.
  • Quieau
    Quieau Posts: 428 Member
    Over restriction calories or macros is like holding your breath. Sure, it's easy at first, anyone can do it. Hold your breath, mind over matter. But the longer you hold it, the harder it gets. Eventually, your body takes over your mind and no matter how hard you try, you can't keep it going. Your brain forces you to gasp for air and to replenish your oxygen supply. Did you fail? Are you weak because you couldn't hold your breath forever? Of course not. Same with food. If you are binging, that is gasping for food. Your body is demanding nutrition. If you eat a steady, high nutrition adequate-in-calories diet, you won't need to binge anymore. You'll be breathing deeply metabolically, and restoring function to your brain and body as well as establishing new habits along the way. Slow and steady wins the race. Make sure you never eat below your BMR and make sure you're getting your macros right. You'll be fine ...
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    edited November 2014
    1. Start fresh - today is a new day and a new beginning.
    2. Evaluate what happened yesterday -- if it is stress eating, then work out alternative ways to work out or eliminate your stress.
    3. If it was binging because you were bored, find alternative activities to fill your void time
    4. If it was binging because you have tried to be too restrictive then maybe add a little more treat to your regular day.
    5. One thing about binging is that one day of binging can literally undo a week of healthy eating and two or three days in a row can easily spiral into a lifestyle change that you don't want... remain positive, but recognize that this can be a dangerous path.
    6. There is no shame in getting help if you need it; the only shame is when you know you need help that is available and don't pursue it.
    7. You've got this. Best wishes. Each day is a new day but it is something that we all have to constantly guard for.