i confess. i binge. now help me?

Anidorie
Anidorie Posts: 291 Member
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
My goal is 920 a day. I dont normally eat that much. i eat about 800. but then i end up binging atleast once a week. like 1400-1600 calories. nearly twice what i normally eat. then i spend the rest of the week making up for it. how can i stop this from happening? i dont know what to do but i dont loose as much weight because of those bad days.
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Replies

  • dracobaby82
    dracobaby82 Posts: 380 Member
    I'd say you at least need to eat 1200 a day... you aren't eating enough... anyone else feel the same way?
  • HilarieXcore
    HilarieXcore Posts: 214 Member
    You would probably be less likely to binge if you upped your calories. 800 is a ridiculously low number that will not help the weight come off faster..

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
  • Anidorie
    Anidorie Posts: 291 Member
    I'd say you at least need to eat 1200 a day... you aren't eating enough... anyone else feel the same way?

    so is it okay to eat 1400-1600 once a week to make up for the lack on the other days?
  • Shanzstar
    Shanzstar Posts: 197
    what is going on when your binge? is it because youre bored or depressed or really hungry? do you feel satisfied when you're eating 800 calories?
  • kittyloo123
    kittyloo123 Posts: 300 Member
    agree with the above posters. This is probably why you are bingeing. You need to eat more.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    I'd say you at least need to eat 1200 a day... you aren't eating enough... anyone else feel the same way?


    I agree, but without knowing about this poster's height and weight...I know there are some petite people under 5 feet tall who say they can't eat 1200 calorie diets and 1000 or so is workable for them... but for most people, 1200 is a healthy minimum recommended by doctors and nutrititionists.
  • HilarieXcore
    HilarieXcore Posts: 214 Member
    I'd say you at least need to eat 1200 a day... you aren't eating enough... anyone else feel the same way?

    so is it okay to eat 1400-1600 once a week to make up for the lack on the other days?

    No, it doesn't make up for the other days. You need to have at least 1200 every day.
  • losing4myself
    losing4myself Posts: 61
    First I will state that yes, you should eat 1200 min. But...anyway....try drinking more water, gum, coffee, even tea when you feel you MIGHT purge. Just try it and tell yourself that you dont even need all that junk and its just going to give you a lot of mess to clean up. If you feel you really do have to purge a bit do it in a very small way. Maybe allow yourself some cream in your coffee, or even as much as having a bite size peice of chocolate...
  • Losingitin2011
    Losingitin2011 Posts: 572 Member
    I would say no. You need to eat at least 1000 per day, 1200 is better for a minimum. Perhaps your binging has more to do with you not eating enough throughout the week, so your body is demanding more by the end.
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
    Do you mean your calorie goal is only 920? Thats what is causing you to binge sweetheart! I don't see why the calorie settings would be that low, but dont do only 800-900 hon! That will cause you to be like my Mom, she only eats one meal a day, and she wonders why she cant lose weight. Your body will react by lowering your metabolism, and trust me, its way better to have a faster metabolism and eat a little more than have a super slow one and not eat much at all!

    My advice, the only way to stop yourself from feeling guilty every week, having this so called "binge" which is invariably still less than what I am supposed to eat every day, and not starving your body. Raise your goal to 1300 calories at minimum sweetie :) Eat a little more every day, and eat a little better. I give myself a small treat a few times a week, and make sure it still fits my calorie goals for the day. This method should work a lot better for you Hon!
  • n0pants3ver
    n0pants3ver Posts: 175
    You're not eating enough.
  • sillybeth84
    sillybeth84 Posts: 27
    I think you should probably eat a consistent 1200-1400 calories a day. Don't forget that you need calories to exercise. Your goals on your page seem to be about getting in shape and not losing weight. So I am not sure why you would ever only eat 800 calories a day, this could put your body into starvation mode and could make your hair fallout. 800 calories is the opposite of healthy. You are very pretty girl. I think you should take another look at your goals and set a higher calorie limit. Good luck!!
  • sara_m83
    sara_m83 Posts: 545 Member
    It is unlikely that your 'maintenance calories' or the base number of calories your body needs to function at your ideal height/weight/age is less than 1400-1600 calories. I would say that even on your binge days, you are likely hitting maintenance or still running a caloric deficit. So you are unlikely to gain weight from these days.

    That said, it still doesn't make it healthy to eat only 800 calories per day the rest of the time. You will be so much happier and more satisfied if you aren't starving yourself, which is driving you to 'binge' as you call it. Listen to MFP - the site does not recommend under 1200 calories a day for anyone. So eat 1200 calories a day, exercise regularly, and you will lose weight in a sustainable and long-term way.
  • mummakitty
    mummakitty Posts: 24 Member
    Yep.. To be honest...we need more info to help you. Basics like height weight activity level just to start... curious..where did you come up with this 920 number from??
  • Anidorie
    Anidorie Posts: 291 Member
    i am five foot eight and a half inches. i am not short .
  • Rubedolove
    Rubedolove Posts: 16 Member
    No, you need to eat a minimum of 1200 calories EVERY DAY. Your body cannot maintain healthy and nourished at 800 cal a day. You are probably binging because your body is lacking in key nutrients. Food is like sleep, you cannot "make up" for it on another day. Exercising 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes cardiovascular and 2-3 times a week for 15-20 minutes strength/toning is optimal. To me it sounds like you are teetering that line of anorexia. Why do you feel the need to restrict your calories so much?
  • Anidorie
    Anidorie Posts: 291 Member
    Yep.. To be honest...we need more info to help you. Basics like height weight activity level just to start... curious..where did you come up with this 920 number from??

    okay so i am 5 foot 8 1/2 inches. i am 124 pounds. i want to be 103. i am active. id o close to 30 minutes of jump roping a day. and i started at 1200 but then took away 70 calories a week for a few weeks. and i stopped doing that at 920. im considering lowering it to 850 but idk.
  • Voluptas
    Voluptas Posts: 5 Member
    You're not eating enough calories. The minimum anyone, regardless of size, should eat is 1200 cals per day. When you eat smaller than that, eventually your body will live on your muscle mass to survive. When you lose muscle mass, you lose a lot of your calorie-burning ability and then when you DO eat more (like the mini-binge) your metabolism is lower and it's even harder to lose weight.. easier to gain weight. Enjoy your food within the appropriate limits and enjoy your exercise! Between the two, you'll lose the weight you want in a much more healthy and LONG-LASTING way. It might be a little slower than you want but it will happen and you'll feel better during the whole process. Good Luck! :)
  • TeraMarieD
    TeraMarieD Posts: 55
    I totally agree. You should not be eating that little without a doctor's approval. That is crazy low; you can not get the nutrients that you need eating that little. Your body is probably telling you that it is missing something and that is why you "binge". Even if you take a vitamin you still need certain nutrients in food to help absorb those vitamins. I would highly suggest upping your calories to at least 1200; more when you exercise. Do that for a couple weeks and see how that goes. If it doesn't work then see your doc and talk about a healthy eathing plan.
  • Kelekat
    Kelekat Posts: 174 Member
    I'm on 1200 calories a day and have lost 8 pounds in a month, 4 in the 10 or so days I've been using this site. I never feel deprived and I don't binge (and I'm a former comfort eater).

    Diet and exercise is the only way to lose weight, but if you don't eat enough calories every day, your body will go into starvation mode and start trying to hoard your fat--800-900 calories a day is not enough.
  • Rubedolove
    Rubedolove Posts: 16 Member
    Also, 103 lbs. is under your ideal BMI for your height. Healthy goal... 120.
  • HilarieXcore
    HilarieXcore Posts: 214 Member
    You are only HALF a pound away from being in the under range. I really don't think it's healthy for you to be down at 103 and have a BMI of 15.4.

    Being that underweight is going to cause you serious health issues.
  • miss_dreamer
    miss_dreamer Posts: 50 Member
    I'm not an expert by any means, but i've been researching and if you go below 1200 calories (approximately) it can put you into starvation mode. Also even if you just put up the calories to a 1000-1200 a day you will feel fuller and less likely to binge. I'm 5 foot 7 and a half inches and my calorie intake for the day is 1460, which is perfect for me as if i don't want to eat very much for a few days without possibly triggering starvation mode, i have an allowance of 260 calories to go under. Usually i do stay under, and i'm losing weight with those calories just fine. If you feel 920 is fine for you that's okay, but if you are binging i would say allow yourself between 1000-1200 a day.
  • TeraMarieD
    TeraMarieD Posts: 55
    For your height you are plenty thin. The ideal weight range for your height and a small frame is 126-142.
  • Jade_Butterfly
    Jade_Butterfly Posts: 2,963 Member
    I would have to know more about your height and weight, but I would say that is way too little calories, so when you binge it is because the body is starving and trying to fight back. I would say at least 1000-1200 minimum. :smile:
  • Shanzstar
    Shanzstar Posts: 197
    um I mean this in the nicest way possible, but have you checked to see what your "healthy" weight should be for your height? Your body might be telling you something...
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    My goal is 920 a day. I dont normally eat that much. i eat about 800. but then i end up binging atleast once a week. like 1400-1600 calories. nearly twice what i normally eat. then i spend the rest of the week making up for it. how can i stop this from happening? i dont know what to do but i dont loose as much weight because of those bad days.

    5'8" and slender. You should try to eat more each day. I checked your profile and one of your goals is "to be able to run a mile without stopping a million times". To be able to achieve that goal, you are going to have to eat more so your body will feel like running that mile. Trust me.
  • ridiculyss
    ridiculyss Posts: 108 Member
    Okay. You need to eat at Least(!) 1200 calories every day to have a healthy stable diet. Eating less is not going to help you lose weight, and in fact doing that can actually slow your metabolism down, so that you will actually stop losing weight. 1400 calories is actually a good number. depending on your current body statistics (height and weight, activity level etc.), it is probably recommended to consume more than that. Also, consuming a larger amount the day after a meager amount won't make up for the calories you missed the previous day. You're burning calories constantly, when you eat, breathe, and even sleep. It's important to maintain at least the minimum recommended number of calories. Also, if you feed your body at least that much, it won't feel the need to binge every other day, not that 1400-1600 calories is necessarily binging. Personally, that's lower than my daily recommendation. However, I'm not you, and everybody's body is different, but even so, I can't imagine that's quite enough for anybody, overweight, average, skinny, or otherwise.
  • ridiculyss
    ridiculyss Posts: 108 Member
    I just noticed that your height is 5'8.5" and you're currently 124 pounds... I'm 5'5" and considered thin by other peoples' standards at 120 pounds, which is within the normal BMI range. Inputting your stats in a BMI calculator shows that you're just barely within the normal range. To drop your weight to 103 as you state you'd like to be on your profile would make you very underweight. I'm curious as to why you would want to be that thin, but then again it's not my business. You also say that you want to be able to run a mile without stalling in between. With the current limitations you've set for your caloric intake, you the prospect of you reaching that goal is slim. Your body needs more calories to be able to exert the energy needed for that mile run. I would recommend eating more carbohydrates (the main energy resource), and work on cardio. But overall you don't seem to need to lose weight. If I'm being honest, I feel that you should gain weight, or at least consume more calories per day. Your body will feel more energized and capable of running that mile if it's well-nourished.
  • elliecolorado
    elliecolorado Posts: 1,040
    Yep.. To be honest...we need more info to help you. Basics like height weight activity level just to start... curious..where did you come up with this 920 number from??

    okay so i am 5 foot 8 1/2 inches. i am 124 pounds. i want to be 103. i am active. id o close to 30 minutes of jump roping a day. and i started at 1200 but then took away 70 calories a week for a few weeks. and i stopped doing that at 920. im considering lowering it to 850 but idk.

    At your height and weight, you are already at the lowest end of healthy (according to the MFP BMI tool the lowest you should be is 123.5lbs). Your profile also says "I am doing this to get in shape not to lose weight but i need to be healthy." Being underweight also has health risks. To be healthy and get in shape, you should be eating your Maintenance Calories (the calories needed to maintain your weight as well as most of your exercise calories. To get in shape you should be focusing on eating healthy, not eating less. Make sure you get lots of protein especially after working out. And if you want to "be able to run a mile without stopping a million times" maybe look into a program like Couch to 5K and start with something like that to get into running.
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