Binge eating is great, or is it?

I don't enjoy binge eating at all. It feels like a horrible, degrading way to avoid facing my feelings directly. I haven't had a real binge in years, and I still despise any emotional eating that I do out of stress, boredom or sadness, because it takes away from experiencing my feelings.

I'm okay with eating together to celebrate friendship.

Binge eating in my understanding is a biological response to starvation or aggressive calorie restriction. The human body is made for survival, it's like when you hold your breath, the urge to breath is just so strong it's no longer under your control and your body overrides you; similarly binges are the body's way to get you to eat adequate calories.
I don't think your case was bingeing thou because you didn't seem to lose control.

That's not a binge really. Binges are generally not enjoyable. I don't have BED but I am mostly recovered anorexic binge/purge and never found them to be great.

alasdairgeddes3 wrote: »

Are there ever times when you decide to forget about being healthy for the day and eat as much of whatever you like? If it's your birthday, Christmas, your graduation or even your wedding day then would you see that as a good enough reason to imobalize yourself with food?
I say this because yesterday I graduated from university and I ate a lot. That's actually an incredible understatement- I ate like a starved hamster, I was Oliver Twist at the all you can eat buffet. I had at least 3 heaped plates of cake and sandwiches followed by a bowl of strawberries with whipped cream. Then, after I had just about recovered, it was time to head to the indian for a lamb vindaloo with a plate of mushroom rice and two chicken stuffed naan breads, all washed down with beer. I could not stand up. I would guess it was over 3000 - 4000 cals. Such a great day.
So would you ever do that? What's your thoughts?

You ate a lot, perhaps with other people present, after graduating from university (congratulations!) and you considered it a great day...a splurge, as others have said, not a binge.

alasdairgeddes3 wrote: »

Are there ever times when you decide to forget about being healthy for the day and eat as much of whatever you like? If it's your birthday, Christmas, your graduation or even your wedding day then would you see that as a good enough reason to imobalize yourself with food?

So would you ever do that? What's your thoughts?

I've never done that ... and have never had the desire to do that.

I will eat special meals for my birthday, Christmas, etc. ... but not to the point of immobilising myself.

I don't know about "binge" eating, but do I take a meal or a day or a weekend and say: "what the hell" and eat away? Sure!

Last night my wife wanted Buffalo Wild Wings, so I stopped off on the way home: wings, cheesy bacon fries, onion rings, and enough ranch dressing to sink the Titanic, all washed down with a Sam Adams. Mmm mmm good! Logged it, moved on, worked out this AM. Didn't bother weighing myself, I'm sure between the food and the sodium my weight was out of whack so why bother?

It's no big deal once a week to go crazy. Even if you eat an extra 3000-4000 calories that's only 1 pound. No biggie. Maintenance is all about moderation not deprivation. You'll be fine.

And congrats on the graduation!

alasdairgeddes3 wrote: »

Are there ever times when you decide to forget about being healthy for the day and eat as much of whatever you like? If it's your birthday, Christmas, your graduation or even your wedding day then would you see that as a good enough reason to imobalize yourself with food?
I say this because yesterday I graduated from university and I ate a lot. That's actually an incredible understatement- I ate like a starved hamster, I was Oliver Twist at the all you can eat buffet. I had at least 3 heaped plates of cake and sandwiches followed by a bowl of strawberries with whipped cream. Then, after I had just about recovered, it was time to head to the indian for a lamb vindaloo with a plate of mushroom rice and two chicken stuffed naan breads, all washed down with beer. I could not stand up. I would guess it was over 3000 - 4000 cals. Such a great day.
So would you ever do that? What's your thoughts?

Periodically I eat some really silly amount, but I wouldn't call it a binge. Sometimes I have an objectively good reason (birthday, holiday), sometimes I don't. Now that I'm in maintenance, my overall strategy is to eat a little less than my maintenance calories most days, and substantially more once a week or every couple of weeks. So far it's working (4 or 5 months now in my maintenance weight range).

While I was losing, I ate lots on a few occasions, but tried to limit it to actual special occasions. I ate 5000 calories a couple of days ago, when maintenance is probably down around 2100. It'll be fine. Personally, I always log it to the best of my ability (from memory, using the MFP database, not low-balling my choices), because I like having the data.

Frankly, from your description, I'd be surprised if what you ate was as little as 3000-4000 calories. But, regardless, don't fret about it. It was definitely a special occasion - once in a lifetime, for this particular degree, right? Just get right back on your healthy path - you'll be fine.

I feel like it's necessary to indulge yourself with a splurge on occasion.

That's not a binge. That's overeating, or yeah, splurging.

And it's what I did yesterday. I was very hungry... probably ate over 4000 calories and I was still hungry after that... then TOM showed up. So I guess that explains it.

I'd venture to say that if you had 3 heaping plates at the buffet plus dessert and another big meal, plus beer... you were probably closer to 8000 calories though... possibly 10000... My food was a small breakfast, 1 full buffet plate, 2 very small ones, then half an Italian dinner entree, a small salad, a bit of bread, and a small dessert... It adds up faster than you think.

I had a day like this yesterday, I had a roast pork lunch (pork belly, roast pots, mixed veg including cauliflower cheese) with icecream (one scoop but a big one!) For dessert, totally stuffed but later on we got hungry again and had a cheese fondue!! Cheese alone had to have been about a full cup of melted cheese and wine, along with bread, chorizo, bacon and other snacks to dip in it, to top it all off I had a massive glass of wine. I'd genuinely say I must have passed 4000 cals which is literally unheard of for me! However I'm maintaining not losing, I had an amazing day with family and damn it all tasted good!! I'l just be super lean today and tomorrow and all will be fine!