Will one binge ruin my diet??

mariesofi4108
mariesofi4108 Posts: 31 Member
edited February 2017 in Motivation and Support
Hi everyone! Went to a party yesterday, had been eating really clean the past two weeks and even got down to 127! But then I ate a TON of food, around 3000 calories (pita chips, cake, brownies). I ran 6 miles yesterday too so maybe the damage is lessened. I know I'll gain water weight and such, but will I undo all my work from last week and gain back the weight I had tried to loose? Any advice for today? I already eat a brownie this morning... ooops! I need advice for going forward because I tend to get caught up in remorse and self anger when I binge

Replies

  • Ashtoretet
    Ashtoretet Posts: 378 Member
    It's math. Take what you need to eat in a normal day and subtract it from the 3000. The number you have left is the number of fewer calories you need to eat to get back on track. It doesn't matter what you eat, all that matters is how many calories it is.
  • DoubleTheLove
    DoubleTheLove Posts: 42 Member
    Nope, not if you don't let it. Get back on track like it never happened. Put it out of your mind and continue on. Took me a little to actually get to that point instead of just saying or hearing it. Look at the grand scheme of things... will this bit of food matter in 2 weeks time if you've continued eating well for those 2 weeks? Nope! Just a bump in the road. As long as you're having more "good" days than "bad" you're okay!
  • mariesofi4108
    mariesofi4108 Posts: 31 Member
    I'm 18, 5'6 and aim for 1,600 a day to mantain... should I work the excess calories off today with a run?
  • lmunik
    lmunik Posts: 19 Member
    Itsnlife. Dont be hard on your self. Just get back on your regimine.
  • Zombella
    Zombella Posts: 491 Member
    edited February 2017
    No.Don't be hard on yourself, the next day is a new day.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    I would not try to make it up with extra exercise. You risk injury if you get into a pattern of doing large amounts of exercise without proper training or rest periods. You don't mention how long your usual run is, but for many folks, six miles is a pretty substantial run. Unless you're used to running similar distances on consecutive days, your body needs rest.

    Just get back on track and put it behind you.
  • rabblescum
    rabblescum Posts: 78 Member
    Think of it like a budget. Right now you are trying to get out of debt by spending under your daily budget. So one day going over budget will add to your debt. However it doesn't take away from the over all budget plans you made for your self or that plans ability to bring you long term success. Days you spend will happen, you just have to try to limit them and keep working on the debt they build. One day doesn't make or break your long term success, just a speed bump.
  • Reaverie
    Reaverie Posts: 405 Member
    Only if you let it.
  • U2Bad1
    U2Bad1 Posts: 41 Member
    Sometimes a good splurge gives me the energy to create deficits in the days ahead. Just don't let it be the start of a habit or trend.
  • GemstoneofHeart
    GemstoneofHeart Posts: 865 Member
    Nah I had a binge day today because of the holiday. The water weight is already here and my belly is huge and distended, but if we just drink a lot of water and load up on fruit and veggies over the next few days, it should be all gone by next week!
  • suzesvelte
    suzesvelte Posts: 134 Member
    It is not the binge that does the damage, it is the cycle of self-denigration (remorse and anger ) which can undo you. Don't beat yourself up about it, just get back on the programme.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    I'm kind of stuck on the idea that at 5'7" an 127 pounds you think you "maintain" on 1600 calories.

    Checking several different sites, if you're sedentary you still would maintain on over 1800 calories, and if you're regularly running 6 mile distances you probably maintain on something closer to 2000.
  • megomerrett
    megomerrett Posts: 442 Member
    nope. you'll be fine. hope you had fun at the do.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    savithny wrote: »
    I'm kind of stuck on the idea that at 5'7" an 127 pounds you think you "maintain" on 1600 calories.

    Checking several different sites, if you're sedentary you still would maintain on over 1800 calories, and if you're regularly running 6 mile distances you probably maintain on something closer to 2000.

    I was wondering this too... is 1600 your goal that MFP provides you? And is that for maintaining, or for losing? You mentioned undoing your loss for the week but at 5'7 and 127 lbs you shouldn't be aiming to lose.

    For reference, I'm 5'2 and 120 and my TDEE is 2200, and I'm not running 6 miles a day....

    It helps to remember the math OP. It takes 3500 cals above your maintenance to gain 1 lb. Even with the big day you had (and I wouldn't necessarily call that a binge), you are likely around 1000 cals or less over your maintenance level. That's not even a half pound of gain. If you are set to a deficit at 1600 cals, then that means you've been eating below maintenance for the rest of the week which means you will likely not even see an impact at all, other than some temporary water weight.

    Still curious about your overall goals and calorie targets. At 1600 cals, are you eating back exercise cals?
  • hollyberry6182
    hollyberry6182 Posts: 345 Member
    You won't get fat from one binge, the same as you won't get skinny from eating one salad.

  • TheCupcakeCounter
    TheCupcakeCounter Posts: 606 Member
    Nah you're fine. I actually think a binge every once in a while is a good thing. The trick is to not beat yourself up for it or do it too often.
  • MrsMacW7
    MrsMacW7 Posts: 9 Member
    Without the occasional binge you will never stay the course - life goes on and you cant not live it. Not like you are going to do it every day!!
  • mariesofi4108
    mariesofi4108 Posts: 31 Member
    Oops sorry guys, I'm 5'6 actually! And I've been eating 1500 calories a day and running 6 miles 5 days a week and Literally have not dropped a SINGLE pound in a month.. in fact I'm up to 130 lbs. I'm so frustrated I'm just maintaining!
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    mariesofi4108 wrote: »
    Oops sorry guys, I'm 5'6 actually! And I've been eating 1500 calories a day and running 6 miles 5 days a week and Literally have not dropped a SINGLE pound in a month.. in fact I'm up to 130 lbs. I'm so frustrated I'm just maintaining!

    I read on livestrong about little women doing all that cardio and not losing weight. It said you ought to do some strength training to build some muscle. Other than that, it's always going to be an issue of your own accuracy at logging food. First, there's the 20% band of inaccuracy built into nutrition labels, then there's the inaccuracy of human estimation. It's danged hard to achieve maintenance calories even with perfect logging.

    I had one of those non-loss months in November last year. It was full of uncontrolled binge days and lacking in exercise. It's kinda hard to denounce CICO when I wasn't even doing my share of the job.
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,868 Member
    mariesofi4108 wrote: »
    Oops sorry guys, I'm 5'6 actually! And I've been eating 1500 calories a day and running 6 miles 5 days a week and Literally have not dropped a SINGLE pound in a month.. in fact I'm up to 130 lbs. I'm so frustrated I'm just maintaining!

    I'm 5'2", 62 years old, stationary bike 10 miles 4 days a week (33 min), and maintain at 1350. I'd suspect you're eating more calories than you realize. I switched to a gram scale once when I plateaued when I was trying to lose. I also counted little things like a little Sriracha or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese. I tightened everything up for awhile, got really strict, and only ate back 1/3 of my exercise calories. Once I did all of that things got more predictable for me and I started to lose again. I bet you look great at 5'6" and 130. It might be a good high point to your maintenance range.
  • Kimblesnbits13
    Kimblesnbits13 Posts: 369 Member
    Binging used to mess with my head and I always had the thought "well i just gained like 3 lbs" yeah i did gain 3 lbs the next morning but what I never understood until recently, is that it's ALL water weight that will disappear in a week at most. My mindset and the binge/restricting, in the past would keep me binging for consecutive days sometimes a full week!

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