How do you recover from bad diet day?

How to get over it? Let it go and go back to regular diet.

Every day is its own day in my book, and the word "binge" is banned from my dictionary. There's nothing unnatural with wanting something extra now and then, I just have to satisfy the want and go on as usual. If I feel like eating less the next day, then I am not going to force more food of course. Nothing sets me up for failure quite like fixating on that one unhealthy meal, as I end up losing some confidence, dieting determination decreases, and my relationship with food gets damaged. I'd say stop thinking about it, leave it in the past, and do better tomorrow.

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

I just look at each day as a new start. I don't worry about what I did the day before, I just focus on eating well today.

+1

I try to just carry on with my normal calorie allowance and maybe step up the exercise a bit the next day but that's it really. If I deprive myself too much I start to binge ....I've learned the hard way.

If planned (holidays, birthdays, etc): I will eat a little less (250 cal) 3 days before and 3 days after.
If unplanned (bad day/spontaneous party): I log it and move on.

I don't think there is anything wrong with having a 500 calorie day right after. If you are used to intermittent fasting such days are extremely easy after a heavy day. I use that strategy sometimes. HOWEVER, the mindset you have when you are doing this is EXTREMELY important. If I plan a high day, I often also plan a low day afterwards. It's just part of my overall strategy because I find this whole thing easier this way. I will never ever do a low day as punishment or for going over. If I eat over unplanned, I decide next day if I want to fast or not, if not, no big deal. I just see try to be careful not to go over again unplanned. I feel annoyed, of course, but I don't feel like I've made a big mistake that I need to punish myself for. Just a "life happens, and it can suck sometimes" kind of annoyance.

If you're doing it to attone for your sins, if you are lead to this by guilt and anxiety, if fast days are unnecessarily hard for you, if you are tempted to go too low for more than one day, if this triggers a cycle of binge and restrict for you, if this kind of strategy is not sustainable for you, and if you have any other negative results or associations with the way you are doing it, I would be very careful. You want to build sustainable habits for the future, not just do whatever it takes to lose the weight. Fasting can be sustainable, but it needs a solid mental approach because it can easily turn into something very negative.

P.S: 2300 calories is likely not that much over your maintenance. The difference it makes is barely a blip beyond the water weight gain. You can safely get over it and move on without any noticeable damage to your weight loss process if you so choose.

For me, depends how hungery I am the next day. If I'm really not, then i won't eat much. If I am, then I eat like normally. I try not to hold a day of going over, over my head. It was only a day and one day won't hurt. Just can't let it turn into more.

cerise_noir wrote: »

It's just one day.

Did you know that mfp calories aren't maintenance calories? You potentially have anywhere from 250-1000 calories before you hit maintenance (depending on how many pounds per week you selected to lose). It's unhealthy and unnecessary to eat 500 the next day.... just eat your normal calories and move on. One day is just a drop in the ocean.

I have found that this simple fact has helped me immensely on days when I eat more than my calorie goal. It takes away the guilt and makes it so much easier to stay on track for the long term. I just wish I had this epiphany years ago.