Terrible binge: 1000 calories over my goal

I am just posting this because I don’t know what else I can do. I went 1000 over my goal today. I know why - I wanted comfort, and warmth, because I’m stressed to hell, I’m lonely, and I wanted comfort. The more food I bought that didn’t really satisfy me, the worse it got. I had cake (400 calories), a toffee sundae (420 calories) etc etc. I feel absolutely furious with myself. And sick. a whole week wasted. No wonder I’m huge. I have lost motivation because I’ve more or less gained 4 lbs over two weeks / stalled with loss, and I got so frustrated and confused and upset. What a disaster - really hating myself right now. How do people move on from a binge?

Replies

  • goatelope
    goatelope Posts: 178 Member
    MikePTY wrote: »
    What have you set your goal at? If you set to 2 pounds a week, than 1000 calories over your goal is just eating at maintenance. If you set it to lose one pound per week, then it is 500 over maintenance that can be made up tomorrow. You didn't lose a week you lost at most a day. Give yourself some grace and come back tomorrow and try again. There is nothing wrong or any shame in occasionally going over and eating the foods we like to eat. I have lost 40 pounds that way. Just try to get back on track tomorrow with a fresh start.

    Thank you. My maintenance is about 1750 and I try to eat 1200 a day but I have stalled the last 2 weeks and my motivation has badly suffered; I’ve gained 4lbs even though I have stuck at 1200 so I get demoralised. It’s very difficult for me to exercise due to hip and knee problems but I do walk. I haven’t been losing though and suspect I have to eat even less to create a deficit.
  • goatelope
    goatelope Posts: 178 Member
    Yeah, I'm with RAinWA, it's over and done with now, no use beating yourself up.

    I was over by 1100 calories yesterday. I do that fairly often. I've been at a healthy weight for 12 years.


    What you DON'T need to do is try to "make up for it" today by under-eating. Then tomorrow you'd be so hungry you would likely over-eat by 1000 calories, then try to make up for it - and you can see what I'm getting at.

    I love sundaes. Treat yourself now and then. I do. My 1100 calories yesterday were a pint of vanilla ice cream and a whole bunch of fresh ripe strawberries.

    It was delicious, and now I'll wait a while before I do that again. It isn't something to feel bad about.
    Yeah, I'm with RAinWA, it's over and done with now, no use beating yourself up.

    I was over by 1100 calories yesterday. I do that fairly often. I've been at a healthy weight for 12 years.


    What you DON'T need to do is try to "make up for it" today by under-eating. Then tomorrow you'd be so hungry you would likely over-eat by 1000 calories, then try to make up for it - and you can see what I'm getting at.

    I love sundaes. Treat yourself now and then. I do. My 1100 calories yesterday were a pint of vanilla ice cream and a whole bunch of fresh ripe strawberries.

    It was delicious, and now I'll wait a while before I do that again. It isn't something to feel bad about.

    Thank you. Sometimes, I think I have to treat myself rather than what I did today which was a kind of fed up, angry and upset binge. I didn’t really enjoy anything properly. I feel so stupid. I have gained 4 lbs the last two weeks despite sticking to my goal. It’s maddening.
  • goatelope
    goatelope Posts: 178 Member
    Thank you. The thing is that I really don’t move around much - 3 or 4 days a week I do manage to walk, but I’m not able for exercise yet as my hip is so sore. So my maintenance is really low, and I’m frightened that if I go up then I will put on even more. I’ve just weighed myself and I’ve put on about another pound since the last weight in. So basically I’ve gained 5lbs even on 1200, which I just don’t get. I am very stressed, I will admit that. But still it does surprise me as I meticulously weigh and enter everything. How would I consume more fat? Would that be via meat and oil?
  • WNMorlandpark
    WNMorlandpark Posts: 3 Member
    The weight loss journey can be stressful, change your focus to smaller achievable goals. Try to focus on eating more protein first, then 4-5 servings of veggies per day, then add fiber goals, then drinking 64oz of water, then try exercising 150-200 minutes per week. These goals alone might take you a few months and thats ok. You dont need to jump all in.

    You can also try to find a system that allows you to eat the foods you like in moderation. For every carb pair it with a protein or a fiber. Like 1 slice of pizza with grilled veggies on the side or a side salad. Or 2 slices of toast with eggs or nut butter. I like using the Go Stak by blender bottle for my "unhealthier" treats, I use the little dividers to put in my favorite snacks and i try to ONLY eat what fits every day. This helps me still eat my treats with some control.

    If you have yet to start working out consider starting slowly once your ready. Start small 15-20 minutes daily at first, then add a little more. I dont know where you live but you can purchase used equipment too on Facebook marketplace so you dont have to invest a ton of money right away, or you can take walks if your looking for the free route.

    There is no shame in eating what you ate, slowly you can come up with strategies that work for you and will help you stay on track. I hope some of this helps you, i have faith you'll do great!
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,464 Member
    I hear you. I skipped supper the other night, and was so hungry the next day, I had over 1000 calories for lunch. I don’t do well skipping meals.
    Don’t wait until tomorrow to start eating healthy again. Start right now. No time like the present. Plan and eat a healthy supper.
    That will make tomorrow easier. You won’t start the day ravenously hungry, or over full.
    Why the stress? Is there something you can do about it? If not, try stress relievers, meditation. Especially don’t stress over diet. Just eat as healthy as you can, and forgive yourself if it’s not perfect. It’s still better than if you weren’t trying at all. And you will be in a better place when the stress lets up.
    Forgive yourself. Get up, dust yourself off, set your eye on the goal, and let’s go!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    LyndaBSS wrote: »
    Forgive yourself. Remember why you're here. Get back on plan with your next meal. No drama involved.

    Exactly this.

    I've been doing MFP for over 6 years, have lost a lot and maintained the loss for years.
    Do I fall down? YES! Especially with stress.

    I'd say once every so often...every several months I have a day of going way over my calories and feeling ashamed and regretful. Eating a bunch of pastries or cookies & milk...to the tune of 800-1,000 cal. Or even getting a fast food burger and then fast food tacos because I'm still not satisfied. I hate it when this happens, but it happens. And I move on and don't dwell on it - it doesn't happen again sometimes for a year.
  • phx92
    phx92 Posts: 87 Member
    Be kind to yourself, don’t stress so much about today, just try to find a way to prevent it from happening in the future—setting a higher calorie goal, adjusting macros so you’re getting proper nutrition/feeling satisfied, finding ways to move a little more. Its okay to take a day to get lunch if you really need it, one day isn’t going to make or break anything
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,594 Member
    I received what I felt was very good advice earlier in my journey that really helped me stay on track. When we get off track we tend to get mad at ourselves and spiral out of control. Next thing we know we decide nothing matters any more and we find ourselves binging even more. Forgive yourself sooner. You are human. We make mistakes. It’s what we do. Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t wait until tomorrow to get back on track. Get back on track at the next meal. Log the food and move on. Eat a sensible meal at your next scheduled meal time. If the binge happened early in the day this can be tough to ignore that you are already over calories. If you normally would have eaten a 300 calorie meal, do that. Don’t try to cut it too much and set yourself up for feeling too restricted. Then binging yet again...

    I have eaten over my goal by over 1000 calories in one day. 2000 calories even. Sometimes because I was off track. Sometimes because I chose to indulge at a social event. Finding a way to treat my food diary solely as data has relieved a lot of the emotional swings on this journey for me.
  • goatelope
    goatelope Posts: 178 Member
    I hear you. I skipped supper the other night, and was so hungry the next day, I had over 1000 calories for lunch. I don’t do well skipping meals.
    Don’t wait until tomorrow to start eating healthy again. Start right now. No time like the present. Plan and eat a healthy supper.
    That will make tomorrow easier. You won’t start the day ravenously hungry, or over full.
    Why the stress? Is there something you can do about it? If not, try stress relievers, meditation. Especially don’t stress over diet. Just eat as healthy as you can, and forgive yourself if it’s not perfect. It’s still better than if you weren’t trying at all. And you will be in a better place when the stress lets up.
    Forgive yourself. Get up, dust yourself off, set your eye on the goal, and let’s go!

    Thank you for this kindness. Stress - lots of things but it’s been really hard the last few weeks. Really, thank you.
  • goatelope
    goatelope Posts: 178 Member
    goatelope wrote: »
    Thank you. The thing is that I really don’t move around much - 3 or 4 days a week I do manage to walk, but I’m not able for exercise yet as my hip is so sore. So my maintenance is really low, and I’m frightened that if I go up then I will put on even more. I’ve just weighed myself and I’ve put on about another pound since the last weight in. So basically I’ve gained 5lbs even on 1200, which I just don’t get. I am very stressed, I will admit that. But still it does surprise me as I meticulously weigh and enter everything. How would I consume more fat? Would that be via meat and oil?

    I looked at your food page.

    Your last week I see very few actually "weighed" items. Lots of Quick Adds, hardly any protein, not many (if any) vegetables.

    You need to really hold yourself accountable.


    Start actually logging the food you eat, item by item, weighing everything you can (meaning everything!)

    Set your Goals at 1500 calories. LOG the food. Do that for a month. Hit your Protein goal first, then fat, then whatever is left can be carbs.

    Here's a thread explaining why and then a How To thread.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
    goatelope wrote: »
    Thank you. The thing is that I really don’t move around much - 3 or 4 days a week I do manage to walk, but I’m not able for exercise yet as my hip is so sore. So my maintenance is really low, and I’m frightened that if I go up then I will put on even more. I’ve just weighed myself and I’ve put on about another pound since the last weight in. So basically I’ve gained 5lbs even on 1200, which I just don’t get. I am very stressed, I will admit that. But still it does surprise me as I meticulously weigh and enter everything. How would I consume more fat? Would that be via meat and oil?

    I looked at your food page.

    Your last week I see very few actually "weighed" items. Lots of Quick Adds, hardly any protein, not many (if any) vegetables.

    You need to really hold yourself accountable.


    Start actually logging the food you eat, item by item, weighing everything you can (meaning everything!)

    Set your Goals at 1500 calories. LOG the food. Do that for a month. Hit your Protein goal first, then fat, then whatever is left can be carbs.

    Here's a thread explaining why and then a How To thread.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1

    Thanks. I am actually a meticulous weighter - quick adding is not about guestimation. I log everything very carefully on a piece of paper as I’m cooking and serving food - but sometimes I don’t always have the time to sit there creating meals and ingredients on the app.

    So I do hold myself accountable - I weigh everything, I double check everything, and when I binge, I log it - I don’t hide it.
  • goatelope
    goatelope Posts: 178 Member
    Tomorrow is a new day! You sound a lot like me....once I slip, even just a little (or even if it's not actually a slip but *I* think it is) then in my mind, I justify a binge because I've already ruined EVERYTHING.

    A very wise woman once explained this simply to me:

    If you were carrying a carton of eggs and you dropped one, would you just throw the entire carton on the floor and break the 11 other eggs?
    Tomorrow is a new day! You sound a lot like me....once I slip, even just a little (or even if it's not actually a slip but *I* think it is) then in my mind, I justify a binge because I've already ruined EVERYTHING.

    A very wise woman once explained this simply to me:

    If you were carrying a carton of eggs and you dropped one, would you just throw the entire carton on the floor and break the 11 other eggs?

    Exactly this. I had at least 2 chances to pull it round today but I kept going, I felt I had already ruined it all. God it’s annoying.!
  • goatelope
    goatelope Posts: 178 Member
    I received what I felt was very good advice earlier in my journey that really helped me stay on track. When we get off track we tend to get mad at ourselves and spiral out of control. Next thing we know we decide nothing matters any more and we find ourselves binging even more. Forgive yourself sooner. You are human. We make mistakes. It’s what we do. Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t wait until tomorrow to get back on track. Get back on track at the next meal. Log the food and move on. Eat a sensible meal at your next scheduled meal time. If the binge happened early in the day this can be tough to ignore that you are already over calories. If you normally would have eaten a 300 calorie meal, do that. Don’t try to cut it too much and set yourself up for feeling too restricted. Then binging yet again...

    I have eaten over my goal by over 1000 calories in one day. 2000 calories even. Sometimes because I was off track. Sometimes because I chose to indulge at a social event. Finding a way to treat my food diary solely as data has relieved a lot of the emotional swings on this journey for me.

    This is really helpful - thanks. Agree when I feel too restricted it precipitates a binge. But I do also binge when I want comfort and there is so little else in my life besides food!
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    i know I think food solves everything. Realize you can be lonely, stressed or fat and lonely and stressed. Nothing positive with the overeating. This seems to help me. I know I will feel guilt and disappointed when getting on those scales in the morning. We have all done it, get back on track and start again, you can do it!
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    There are two things.. first you just went over your calories by 1000. You could work those off. Get on the elliptical for one hour twice this week..and those calories will be burned off. You could also cut a few hundred calories a day to offset the splurge also.

    The second thing is that you didn't just eat over.. you went for cake and a sundae and called it a binge..so I figure you binge on sweets and that is the culprit of your weight gain. It is key that you figure out why you do that and how self destructive it is. I think you know it...and that is why you're so down on yourself right now. I think it is good that you're realizing it is holding you back and you will figure things and and you can stop doing it.. you can.
  • Jackie9003
    Jackie9003 Posts: 1,115 Member
    It's all part of the learning curve, days like that happen and will do so again so you need to learn how to deal with them. This could be by being very strict and not allowing it to happen in the first place (unlikely), reducing your calories a little over the next week (if you have scope to do so), increase your exercise for a few days (not always possible) or accept that it happened and just move on.
    Many of us have done this, and will do it again, but it's only a problem if it becomes a regular occurance.

    Don't worry about it too much, definitely don't hate yourself, you're only human and sometimes only a cake will do.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    3500 calories = 1 lb. If you are on track all the other days this week, 1,000 calories will slow your loss by less than 1/3 lb this week.
  • Dorchi22
    Dorchi22 Posts: 57 Member
    edited September 2019
    1000 over your daily intake is barely considered a maintenance. It's really not so bad that you have to be furious with yourself.
  • goatelope
    goatelope Posts: 178 Member
    Jackie9003 wrote: »
    It's all part of the learning curve, days like that happen and will do so again so you need to learn how to deal with them. This could be by being very strict and not allowing it to happen in the first place (unlikely), reducing your calories a little over the next week (if you have scope to do so), increase your exercise for a few days (not always possible) or accept that it happened and just move on.
    Many of us have done this, and will do it again, but it's only a problem if it becomes a regular occurance.

    Don't worry about it too much, definitely don't hate yourself, you're only human and sometimes only a cake will do.

    Aw, it’s kind of true.