Binge eating

I recently binge ate for about a whole week. I had gone 2 months eating perfectly healthy and in touch with my diet while having my cheat meals that way I could maintain my sanity. However last week became uncontrollable and I ate carbs on carbs on carbs. White bread, pies, cake, anything you can think of and I have noticed that my pants are a bit tighter and I am unsure if I have gained weight I believe I must’ve gained around 3 pounds I have an injured ankle therefore I haven’t been able to do cardio but how long before the weight I gained comes off?? And will going back to my normal calorie deficit work?? Help.

Replies

  • Shortgirlrunning
    Shortgirlrunning Posts: 1,020 Member
    A fair amount is probably water weight and will come off fairly quickly.

    If you have to have cheat meals just to stay sane and ended up binging I would guess you have your calories set too low.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    Is there anything going on in your life that you think you might have used food to cope with? If not, it's possible you were still restricting your calories too much. Eating perfectly healthy doesn't necessarily mean you're getting enough calories, especially if the foods deemed as "healthy" are not very calorie-dense.
  • Jumpropegirl5467
    Jumpropegirl5467 Posts: 98 Member
    A fair amount is probably water weight and will come off fairly quickly.

    If you have to have cheat meals just to stay sane and ended up binging I would guess you have your calories set too low.

    I am a 22 yr old 5”8 female I was eating about 1,100 calories a day. Which could’ve possibly had me go into a binge ? Not sure
  • Jumpropegirl5467
    Jumpropegirl5467 Posts: 98 Member
    Is there anything going on in your life that you think you might have used food to cope with? If not, it's possible you were still restricting your calories too much. Eating perfectly healthy doesn't necessarily mean you're getting enough calories, especially if the foods deemed as "healthy" are not very calorie-dense.

    I was eating about 1,100 - 1,200 before my binge but most days I wouldn’t pass about 900 calories and I am lifting weights along with Jump rope (before my injury) I believe being upset about my injury lead me to binge eat as it was very very upsetting to me.

  • Geneveremfp
    Geneveremfp Posts: 504 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    lexig5467 wrote: »
    A fair amount is probably water weight and will come off fairly quickly.

    If you have to have cheat meals just to stay sane and ended up binging I would guess you have your calories set too low.

    I am a 22 yr old 5”8 female I was eating about 1,100 calories a day. Which could’ve possibly had me go into a binge ? Not sure

    Yes that would absolutely do it. Why is your calorie goal so low? How much do you weigh or trying to lose? I would set a more reasonable goal and fuel yourself properly
    This.

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    lexig5467 wrote: »
    Is there anything going on in your life that you think you might have used food to cope with? If not, it's possible you were still restricting your calories too much. Eating perfectly healthy doesn't necessarily mean you're getting enough calories, especially if the foods deemed as "healthy" are not very calorie-dense.

    I was eating about 1,100 - 1,200 before my binge but most days I wouldn’t pass about 900 calories and I am lifting weights along with Jump rope (before my injury) I believe being upset about my injury lead me to binge eat as it was very very upsetting to me.

    That's not nearly enough. Struggling with excessive hunger and urges to binge are strongly associated with eating too little, which is what you're doing. Choose a reasonable calorie goal.
  • Jumpropegirl5467
    Jumpropegirl5467 Posts: 98 Member


    Yes that would absolutely do it. Why is your calorie goal so low? How much do you weigh or trying to lose? I would set a more reasonable goal and fuel yourself properly[/quote]

    When I started I weighed 186 now I’m down to 168 after my binge I was about 170, I am trying to get down to 132 which is considered normal for my 5”8 frame. I have recently upped my calories to 1,300 a day but am mostly making it close to 1,280

  • Shortgirlrunning
    Shortgirlrunning Posts: 1,020 Member
    Your calorie goal is WAY too low. 1200 is the bare minimum for women and that’s if your older, very short, and sedentary - and you are none of those things. You’re binging because you are way over restricting and it’s really unhealthy.

    I’m 5’0” 150 lbs and eat 1300 calories on a day where I do nothing. If I’m active it can be anywhere from 1500-2000 calories. And I still consistently lose weight (averaging around 1 lb a week lately).

    Put your stats into MFP and set your goal to 0.5-1 lb a week and see how many calories it gives you. It will be way over what you’ve been doing.
  • Jumpropegirl5467
    Jumpropegirl5467 Posts: 98 Member
    Your calorie goal is WAY too low. 1200 is the bare minimum for women and that’s if your older, very short, and sedentary - and you are none of those things. You’re binging because you are way over restricting and it’s really unhealthy.

    I’m 5’0” 150 lbs and eat 1300 calories on a day where I do nothing. If I’m active it can be anywhere from 1500-2000 calories. And I still consistently lose weight (averaging around 1 lb a week lately).

    Put your stats into MFP and set your goal to 0.5-1 lb a week and see how many calories it gives you. It will be way over what you’ve been doing.

    The thing I try to restrict the most is carbs because as an endomorph female I chose the low carb diet which makes it hard to fuel up on calories. I believe I am supposed to be eating 1,500 however I only make it close to 1,200 with my low carb diet. As I am currently injured and not able to incorporate cardio into my fitness regime So I’m Just focusing on weight training. It is a bit difficult to track how much I have to eat now that I can’t do cardio for a while.

  • AKTipsyCat
    AKTipsyCat Posts: 240 Member
    I think it happens to all of us sometimes. I stuffed my face with two, whole, large, bowlfuls of lasagna on Sunday and felt miserable after. So, I went on a walk to help walk off the bloat and tried to reassess my goals and why I had just done that. I have a very unhealthy relationship with food and when I stay too long in a place of "scarcity" no matter how good my results are, I end up falling off track. I've also recently started to up my activity in a serious way, swimming just about every weekday morning, lifting 3x a week, and trying to get my 10K steps in a day. I was trying to be lazy keto - but it's really not working for me so I'm going back to the Paleo style I was eating when I lost 40 lbs 2 years ago - that way I have a much larger variety of foods that work well for me, I'm fueling my body and I'm not obsessed with calories.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    All this above. Oh, dont blame carbs. The foods you mentioned, outside of white bread is a combination of carbs and FAT in a hyperpalitable and energy dense for. Eat more calories btw. Low carb is not necessary. It can be a TOOL to leverage if calorie counting alone does not work. So can low fat. I suggest getting most of your calories from nutritional dense whole food sources and give yourself a little wiggle if you want something that day. All with adequate protein. Most people say .8grams per kilo, but their is some evidence that 1.6g /kg might have some effects to help maintain more lean body mass especially if you are resistance training. If you have foods that trigger you, there's NO shame in abstaining from them if you want. If you have foods that don't push the binge button, save a few calories for them if you like.
  • cupcakesandproteinshakes
    cupcakesandproteinshakes Posts: 1,092 Member
    OP I’m same height as you and 135. I’m sedentary outside purposeful exercise which fir me is lifting 5 days for an hour plus bout 2 hours of aerobics a week.

    I maintain my weight on 2100 maybe a bit more. I lose half a pound a week on 1800.

    Eat more or you are likely to have a big rebound. It’s better for the vast majority of us to lose slowly.
  • Jumpropegirl5467
    Jumpropegirl5467 Posts: 98 Member
    OP I’m same height as you and 135. I’m sedentary outside purposeful exercise which fir me is lifting 5 days for an hour plus bout 2 hours of aerobics a week.

    I maintain my weight on 2100 maybe a bit more. I lose half a pound a week on 1800.

    Eat more or you are likely to have a big rebound. It’s better for the vast majority of us to lose slowly.

    And what do carbs look like for you ?? How many grams approximately on more sedentary days vs active days ?
  • staticsplit
    staticsplit Posts: 538 Member
    edited June 2020
    If you cut calories so low you're going to binge--it's a defensive mechanism because your body wants more food.

    Another point of data, I'm just under 6 ft, reasonably active, and around 160 pounds and I maintain on like 2500 calories. If I try to lose weight I go down to like 2000. 1100 is what I ate when I was deeply anorexic (back then I was also exercising too much). Even a toddler needs like 1200 calories.

    I love carbs and about half my calories come from them. A mix of wholemeal grains, legumes, white carbs, sugar from treats or sugar from fruit.

    I occasionally eat until I'm slightly overfull, but I never binge and feel out of control anymore.