Do you log when you binge?

I log EVERYTHING, even things like multi-vitamins and diet coke (zero calories sure, but it has sodium). I've had issues with depression, so I track my mood using another app on my phone as well. I find it useful to be able to correlate mood swings with what's going into my body and how much I'm exercising. (Since I started working out I feel significantly better all the time, which I guess shouldn't be a surprise.)

Logging it makes you accountable, if something triggered a binge mention that in the day's food notes but don't pretend the binge didn't happen.

When I want to eat something I know I probably shouldn't I actually log it *before* I eat it. Half the time seeing the calories right there, and looking at my macronutrient pie chart get all skewed, makes me go looking for a healthier version of what I'm about to eat.

Bottom line, the food log is only as good a tool as you make it. Not logging something doesn't mean the calories didn't happen, so you may as well have the info available to you.

I didn't at first, but I do now because I have never thought about the calories consumed and visually seeing how many i can haul away...and probably be sick the next day...I have to be true to myself because if I'm not...then I will never get to my goal weight. So I say yes to logging...even if it hurts. My food log is on private mostly because I would HATE for my friends to see a binge. :frown: But the good news is...I don't do it as much because I don't like to get to or near that 3500 calories mark. So that's a +. I guess. :huh:

I would log everything, or it wouldn't be using the tool that MFP provides correctly. I've only been here for a week so my moral is high, haha, but I'm sure I'll have a bad day and I know I'll have to track it.

I've found that planning my meals after breakfast (which is the same every day for me, eggs & toast & oatmeal and a banana for mid-morning snack) really helps me from eating extra junk food, because I factor in my treats for the day and know that I can deny that leftover red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting that magically appeared in the breakroom, because I have my husband's homemade lemon squares and a glass of wine waiting for me at the end of the day (just as an example)

I use to not log, because I didn't like seeing the numbers in red and seeing the damage I was doing to myself, but then my MFP friends said "do it, don't feel embarassed", so I did it, and I rarely have binge days now. Don't get me wrong, I still binge, but not as bad. And I'm learning, it's okay for the numbers to be over a little, it's when your 300+ calories over that you should feel guilt.

Yup, I log the good the bad and the very ugly binges.

yep.

I do sometimes.
I don't attach "shame" to it though...I just feel like, ok, I overdid it, it's not shameful but it will hinder my overall progress if I binge too often... now I need to get back on my healthier habits and keep working on my goals.

I don't...luckily it doesn't happen too often...but I KNOW what I did..I'm not one to wallow in it ;o) I may exercise more as my 'compensation' - so that helps. Thankfully each day is a fresh start!

It can sometimes be completely mortifying but "if I bite it I write it".

Rececntly I went through 3 months of not eating properly with lots of binges in between; looking at those graphs week by way woke me up! Logging not only makes me accountable, but honest with myself through this process. When I am feeling low because I put back on 8 lbs, guess what, I can look back at my logs and see exactly how it happened.


As of today, 21 days back on track with a good frame of mind so no binges forseen in the future! :happy:

I do, because it's a wake up call when you hit complete & see that 5 week potential, plus if I show a gain, I want to be able to look back & see what I did through the week & do differently the next

I do sometimes, and I'd recommend at least trying it a few times because occasionally I'll see that my binge really wasn't the end of the world, or that it was really one or two choice items that messed me up for the day, or how well I would have done WITHOUT the binge, so it can be a valuable learning experience.
BUT I also don't MAKE myself do it all the time, because I know sometimes I will just find it too discouraging, or it will discourage my use of MFP... I mean, if I know I've messed up, why do I need to spend 15 minutes re-living the binge in my head, logging each morsel meticulously? It just isn't good for my personal psyche/motivation.

Absolutely. First because you are allowed from time to time to have a crap day. Second, to provide motivation for the remaining days of the week to burn the calories that you binged on and make it up to yourself. You should never have to feel guilty!

yes....exactly.

I normally get pissed at myself and don't log it. I just tell myself I'm starting back up tomorrow.

I think the key to long term success is to be accountable for your decisions, so if you normally log all of your food, log it in, but I would disagree with the people who say to log it in for shame. If this is going to be a sustainable lifestyle, you can't feel shame every time you "break the rules" or "break your diet," those types of emotions are negative and losing weight is about feeling better.

The real question is - how did you physically feel after eating all of that? Did you have more energy? Did you feel strong? Did you feel satisfied? My guess is you didn't physically feel nearly as well as you do on the days you excercise and eat well, so focus on how GOOD you feel when you are making healthy choices, and you probably won't binge again for a while.

I'm down aout 85 pounds in just under two years. It's been slow, but it's sustainable and I don't ever feel like I'm on a diet. When I plateau for too long I start logging my food again so that i keep my portion sizes in check, but honestly the occassional binge --- when that plate of cheese fries just sounds awesome after a stressful day - usually leaves me feeling physically slow and blah, and I remember that physical feeling hte next time I emotionally think I want the fries --- it's amazing how quickly the desire for the fries goes away.

depends - I have a free day once a week , so normally I do not log it, because I don't consider it a "bad" day, binge day whatever. It a planned day "free cal, no count" day.

Generally a holiday, or planned event, would be my freeday, also.

I have logged them before, so I do know roughly what the calorie choices will be. I understand the actually calories I am consuming roughly. But I don't really panic over it. Its just one day.

Personally I dont feel "yucky" sick or whatever. I just enjoy a relaxed day, where I can be less concerned over the specific numbers, and take care of any craving I may have at the moment.

All other days I do log, so if I do go over for some reason i log it. But usually it not very bad - because I have a free day once a week coming for that.

I know I can have that theater popcorn, candy bar, soda, extra calorie dinner, and lunch, etc etc on my free day thats coming. So that's when I have it. Some freedays I may have a lot, some days not so much. Just depends on what I want, what I am doing at the time, and so forth. I never eat just to eat. But if I want something, I have it.

If I really must have a cookie or two, candy bar, whatever, outside of my normal food choices on other days, I eat in moderation, track serving sizes, add it to my meals for the day, and plan accordingly with my other food choices, if I still have time. If Its at the end of the day, and I can't adjust other ares, I log it, and it is what it is. I don't do it daily, so its not a deal breaker.

For me it works, and I never feel deprived, or "dieting", and I have lost 60 pounds. For me its not a trigger, that keeps me off track. I know the next day, I just get back to my more disciplined day to day normal plan. Its all works out.

I log it ~ I wouldn't be doing myself any favors if I didn't! I would try @ guess what I ate to be specific not quick adding it. Was it a "binge" that you need to learn from or was it a night out. I would go as far to log in the edit field what was happening if it were a binge so I can become more aware of triggers; if it was a nitght out and nothing more I would write how I felt after and the next day so I can make a better choice next night out to maybe choose healthier options or the same options only a counted serving size so you have the goodie but YOU are in control of it!! Most importantly "move on" nothing good comes from beating yourself up over it; learn from it yes but don't walo in spilt milk!! :embarassed: We have all done it!!