I just SERIOUSLY Binged...... what to do....

I had a binge from hell come about me tonight, and the first SERIOUS one in a LOOOONG time, like 3 years.

Since about May I completely kicked my unhealthy habits out,---- I have totally turned my eating habits upside down.

I use to binge at least 3 times a week not severely just moderately(work in the morning no time busy busy),

deprive myself meals (including breakfast) binge because of it,

and eat rotten quality food( so Convenient).  Also before this may doing this off an on. 

........

Not out of ignorance, just out of bad habit...ya know ugly cycle of the initial lack of paying attention to what you eat to the more serious unhealthy daily activity tuns

***Ohhh goodness, I am a bit ..unhealthy!?!?!!****.

"SO"

I started to drink lots of water first___-cut out my caffeine

about a week and a half later  __-stopped eating all fast foods-

week later____-started to eat plenty of fiber, %100, whole wheats, very minimally unenriched grains, brown rices, oats, nuts, apples, Beans & legumes-

another week ____started eating tons of blue berries, fruit and yogurt and my antioxidants.

a week and so on       adding kale, tomatoes, cremini mushrooms, tons of bell pepper,tons of onion, broccoli,  zucchini, RICE vinegar, olive oils, lean meats, eggs-a bit controversy****  **** shrooms, fresh snap peas, edemame,  

then tofu, and cucumber in vinegar, all sorts of "healthy" snacks or guilt free snacks, and started watching my sodium, and sugars, and protein, then fats, and fiber and vitamins in the foods and hen limits and what each food does chemically breaking down and what its used for how and what for for out body, then garlic, and heart healthy and, low cholesterol diet, and healthy fats and healthy carbs, and adequate nutrients my b6 b12 and the important B vitamin, omega 6's, and serotonin levels, and how foods affect your mood, and trying to quit smoking and putting my kid in daycare fore the first time, and started a new job, and started classes, and being in a financial bind, and being reminded that how I react to all of life's little hurdles is very important and I want to react appropriately, and I over analyze......did I just answer my question of why I binged so ferociously tonight?

but, tonight I ate like a completely crazy person, I tried my usual, drinking water, wait 20 or so minutes tehn if all else fails eat what i want, just in moderation.

Turns out I drank my water, waited, ate my Red Baron Singles chicken parmisan Flatbead Melt, then my cookie, then my cottage cheese, but it still wasn't adequate.

SOOOO

I ate a skinny cow ff fudge bar, and continued my school work.

then I ate cheese nips, and Honey graham ohh's, and roasted garlic bagel crisp, and W.THE.F just happend.......

I adhere AND adherED to a 1200 calorie diet for the greater majority for these past 3 months, no prob.  having VERY few days I am over 150 to 500 cal and it is completely non stressful and great.

BUT 

TONIGHT     OMG, I have eaten at least 1000 extra calories, and been a total PIG about it too...

any thoughts????

It's like bipolar eating. 

Your posts in July said you were 189lbs?....  If you've been on just 1200 calories a day for 3 months then this was pretty much inevitable.  A 22 year-old, 5'6", 180lb+ adult woman who is even lightly active needs more than the bare minimum to keep body and soul together whilst still losing weight.

1000 extra calories only makes you a pig if that's really how you want to refer to yourself - but it's not very constructive.   Or you could interpret what happened as being an alarm bell that you need to rethink your weight-loss diet and calorie content.  That would be a more constructive way of looking at it.

Using the CC calculator, enter your stats and a 'light' activity level.  Choose a target date based on losing 1.5lbs a week.... Then go with that number of calories from now on.  I think you'll find it's a lot higher than 1200.

Choose good, wholesome foods to get your new calorie-intake from.  Base your meals around vegetables & grains/pulses/starchy vegetables using fats and protein in moderate amounts.  Enjoy a sweet treat from time to time if you like.  Eat regularly, snack if you're hungry.  Be as active as possible

Good luck

Thanks a bunch...,

I am 180 as of this week (and maybe not after tonight),

I have lost on average 1.25 lbs a week, since mid/late may.

with a "sedentary" lifestyle.

eating plenty of whole grains, healthy fats (fish, nuts, beans, dairy) plenty ..I mean PLENTY of vegetables and fruits.  As well as having snack of choice, no matter what the nutritional value, all in moderation.

I believe my diet is in order, it is just that I have not in sooo long eaten like a ravenous, unstoppable food disposal that couldn't control the hand to mouth motion.  It is just a shock to my "never really hard to control" "habits of a healthy lifestyle".

I am constantly rethinking my healthy options and acting upon them all the time, it was just such a shock.

It's three months of very low calories... Not a shock, therefore.  If you're still 180lbs then you have some way to go yet.  Without exercise you're going to find that the weight-loss is pretty slow and, since you're already on the bare minimum, you can't reduce your food intake.

I would say that if you want to a) keep losing and b) maintain a healthy weight ultimately, now is time to start moving more and eating accordingly.

Well my normal movement for the day is as follows,

-up at 630, prepare for the day, me and my 3 year old

-Daycare, Work (cashier 8-430 on my feet ALL day-30 min. lunch), errands, daycare, more errands if necessary, to the Y with my boy, we walk the track everyday with my mom, etc..

-730 getting prepared for the next day, bathing, cleaning, packing

-815 start sedentary on-line classes til about 1115...

and it starts all over again ..   :D

my food routine is as follows,

715 Oatmeal or cereal and fruit & dairy 20 oz. H2o

1000 apple or banana 10oz. H2o

1200 danactiv light strawberry, 1/2 cup kale, half tomato, .50 bell pepper, SW albacore tuna pouch, 1tsp. relish, 6 grams almonds, walnuts, or pecan,  all on a arnold's %100 whole wheat sandwich thin, a fruit of choice  20 oz. H2o

430 Yogurt berries, and greens with ff veg. dip (if necessary) 20oz. H20

630 dinner usually stir fry with cooking spray and tofu low sodium soy if necessary. 20 oz. H20

I allow for treats when I am in need of one no doubt, this is just a general list of things I frequent....and I mean FREQUENT

Any more constructive input is definitely welcome!!!!

EDIT:  I just read your bio gi-jane, that pretty much describes my whole movement to my healthy lifestyle, I am in love with whole foods, and am really feeling a lot better with myself as well,  I like to know I am not the only one who feels so simply about their diet change!

Then there's the problem.  You're not sedentary...   Sedentary means you literally roll out of bed onto the sofa and back again.    As I said before, run your stats through the CC calculator with a 'light' (or even a 'moderate' activity) level setting as that will account for your active job and walking the track every day.

I calculate, for example, that with  a reasonable level of activity you actually need about 2400-2600 cals a day just to maintain your weight.  So if you need to lose weight you should only drop to 1700-1800 initially.  As you get smaller you'll need less energy and your calorie intake will come down a little as a result.  Maybe now you understand why your body so desperately needed an extra 1000 cals?.... It didn't even get you up to your full energy needs.

If you're only losing slowly on 1200 cals a day then your body isn't burning energy very quickly at the moment and that would be typical of crash-dieting.  Too boost this, have one day this weekend where you get a good 2500 cals and then make a fresh start on a steady 1700-1800 a day.  I think you'll feel better physically, possibly lose weight a little quicker and you won't be as likely to binge in the future.

Yes, I do believe you need to eat 'better' rather than simply 'less'... but I also believe you need to eat 'enough' at the same time. 

i used to have a similar eating habit.. turned it around and ive lost about 20 lbs in the last 6months. I still have days where I am sooooo hungry that I don't ever feel full. Ive realized most of the time its right around the time when I am PMSing.. don't get discouraged about it. It was once. You are human. Cut yourself some slack and get on track the next day. Keep working towards your goal.. :)

Original Post by gi-jane:

Then there's the problem.  You're not sedentary...   Sedentary means you literally roll out of bed onto the sofa and back again.    As I said before, run your stats through the CC calculator with a 'light' (or even a 'moderate' activity) level setting as that will account for your active job and walking the track every day.

I calculate, for example, that with  a reasonable level of activity you actually need about 2400-2600 cals a day just to maintain your weight.  So if you need to lose weight you should only drop to 1700-1800 initially.  As you get smaller you'll need less energy and your calorie intake will come down a little as a result.  Maybe now you understand why your body so desperately needed an extra 1000 cals?.... It didn't even get you up to your full energy needs.

If you're only losing slowly on 1200 cals a day then your body isn't burning energy very quickly at the moment and that would be typical of crash-dieting.  Too boost this, have one day this weekend where you get a good 2500 cals and then make a fresh start on a steady 1700-1800 a day.  I think you'll feel better physically, possibly lose weight a little quicker and you won't be as likely to binge in the future.

 

Yes, I do believe you need to eat 'better' rather than simply 'less'... but I also believe you need to eat 'enough' at the same time. 

 

 

 You know, when I read the OP, I had it all mapped out what I was going to say....but then I read this ^ post by jane.

Chelle, gi-jane is spot on here.  Listen to what she has to say.  We see it all the time.....people come to this site and see 1200 calories and they automatically think that they need to drop to that and stick with it.  What they don't realize is that 1200 is the bare bones minimum. Most women actually need MORE than that if they want to have a healthy, long term weight loss.  I agree with Jane completely.  You need to eat more for your age, height, weight, and activity level.  Heck, I'm older, less active, and weigh less than you and even I need around 1400 calories for healthy weight loss.

Just to chime in, I suggest you read today's block by Mary.  It is full of insight into why this kind of thing happens to those of us who set ourselves up on too strict a diet, and many of the comments are great, also.

Thanks everyone, I definitely appreciate all the advice.  Like I said I eat good foods, and always prefer the most minimally processed.  I do my fair share of treats, and I am really overall doing a great job eating very healthful foods.  As a "180 still some way to go" 22 year old adult female (as gi-jane put it ;-) ), I will definitely up my caloric intake 200 more calories and try to keep in mind my caloric deficit.

Thanks suga9292 I needed some relating too, I think I am pms'ing... been having an interesting cycle....well... my whole life!

I think I will incorporate more healthy fats when I am having a relatively active days, and beans to keep me full, using fat and beans to be my extra 200-300 calories.   

To keep in mind my healthy, successful, and amazing weight loss journey.

Here's to staying positive!  CHEERS everyone!