Just went on a week long Easter binge! What should I do?

Hi, I just ate a lot the past week. Ok maybe not a week, but maybe 3 or 4 days. I just recently reached my target weight range and lost about 20 pounds. But now I think I'm going to ruin my achievements.

My question is what should I do? I can't simply ignored the fact that I ate until my stomach felt like it was going to burst (I probably ate more than twice my calorie allowance for thos binge days). And I have lost confidence in my mental strength and confidence.

I don't have the same drive that I had to diet or exercise anymore because of this. What can I do?

Also, how can I stop this binging problem? I've never done it before, but let me tell you, I am tempted to do it again. Plus I still have a sore stomach.

So overall what can I do to regain my confidence to diet and exercise, what should I do to burn off those huge amounts of extra calories, and how can I prevent myself from ever eating like a monster again?

Thanks, JP

I don't know what you can do, but I did the exact same thing and I feel terrible. 

Eesh. Welcome to the club.  :(

If you've never binged before, and suddenly you find yourself wanting to binge, then I'd say you must be under-eating. Either that or something has changed in your life on an emotional level.

Suddenly having a brand new addiction to compusively over-eat on a regular basis is not normal.

Let me tell you what I think. I'm now in week 6 of calorie-counting and exercising on nearly a daily basis. I deliberately planned a "binge," a cheat day which turned into two cheat days and caused me to go over my weekly allowance by 1400 calories. Since my daily allowance is 1500, that was a lot!

However, I made myself log each bite of badness that entered my mouth, and it allowed me to feel like today, I'm back on the wagon, little or no harm done. I don't feel like I need another chocolate binge for...say, a good month (I had gone five weeks without ANY chocolate), and this time around I may choose a smaller serving (I bought a bag of Hershey nuggets with toffee chips, and ate half on Friday and half on Saturday).

Also, I didn't stop exercising, and that was a major accomplishment. In the past, I would reason that it was pointless to exercise since I'd only burn off a tiny portion of all that chocolate, but this time I didn't let myself rationalize.

Yesterday, I went shopping for the family and bought zero junk food and a lot of veggies (the exception being that my husband and son got Mexican sweet bread, which is not a temptation for me). Today I went to the store on my lunch break and bought some healthy, but tasty snacks to have during the mornings and afternoons on the job. I have no doubt that I will not be binging or cheating this week at all.

Thanks to CC, I've developed the ability to say "no" to, say, free donuts or cake or cookies at the office, whereas before I would reason that it was free, therefore I should have some. Just learn from it and move on! You can't binge on food that isn't there, so don't buy it, and if it's there, eat something else so that you don't feel deprived (my tasty snack this week: Dannon light and fit strawberry yogurt with slivered almonds and a few dried cranberries stirred in).

Actually back a few years ago I would eat how I ate last week. Maybe I was falling into old habits? I dont know.

As far a something being as an emotional blow....I cant think of anything major. But idk, thanks to both your help though

Also, should I restrict on my calotie intake? I had about (this is only a guess) 10,000 extra. I have an allowance of about 2100.

If I should restrict, how much should it be?

Just get back on the diet... You can't undo what you did... though I could think of great punishments that would strip a few lbs, they aren't healthy.

Go back to your diet and let yourself settle back into what you're supposed to be eating. Forgive yourself, just don't forget. That's all you can really do.

Yep, Im in the same boat as all you guys,came home to my parents place for the Easter weekend, and all the usual over indulgence of carbs, chocolate, ice cream and wine has me feeling more than fragile today :( Im actually swelled and my skin is sensitive to touch, my body literally does not know what to do with all this extra junk! BUT... Ive been here before, this is real life, you go on holidays, you have celebrations with food and wine and beer, then you go back to your day to day life and its what you do then that matters. Trust me, I;m always freaking out after the scale goes up 7-10lbs in one week (which it did this morning) but within a month Im back to my target.. and so what if it sets you back a few weeks, what is that in the grand scheme of things.

Good Luck, try not to feel too badly, there are going to be weekends like this forever so you may as well get used to picking yourself up and gettin back to it.

It's NEVER too late!  Jump right back on tomorrow!  You haven't undone all your great efforts.  Just drink extra water next couple days and rid yourself of all the extra sodium! 

You'll feel better once you get started again!  We all have those days and there is no need to beat yourself up!

~H~

within a month Im back to my target.. and so what if it sets you back a few weeks, what is that in the grand scheme of things.

you couldnt have said it better.

I struggled with major binges almost weekly for about 7 months.  I am proud to say that Sunday marked one month that i have been binge free and I hope to keep it up.  I feel great about what I've accomplished.  I went from 195 lbs to 127.. I gained about 15 lbs from all the bingeing but Im back down to 137 and I am happy to be here (although I want to get back to about 130).

You have the rest of your life to live healthy and take off the weight.  But just remember it's life-- so enjoy it.  When things come up, live your life.  So what if it takes an extra week of working out.. if you deprive yourself you make it worse and you miss out on living.

And I agree with haley.. its never too late.

good luck.. just shake it off & keep it up :)

Thanks for that^^

and yea I played some basketball today for about 30 minutes to get myself used to exercising again, since I went a week w/o running at all. But my dad brought home Jack In the Box for dinner SMH.

Its a good I didnt eat that much in the morning or else I would have gone over my calorie limit.

Tomorrow I am "re-doing" my choice of living a healthy life, for real this time.

I think it's really important to learn to forgive yourself. One of my biggest problems in the past has been giving up after falling off the wagon. If the scale would be a pound or two up I'd think "well.. might as well just eat up cause I'm gaining anyway" or if I gave in and ate chocolate I'd think "the whole day's gone, so I'll have what ever I want." I've decided that this is the kind of thinking that's got me 80 lbs over weight. Just get back on the horse and put mistakes behind you! Just think, you're still doing better with one week of binging than you were when you were eating that way every day!

Enjoy the memory of nice foods and probably good company and go back to the original plan. Do not cut back on anything or work out more. Just go back to normal. That's all.

And no worries... it will happen again and you will learn to keep within limits.

Jo

Hi!  Last week my kids had spring break, so I didn't have to get up early.  Which meant that my day started later, of course.  So, I didn't make time to exercise.  I still stuck to my calorie limit, except for my one free meal a week that I give myself, which is Saturday night.  Anyway, even though I stuck to eating healthy, by Sunday, I had gained almost 2 pounds.  I could have given up, but I didn't want to do that, it's too easy.  So, yesterday morning, after my kids went off to school, I got back on my schedule of exercising. 

  I think that everybody has those days where they let themselves slip, but we just have to get back to the program.  Sure we could throw our hands up and give up, but where is that going to get us?  I know for me, atleast, I'd gain it all back, plus some.  So stopping that backslide as soon as possible is so important.  So you slipped up, big deal.  We all do.  Today is a new day, so start over. 

  Just think of it this way...  Sure you can put it off, but in a month or two, you will be looking back and asking yourself why you didn't start over right away.  Also, in a month or two, you could have lost weight instead of gain, and that's depressing.

  I wish you luck in getting back on track.  You've reached your goal, and that's great, so don't give up so easily! 

Stop this crazyness!  You know what to do, just do it!!!  Don't let another day go by feeling sorry for yourself and looking for an excuse to throw in the towel.  You know how to do this, you CAN do this.  Just start again....  Remember that the feeling of that food in your mouth is not as good as that feeling you get when you put on those smaller clothes and look in the mirror and see your beautiful results.  It is not better that the compliments you receive on your new weight and appearance.  I've lost 30 pounds and yes, I too have the little relapses.  Your only behind by a few pounds.  Good luck, you know you can do it.

Just my opinion, but I think we all become a little obsessive in our weight loss.  I know that I do.  Is what you did a bad thing?...ABSOLUTELY!  Is tit the end of the worls?...NO!  However, it is done and you can not change it.  I had to come to a realization that deciding to get healthy was a choice, not a requirement.  My old habits are what helped me achieve a 437lb frame; overeating, lack of exersize and lack of the will to get healthy.  In our minds and hearts we all know what we have to do and what steps we need to take to get there.  This is a "lifestyle change" not a quick fix.  I always thought... Lose the weight and then go back to the way I used to be.  it doesn't work that way.  You mentioned that you reached your goal?  Maybe you are self sabotaging your accomplishments?  I know that was an old pattern I knew all too well.  Weight gain and being overweight is much more than all the bad food choices we make/made, it is a big emotional issue as well.  Until I came to terms with the reasons I became so unhealthy, every attempt I made became a failure.  Getting healthy for me had to start with the inside.  I am still on this journey going on two years now.  I am 235lbs today and have 75 more to go.  Every day will not be perfect, but I am sure enjoying the journey getting there.  One of the most important things I am learning is to "enjoy it", dont become obsessed and to forgive myself for making mistakes.  if I don't have this frame of mind, when i get to my goal.. I will be left with a feeling of "what's next"? 

I gained a good 3lbs over Easter (damn chocolate!).  Normally, that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world except it feels like it's taken me FOREVER to lose just the measly 2lbs I lost then I managed to gain it all back plus another pound.  I was really disappointed in myself but really what can you do?  Life goes on.  It's just food.  Push it out of your mind and start right back from where you left off.  You'll feel good about yourself again in a few days.

As far as what to do to avoid binging like this, I'm not sure what works for you.  Maybe before you eat whatever it is  you're about to stuff yourself with, add it to your Food Log.  Perhaps seeing upfront how many calories you're gaining from whatever food will make you rethink eating it.  I do that sometimes at home.  When the cinnamon rolls come calling me, I'll just glance at the calories on CC first.  Granted, that doesn't always keep me from eating it but 9 times out of 10, I'll at least split it with hubby.  It's not a perfect system but at least it keeps me from going crazy with the calories.  So hubby gains a few pounds.  Better him than me!  (Hell, he can drop weight just by doing a few jumping jacks!)  :)

Either way, you have so many other things to worry about in life.  Don't let this be one of them.  You're going to make mistakes in a lot of different areas of your life.  We all do.  It's how you learn and grow as a person.  This is just another one of the many lessons you'll learn.  You'll be just fine in no time.

Yeah, you may want to make sure you're eating enough.  I've binged before and when I look back, its always when I've not allowed myself enough nutrient-rich calories or when I'm completely stressed.  In fact thats how I've put on so much weight over the years.  Be careful.  If you have to, go for a jog around the block, drink a protein shake, hit the mall... anything to get your mind off the junk food when you feel it coming on!

i think for myself, being O.C.D. weight loss has not been easy.. before i was so obsessed for other things in my life that i ate and ate and ate, causing me to be 40 pounds overweight.. i wasn't exactly the prettiest site in the world :p

however, refocus your energy, everyday look at something that will motivate you.. for me its a website of bathing suits, ive picked out the one i want and i am now determined to get it..

www.swimwearboutique.com  it really helps me.. so far i have gone 2 monthes without binge eating at all! i have lost 20 pounds to date. everytime you feel you want to binge look at something that motivates you.. i wouldnt suggest putting on some little skinny clothes because, especially for me, its depressing and just makes you feel low..

also, i always buy those shape magazines, and mimic what they do at the gym for new exercises, doing the same daily exercises for more than 4 week can cause you to be in a weight loss plateau. and those are never fun. Research online healthy snacks like smoothies with whey protein powder so whenever you need something sweet, just put in a bunch of those frozen berries, some milk, a banana and whey protein powder and you have a perfectly healthy snack!

one more thing, challenge yourself.. i don't binge eat because i have a strong will power and high determination.. but for others around me who are not Obessive Compulsive i say to them.. well step on the scale if you are an "x" amount of weight and you feel good, then have a little something extra guilt free

these are just a few suggestions to make some things easier for you.. i hope it helped!

The best thing that you can do it get right back on track.  Sometimes a binge kicks my metabolism back into gear after being so strict.  I use to do weight watchers and anytime I had a bad day I would follow it with a good day.  We all will have bad days and binges, but the key is not to call it quits and give up after one of those days.  I am sure subconciously you weren't eating as much as you use to and you said that you were still working out.  Keep going woman!

Hey, I am with you.  I gained two pounds last week, due in large part to big family dinners and very little exercise.  I've done this before and I will probably do it again.  I used to feel very guilty about stuff like this and I can understand the feeling that all your hard work prior to this week was for nothing when you still managed to fall off the wagon, so to speak.  Just when you think that you've got the food and exercise under control, a holiday comes along.  Or vacation.  I usually get a little crazy during PMS time and crave salty snacks.   And I usually gain some weight back.  But I know that I have to get back to the business of getting to a healthy weight.  I drink a lot of water, eat a little less and get back on the bike.  And in a few days, I start to feel better, physically and emotionally.

I know that it is difficult but try to refocus and move on.  Stuff like this happens but don't think of it as failure.  Think of it as a learning experience and keep going.