Help me undo the damage from a MAJOR binge weekend!

[DoingMyBest79]

Hoping you can help! I messed up completely and had a huge binging weekend. I'm back on track now, but here is the estimated damage:

Friday: 3,300 calories
Saturday: 4,175
Sunday: 5,150
3-day total: 12,600 calories (!)

Before overeating this weekend, I was within 5-7 lbs of my goal and was eating 1,700 calories/day. I got back on track starting on Monday, and now I want to try to undo this damage as quickly as possible so that I can get back to the point of losing again. I didn't eat anything at all on Monday (I was NOT hungry at all; my body was still recovering from eating all that excess food), and on Tuesday I only ate 250 calories (mostly high-volume veggies).

Would it mess up my metabolism to stick to a very low calorie count (say, 800-1,000 calories/day) for a few more days to get rid of these extra calories from the binging? I just want to get rid of the extra calories I consumed as soon as possible, so that I can go back to losing again!

What would you recommend for getting rid of these calories from my body, while not messing up my metabolism? I have read that you shouldn't go below 1,200 calories/day, but is it OK to go below 1,200 calories just for 3-5 days, to get rid of most of these extra calories that I consumed during this weekend binge?

Thanks for your help!

[mariamherrera]

you know it's very doubtful that 3 days off plan will have made you gain any actual FAT gain.. and if so it's probably very minor If you are bloated or see a big gain on the scale it's most likely bloating and water weight from sodium, My suggestion would be to drink a bunch of extra water and flush that out and return to your normal calorie intake maybe drop it a bit too 1300-1400 if your that worried but I wouldn't go much below that and just drink a bunch of extra water.. my prediction is what ever you did gain will mostly be gone by the weekend

[melodymist]

I feel the same. Also had a major binge the weekend. I haven't binged in over 7+ months. Ugh. Water and veggies for me!

[freelancemomma]

Well, it looks like you consumed about 3 pounds' worth of extra calories on the weekend, so expect a 3-pound gain (discounting the temporary extra gain from water weight). Accept the figure and move on. I do understand the impulse to get rid of those pounds as quickly as possible, but I think it may serve you better to just get back on your plan. An extreme caloric deficit could make you vulnerable to another binge, IMO.

I also wonder whether you can figure out what caused you to binge in the first place (beyond the obvious "because I wanted to" and "it tasted good"). What comes to mind is that you may have been depriving yourself too much, so the little monster in you rebelled and demanded to be let out. Does your plan allow you to eat foods you actually love, every single day? Does it allow for occasional indulgences in quantity? Etc. Perhaps a few simple (OK, not so simple) tweaks to your plan could increase your satisfaction quotient. Just a thought to consider.

Freelance

[Candeka]

You do not say if the scale went up at all or not, just that you have these extra calories within your body. You need to accept them and move on with your plan again. You can create a bigger deficiency as suggested, but since you usually eat 1700, I would go to about 1400. Your body TODAY needs those calories. Unless your are sick with the flu or stranded in a dessert, there is no reason to ever eat less than 1200.

If you did actually gain any weight from this binge, then just accept that you are a few pounds further and now it might take you 3 weeks longer instead. You didn't eat on Monday and you ate only 250 calories. You NEED to eat properly tomorrow. Its unrealistic to believe that once we are at our goal weighs, we will never ever have a bad day or a horrible weekend. Life is always going to cause us to eat more sometimes (Weddings, birthday parties, vacations) and after such events we just need to accept that high calorie intake and continue on with our healthy eating plans. Eating 800 calories for 5 days is NOT healthy.

[evilwomaniamshe]

Having a 3 day bingefest with food & then not eating on Monday & only eating 250 calories on Tuesday trying to compensate is a bad idea in my honest opinion, being your body is probably going to want to binge again in the near future by doing that. Binge, starve is a vicious cycle! What's your plan for Wed? The best thing you can do after a binge bender is to move on, it happened, drink a lot of water & get back to normal eating ASAP.
Why beat yourself up & starve yourself after stuffing yourself, be kind to your body instead! I am sure you felt like crapola from the sugar/carb coma fog you were in after the binge, so I say eat good & healthy food now & you will feel alive & energetic again soon.

You might want to stop & ask yourself when you are about to binge, what's eating you? Instead of what am I going to eat next to numb out my feelings? I think the ALL then nothing mentality is going to lead to many more binges.....Try to find a balance, it keeps the binges at bay. Just my 2 cents....

[DoingMyBest79]

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. I am so touched that you would take the time to help me with my problem. I REALLY appreciate it. Thanks so much. Here is an update: Today I'm back on track again, and I have come to my senses. There's no way I can subsist on 800-1,000 calories for even just a few days!! I ate 1,250 today, and will increase my update to 1,450-1,500 starting tomorrow. After I got over the initial shock of not being hungry at all for a day and a half, I realized there is no way I can maintain eating at such low calorie limits -- you are right in saying that I would be setting myself up for a binge. Now that I am increasing my calorie account, it's so much easier for me to stay on track mentally! The mind is an amazing thing.

As suggested, I have tried to analyze what happened and use this as a learning experience. I definitely had the all-or-nothing attitude (I ate this, so I might as well eat anything I have been craving for the last two months!). Also, the thing that set it off was a craving for a Starbucks doughnut. I had wanted it for numerous days, but I never got around to building it into my plan. I should have just built it into my plan! Lesson definitely learned -- whatever I am craving, find a way to fit it into my plan SOON, so that I don't feel deprived. Not feeling deprived is the only way that I can stick to this long-term.

Thank you to all who posted to help me get over this. I am so thankful that you took the time to help me!! I love these message boards, and more importantly, I am so thankful for the people who post here!!

[124chicksinger]

Originally Posted by DoingMyBest79

Also, the thing that set it off was a craving for a Starbucks doughnut. I had wanted it for numerous days, but I never got around to building it into my plan. I should have just built it into my plan! Lesson definitely learned -- whatever I am craving, find a way to fit it into my plan SOON, so that I don't feel deprived. Not feeling deprived is the only way that I can stick to this long-term.

^ this, exactly ^ 2 nights ago, I had a corn muffin (about 450 cals) with whipped butter for dinner..........while my husband made he and our daughter grilled hotdogs on buns with beans and coleslaw. I wouldn't eat that, I couldn't eat that, I didn't eat that -- but it gave me a reason to go and get that special corn muffin from down the street with whipped butter and enjoy it guilt free---cuz I didn't have to cook dinner for anyone! Wasn't the most balanced "meal" I've eaten, but calorie-wise it fit in just fine. Matter of fact, I may get one on the way to work and eat half for breakfast and half for lunch. Don't know why I'm craving it----except that maybe I'm hormonal. Definitely menopausal, but I'm feeling like TOM is about to arrive.

[darbs7]

This is just life. Sometimes things happen. I have been at this for going on 2 years now...been in maintenance for about 7 months. Right now...I am trying to undo 2 months of bad choices that brought the scale up 8-10 pounds (depending on time of day). It isn't the bad choice...it is how we fix it.

Don't stress or over react...just eat healthy and exercise...this is a marathon not a race to win.