Binge Day
 

Hello!

Not sure if I've put this in the right section? But here we go.

Basically, next Saturday I'm attending a mates birthday so I plan on drinking, drinking and eating shed loads of cake.

Is it wise to reduce my calorie intake on the days leading up to the Saturday? Or will one day not be enough to throw me out of balance and make me gain a few pounds?

Would appreciate your answers and experiences of this :)

Frances, x

Well, it would be much wiser to limit both alcohol and cake, but I'm sure you know that. But yes, if you are going to over-indulge, plan to cut calories a few days before and/or after.

The fewer calories you eat before and after, the more the damage of the day will be mitigated. Ideally you'd enjoy a bit of cake and beer and then maybe eat a little bit less the next day. Unbridled gorging just seems like it sets a bad precedent and would encourage that behavior in the future.

Eating fewer calories beforehand will help. That said, I would encourage you to think about this plan. It is easy to plan to overindulge on special occasions. We've probably all done it. I know I have.

Last year, I had a couple of months where it was one special occasion after another. A family occasion, two family birthdays, mother's day and father's day. They were all special and I overindulged....and it sent me off track and then I weighed 10 pounds more a couple of months later.

The thing is that having a diet mentality where part of the time you are on the diet and then other times you binge often doesn't work out very well. Some people may be able to handle that. But, a lot of people find that they do better if they eat the same way all the time. That doesn't mean you can't have a day that you eat more than another day. But to have a plan for how much you will eat over a given period of time and then follow that plan. If I say, for example, I am going to eat/drink an extra 500 calories next Saturday so I will cut back 84 calories for the 6 days before that, then that is following a plan. On the other hand, if I just plan to next Saturday eat anything that I want without counting or anything, then I am really not following a plan that is likely to be successful in the long run.

Let's see, you have lost 3 pounds and are already planning a massive binge.... Okay, even restricting a few days before and after, be prepared for a 3 to 7 pound gain in that day. Even if some of the gain is water and will be gone in a few days, MOST people can not handle a binge and will totally give up afterwards. So, chances are that one binge will probably last for several months. The longer you stay on plan, the better chance you have in recovering from a binge.

how long have you been on plan for? when i first started I really couldn't bring myself to binge because one bad meal would lead to a full week of giving up and then bringing myself back on track was the hardest thing to do.

I usually have to choose between alcohol or cake and usually cake wins. But now I find one to two spoonfuls of cake will suffice to help get rid of my craving.

I used to have a "binge" day a week back when I was young, LOL. Of course those days I never really got over 2200 calories, but still, it was a binge. I think if you limit the calories you take in before and after the "binge" day and of course don't let that binge spiral you out of control. You should be fine. Also, drink water between alcohol (fills up your stomach) that way you won't eat as much cake (although cake is lovely) IDK if I'm too late with my information, but I thought I'd give my 2cents.

Hey all.

You're replies were great and it's never too late diamond_girl :) so very appreciated :)

I didn't actually binge as much as I thought, didn't have any cake and instead of mixers I stuck to shots of vodka (got the job done with less calories methinks so will stick to this method if need be). Luckily enough, I didn't actually put any weight on, but nor have I lost anything recently!

And thanks Koshka, I forgot that in Feb I actually have loads of events such as four birthdays and that, so I will deffo take on all of your advice and NOT actually binge but instead give myself a little treat instead :) thanks all!

Last week I went to a party and I knew I was going to drink and eat a little more than usual. Two days before I worked out twice as much as I normally do and I had a low-calorie meal right before I left home – so I wouldn’t come hungry and eat all the cookies.

At first I was carefully counting what I put in my mouth, but then I drank too much vine and just stopped caring – what made it impossible to estimate how much calories it was the next day. Do any of you have this problem sometimes? That you don’t remember exactly what you ate at a party? :)

I was a little disappointed, but I went right back to the plan and my careless evening didn’t show on the scale a few days later, so I guess it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I agree with Koshka – you have to pick the special occasions wisely - I know how soon they can become weekly and then daily occasions. (But it's summer, I'm on vacation, I have to study, holidays are right around the corner ...) :dizzy: