[settie]

Hi everyone,

I have a question/problem that I would like some help on.

I've been dieting since mid-May and I think I've done fairly well but I have one major problem. I've been out to eat three times during that time and each time I ate very well at the restaurant, did not feel deprived and had a great time with my friends. However, when I got home I literally binged for two hours each time.

Why? Has anyone had this happen or know why it would happen? I haven't had any other binges since I started.

[shananigans]

I heard some interview on the radio a long time ago with a researcher who was studying diet behaviors and weight loss, trying to see who was successful and why. I remember him saying it is best not to deprive yourself of everything, because you will end up depriving yourself of nothing. Most of us humans only have so much in us to delay gratification. Sure, there are the exceptions, those who seem to be able to hold out on any vice. I’d say they’re in the minority. So if you’re sitting there in the restaurant, watching your friends eat things you’d love to have but eat something you find not as satisfying, it’s like there’s a wall of pressure building up and by the time you get home the dam breaks and there’s a flood. Might not apply to your case, but it’s a theory.

The psychologist said this type of delayed gratification behavior is common with things other than food, like shopping, gambling, drinking, etc. Whatever things people may feel a strong compulsion toward but try to avoid because it’s not good for them.

I guess you might try having just a little of whatever you might really want at a restaurant next time and try to use portion control? Might not feel like binging later, I’d say it’s worth a shot.

[settie]

Good point. Thanks!

[Kilketay]

What types of food are you eating out at the restaurant? I find eating fatty or bad carb heavy foods (even smaller portions that are within my calorie range) often makes me want to binge later. Maybe you're eating foods at the restaurant that causes your blood glucose level to spike, then when it falls you binge?

[settie]

I thought of that too but I try to eat a salad (dressing on the side) and some sort of grilled protien, usually fish or chicken breast. It's basically what I eat at home for both lunch and dinner. Thanks for your response.

[JayEll]

Hey there!

Sometimes restaurants do things like add sugar to lettuce for salads--and so one can end up eating more carbs than intended. In some people that can trigger binge eating.

Did you friends eat desserts and such that you didn't have? If so, it may be that you were feeling left out or deprived, even though you weren't consciously aware of it. Depending on the program you're following, perhaps you can plan ahead enough to allow some of the higher calorie foods without going overboard. (If you were still in your first few weeks of trying to lose, though, I wouldn't suggest this.)

As for depriving yourself--losing weight is not about giving in to every craving. If you're eating enough good, healthy foods on your program, you won't feel like you "just have" to eat "bad" foods. Restriction is a part of it, however. There is no way around that. Many people, myself included, gained the weight we did by eating without restriction.

Good luck! I hope you can find a way to avoid those post-dinner binges!

Jay