Do you have a plan for those days when you blow all your calories in one sitting, or do you leave the table feeling defeated, gross, and unable to even track your calories for the rest of the day?

Well, I'm trying to change my "all or nothing" thinking and get back into the game after a big meal. Here goes!

Today for lunch, I went to my favorite Thai place on the Bay. They have a lunch buffet, and I had two plates of food, including fried rangoon, an eggroll and several dumplings. I have no idea how many calories it was, but I did basic math on the worst items with a MyFitnessPal search. I think I'm looking at at least 1,000 calories. The good news is I was fasting this morning, so that's all the damage so far today. My plan is to drink water heavily this afternoon, hit the 14 flights of stairs at work when I've digested, kick butt on the elliptical when I get home (goal: 45 min), then eat a high protein dinner tonight, such as an egg sandwich. Goal for dinner is 500 calories.

If I follow the plan, that buffet shouldn't set me back at all!

What about you? Anyone want to share their binge experiences or recovery plans?

I just did that myself yesterday. A unplanned trip with my Aunt, Uncle, and Grandma and we ended up at a Chinese restaurant and it's just buffet there. It wouldn't have been so bad but right before I went out with them I had a big lunch with a friend. Oye! By time I got home it was getting late and had to be in work early. I'm trying like you not let myself get defeated, gross, and all that. So I decided instead I'm going to try to eat a little less each day for next few days and walk a little more to help make up for it.

For me 1,000 calories wouldn't be a binge, but a normal restaurant meal. In any case, when I overeat at a meal I try to resist the temptation to make up for it by overexercising and undereating the rest of the day or the next day. In my experience that leads to sense of deprivation and tension that increases the odds of another binge. Instead, I simply aim to "start fresh" the next meal.

F.

I might try to get a good workout in the next day and maybe have a few less calories the next day but I don't do anything drastic. Mindset is a big thing so I try to take this stuff in stride. If you eat well and exercise most of the time, your metabolism should be able to handle a pigout just fine.

I just get right back on track the next day. To me it's a blank slate; I can start over and just keep on moving along.

Oh yeah, I've easily had 1000 calories meals out in restaurants or even at home.

I felt like I can go to buffets again and managed myself. I had a nice, 1200 calorie meal at one and I'll be going again next week too. Honestly though I could eat the whole meal in crab legs, if there were enough.

Eating 1,000 calorie meal for eating out isn't a "binge" for me. I do this frequently on high calorie days (I cycle my calories). However, when I really indulge (mine is like 2000+ extra), I make a big pot of low cal soup (lots of cabbage and other vegetables) and plan on eating this as a filler with some lean protein with my meals for the next couple of days. I continue with my regular exercise rountine.

Wow! I'm pretty jealous of the ladies on here who don't count 1,000 calories as a binge, or who can hit a buffet big time and just go back to normal. I am at a point where I am struggling hardcore to lose weight on anything more than 1200 calories a day. In fact, I have gained a couple of pounds within the last week or so, after relaxing a bit.

when i overeat, whether intentionally or not, i write it down in my food log notebook whether i know the calories or not...if i'm too lazy to look up the calories and know full-well i'm so far over my calories that it's pathetic, i just write it down, put a question mark by the calorie part, a sad face by it turn the page to tomorrow and start fresh

I pick myself up, dust myself off, and get back on track... I know..., I know, easier said than done, but if I just let myself go I know where that road leads...(and believe me I know where that is and quite frankly I'm getting pretty tired of winding up in that neighborhood...)

That being said... eating out is a big issue for me since it's not uncommon for me to eat out literally every single meal (breakfast meetings, business lunches, entertaining clients for dinner, and not to mention just plain socializing with friends and family) So the way I look at it I can do one of two things... I can just do what I've always done (which I know doesn't work for me in the weight department) or I can do my best and make healthier choices which is surprisingly easy these days.... and if I don't I can try to balance it out the rest of the day... It's up to me...

Sounds to me like you did the right thing... You came up with a plan for the rest of the day and went on with your life... I mean how can we expect to change something about ourselves if we first don't realize that it's not working for us...?

I read a quote somewhere on the internet that said "If you drop your phone on the ground you pick it up and dust it off, you don't stomp on it until it's fully broken. So when you fall off your diet don't let it ruin the rest of the day."

I probably wrote it funny but it's always stuck with me. When we make a financial blunder we don't blow the rest of our cash on lottery tickets do we? Hopefully not.

I try to remember this. When I forget that thought is when I fall off the wagon.(Which I have done many times!)

I've lost 20lbs so many times and usually around the time I give up is around the time I have the second or third big 'cheat' or binge. The thing is, one binge or big meal isn't going to erase all that you're doing.

It's definitely easy to forget though.