Weekend binge.. Feeling really low

[PlumFairy2014]

I have lost almost 3 stone (the 3 I put on while pregnant/breastfeeding), but this a weekend I went chocolate crazy and over ate about 6000 calories in 2 days in various ways. I now feel so down and can't stand to look myself.
How much damage have I done?
I'll work out tomorrow and fast, but feel like I have massively let myself down.

[UmbongoUnchained]

Meh it's only 2 days!
I've been eating like a rhino all week. To the point that I actually thought I might have a heart attack today! I always do the week before my period is due though, I'll just work out more next week. 2 days really is nothing. Just be extra careful next week.

[RunnerOnTheRun]

You know the saying "you can't put exercise a bad diet"?

Well don't worry about it, accept it and move on but don't go to drastic measures to claw back. Yo yo-ing from binging to fasting is not good and causes more binging. Try to stabilise with a happy medium. That's not to say never eat chocolate, in fact just plan some in for next weekend. Chill. Binging happens emotionally.

[RunnerOnTheRun]

Typo "you can't OUT" (not put).

[StealthPolarBear]

Op I do this all the time :( you can get back on top if it today or you can wallow, eat more chocolate and restart in a week or so with more damage to repair.
I'm trying to get a grip on my eating habits today.
Just don't weigh for a few days. I always find I've put on about 6lb after a binge but they do drop off again quite easily so they're not actual additional weight iyswim - unless you reinforce rhem day after day

[StealthPolarBear]

Oh and btw you have a sugar hangover. Don't beat yourself up unduly. I get them lots, but the plus side is you're ok to drive with them!

[bluejasmin]

Well done for the weightloss so far , 2 days is nothing and what's done is done just carry on as usual from today . I doubt you've done any damage .
I did read once ( God knows where so high chance it's wrong ) that you should mix up your calorie intake once a week so your body works more efficiently at burning them so by my calculations ( based on no medical evidence ever ha ) you will now be geared to burn all those extra calories today or until it re adjusts so your body will be working harder on what you eat today

[Bringiton2016]

It's done. It's life. It will probably happen again BUT you've probably got away with it, over the next few days your weight will probably go back to what it was if you have seen a small increase.

There will always be meals out, parties etc. Think about how far you've come and think about what you can do if you get this feeling again. I have options hot chocolate if I'm craving chocolate. It does work. Or sometimes I eat a whole chocolate orange and feel sick .

[MrAliBongo]

I reckon it's the number one skill for long term weight maintenance to accept that these things happen and react appropriately/proportionately. Stop and ask yourself "Am I trying to punish myself or am I trying to put this right?" - quite different strategies!

First of all, assess the damage. I'm not sure whether you're saying you overate by 6000 kcal, or that you ate 6000 kcal over the weekend. If the former, that, very roughly, equates to about 2lbs of body weight, if the latter, knock off a planned allowance of approx half the total, and you've got about 1lb of body weight. That's above what you might have planned for the week, so say you're set for 2lbs loss per week, and you revert to plan today, you might stay the same or lose a pound. If you're set for 1lb loss per week, you might gain a pound or stay the same. Of course, we don't often lose like clockwork, but it should average out over a few weeks. The point to remember is that's what you've earned.

If you've overdone food, especially carbs, especially sugary ones, and ESPECIALLY booze, then your blood sugar will be all over the place for the next few days. For god's sake, don't make it worse by fasting or overexercising! All that's doing is lining up another binge to go with the first. Instead, get back on your usual eating plan, but with extra care to stabilising your blood sugar: plenty of fibre and protein, little and often, no sugary or processed carbs. Extremes only breed extremes... Your aim should be to bring it back, as quickly as possible, to the stable centre.

Finally, look back at what went wrong. Are there any lessons to learn? Situations and behaviours to try and change for next time? What were the thought processes that led you to overeat (and yes, there were thought processes behind it... Feeding yourself may be a well-practiced habit, but it is NOT a reflex). Take the lessons, then put the whole episode behind you.

[PlumFairy2014]

Thanks a so much for all the replies.

In the light of day it does 't seem quite as bad, I think you were right about the sugar come down. I think I felt like everything I had done had been undone, but I am still in the same jeans. I won't make a habit of it though.

MrAli I think it was caused by my over restricting last week. I was a bit too brutal with my dieting, as I am nearing my goal and the weight isn't moving. I'm going to put the scales away this week and focus on being healthy and feeling good, rather than weight.

I have got back into it today, grapefruit and salad for lunch. Healthy dinner ready to go. Feeling much better for it already.

What I don't really understand is why I can't just have one treat? I have a slightly richer meal on a weekend, but instead of enjoying it I descend into eating wvery piece of chocolate and junk in the house...

[crayfish]

I don't know if this helps but I monitor calories in/out on a WEEKLY basis rather than a daily one. Last week I stuck to a pretty low-calorie diet (1200 ish) from Monday to Friday and although I went out for dinner and had a quite a bit of chocolate and a macdonalds over the weekend my weekly intake was still an average of 1500 a day and I lost a pound. By looking a calories over a week it allows me to be 'good' on days when I can be but have treats on the days when I want to. I make sure I exercise every day if I can (running or a long walk) to aid the process.

Remember, naturally thin people eat cakes and stuff too, they just don't do it all the time. Just because you are dieting it doesn't mean you can't eat treats, just don't let one bad day equal a bad week.

[MrAliBongo]

Are you sure you're not setting yourself for more of the same? If I had to manage on just grapefruit for breakfast, I would go completely beserk at the first sniff of real food.

[PlumFairy2014]

Not a big fan of breakfast, tend to persuade myself to have a grapefruit

Feeling loads better after lots of veg and good food this week. Got a stinking cold now though, so not counting now just focusing on getting well and keeping little one entertained.

Thanks again for all the replies! Weighed myself Wed and there was no lasting damage, I was the same as last week. So like someone mentioned over the week last week I must have balanced just about.

[PlumFairy2014]

Feel a bit silly that I was so dramatic. No excuses, but I think there was some hormones at play.

[theendoftheshowshow]

I think the key is to not keep going and you didn't. One or two bad days is fine, put them behind you and start afresh. It's the descending back into bad ways or letting a bad day become a bad week then month that is an issue.

At least that's what I tell myself! One stone left to go here too.