I’m stuck in a binge restrict cycle

[Coffeeunicorn]

How do I stop it?

Monday to Friday I exercise and eat well. I am often lethargic and hungry but limit my calories and don’t eat anything unhealthy. I track on my fitness pal. Then the weekend comes and I literally cannot stop eating. Then Monday comes and the cycle continues. Sometimes I’ll restrict to 500 calories on the Monday if I’ve been really bad.

The problem is I am now really happy with my body and don’t want it to change so as soon as Monday comes I think oh no I need to restrict/over exercise to make up for the excess calories otherwise I’ll gain weight.

So it’s Monday morning and I don’t want to continue this anymore. I feel happier and less grumpy when I feed myself normally.

So how do I stop? Do I stop tracking in my fitness pal?
I tend to find exercising makes me worse as ill then not want to eat and ruin my effort if that makes sense.

I just want to feel completely normal and not obsess over food.

Can you track what you are this weekend? Then add up your calories for the whole week and divide it by 7. That should give you a daily total to target that is more relaxed during the week. This obviously means you can't blow out at the weekend but hopefully you wouldn't feel the need.

Should've said, track what you ATE this weekend.

I understand the position that you’re in.

I’d suggest that you try to adjust the week / weekend proportions. Try and eat a little more during the week and exercise a little less. At the weekend, don’t go mad but just relax a bit more. Don’t binge - tell yourself that you don’t need to - you can have what you want within reason.

This is really about resetting your expectations, relaxing a little more and achieving balance.

Mindful eating might help - eat slowly, put your cutlery down between bites, drink water with your meal and stop when you feel full.
Good luck - I really hope this helps.

What kind of thing / volume are you eating at the weekend? Just wondering if your judgement of what is loads is accurate or skewed due to some disordered eating?

At the weekend I will crave all the junk food I can think of - so I’ll eat a chocolate biscuit then want another then another and soon the box is gone.

Then I’ll crave crisps and I’ll eat a packet but the craving will never be satisfied. I’ll then crave chips and pizza and we’ll get a takeaway but I never feel satisfied.

Which is strange as during the week I can go days without craving chocolate or junk. I eat only nutritional food during the week and feel satisfied.

I estimate i can eat between 3,000-4,000 calories on a weekend day. During the week it’s about 1,600-1,900 with big portions but low calorie foods. I focus on protein and generally feel ok.

According to my Fitbit I earn 200-600 exercise calories a day which gets added to my fitness pal but I don’t eat these.

During the week I can feel absolutely drained and exhausted and no drive or energy which I hate. Then at the weekend I “allow” myself a biscuit and then can’t stop and it’s a vicious cycle.

Today I woke up and thought this needs to stop. I done a workout and now I’m already slipping into the mindset of skipping a meal to compensate for the weekend but I know that’ll just lead to more lack of energy on a few days and a binge at the week d.

This is a typical good day during the week.

This is last Sunday after binging on the Saturday

You're eating more at the weekend because you are restricting in the week. You need to eat more in the week OP and this will stop you wanting to eat all of the food at the weekend. You need to stop punishing yourself on a Monday. Close MFP and eat what your body needs. I recommend reading up on Intuitive Eating.

This is what makes me mad about the whole thinner is better no matter what the cost mindset, that I witness on MN in particular. Being thin at the expense of your mental health is NOT healthy no matter which way you try to dress it up.

I agree with PP, you are being too strict during the week so when the weekend comes and you feel you can relax it you go overboard.

I usually allow myself a treat at the weekends but I always have a little 100/150 calorie treat every day wether it’s some chocolate or a biscuit etc that way I’m not totally craving it come the weekend.

Exercise if you like but don’t punish your body for eating, that’s not healthy. Learning to self regulate eating isn’t easy, if your getting through 3-4000 calories a day on a weekend you know yourself it’s just greed.

Continue to eat well during the week, allow yourself something if you want it but stick to a limited portion. Have a takeaway at the weekend if you like, they say maintaining weight is harder than loosing sometimes and it can be for sure - it’s all about finding a balance x