When I'm good I'm really good but when I'm bad I'm horrid :)

random10

Anyone else like this when it comes to food, either really good or really bad, finding it hard to get a constant balance?

lachin

Yes, I can definitely relate to that, in every aspect of life, I'm an all or nothing person. So as regards food I'm either on a massive health kick, eating clean or on mega junk food binges. Lately though, junk food is presenting less and less in my diet. I find it's all about habit, the more I eat clean the more I enjoy eating healthy unprocessed foods.

blah88

Sums me up completely. I can do an extremely strict diet for a couple of weeks where I eat a thousand calories under maintenance each day, only to blow it all by eating 10,000 over maintenance in one day of drinking and eating fast food. I added up the total calories I ate (of which I could remember, there was probably more) after one typical binge-eating weekend and it was absolutely shocking. One burger I ate from Burger King had over a thousand calories alone.

random10

the thing is it's a vicious circle when I'm eating crap i feel like crap andso then too tired and lazy to exercise,so then my confidence is shot to pieces and i eat more crap, i usually snap out of it and get exercising again but its hard, my diet really effects my confidence levels.

duckielover

me!!me!!! im so the same, i feel crap and tired especailly after work and that and i eat junk all types, i just cannot seem to strike a healthy balance, i want to lose weight and i get motivated for a while and then things start to go downhill, trying to keep the motivatio nand willpower is worst for me i need help

rocky

blah88 wrote: »

Sums me up completely. I can do an extremely strict diet for a couple of weeks where I eat a thousand calories under maintenance each day, only to blow it all by eating 10,000 over maintenance in one day of drinking and eating fast food. I added up the total calories I ate (of which I could remember, there was probably more) after one typical binge-eating weekend and it was absolutely shocking. One burger I ate from Burger King had over a thousand calories alone.

Try eating at a lower deficit, 500kcals for example.

Frogdog

A lot of the posters here seem to be too drastic with their cuts (eating 1,000 calories a day less) and then end up binging - it's bound to happen and is a vicious circle unless ye follow rocky's advice - smaller cuts (ie 500 cals or less) will lead to better results.

rocky

People binge for different reasons.

Other things that may help (besides reducing the deficit):

You can try having the treats as part of your meals, planned, fitting in your macros for the day. 1-200 calories worth of chocolate/whatever shouldn't make or break a diet (unless it's Atkins :rolleyes:). This way you won't be caught off-guard when having one square of chocolate and going for the whole bar just because you think you messed up.

Sometimes, simply fitting the foods you crave into your macros might not help. Some people have "trigger foods". They eat a little bit of candy/chocolate or whatever it may be, and they fall off the wagon. Others can fit these foods in, and it helps them curb the cravings to where they do not binge where they would otherwise.

So basically, theres no cookie cutter approach to controlling your binges. You'll simply have to try to find out what works for you. That being said, willpower will go a long way in your success. Most people have urges to binge on food, but willpower stops them from giving in to temporary satisfaction that will only inhibit their long term goal.

Try to keep busy..think of other things besides food. Go outside during the day, do homework/play games at night. Just dont sit around thinking about it.

Another strategy that may work is implementing Intermittent Fasting, postponing your food until later in the day. If your calories and macros are the same, it's not any worse than small regular 5+ meals from the pov of body composition. But it helpts tremendously having a huge meal before bed (if that's what you feel you need), and makes it much easier to fit treats in this big meal.