Getting Back on Track After a Binge

Many dieters fear the dreaded binge, where you wither overdo or lose control and eat everything you can. An occasional binge isn't the end of your diet. Following are some tips for getting back on track after a binge.

First of all, don't let guilt consume you if you indulged in a binge while dieting. It may be a small setback but overall, infrequent binging will not hurt your long-term weight loss goals.

Don't cut back on your food intake the next day in an attempt to make up for the excess of the binge. You need to concentrate on getting back on track after a binge. You can do this by resuming your regular diet plan.

Eating too little on any day is not only unhealthy, it can slow your metabolism making it more difficult to burn calories. If you make a habit of binging followed by extremely restricted eating, it is as harmful to your body as yo-yo dieting. According to an article in The New York Times, yo-yo dieting may even harm your immune system.

Drink extra water for a couple of days after a binge. This can help reduce any bloating you may experience from too much food or ingredients such as salt and certain sugars. If you feel you gained weight immediately after a binge, it's most likely due to bloating and will pass in a couple of days. Getting back on track after a binge will prevent permanent added pounds.

If you find that you binge frequently, you may not be on the right diet plan. You may be restricting your food intake too much. Or perhaps you are avoiding too many of the foods you enjoy. When you eat too little or never allow yourself to indulge, you are setting yourself up for the potential to binge.

Find a diet plan that works for you. For some people, taking a day off when dieting works well. It is like a controlled binge fit into the diet plan. This method does not work for all people. You can read some of the benefits and risks to your diet in my article "Should I Take a Day Off When Dieting?"

You can also prevent a binge by allowing yourself small treats in moderation throughout your diet. You may not feel like you are depriving yourself so much and you will be less likely to binge. In my article "Attitude on Indulging Is a Weight Loss Barrier" you can find out how a little indulging may prevent a major binge later on.

When dieting, you should expect setbacks such as the potential binge. You can't change it once it has happened. The best you can do is find ways to reduce the risk of binging in the future and resume your diet plan by getting back on track after a binge.

REFERENCES:

Jon O'Neil; Vital Signs: Behavior - The Dangers of Yo-Yo Dieting; The New York Times

Jolynne M Hudnell; Yahoo! Contributor Network

Should I Take a Day Off when Dieting?

Attitude on Indulging Is a Weight Loss Barrier