Binged on 3000 calories!!! What should I do?

[Anonymous]

I don't know what caused me ton binge today. I eat about 3000-3500 calories! This included half a jar of peanut butter, a lot of oatmeal and müsli full of nuts and dried fruits, and bread. I feel terrible:-( Im trying to lose 3-4 kg by the end of March, but binging like this won't help me at all.
Should I cut my calories back to 1000 for the next four days to level it out?
Im trying to stick to a 1400 calorie diet.

[HumbleTeddy]

Calories? People are still with that? Let me give you the facts on "calories"... THEY DO NOT MATTER. Think of calories as an advertising tool and nothing more; It's just a form of creating expensive foods and labeling them as "healthy" low calorie meals for weight loss. A similar example: when cars were first created, they ran on steam engines but Iin order to make more money, they deliberately created them to run on the "junk" leftover from the petroleum fields. It was a pact between businesses to make more money. With that being said, consider this thought for a moment: what's worst?; 1000 calories of vegetables? Or 1000 calories of mayonase? The obvious choice is mayonase. Why? Because of it's CONTENTS not the "calorie" measurement. Vegetables are high in carbohydrates, which are used for retaining water in your system, and they contain no grams of fat which is essentail to the human body. Think of the comparison of 1 pound of "some object" being dropped on your head. Would you prefer 1 pound of rocks to be dropped? Or 1 pound of pillows? Now substitute that analogy Iinto your diet: Would you rather have a "healthy" option of a 100 calorie ice cream? or 100 calories of fruit? The choice is now obvious isn't it. The ice cream, however low the calories are advertised, still contains grams of fat and sugar that turns into fat; While the fruit, although still containing sugar, has no extra grams of fat to be stored in your body. All in all, this is a science of Biology and what the CONTENTS of the food consumed will result in. People mistakenly believe that it is Physics and try to measure weight loss by giving foods numbers (calories). Now judging by the foods you ate, I would say you're fine. I hope this helped.

[Asker]

Thank you so much for you reply. This is something I have been struggling with for a while. I try to stick to mainly fruits, vegetables and grains. I often hear people say that you can consumer as much as you want as long as it is healthy. However, others say you if eat more than you burn you put on weight. I follow a youtuber called free lee the banana girl who is vegan and eats between 2500-3500 calories per day as is super slim and fit, however, others say no more than you burn. My BMR is around 1400. So every time I eat more Im worried I'm gaining weight which I have over the past few months... which might be from sweets I have been consuming.
Anyway, your answer makes sense... thanks:-)

[HumbleTeddy]

You're welocome :) And remember: Judge food, not by the number of calories but by the content of it's existence. I. e. Where did it come from? Was it fried? Was it baked? Is it whole grain or unrefined flour? What are its contents...

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

Calories represent content--- specifically macronutrients. MACRO-- meaning large nutrients.. Opposed to small nutrients called micronutrients. Macronutrients by far have the most influence over a person's health. A person who eats 2000 calories of mayonnaise a day, might develop deficiencies that effect their skin and hair health, but still can work a job and function. A person eating 500 calories of veggies a day, will wither down to nothing and become incapable of work.

So if CONTENTS matter, certainly calories are the biggest, most influential contents that matter most.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

Also I think it needs pointing out, your analogy about pillows had no link to anything being said. It's like if I said would you prefer eating a snake or a butterfly? Now it's totally obvious why 100 calories of fruit is better than ice cream.

[HumbleTeddy]

You obviously no nothing about your OWN body sir. I've stated this because I have practiced nutrition FIRST hand. I don't go by what the media and books tell me. And I guess, apparently, my analogy was too complex for your "microbrain" to understand.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

Why are you putting it in quotes? It makes me think you're not sure what micro means.

I obviously don't "no nothing". Because that's nonsensical-- just like your analogy. =)

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

I'm sorry but your most helpful opinion is entirely wrong. If you eat 3500 calories of the most nutritious food in the world, and only burn 1800 calories a day-- you will get fat. That's basic math. Calories are just units of energy. Not some selling point or health craze. Scientific units for energy. If you have energy and you don't use it, your body stores it. Whether it's carbs, fats, or proteins.

Now, 1 day isn't going to kill you. Whether you gain weight or lose weight is a long run average. The amount of calories you consume in a month vs the calories you burn in a month, will be the determinant in your weight gain or loss in that month. A single day, doesn't define your consumption for the rest of your life. You could very well have days where you only eat 800 calories and those will offset the days you eat too much. What's important is that on average you eat well, not too little and not too much.

I've lived my life on fast food, frozen foods and snacks. And I'm easily more fit than 95% of the nation. Significant micronutrient deficiencies are rare (and easily cured with a single multivitamin pill), but people struggling with their weight/macronutrients-- that's extremely common and a hard solution. Work out and eat proper proportions-- those are the most important things to health. Not whether you ate ice cream or ate broccoli. You can take a multivitamin and that completely mitigates any reason to eat a salad over pizza. Carbs and fats are interchangable-- they're both sources of energy (carbs are just better for quick energy and fats are usually more filling). Protein is not though, so make sure you get a sufficient amount of it.

[Asker]

Hi thanks for your reply. This is exactly why I am confused, because one person says something and someone else says something to totally different. To be honest I think the same way as you... it does not matter what you eat as long as you burn more than you eat.

For now ill stick to my 1400 diet since I don't exercise that much and i need to lose weight.
Thanks!

[Asker]

I follow Free lee on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQGuAISXqzE

She says in most of her videos you can eat as much as you want... dont calorie restrict. She is fit and very slim... so there again... confusing.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

You can eat as much as you want IF you're active. I eat whenever I feel like, but I exercise 1-3 hours a day. Exercise causes hunger, and eventually an athlete gets to a point where they're exercising so much that their hunger is directly proportionate to their activity. For the sedentary, however, it's ill-advised.

I personally advocate exercise over diet for staying fit. But that's not for everyone. I mean, I have a home gym and even as I'm typing this I'm stopping to do sets of barbell box-squats. If you're not extremely active physically, and eating more won't make you more active (as it would for myself), then watch your calories. You don't have to count and measure them perfectly. You just need to make sure you're in the general area by 100-300 calories. Over time you'll sometimes go over and sometimes go under and in the end long run average dictates you'll lose weight.

It doesn't have to be complicated is my point.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

And I think her point is to make things simple too. Hers is just workout and long run average dictates that the calories you burn will create a deficit. Assuming all other variables will stay normal over a long period of time, that is very rational reasoning. That's why when people ask about diets, rather than advocating a number, I advocate that they just add high protein, high hunger satisfaction foods. If you eat jerky, greek yogurt and hard boiled eggs every week-- those are gonna fill you up and make you eat less calories and over a long period of time, without even counting calories, you will lose weight. It can be that simple. People like to over dramatize every aspect of health. It's just not that complicated. Our bodies are extremely efficient and they don't need EVERYTHING. Hitting the major points -- calories and exercise, or just calories or just exercise-- can make a huge difference. Everything else is a minor difference-- and is often just too much for people

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

to handle that they attempt to do it all with health, find it too much, and then decide to quit because it was too hard. Keep it simple, you'll be successful. If you just want to be slim, add a few snacks into your regular grocery shopping list that'll reduce your calorie intake over the long run.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

Sorry I'm long winded by nature, and since I was doing it between sets I was thinking of more and more to say xD

But yeah, stick to your diet, it'll work. Just gotta give it time and not over complicate it to the point that you decide to quit.

[HumbleTeddy]

Sir, the information I gave was from the perspective of someone who exercises regularly. I understand that it's a science but the wrong science is being applied. They're measuring food in a form physics not Biology. It matters how our bodies as HUMANS react to certain foods. We're not some kind of vehicle of which you can just measure mileage with caloric intake. Calories are not the same as say fuel for a car; A certain amount of gasoline gets your car x miles. The amount of calories DO NOT MATTER; IT'S WHAT'S IN THE CALORIES THAT MATTER.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

I exercise regularly too and plenty of blockheads do as well. Doesn't mean they're capable of astute observations. We fuel our bodies, much like a car actually (HEY! An analogy that works, is one that you think doesn't-- ha funny). An engine will not function without fuel, and as it becomes deprived of fuel it slowly spits and sputters what's left in the engine until it dies. Equally, our bodies will not function with 0 calorie intake.. you will become lethargic and once your body uses all the calories left in the body it will then die-- much like the engine.

[HumbleTeddy]

I don't even know why I bother replying to a douche bag online. You can keep following the media for all I care.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

It's not the media.. it's basic science. Calorie restriction, regardless of fats, carbs or protein, results in weight loss every time.

www.lifetime-weightloss.com/.../...Comparisons.pdf

We've studied which is best to eat to lose weight, carbs, fats or proteins, for decades now. The consensus has been that calorie restriction, regardless of it's nutrients, results in weight loss. While a surplus leads to gains.

Thousands of people have lost weight on the McDonald's diet (yes the McDonald's diet!). Don Gorske maintains a slim figure while eating at least 1 big mac every day for 40 years. And has ate over 25,000 big macs in his lifetime.

It's clearly not what's in the calories that matters most. Calories matter most.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

In all seriousness though, why couldn't we name the guy who invented an improved toilet system for railroad cars, but Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla are so much easier?

Don't be ridiculous.

[NotJustAnotherGuy]

Totally typed that in the wrong spot. Oops! (: sorry<3

[Anonymous]

Your problem is that you are trying to eat 1400 calories or less a day and that is far too low. Your body is binging because it needs the food and is starving. Eat the proper amount of food for your body and excersize and you will reach your goals. Restricting and all that will do nothing good for your body, or at least not long term.. and you will feel horrible and go through binges because you are STARVING YOURSELF!! You need at least 2000 calories a day

[Prettygurl12]

One fat day will not make you fat. If you return to your diet it will level out. You should do a HIIT workout. That might help make you feel a little better.

[smokahontas]

It is just one day! It won't make a difference. Just don't do it anymore and still stick to a 1,400 calorie diet.

[madhatters4]

well one day won't kill you. as far as I know a woman your age should get about 2000 calories per day... just try and get a lot of exercise to burn off about 1000 calories at least... which isn't too hard

[findingdreamland]

I believe, a little bit of cheating on diet, has some benefits. Your body works more now, to consume food you got.
Just continue your own diet. You will be all right :)

[Trailblazer23]

I wish I had your problem. I am skinny 5'11'' 145 lbs trying to gain 10 lbs lol

[bubble_tea]

Just forget it happened.

[Anonymous]

Just carry on as normal.

[Anonymous]

Take a big shit