People commonly come to me, asking what they should do after they binge. I usually tell them to exercise and eat less calories the next day, but that’s a pretty basic answer. So I have done tons of research, reflected on my own experiences, and decided on the best plan of action for after a binge.
*Note: I have only tested these 10 steps on myself. Therefore, they’re just what works best for me. You may find that something completely different works for you.*
Step 1.) Drink 2 cups of water. I know that’s the most basic thing to hear “Oh just drink lots of water!”, but it’s essential. It’ll help everything in your body, it’ll help you recover from a binge, etc. If you don’t believe me, just Google it!
Step 2.) Get away from food. Whether you’re mid-binge, or you believe you’re done, the urge to keep eating can sneak up on you. So my advice is to get as far away from food as possible for a while.
Step 3.) Brush your teeth. This will keep you busy for a few minutes, and the urge to eat will lessen. Food rarely tastes good after brushing your teeth.
Step 4.) Bundle up in lots of layers of warm clothes, and exercise until you’re sweating like crazy. This will keep you busy, and you’ll burn lots of calories. Along with that, it’ll make step 5 a lot easier.
Step 5.) Take a cold bath. Cold baths are amazing for burning calories. Seriously, they’re so amazing, I plan on making a whole post about them. They’re really good for your nails and skin, which is an added bonus, since nails and skin often suffer during calorie restriction. Every ten minutes in a bathtub full of cold water burns 133 calories. You’ll still be really hot from step 4, so take full advantage of that, and bathe for as long as possible.
Step 6.) Do some yoga. After all that exercising and shivering, you’re probably too tired to do another giant workout. But it’s highly important to burn as many calories as possible after a binge, so I suggest yoga. For every half hour you do yoga, you burn only about 5 calories short of your weight in calories. (For example, I’m 104 pounds, so I’d burn around 99 calories for every half hour of yoga.)
Step 7.) Plan tomorrow’s calorie intake. Now that you’re in a clearer mindset, try to plan your calorie intake for tomorrow. Keep it somewhat low, since today’s binge had lots of calories that you’re still working off, but make sure it’s high enough that you won’t feel such a need to binge again.
Step 8.) Have a small healthy snack. I know firsthand that after a binge, I never wanna eat again. But having a controlled amount of food after a binge can help regain the feeling of control over what you eat. So unless you still feel overly stuffed, try to have at least a few bites of a fruit or veggie.
Step 9.) Take a break from food and calories. Spend an hour or two relaxing and just watching some TV or YouTube. Don’t want anything related to food or eating disorders or exercising, just watch something that makes you smile. You deserve a break.
Step 10.) Just move on. You binged, you burned some calories, you’ll survive. You can do better tomorrow, and you will do better tomorrow. Even if you binge again, you’ll gain more wisdom and insight on the causes of your binges, as well as your best methods of coping. Good luck!
