How to Get Back on Track After a Binge (Without Starting Another Diet)
The short answer: Make your very next meal a normal one. Don't skip meals, fast, or start a stricter diet to make up for it, because restricting can feed the binge cycle. One binge doesn't change who you are. Ask at your next choice: "Would a healthy person eat this?" That's how I went from 258 pounds to 184. If binges feel out of control, talk to a doctor.
What should I do right after a binge?
Not much. That's the point.
When you've just binged, your mind is loud. It wants to make a plan. Tomorrow I'll eat nothing. Monday I'll start over. I'll cut out everything.
I know that voice. At 24, I weighed 258 pounds. Every diet I tried lasted a few days, then ended in a binge. And then came the next diet.
That plan was the problem. Here's what I'd do instead, right after:
- Drink some water. Not as punishment. Just because a healthy person drinks water.
- Go to bed if it's late. Nothing needs to be solved tonight.
- Skip the scale tomorrow. One night's food tells you nothing useful about your weight.
- Don't announce a new diet. Not to yourself, not to anyone.
Should I skip meals or fast the next day?
I wouldn't, and Mayo Clinic says the same.
The Mayo Clinic describes how people with binge eating often try to restrict or severely cut back after a binge, which may increase urges to eat and lead to more binges. The binge feels like the cause. Often it's the restriction before and after that keeps the loop going.
So the next morning, eat breakfast. A normal one. Then lunch. Then dinner. Boring is good here. Boring breaks the loop.
How do I get back on track with my diet after a binge?
This is where I'd gently disagree with the question.
"Getting back on track with my diet" assumes the diet was working. For me, the diet was the track that led to the binge. Every time.
What finally worked was getting off that track entirely. In the summer of 1998, I stopped dieting and decided I was a healthy person. Not someone on a healthy diet. A healthy person.
That changes what "back on track" means. A diet has rules, and a binge breaks them, so you've failed. A healthy person doesn't have a rulebook to break. They have one question at every choice: "Would a healthy person eat this?" After a binge, you just ask it again at the next meal. You're not starting over. You're continuing.
If you want the bigger story of that loop, I wrote how to stop yo-yo dieting about exactly that.
Why do I feel so guilty after a binge?
Guilt after a binge is very common. Mayo lists feeling ashamed, guilty or upset about eating as one of the signs of binge-eating disorder.
Here's how I think about it, as a person and not a professional. Guilt says, "I'm bad." That makes you want to punish yourself. Punishing yourself looks like a crash diet. And the crash diet leads to the next binge.
A healthy person who overeats one evening isn't bad. They overate one evening. That's it. The next choice is still theirs.
If the guilt is heavy, or the binges are frequent, please talk to someone. The NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has a clear overview of binge-eating disorder and its treatment, and the National Eating Disorders Association can help you find support.
How long does it take to recover from a binge?
I can't give you a number, and I'd be careful with anyone who does.
What I can say: one binge is one day of eating. Weight on the scale the next morning can jump for reasons that aren't fat, like water and food still in your system. That's why I'd skip the scale for a bit. It can scare you into another diet.
The real "recovery" is the next normal meal. Then the next one.
What are simple steps for the next few days?
These are simple steps. They're not a treatment plan.
1. Eat regular meals
Breakfast, lunch, dinner. No "making up" for anything.
2. Ask the question at each one
"Would a healthy person eat this?" Not "What am I allowed to eat?" There's a big difference.
3. Pick one small thing, not ten
After a binge, it's tempting to change everything. Don't. For me, change came one at a time: pop, then milk, then fries. Each one settled before the next.
4. Keep your daily habits going
I walk every day. I drink 32 oz of water each morning. Those don't stop after a bad night. Habits like these remind you who you are. I wrote more in healthy habits for weight loss.
5. End the day with a check-in
At night, ask, "Did I act like a healthy person today?" Mostly is enough.
Want help with the next choice, not the next diet? The free 5-day challenge is one short email a day from me. Day 1's only task: notice one food choice you make out of habit. Don't fix it. Just notice it.
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How do I stop the next binge?
Look at the day before, not just the night of. For me, binges came at the end of trying too hard. If evenings are the hard part, see how to stop binge eating at night.
What happened for me
Since 1998, I've gone from 258 pounds to 184, where I am today. I didn't do it by being perfect. I did it by not dieting, so a bad day was just a bad day, not the end of something.
That's my story, not a promise.
Try the free 5-day challenge
If every binge has led to another diet, try the free 5-day challenge. One short email a day from me about stepping off the diet track. You'll practice the everyday version of "Would a healthy person eat this?": What would a healthy person do right now?
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FAQ
How do I get back on track with my diet after a binge?
Make your next meal a normal one and keep going. Don't skip meals or start a stricter diet, because restricting after a binge can feed the cycle. What worked for me was dropping the diet and asking, "Would a healthy person eat this?" at each choice.
Should I fast after a binge?
I wouldn't. Mayo Clinic notes that restricting or severely cutting back after a binge may increase urges to eat and lead to more binges. Eat regular meals instead.
Will one binge ruin my progress?
One binge is one day of eating. The scale may jump from water and food in your system, which isn't the same as fat gain. What matters more is what you do at the next meal and the one after.
How do I stop feeling guilty after a binge?
Remind yourself that one evening doesn't change who you are. Guilt tends to lead to punishment, and punishment often looks like the next crash diet. If guilt or binges are frequent, talk to a doctor or a mental health professional.
When should I get help for binge eating?
If you often eat large amounts while feeling out of control, or it's affecting your life, talk to your doctor. NIDDK and the National Eating Disorders Association are good places to learn more.
I'm not a doctor; this is what worked for me. It's not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before changing your diet, and get help if your eating feels out of control.