How to recover from a binge

By Elly McGuinness

Are you feeling guilty and maybe a bit ‘off’ after some extra indulgence during a sugar-focused holiday? If so, this short blog is for you. Read on to discover how to recover from a binge.

[Note that the advice in this post is not in reference to binge eating disorders. It’s more about healthy eating and lifestyle tips to help people who have found themselves overeating during a short time period and want tips to get back on track with a healthy eating regime. Please seek professional advice if you have an eating disorder. There are likely to be mental health issues and additional layers to work through in this situation].

Holidays will always be part of life and should be enjoyed.  Whether your goals are centered on weight loss, improved fitness performance, or something else, you should be able to enjoy a break away from your usual exercise and eating routine at certain times of the year.  You should also be able to feel good that you have mindfully planned to do so.

However, with the excellent marketing of tasty treats and perhaps the temporary ceasing of your exercise program during any holiday period, you might be feeling annoyed or frustrated at yourself for over-indulging.  If you’ve gone a bit overboard and need to reset or re-energize your body, then remember these two simple steps to help get you back on track:

  • Move on from the guilt
  • Make choices that nourish you

(This post includes affiliate links for which I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase)

What to do after a binge

1. Move on from the guilt

What has happened in the past has already been and cannot be changed.  It is important to be able to find a way to move on from guilty feelings about binging to help prevent other unhealthy behaviors from occurring. Other unhealthy behaviors could include binging on exercise or going on a diet to try and make up for it afterward.

I know it is difficult to put this step into practice just by telling yourself to move on.  Therefore I’m providing a few suggestions that can help with acceptance and creating a positive mindset:

Practice EFT (emotional freedom technique)

EFT can help clear disruptions in your energy system caused by negative emotions you are holding on to.  In this case, the negative emotion is the feeling of guilt from overindulgence.  Freedom from persistent negative emotions can help reduce your tendency towards emotional eating and help improve your mental health.

A vast array of resources are available on the internet and in the library to teach you about EFT.  (For more serious emotional blockages, I recommend seeing an EFT practitioner such as Karen Degen at ‘Set Free with EFT‘).

health and happiness-happy couple riding a bike in the countryside

Practice meditation

Try a guided meditation podcast focused on self-love and acceptance. First, download a podcast platform (I use ‘Podcast Addict’ on my Android phone, which you can get from the Google Play store here) and then use keywords to find a meditation podcast.  I recommend ‘The Meditation Podcast’ by Jesse and Jeane Stern.

(If meditation interests you, then you may enjoy my Learn to Meditate in 10 days post).

I also highly recommend this free 4-day mindfulness discovery program from my friend Izzie.

Exercise as Stress Relief-woman meditating

Try NLP for overeating

You can use some very effective neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) techniques to help rewire your brain. Specific strategies can help you think about food differently, so you’ll want to grab nourishing and healthy options over less-healthy ones.

[Find out more, including two specific techniques that are used for people who want to lose weight, in “NLP for weight loss | Tips to rewire your brain for success”]

If you want to know how to recover from a binge, moving on from the guilt is an essential first step.  It helps you to enjoy and get the most out of the next step.

2. Make choices that nourish you

Instead of focusing on things to avoid (e.g., sugar or chocolate) as a way of getting back on track, I encourage you to move away from the deprivation mindset.  Instead, focus on what you can add to your body or life to help you to feel healthier.  This is the second step in ‘how to recover from a binge.’

Movement

Get back on track with your fitness after the holidays by choosing a form of movement you enjoy rather than one you feel you have to do. Practice it to enjoy it and feel more energized.  This is very different from going into exercise with a negative mindset that tells yourself to work off the extra kg or two you have gained.

If you’re stuck for ideas, check out some blogs in my ‘Physical Fitness’ category. You can also grab my free bodyweight workout download.

Food

Choose foods you enjoy that you know are nutrient-dense and nourishing for your body.  For example, buy your favorite fruits to snack on during the week. Or look for some healthy alternatives such as nuts like iHerb’s Navitas Naturals Organic Cashew Nuts. Click here for the latest prices.

Get started with meal planning if you haven’t already done so. Without planning, it’s much easier to make poor food choices. This is because you’ll reach the stage of being hungry and grabbing whatever you have on hand.

Be sure to include a source of protein and fat with every meal. This will help you to feel satiated and less likely to feel like you want something else just a short time after your meal.

When you focus on optimal nutrition choices from a wide variety of foods, your cravings for ‘quick fixes’ usually decrease.

If you still feel like a chocolate fix, consider making something simple and delicious yourself. 

Cacao powder can be used in your chocolate brownie recipes in place of cocoa powder.

Further thoughts on what to do after binge eating

If you’ve read this far, you now have some valuable ideas to help you know how to recover from a binge. It’s also worth considering who you spend most of your time with. Often, your food choices may be influenced by those around you.

[Find out more in “Are your relationships sabotaging your nutrition efforts?”]

Repeated binging and restricting requires a whole-life approach for success. Check out this post to discover why you are binge eating and how to stop the binge-restrict cycle for good.

My final piece of advice is to be kind to yourself. Give yourself a chance to take a few small, positive steps for better health and happiness. Do you have any advice on how to recover from a binge or what to do after overeating in general? What has helped you in the past? Please feel free to comment in the box below.

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these recommended service provider links, like an insurance broker, or a travel agent, I may earn a commission – at no extra cost to you. [For my full disclosure, please see my DISCLAIMER page].

Did you enjoy this blog? Have you been inspired by any of my other content such as my social posts or videos? Did you know you can now ‘Buy Me A Coffee‘! Just click the button and express your gratitude however you see fit.

Other holistic health articles you may like

How about sharing your own thoughts?

What actions might you take next? What questions do you have?

Leave a comment below to let me know what you think of this post.

Elly McGuinness

0 Comments

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Christmas Fitness Tips To Stop You Falling Off The Wagon! - Global Talk Daily - […] of the tasty treats on offer at this time of year may make you feel resentful and more likely…

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *