What To Do After A Binge

Have you ever wondered what to do after a binge? We have all been there — whether it is eating too much food at a family barbecue, using the weekend as an excuse to eat lots of takeaway or overindulging during the holidays! It can be so easy to overeat despite our best intentions. 

Jump to: 

• Binge eating vs overeating
• What to do after a binge

Don’t stress! Overeating happens to almost all of us and the worst thing you can do is feel disappointed or angry at yourself for it. This will only lead to an unhealthy relationship with food if it keeps happening over the long term.

What is the difference between binge eating and overeating?

While people often use the terms ‘binge’ eating and ‘overeating’ interchangeably, it’s important to understand that there IS a difference between binge eating and overeating. 

In a general sense, overeating is a term often used to explain mindless eating. On the other hand, binge eating tends to be caused by more of an emotional trigger than a physical hunger. Because both of these can have the same after-effect of feeling too full, you may hear them referred to in a similar way. In this blog, I’ll touch on both but it’s important for you to understand that there IS a difference between the two!

If you do find that you’ve eaten too much, here are some simple tips that I suggest you try next time you find that you’ve overindulged. Keep reading to find out what they are!

What To Do After A Binge

Here are my top tips for what to do after a binge:

1. Be kind to yourself

Ladies, when it comes to knowing what to do after a binge, this one is probably the most important: PLEASE do not feel guilty or bad that you have overeaten. The first step to good health is having a strong and positive mindset and when you start to think of foods as being ‘good’ and ‘bad’ for you, or you start to feel guilty for eating too much of certain foods, it can be easy to fall into negative and unhealthy mindsets. 

Obviously, there are some foods that contain fewer nutrients and will not fuel your body as well as other foods. However, having these kinds of food every now and then is not going to derail your progress, in the same way that doing one workout is not going to make you super fit! 

Next time you’re wondering what to do after a binge, remind yourself that balance is key. The more you allow negativity to take over, the more it will hold you back. Try not to be too hard on yourself and try out some of the suggestions below to help you with the physical discomfort that can come with overeating.
 

2. Go for a walk

The best thing you can do straight after overeating is to go for a nice long walk — music can benefit your workout, no matter how slow you go, so put your headphones in and get motivated with some good music, or take your dog along with you!

Notice how I suggested doing a low-intensity walk? It’s important to know how to recover from a binge in a way that doesn’t promote any extreme choices or encourage a negative mindset. Taking a walk straight after overeating is something you should try when wondering what to do after a binge. This is because walking aids in digestion and can help to ease some of your discomfort. 

If you’re not feeling up to anything straight after overeating, try doing a good cardio session the next day when you aren’t feeling so full. Whether that is a quick HIIT session or a jog on the treadmill, do anything that will make you sweat. This can help you to feel SO much better and can help to reduce that bloated feeling.

3. Don’t skip breakfast

If you have woken up the morning after overindulging and are still feeling sluggish or bloated, the trick is to keep your breakfast light. A proper breakfast is a MUST in the morning so make a protein and nutrient-packed breakfast like a chia seed omelette, or just eat some yoghurt with fresh berries. 

The reason eating breakfast is so important is because it kickstarts your metabolism and will help speed up your digestion. Eating breakfast can also get you into the right mindset so you continue your healthy eating schedule.

4. Drink lots of H20

If you’ve wondered what to do after a binge, drinking water is one of my top tips! Water can help to flush out all the toxins in your body and make you feel better. Try to drink between 2-3 litres a day and drink a tall glass of water before bed and when you wake up. 

The benefits of drinking water the next day also means you are rehydrating, which your body probably needs if you have consumed too many fatty and salty foods. Being dehydrated can be really bad for your body, so it’s important that you keep up your water intake.

5. Eat well

When it comes to knowing what to do after a binge, skipping meals is one of the worst things you can do! Skipping meals will only cause your hunger to grow throughout the day and may even result in another binge. 

Instead, try to eat as clean as possible so that your body is filled with wholesome foods. Eating protein with every meal can help to keep you full and boost your metabolism and high-fibre foods can help with your digestion. 

It can also be useful to plan your meals for the next couple of days. As mentioned already, try to make sure you stick to wholesome and nutritious foods. Doing this will encourage you to stick to a positive routine in the coming days and will help you get your energy back by fueling your body with good nutrients!

6. Get back on track

If you want to know what to do after a binge, another important tip I have for you is to try to get back on track! Schedule in your workouts for the next few days and commit to them. The best way to recover after overeating is to get straight back into your healthy routine and push away any excuses. To help you stay on track with exercise, find yourself a workout buddy — a reliable friend or a colleague — and plan to train with them regularly. 

Along with planning your meals, try to stick to a consistent eating routine. Some studies have suggested that maintaining a consistent routine can help to lessen the occurrence of binge eating. 

I know that sometimes after overindulging, it can be easy to get into a negative mindset but have positive practices in place to help get you back into a healthy mindset. 

Now you know what to do after a binge 

I hope these simple tips have helped. Remember ladies, the trick to overeating is to take steps to rectify it and know what to do after a binge. Look after your body and don’t let yourself feel bad about any of your choices. Nobody eats perfectly healthy all the time and it’s totally natural to sometimes feel like you may have overindulged.

However, if you feel this is regularly happening and that it might be a more serious issue, it might be useful to speak to your healthcare professional, who will listen and provide you with recommendations to help for your situation.

Remember, we are all human and indulging is a part of life — the best thing you can do is know how to recover from a binge and get yourself back on track.