All people overeat from time to time.  An overeating episode can be very upsetting.  Remember these two important points about overeating:

 

• A single overeating episode produces little actual weight gain. 
• What you do after overeating is more important than the overeating itself.  

 

The following steps can help you get back on track if you experience a lapse in appropriate eating:

 

1.  Remove yourself immediately from the situation

Leave the room you are in, or leave the house.  Get away from the food and the place.  Where could you go to feel safe?

 

2.  Talk to yourself appropriately

Watch out for negative, automatic thoughts.  Separate behavior from “I’m a bad person because I overate.”  Say something like, “I’ve eaten more than I wanted to.  I’m upset, but I’m stopping now.  I can live with gaining a half-pound.  It’s not the end of the world.”

 

3.  Set short-term goals

• Write goals for 15-minute intervals for a total of three hours.  Your initial goal should be “I will not eat anything for the next 15 minutes.  I know I can do this.  I’ll go for a walk, read a book, or call a friend.”
• Check off each 15-minute interval as it passes.  This helps you stay in control. 

 

4.  Make plans for your next regular meal

• Try not to skip a meal after overeating.  You don’t have to eat a lot, but eat something - at least 150 calories.  Return to your meal plan.
• Resist the impulse to starve or condemn yourself.  This self-punishment will only lead to feelings of deprivation, and possibly more overeating. 

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5.  Dispose of the problem food

• Wait until you feel in control to dispose of the food.  If you try to dispose of it while you’re upset, you may end up eating more.
• Flush it down the toilet, put it down the garbage disposal, or ask a family member to remove it for you.

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6.  Determine the number of calories you ate

• This activity will help you realize that you didn’t eat as much as you think you did.  

• Don’t weigh yourself immediately after overeating.  Your weight may be up by several pounds because of the weight of the food.  Wait at least 24 hours, preferably 48 hours, to weigh yourself.

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7.  Plan how to compensate

• Plan to reduce your intake by 200 to 300 calories per day for the next few days.
• Plan to increase your physical activity over the next few days.  Be careful not to overexert yourself.

 

​​​​​​​8.  Examine what caused the overeating episode

• Learn from this experience so that you can prevent similar episodes in the future.

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Think about what factors contributed to your overeating episode.  Concentrate on how, when, and where, instead of why it happened.  How will you handle this situation if it occurs again in the future?

 

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