After an extensive and excessive meal or a downright binge eating, the guilty conscience and the desire to make up for the sin committed inevitably come up. Unfortunately, the drastic countermeasures after the binge often fail and backfire. Here are the most common mistakes to avoid after overeating:

Get on the scales

Body weight fluctuates from day to day, a difference of up to two kilos due to fluid balance alone is completely normal. Overeating usually involves the consumption of salty foods, which leads to more water being stored in the body. The extra water shows up on the scales. Instead of being discouraged by the devastating result on the scales, concentrate on living healthily the day after. After 48 hours, the extra stored water will have disappeared and the scales will reflect your normal weight again.

Skip breakfast

If you still seem to feel full after the evening's binge, don't make the mistake of skipping breakfast. You will inevitably crave an even bigger lunch later on and you will tend to overeat again. Statistically speaking, people who eat a good breakfast every day have a lower body weight than those who skip breakfast. A bowl of fruit with yoghurt or cottage cheese or a slice of toast with a protein-rich spread is sufficient.

Excessive exercise

You shouldn't suddenly increase your conventional fitness programme drastically out of a guilty conscience, as this usually leads to muscle injuries. If you still want to do a little more to compensate for overeating, it's better to go for a brisk walk.

Sleep less

Tired people tend to eat more unhealthy snacks than well-rested people, because the overtired brain demands a quick energy boost. So the best thing to do after a binge is to get a good night's sleep to avoid the next attack.

Making promises you can't keep

When you're bloated, it's easy to swear that you'll never eat anything unhealthy again. The best thing to do is to get back into your usual routine and continue eating as before. If you abstain from your favourite snacks for a few weeks, you increase the risk of another binge. Instead, you can allow yourself a small portion of your favourite food from time to time, as long as you stay within limits overall.