Binge eating can take many forms: continuing to eat after you are full, eating faster than you normally would, eating when you are not hungry or some combination of the three. It is normal to occasionally overeat, such as at a holiday dinner, but binge eating is a compulsion. And while one day of binge eating will not make you fat, you will notice some extra weight gain the following day. Unfortunately, because binge eating is a compulsion, it is not likely to be a one-day affair; binge eating is most likely to repeat itself, first on occasion and then more regularly until it becomes a bad habit.
Counting Calories
Any weight you gain after a day of binge eating reflects one basic principle: calories in versus calories out. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. The amount of weight you gain varies based on how much you eat. An average person uses between 2,000 and 2,500 calories each day; anything more than that will stay in your body and turn into extra weight. One lb. equals 3,500 calories, ergo, if you consume 10,500 extra calories during a binge session, you will gain 3 lbs.
Gaining Weight
If your binge-eating session is genuinely a one-day affair, your body will be able to normalize itself during the next few days and return to its regular weight. The extra couple of pounds will not make you fat, though you may notice a temporary change in how well your clothing fits. The challenge with binge eating is that it is not normally a one-day event. Once in a while can easily turn into gorging yourself once a month or once a week, and that is when true weight gain will begin.
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder, though it is not considered a psychiatric condition. As with any other eating condition, the once-in-a-while habit can easily turn into a full-blown disorder, and with it can come a host of associated problems. Regular binge eating will cause weight gain, which can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and risk for diabetes and heart disease. Many people who develop binge eating disorder also experience anxiety and depression; they are embarrassed about their eating habits and work hard to try to hide those habits. And while binge eating disorder can be cured, its associated side effects can linger long after you resume your regular eating habits.
Other Considerations
Weight gain and potential eating disorders are not the only factors involved in binge eating. One day of binge eating will send your hormones and metabolism into a frenzy trying to process all the extra calories you are putting into your body. This process also has a direct impact on your pancreas. The pancreas will go into overdrive to produce extra insulin to breakdown your blood sugar, often producing too much insulin and causing low blood sugar, which can lead to drowsiness, dizziness and nausea. One day of binge eating can also affect your body's ability to determine when you are full, which frequently leads to eating more than you legitimately need.
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