4 Tips to Stop Binge Eating
Do you struggle with binge eating? You’re not alone. It’s becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society. Think about it. We have fast food everywhere you look, you can grab food on the go, eat while in your car. You’re not paying attention to your body because you’re distracted with driving, talking on the phone, or watching TV. Diet culture is rampant and teaches us to restrict carbs or fat or calories to constantly strive for weight loss. Diets that just aren’t sustainable but promise a quick fix. When you’re dieting/ restricting all day, you come home from work at night and you’re starving and exhausted. It’s really easy to binge when you’re feeling that way. Can you relate? Here are a few tips to help.
EAT DURING THE DAY. It sounds so simple and it kind of is. But if you’re eating consistently throughout the day, your hunger pains aren’t going to be as intense and uncomfortable. You won’t have that out of control feeling. Think of a hunger/fullness scale of 1-10. 1 is RAVENOUS hunger. You can’t think of anything but food and just want to eat everything in sight. 5 is neutral, somewhere in the middle. Not really hungry or full. 10 is so full you can barely keep the food down. Super uncomfortable. If you’re dieting all day and eating very little, your hunger is going to get down to a 2 or 1. Once you’re there, it’s very hard to stay in control because your body is so hungry. So you eat and you feel like you can’t stop eating because you’re so hungry. Then you get up to a 9 or 10 and feel like crap. You feel so full and bloated and guilty. Then you vow that you’ll start your diet again tomorrow because you have to make up for everything you just ate. And so the cycle continues. Have you ever held your breath under water for a long time? When you come up, do you take a slow breath of air or do you gasp for air? Of course you gasp for air because your body needs it! When you restrict your food, your body is gasping for food basically. It’s hungry and it needs food now.
EAT A VARIETY OF FOODS. Okay so maybe you’re eating plenty of food but you’re only eating ‘healthy’ foods. Foods like veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean protein. Yes, those foods are great for you. But they’re not as satisfying and even if you’re full from food, if you’re not satisfied, it’s going to be really easy to go to town on that candy bar when it’s around. Why not include those foods in your daily meals and snacks? Eat foods you enjoy and eat foods that make you feel good. You’ll have a better balance and when you do have that chocolate, you’ll feel in control and will be able to stop when you’re satisfied, instead of eating till you feel sick.
LEARN POSITIVE COPING SKILLS. Food can be a comfort and a stress relief and sometimes bingeing happens because you’re feeling extremely emotional, sad, bored, stressed, anxious, or just want to numb from your feelings. It can definitely work, but only temporarily. It often causes more stress after the fact. Learn positive coping skills that actually help you deal with your feelings and work through them. Things like relaxing in the bubble bath, taking a walk outside, deep breathing can help calm stress and anxiety. Calling a friend or journaling can help you get out your feelings and even work through the issue. Coloring, painting, playing an instrument, or listening to music can help turn on the creative side of your brain which can help you deal with negative emotions. Even going for a run or workout to get out your stress or anger can help.
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS. Practice eating foods mindfully and with awareness of your body and senses. Notice the taste, texture, smell, temperature, and appearance of the food you’re eating. Notice how it feels as you chew and swallow. Think about how it came to be, how it came to your hand, where it started. Practice gratitude for all the work that went into providing that food and bringing it to you. Notice how your mouth salivates as you chew or suck on the food. Notice how your stomach feels as you’re eating. Notice is slowly feeling more full and more firm. Notice the hunger pains slowly going away as you eat. Obviously you’re not going to want to practice mindfulness when your binge urges are high, so include mindfulness as a normal practice throughout your week. The more you practice and are intentional, the easier it will be to be mindful all the time.
For more help with binge eating, schedule a free call with our dietitian, Josie!