Stop Binge Eating With These 5 Tips
Did you know that binge eating disorder is actually the most common eating disorder according to the National Eating Disorders Association? Yet, it seems to be the least talked about. Why is that?
Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of uncontrollable binges - eating large amounts of food, to the point of uncomfortable fullness. Binges are often done in private, and are accompanied by feelings of guilt and shame. Those who suffer with binge eating disorder typically find themselves engaging in a cyclic behavior pattern, shown below. We binge, then we feel guilty and shameful about the binge. So we diet and restrict in order to “make up” for it. That dieting and restricting, once again, leads to feelings of deprivation. Then, almost inevitably, the binge happens again.
It’s a dark, lonely, and very difficult cycle to get out of. But I promise you, it is possible to get out of it. That’s coming from someone with personal experience - I promise, it’s possible. Here are my top tips to help you stop binge eating once and for all.
Read Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch
Okay, this may sound like a lazy piece of advice. I’m telling you to go read the work of other dietitians. BUT TRUST ME, this book is profound, groundbreaking, heart shattering, eye opening, all of the above. When I was struggling the most with binge eating, this book was the thing that flipped a switch in me.
Written by two dietitians, Intuitive Eating teaches you how to entirely recreate your relationship with food. It teaches you to let go of dieting, rules and restrictions, and to truly listen to and trust the intuition that we are all born with.
These ladies separate the book into ten principles. And while every single principle is relevant and holds weight, I have a few favorites. The ones that I talk about most with my clients are Honor Your Hunger, Feel Your Fullness, and Respect Your Body. If you’re serious about putting a stop to your binges, I highly recommend this book.
2. Work on creating meals and snacks that achieve physical satiation
This is a big one. Let’s refer back to the binge cycle graphic above. It’s super important that you don’t feel restricted or deprived in your everyday life. Because those are the feelings that trigger intense cravings and the urge to binge.
Now, we’re going to talk about cravings in a second. But for now let’s talk about physically nourishing your body properly. Including protein, carbohydrates, and fiber at every meal ensures adequate nourishment that will physically satisfy your hunger, and hold you over for a significant portion of time. Depending on height, weight, sex, body composition, physical activity level and lifestyle, the amount of food, and the amount of each nutrient needed will differ from person to person. To figure out your unique needs, I highly recommend working with a dietitian to figure that. But speaking generally, making sure to include those three things is a good strategy to ensure you are creating and eating filling, nourishing meals to achieve physical satiation
3. Include foods that will bring you emotional satiation as well
We just talked about physical satiation, now let’s chat about emotional satiation. When I say emotional satiation, I’m talking about that feeling we all love - the feeling when you’ve just eaten exactly what you wanted; that feeling when you’ve been thinking about or craving a certain something, and you finally enjoy it. That is emotional satiation.
You know the sayings, “food is fuel,” or “don’t live to eat - eat to live” - you’ve heard of those right? Well, I want you to take them and toss them out the window. They are simply not true. Food is not simply fuel. It is so much more than that. If food were merely fuel, than every country, culture, family across the world would eat the same exact thing. Food goes way beyond physical nourishment. It’s a symbol of love, celebration, culture, connection, tradition. Therefore, we cannot treat it as simply a means to physically fuel us.
In order to achieve emotional satiation with food, you’ve got to allow yourself to eat the things that will satisfy you emotionally. That may mean ice cream on Thursday nights; that may mean margaritas with your best friend on a Tuesday; that may mean your mom’s homemade spaghetti with meatballs. Whatever it means for you, you’ve got to allow yourself to have that, and to enjoy it without worry, fear, or regard for what it may be physically doing to your body.
Another important aspect of achieving emotional satiation is honoring your cravings when they happen. It doesn’t mean waiting for the weekend, or waiting for a certain time of the day, or abstaining from enjoying something because you didn't work out today or ate XYZ yesterday. Honoring your cravings when they happen is how we take the power and control back from the food. We have to believe that we can have any food at any time.
4. Eat consistently throughout the day.
Okay, this is a big one. If I could scream it from the top of a mountain I would. You must must must make sure that you’re eating enough during the day. One of the most common triggers of binges is not eating enough during the day. That physical and emotional hunger build and build and build, and eventually culminates in your body demanding that it be satiated.
Again, every person has unique nutrition needs. And an eating schedule that works for one person may not work for you. But in general I recommend a daily eating schedule of three meals plus 1-2 snacks. Eating consistently throughout the day will keep you properly fueled, and keep that blood sugar stable.
An appropriate eating schedule may look like:
8:30am - Breakfast
12:00pm - Lunch
3:00pm - Snack
6:00pm - Dinner
8:00pm - Snack
5. Find an outlet to express your feelings
This is so very important. Binge eating disorder can feel very isolating. And it can be extremely scary to tell someone about what you’re going through. But remember when I said binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the U.S.? That’s certainly not a positive thing, but it does mean that you are not alone.
Try and find an outlet through which you can express your feelings, and talk about what you’re going through. If you have access to therapy, that is a wonderful and constructive way to work through this. If you have a friend or family member you can confide in, talk to them. Tell them about your struggle. I guarantee you that the care, empathy and compassion they will have for you will far outweigh any feelings of fear or shame you have when you tell them. If you don’t have a person in your life to talk to, write it. Journal, write poems, write in any capacity that helps you translate your feelings onto paper.
Any method of expressing your feelings and taking steps to work through them is a win. The other option is letting it all build and build and build. Not only is that emotionally and mentally unhealthy, but it’s also devoting more and more time to this beast of a disease. And you deserve to get your time back, and live freely.