How to Beat Binge Eating

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ProTFitness
ProTFitness Posts: 1,379 Member
in Food and Nutrition
From LOSING IT! With Jillian Michaels
Friday, August 26, 2011


How to Beat Binge Eating
If you're inclined to binge, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to examine the emotional reasons for it. I know that processing such emotions is hard and takes time, but there are some good techniques that can help you modify your behavior and combat binge eating while you work on the underlying issues.

Banish binge foods from your environment. Don't buy or let into your house whatever you're prone to bingeing on — whether it's cookies, chips, or ice cream. After all, you can't eat what's not there.

Decorate your fridge with images that motivate you. I have two pictures on mine: One is a photo of my cellulite, and the other is of Olympic swimmer Dara Torres. Let me tell ya, there is nothing that will turn you off to eating too much like pictures of cottage cheese on your butt.

Call a friend. The next time you want to stuff your face, reach out for support and try talking through your feelings instead of anesthetizing them by bingeing.

Try taking up a hobby. Keep yourself occupied so that rather than medicating yourself with food, you'll distract yourself with something productive.

Do something to screw up your binge. In other words, pamper yourself with something that's positive rather than self-destructive. Get a mani-pedi. Take a relaxing bath. Go to the gym. There are many places to go and activities to take part in that'll also lead you away from the temptation of food.

It takes time to break a bad habit, so it's good to have some techniques to fall back on when life gets the better of you! Remember to take it one day at a time. If you do end up bingeing, work out a little harder the next day. Every day is a new one — got it?

Replies

  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    For me, it really helped to clean the kitchen out of all the processed junk I was binging on...and hide the credit cards when I was near a computer (because I order pizza online rather than calling the store)...

    I also have this weird habit: whenever I crave something bad, I drop down and do 10 push-ups. Craving not gone, do 10 more. And I continue until craving is gone. But, it's usually gone after the first 5 or so cause all I am thinking about is "this sucks" and "food, you are not worth this crap" LOL. I normally get tired of push-ups real quick, so I don't think of the craving on comfort binge foods for very long.
  • Zsangel
    Zsangel Posts: 202
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    Loves it! I got this email today too :laugh:
  • maryzcontrary
    maryzcontrary Posts: 70
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    I have found that eating small meals throughout the day, making CERTAIN to have an afternoon snack, has done a major turnaround on my cravings and bingeing. I feel like it's a miracle for me, the Ultimate Nighttime Binge-er. It seems that before, I was not giving my metabolism a "level playing field", so I craved sugar, carbs and alcohol in an effort to get that metabolism back up - thus an uncontrollable binge. Now, however, I keep myself fed -- it took me a bit to work out how many calories I really needed to be eating when I started MFP. 1200 was simply too low for me personally, and it seems that I am getting a steady weight loss of about 1/2 lb with 1660. This amount has leveled me out to the point where I no longer come home and hit the snack drawer, drink a bottle of wine, and get into my husbands cookies after the wine is gone, which I did, daily, for years. What a marvelous freedom!!

    I am aware that there are mental and emotional reasons for bingeing as well, and I have had to "stare down the mouth of the dragon" and go through some deep self-searching, too.

    But I strongly feel that giving my body what it needs as well, nutritionally and calorie-wise, is making the miracle happen.

    The absence of cravings has been a Freedom from Bondage for me.....it's nice to not feel fat, drunk and sluggish anymore....

    Wishing y'all prosperity!
  • gnutrifitness
    gnutrifitness Posts: 169 Member
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    BUMP IT!
  • xxthoroughbred
    xxthoroughbred Posts: 346 Member
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    What if you binge on healthy things? Is that technically binging? I know I binge eat, but it's not always on the unhealthy stuff. I just race through meals like I'll never see food again. I don't always overeat since I'll have set portions at most meals, but eating quickly certainly isn't good (especially in social settings!). I guess it's just a mental thing I've got to work on with slowing myself down.
  • countrygirl_717
    countrygirl_717 Posts: 204
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    I have issues with this for sure! Thanks for the article!

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