Just binged? Read this

Hey guys so i am a horrible binge eater. I ended up binging tonight and felt terrible.I had actually considered purging I was so wracked with guilt!(never have before) As soon as i got home i went online to find out tips/advice to stop binge eating , the fact that i was seriously considering purging my binge was a huge wake up call.

I found some really great tips and maybe these will help other people too. All I know is that i felt alot better have reading this;

Preventing Binging:

One of the best things to do to prevent binging is to look at your cycles of past binging. Do they occur when you're stressed, lonely, scared? Do they happen at specific times of day, or in certain places, or after certain events? Many people binge as an emotional response to something that is happening in their lives that they don't know how to handle. If you can figure out a way to successfully handle a binge-triggering situation then you will be able to beat a binge before it starts.

It may sound simple, of course, but it's not. Often a therapist or counsellor can help you uncover the feelings you are having during and before a binge and help you come up with coping strategies.

You may be able to identify an alternate behaviour to counteract the need to binge. For example, if you binge under stress, relaxation / meditation techniques may be helpful. If you binge when lonely, having a list of friends' phone numbers whom you can talk to can help break the binge cycle. If you binge when angry, having a list of positive coping mechanisms will help you work through the feelings without turning to food.

Remember: Denying yourself food is often a precursor to a binge. Restricting heavily for long periods of time can make your hunger "gang up on you" until you begin eating uncontrollably. By learning to eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full -- learning to listen to and love your body instead of denying and fighting it -- you can help beat a binge.



Advice to Stop Binge Eating:



1. Always eat breakfast. Yes, even you have binged the night before!

2. Try to identify the emotions which are triggering you to binge so that you can learn to recognise and cope with these emotions in a more productive way.

3. Identify your trigger foods and ensure they are not easily available to you.

4. Make a list of some non-food rewards which you can treat yourself to after a binge-free day (e.g. a trip to the cinema, a new book, a manicure)

5. Slow down your eating. Teach yourself to put down your knife and fork a few times whilst you are eating. Even if you are binging! Teach your body that you are in control when it comes to food and that you do not need to turn to an autopilot!

6. For all meals sit at a table with no distractions such as tv or reading material. Let your body have time to register that you are eating.

7. If you binge, take time afterwards to write down how you feel both physically and emotionally. Read back over these accounts to help yourself slowly associate the binge with the negative consequences.

8. Never attempt to restrict your food intake after a binge to compensate. This will only lead to your body becoming naturally hungry and increase the chances that you will binge again. Always have the next scheduled meal after you binge. Yes, you may feel bad, but trust me your body needs to know there is no point in binging as you are always going to be there to feed it. 3 meals a day!

9. Have a list of distracting activities (non food-related) ready for whenever you have the urge to binge - ring a friend, bring the dog for a walk, watch a dvd...

10. Incorporate gentle exercise (not excessive exercise!) into your daily routine. Simple activities like house work, walking or dancing to your favourite music will increase the level of endorphins in your body and boost your mood.

Eating when stressed

Overeating is a typical response to stress. Eating relaxes many people, and some use eating as a way to escape the stress of the day.



Instead of eating, try these ideas:

Cut back on caffeine intake to no more than one cup of coffee or 12 ounces of other caffeinatedbeverages in the morning only. Drink water or vegetable juices instead and you'll find you feel more relaxed and have more energy as well.

Practice a stress-reduction technique such as yoga or meditation on a regular basis.Make sure that you're getting some form of exercise every day. Not only will exercise make you feel better and help with weight loss, it also helps reduce feelings of stress.

Figure out alternate ways to deal with your emotions. If you eat when tired, try taking a nap instead of eating. If you're angry, reduce that anger by writing down your feelings or discussing them with a friend instead of wolfing down a candy bar.


When night time eating becomes a habit

If your normal evening routine involves sitting in front of the television with a bowl of ice cream, popcorn or other snack, you've probably developed a bad habit. Like all habits, eating at night can be difficult to change. Give yourself at least two months of trying these ideas:

Don't watch TV at night. Work on a hobby, call a friend, read a book, go dancing. Research has shown that the more hours of TV we watch, the more we weigh.

Only watch TV if you're exercising at the same time. That's right, get out the treadmill and walk while watching your favorite show, or use your exercise bike when the evening news is on. No exercise, no TV.

If you want to eat an evening snack, go to the kitchen, sit at the table, and eat your snack. No TV while eating! Many of us snack mindlessly while watching TV. With this method, you can still snack if you're really hungry, but it takes some effort.

Avoid any alcohol in the evening. Alcohol not only contains calories, it also increases our appetite and reduces our resolve to change eating habits.



Preventing Purging

The first thing I recommend in preventing yourself from purging is taking a deep, cleansing breath. I know the frenzy of guilty, accusatory thoughts that run through your mind when you feel the need to just get the food out of you. But take a calming breath and try to relax your body. Find a quiet place where you can sit and sort out your thoughts. Write them down if you can.

After about an hour, the calories have been absorbed into your body and purging is essentially useless. If you can find someone to sit with you, or some way to prevent yourself from being alone during that time, you may be able to stop yourself from purging by reminding yourself that it wouldn't do any good by now.

It may also be helpful to keep a list handy of all the things that purging does to your body. Esophageal hemmoraghing, stomach ulcers, heartburn, indigestion, tooth decay, bruised and scraped knuckles, bloodshot eyes, burst blood vessel, cardiac arrythmia, electrolyte depletion, heart failure, aneurism possible death! This is just a brief list. There are many more potential dangers, not all physical.
The best thing I've ever seen that prevents me from purging, is a photograph of the teeth of a bulimic woman after years of purging. Seriously, if you keep purging, you will damage your teeth beyond repair. Bulimia will destroy your teeth, so please strongly consider this when next you think about purging: Do you want to be wearing false teeth in a few years time?