5 Tips to Overcome Binge Eating Behavior
/By Paul Scicluna
Since when have you taken notice that emotional eating isn’t good for you? Since when did you start labelling foods as “bad” or “good”? What triggered you to overeat in the first place?
“Eat, feel guilty, repeat”; this has been the cycle of many people who have set themselves on autopilot when it comes to their eating behavior. Maybe you are upset about something, and you know that food makes you feel good. So you start binging on bad foods and that’s where you start subconsciously linking certain foods with specific emotions. The next thing you know you’ve gained weight, feel ashamed about it, but ignoring your food addiction isn’t going to solve your problem.
Don’t stress, though, because I'll share with you some tips to overcoming binge eating behavior that even psychologists, dieticians, and other fitness experts recommend:
1. Accept the truth and self-awareness – You may uncontrollably consume a lot of food due to an event or situation. But know that as with any type of behavioral disorder, self-discipline and being true to yourself can be one of the keys to overcoming binge eating behaviors. Only then you will understand what you really want and need. Recognizing that you have a problem is accepting the truth and becoming self-aware of this issue. Once you have done this you can move forward and start making changes.
2. Keep a positive mind set – Believe that there is a way to overcome your emotional eating. You can do this by committing to a healthier lifestyle through regular exercise, socialize with your friends and family more often, start making healthier choices in your diet, learning to eat smaller portions and learn when to say ‘no’.
3. The process of elimination – Start to slowly eliminate the bad foods you’re binging on. For example, if you have a soda or soft drink daily, reduce it to one can for six days, then next week one for five days and so on. Another example is instead of eating a carton of ice cream in one sitting, then eat a small amount a day and slowly decrease the portion size, then reduce it to six days, then five days and so on. Not only will this help you stop your binge eating slowly, but you may completely eliminate this food from your diet over time. Plus, you could lose a good amount of unwanted weight.
4. Keep a food diary – Researchers from the Center for Behavioral Medicine in Chicago have found out that the 38 participants in the study were able to gain control over their bad eating habit by keeping a food journal. As such, they have been able to keep track of foods that trigger overeating and the emotions that are connected with this behavior.
5. Curb those cravings with a balanced diet – Cravings of certain foods are mostly linked to a nutritional deficiency. Your body sends signals for you to keep eating in the hope you’ll eat something nutritious to receive the essential vitamins and minerals it needs. For example, if you crave fatty foods, your body maybe lacking calcium. So some good alternatives are almonds, broccoli, kale, and legumes, for example. Eating a healthier balanced diet with nutrient dense foods will help to minimize those cravings. Plus, your energy levels will improve as well as your overall health and wellbeing.
These are just 5 tips on how to stop binge eating behavior. It can be hard to stop emotional eating immediately, so just take it one step at a time.
If you're interested in more techniques on how to stop certain cravings so you don’t go into that binge eating cycle again, go to my site stopdietingtoday.com and watch my free webinar. Plus, I'll share with you in 5 steps how you can lose weight, so you can achieve a rejuvenated life full of vitality.