By The real reason why a lot people binge eat during dieting, is more of a psychological aspect than a dieting one. We really need to identify why this is occurring, and what can be done to implement strategies that stop us from repeating the pattern.
This of course, is not an easy thing. If this has plagued you’re life for as long as you can remember, it’s going to take some re-conditioning of your behaviour and mind in order to overcome it. But the good news is that once you start doing this regularly, mastering it on a daily basis, it will all be forgotten.
4 inner work strategies to stop the binge eating pattern.
- Be kinder to yourself. We all stuff up sometimes, but it’s very important to use self-talk that is positive and empowering. Instead of saying that you are a complete failure when it comes to dieting, re frame your phrase into: How can I work towards making this better next time? The first statement is completely disempowering for your goals, the second one gives you an option to work on your weaknesses, and find the answers to your problem. When we empower ourselves and ask the question, we come up with the answers. This may not happen today, but it will slowly become apparent to you. Learn to talk to yourself in this way, regularly, and with everything that happens in your life. Slowly, you will shift your thinking, becoming happier and more content with yourself.
- Get to the cause of your bingeing behaviour. Is this more apparent to you when you are stressed? Do you easily feel depressed and overwhelmed? It’s important to be completely honest about your feelings, and how you react. If this is a way to smooth over emotions, then we need to shift you away from this. You may ask yourself “Is overeating or bingeing going to serve me in achieving my goal?” What kind of mission do you want to achieve? Is it pristine health, and a slim, toned body? Is this going to help you attain those goals? When you ask the question, the mind will start conjuring up visual imagery. You already know the answer, but because this is a pattern you have played for years, it’s going to take some effort to become aware of this. This is the key to changing behaviour – becoming aware and then realising. This way, we can move towards changing this behaviour. What if you were to go for a walk outside, or ring a friend if you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed? What about if you boiled yourself some herbal tea, and just sat down with a great book or a motivational talk on YouTube. The positive choices are endless. Find out which one resonates best with you.
- Have the self awareness of your challenge, and turn it around. It is a struggle, changing behaviours and achieving our goals. Set the intention to always realise what is going on in the moment, and admit what happened. Did you make the wrong food choice today, or did you give into some junk food. Whatever it may be, set the intention to learn from your mistake, realise your trigger and learn from it. This is the only way to understand what’s going on within you, and therefor change it. One day of making a poor choice does not undo all the wonderful days you’ve had. Take the learnings and make it different the next time around.
- Keep a food and life journal. Write about how feel, what happened that empowered you, what you want to change, and what is going on in your mind. Write it down, as it’s the best way to have those “Ahah” moments that you never realised before. This is not only a journal for your feelings, but also your strengths and wins towards changing your eating habits. Write down what you’ve eaten, and how it made you feel. How proud are you of your progress, and the effort you’ve been making consistently. This is evidence that you are heading in the right direction, and your goal will be within reach in no time. When you are tempted to go back to your old habits, get out your journal and keep writing. Write down the trigger, and note what you are currently grateful for.
Now we can get to the food stuff, and tackle it with some great strategies
4 habits that will eliminate the urge to binge eat forever
- Prepare your meals in advance. Sometimes when we are left to our own devices, we can make the wrong choices. There is also the fact that when we are starving, we’re more inclined to eat a lot. To eliminate both of these incidents from happening, pre-make all your meals and bring them to work with you, and prepare your dinner the night before. These simple things will allow your life to run smoothly, and leave you with more time to do the important stuff.
- If you think you are hungry, drink 2x glasses of water first. Sometimes we may be dehydrated rather than hungry. Before you start munching away, drink 2 glasses of water and then wait. If you are truly hungry, the gurgling sound will become apparent shortly after. Then do feel free to have something to eat. Regularly use this tip during the day, to stop mindless snacking.
- If you like snacking, portion out your meals into smaller options during the day. Each of your meals should be small, and aim for 5–6 per day. Each of your meals needs to contain protein and vegetables, 100% of the time. Carbs to a minimum. This is key to keeping you feeling full, satisfied and craving free for longer durations.
- Get a good amount of sleep. Sleep deprivation can leave you feeling moody, angry and susceptible to making poor food choices. To keep your willpower going strong and eliminating binge eating, you need to prioritise sleep, and get enough rest on a daily basis.
Remember that in life,. no one is absolutely perfect, and we have good and bad days. The awareness you need is to become aware of the issue, and tackle them one by one. I do hope this helps you along your journey.
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