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What if I told you, it’s possible to avoid binge eating, even when it feels out-of-control? That even when you’re right on the cusp of binging, you can stop yourself. Would you believe me? Many won’t, especially when they’ve been giving in for years. I’m here to tell you that you can! Let me show you how to stop binge eating.
What is Binge Eating Disorder?
Binge eating disorder typically begins in response to food restriction and becomes a habit formed in the brain. This habit has an addictive effect and can take the forefront of the sufferer’s mind. In binge eaters, binging becomes a quick and easy way to soothe stress and anxiety.
Is binge eating that bad? No. Having one binge session is fine. But when binge eating becomes a disorder, it can have a negative effect on a person’s life. It causes shame and withdrawal from friends and family. It is both costly and damaging to health.
Talking yourself down from a binge is not an easy task, but you’re taking the first step by reading this post. Here are the best pieces of advice on how to stop binge eating. They don’t involve following a specific diet or purging your house of goodies. The best advice encourages you to find inner strength, and work toward reducing binge habits so you can one day have a healthy relationship with food.
How to Avoid Binge Eating
Firstly, do not fear certain foods. Yes, some are higher calorie and less nutritious than others, but they are not good or evil. They do not control you or cause you to act. There’s no need to remove trigger foods from your life because you will have to face them someday. Be confident that you can remain in control under any circumstances.
Next, remember that the thoughts are only that: thoughts. They don’t control you. Urges will get weaker over time when you learn to have them without acting on them, and may even stop entirely. Tell yourself that you don’t have to give in to the urges, and they will eventually pass. Remind yourself that you are strong and can handle the urges.
Lastly, give up the idea that you NEED to binge when you feel the urge. You will not die if you say no. You do not need to fix your mental health before you can begin to combat binge eating. Rather, you need to rewire your mind and break the habit, and doing that requires you to say no. Know that you don’t need to binge to remove the urge when it happens. It will pass on its own with time.
"You can’t always control the wind, but you can control your sails." -Dr. Bob Chope Click To TweetHelpful Tips to Avoid Binge Eating
Here are helpful tips for reducing the need to binge. Keep in mind, not all of these tips will work for everyone. For instance, some people binge when they’re in a good mood, so working on self-care and stress reduction may not be helpful. You’ll need to find what works best for you.
Find Your Binge Excuses
Knowing the excuses your mind always uses to binge eat can be a powerful tool to fight back against it. I’ve collected a long list of binge excuses, and when I feel triggered to binge, I know right away that the impulse to eat is a lie. When you hear these binge excuses in your head, take a step away from your thoughts. They’re not true and they’re not helpful.
Improve Your Mood
Taking the time to care for yourself will help reduce stress and the need to soothe yourself with binging. Self-care can be anything that makes you more relaxed and improves your health. Take a walk. Have a bubble bath. Take some time each day to focus on self-care.
Remember to Feed Yourself
Food restriction and skipping meals can bring on the need to binge, so it’s best to keep yourself from feeling starvation. If you tend to forget eating, set your phone alarm to give you reminders. And please, PLEASE eat breakfast! Even if it’s only a quick snack.
Eat Foods High in Protein and Fiber
Focus on eating foods packed with nutrition and fiber that keep you full longer. This does a lot more for you than reduce binge cravings. Here are some examples of healthy, filling foods.
Find Support to Avoid Binge Eating
Whether it is in person or online, having someone to talk to when you’re struggling with the need to binge can go a long way. Even if you don’t talk about your eating, speaking to someone you care about can create a distraction until the urge passes. Also, speaking to loved ones can help you through any hard times or feelings which could be triggering the urge.
Have Fun Distractions Ready
Always be ready to distract yourself. Keeping busy gets your mind off your thoughts and gives you something fun to work on. Go to the park. Paint some trim in your house. Do a jigsaw puzzle. Whatever you need to do to totally immerse yourself and feel productive.
Take a Nap to Avoid a Binge
This method is not always available, like when you’re at work, but it’s a quick fix when it is. Napping can be a form of self-care, but also, a great way to wait out binge urges. If nothing else on this list seems to be helping you, it’s time to “reset” your brain and give the need to binge a chance to settle.
Preparing for the Next Time You Want to Binge
Weight Loss for Binge Eaters
Weight Loss for Binge Eaters is a course designed to help you overcome your binge eating and lose weight in a way that promotes total wellness.
You’ll learn how to lose weight healthily, along with the most effective technique to stop binging for good.​
What You’ll Learn:
Stop Binge Eating
- Eating trigger foods without binging on them.
- Stopping your cravings to binge eat.
- Comforting yourself without using food.
- What to do if you binge.
Lose Weight
- Eating in a way that promotes healthy, sustainable weight loss.
- Making a weight loss plan you can actually stick to.
- The best habits you should have for losing weight.
Live Well
- Eating for your mental and physical well-being.
- Getting in shape without hating your workouts.
- Drop down to a healthy weight in a way that promotes total wellness.
Overcome Your Binge Eating and Reach Your Weight Loss Potential, Starting Today!
Don’t Have Time to Watch a Full Course? Check Out the eBook Version Here!
A Final Note on How to Stop Binge Eating
Binge eating disorder is damaging to both our mental and physical health. Because binge eating is a habit formed, we can work towards rerouting our thoughts to something other than binging. Once we learn to say no to binge urges over time, we’ll notice them start to reduce in frequency and strength.
While it’s not easy to avoid binge cravings, there are many things that can be done to reduce them. Focusing on the thoughts and patterns around our binging and choosing not to react is a great place to start. Also, reducing stress and increasing our health will make us less likely to run to a binge for relief.
Do you have any tips to avoid binge eating when the need arises? Share them in the comments to help us out!
That’s it for now everyone. If you’ve found some value in this post, please share it to inspire others too! Thanks!
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References:
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-incredibly-filling-foods#TOC_TITLE_HDR_4
- https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder/head-off-binge
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/never-binge-again/201901/how-stop-binge-eating-in-three-unusual-steps
- Featured image credit: Iulian Valentin/Shutterstock.com
Great words!
Priceless post out of your talent!
I like the nap idea!
It’s helped me out a time or two 🙂
Ah yes! Habits are all similar in nature, regardless of whether you’re binging or dealing with other addictions. I’ll check that one out, thanks!
I totally agree with the idea to have a fun distraction. I find that I want to eat when I’m bored, and that’s a problem. The other day I kicked myself out to run when I felt like eating, and hey, it worked! XD I ended up being a lot healthier than I would’ve been. Great tips!!
Running is an great way to distract yourself! It clears your mind and gives you some exercise too. Great idea
Ang, I love Dr. Chope’s quote. One thing my wife and I learned is do NOT take a bag of anything to the couch. Serve a portion in a bowl and leave it at that. Keith
Wise advice!
I just need to make sure I follow it. By the way, we have had success with eating pitted dates or figs. They are quite filling as a snack. You only need one or two.
Distractions are good otherwise you just think about it even more
Definitely! They make you feel productive too 🙂
These are some interesting points you have shared on this topic. Thank you for sharing.
No prob 😊
Thanks!
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