Many people suffer from binge eating which is basically defined as “pigging out” for a period of time.  For some people it will be 2 or 3 chocolate bars, or a tub of ice cream or a whole bag of Doritos or even 24 hours worth of poor eating. Different people will define it differently but it is simply eating a larger than normal quantity of one or more “bad” foods (meaning: something you are trying not to eat) in succession.

Here are some points on binge eating to consider:

1. Binge eating often strikes when a person experiences an “emotional” craving to eat alongside a “physiological” craving. When you have just one of these factors alone it usually can be limited to just one bad food consumed, if any.  When both factors coincide, the binging can get amplified.  For example, if you have a fight with your spouse (“emotional”), it may lead to a desire to eat some chocolate.  Or if you are in a good mood but feeling a little hungry (“physiological”) you may have a little “goodie”.  But if you are very hungry, perhaps because you have been dieting (“physiological”) and thus feeling deprived (“emotional”) and your body hurts from over-exercising (“physiological”) and you have a big fight with your spouse (“emotional”) that desire may ramp up to eating an entire bag of cookies or box of chocolates followed by a tub of ice cream and a large pizza.
2. You can be sure that during times of a binge eat you will NOT remember or care about your health and fitness goals
3. Most people seem to have a rough “limit” they stick to before they stop the binge.  In other words, there is a level of self-regulating involved in this excessive consumption.  It is quite consistent and usually the same foods or types of foods are eaten during the binge.  If asked, most people can name exactly what foods they eat during a binge.
4. A binge is basically a coping mechanism for dealing with excessive emotions. It is highly related to feeling a loss of hope. The greater the feeling of lost hope, the larger the feeling of despair and then the greater the binge becomes. The reason this loss of hope happens is because the emotions felt are often tied to events from the past or concerns for the future and there is a sense that they cannot be changed. This binging reaction is an attempt to try and suppress the feelings.
5. The “I have blown it attitude” greatly exacerbates a binge eat. If you have this false and unrealistic belief in your mind that “I will never eat another bad food again”, the moment you break this pact with yourself, you then decide to eat as much as possible before starting again “for real this time” and recommit to the pact.  In other words, the mentality develops that since you’ve already blown it why not really “go for it” because after this blow out, it will never happen again.

Things You Can Do to Help Prevent the Binge:

1        Get a pad of paper.  Think back at previous binging episodes.  What triggered the binge?  There may be more than one thing so write them all down.  Write down as many details as you can remember

a)      Who was involved

b)      What was the issue

c)      Where did it happen

d)      How did it start

e)      What emotions did it trigger

f)        Did you feel a loss of hope or lack of control of the situation

g)      What foods did you turn to for comfort

h)      What could you have done to prevent the situation

2        The next time you are in a binge eating episode take a moment to think about the underlying reasons behind this.  Look at the same questions you answered above and see if this situation fits the same pattern.

3        Consider the underlying emotions behind it.  Where do they come from and how can you find a way to create hope within that situation?

4        Break the pattern.  This might even mean binging on a different food than normal since most people binge on the same thing over and over.  This is not to encourage binging, but usually this is not an overnight fix, so start by just changing the response to the event and then work on analyzing how to prevent future events.  The subconscious controls 90% of how we respond to things, so by interrupting the response, even just by eating something different, it sends a message to the brain.  The next time it comes up, eat something different again.  Your subconscious will start to respond differently to the trigger.  As subsequent events arise, add in a positive response like going for a brisk walk or chugging a 3 or 4 cups of water quickly, or putting on some loud music and dancing around the house.  “Will power” is not the answer here because that flies out the window in these moments.  Establishing new patterns of behavior is the best way to break bad habits.

Binging is never something we are proud of.  It always comes with a heavy dose of guilt and shame.  This creates a viscous cycle that can spiral out of control.  Work hard at analyzing your patterns when you are not in the midst of it and this will help you to move forward in a positive direction.

Linda Miner

Registered Nutritional Counselor

RNC, CHN, RSNA, CMTA, BA

Click HERE to learn more details about my Online Weight Loss Counseling service with iChange.com

*NOTE:  This opinion expressed here is that of the author based on her research and personal experience.  It is not intended to replace your own personal research or the opinion of your physician.  You should always check with your physician and/or pharmacist before changing your diet, starting an exercise programs or taking any supplements.  Please be aware that some foods and natural supplements may interact with prescription medication.