Binge Eating and How to Overcome It

Hello Ziddis! While we are all en route to a fitness destination our hurdles may differ. While some of us may struggle with what to eat others struggle with Binge eating. It is a challenging issue that a lot of people face but it is not as spoken of and hence sometimes shamed in the fitness community. But really there is nothing you need to be ashamed of.

Let us untaboo this issue and talk about it openly to understand and get help together.

What is Binge Eating?

Binge eating is a condition in which a person ends up eating a lot in a very short span without even feeling hungry. It is usually a reaction to stress or distress in your emotional space or sometimes it could just be a pattern that you fall into out of habit. People who binge eat often are ashamed of it and do so in secret. Some of the things they binge on are chocolate or salty snacks that we usually do not eat in bulk.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

“Binge Eating Disorder is a recognized mental health condition that involves recurrent episodes of binge eating without compensatory behaviors like purging.” If you or anyone you need is struggling with BED, we advise you to seek some professional help from a physician or psychologist to understand and recommend the best steps for your situation.

Why Do We Binge Eat?

While we know what happens after binge eating no one truly cares to understand why someone is binge eating. Let’s see what could possibly be the reason behind this behavior. Some of the common triggers for binge eating are:

• Stress, sadness, loneliness or simply boredom. These are emotions that trigger someone to binge eat in order to fill a certain void and use it as a coping mechanism.
• When you have a very restricting diet plan you would often indulge in secretly eating all that is prohibited to you because of the urge your body might feel due to deprivation.
• Sometimes hormonal imbalances or genetics are to blame for such urges. Having insulin resistance can also trigger this behavioral pattern. This can also lead to compulsive overeating.
• Psychological issues that are more complex in nature like low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction or certain past traumas can lead to binge eating behavior.

How to Treat/Avoid BE

It is important to understand that those who indulge in binge eating often do so and are later overwhelmed by guilt and try to drastically make a change. But small steps can make a difference.

• Recognizing what truly triggers the binge eating tendency. Is it a circumstantial habit?
• Try to take your diet a little easy instead of drastically trying to cut off a certain important and often unhealthy part of your diet.
• Practice mindfulness when you eat. This will help you slow down your eating process and you get to comprehend how much you need.
• Track your meals.
• Build habits around eating.

Healthy Food Alternatives

When a binge eating urge strikes, it is helpful to try to replace unhealthy snacks with healthy ones so that your binge eating does not have severe implications on your health and fitness goals.

• Keep nutrient-dense snacks handy. Try snacking on yogurt, peanut butter, protein bars, dark chocolate, etc.
• Whole grains like quinoa and oats help keep you satiated for longer.
• Proteins are the best option to avoid binge eating.

Treatment for Binge Eating

The suggestions of treatments are not recommended by doctors directly hence please consult your physician before using any material from this section.

• Therapy approach: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you identify negative thought patterns and replace them with healthier coping strategies, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to regulate emotions and manage distress and Nutritional Counseling to help you build a healthier relationship with food
• Diet Approach: Drink water when you get binge eating pangs and keep healthy snacks and nuts handy.
• Calm Your Mind: Try to distract yourself and calm yourself to help you zone out of the binge-eating urges.

Takeaway

While binge eating can force you to indulge in a lot of “takeaways” pun intended, this blog was to help you understand that it is alright and there is help out there for your binge eating condition. You just need to speak out and ask for help. Do not be ashamed of it. More factors go into binge eating conditions than the ones we usually focus on. Practice mindfulness and be kind to yourself.

Read More: Body Recomposition: Everything You Need to Know