Do you take a massive amount of food in just one sitting? You feel an uncontrollable urge to eat continuously, but later makes you feel shameful, regretful, and depressed. You are not alone; so many people engage in such activities where they consume a large amount of food (healthy/unhealthy) all at once, feeling uncontrollably full and then regret it. This condition is known as binge eating and leads to a binge eating disorder. You do not feel hungry, but the urge to eat nonstop is there.

Now we are aware of what binge eating is. Let us get to know why people overeat. 

Causes of Binge Eating 

There are several reasons, such as genetic history, unhealthy dieting, environmental factors - where you feel the pressure of having a specific body image, obesity, depression, anxiety, any psychological disorder, or traumatic event that can lead to binge eating.

Ways To Stop Binge Eating

Although it is not easy to stop binge eating, specific scientifically proven ways can help to stop it. So, let’s discuss the best tips to stop binge eating.

•  Observe and understand your behavior

Understanding yourself is the first and most key step to stop binge eating. Know the reason when and why you binge eat. However, keeping track of all the information in your mind is difficult.

So, keep a diary/journal to note down all the information. Note down your feelings before, during and after binge eating. Note down the time of the day, when and what you ate. Did you eat when you felt hungry, or was that a craving or some other emotional response?

It would be best if you record this consistently until you regain control over your normal eating. Monitoring this record will help you understand the triggering factors of binge eating. If you know your triggers, you will be able to stop them.

• Finding healthy alternatives

Rather than binge eating, you should find any other alternative that is not as harmful to you. As binge eating is predictable, it might happen because of dieting/ restricting food or mood fluctuations.

First, you need to identify the problem, and there can be several responses to that problem, binge eating, watching TV, using social media, or going for a walk. Ask yourself, should I eat? No, because I was overeating the last time I ate because of my frustration, and I regretted it.

Should I watch TV or use social media? If there is nothing on TV, I will feel bored and watching other people on social media having fun will make me sadder, and both boredom and sadness will lead to binge eating.

Should I go for a walk? Yes! Because it will make me feel relaxed. Not only will it make the temptation of eating go away, but it will also be a chance to feel close to nature. Walking makes me less frustrated and upset about the problem. I feel energetic and sound in my mind.

So, invest your energy in healthy activities like boxing, painting, drawing, knitting, and journaling. By getting involved in your interests, your self-image will also improve.

• Meditation

There are many benefits of meditation. It is also helpful in preventing you from binge eating. Meditation is a non-judgmental self-assessment. When you feel stressed, bored and have any other emotional problem, instead of binge eating, you will notice the triggering event and work on it.

Meditation helps you to deal with your daily stressors. It helps you to relax, sit back, understand, and embrace the inner self/workings of your mind. And stops immediately jumping on binge eating and forgetting problems for the time being.

So, give yourself a small meditation session whenever you feel a sudden urge without feeling hungry, have low self-esteem, or are under extreme stress. Mindfulness meditation is staying in the present moment. A review of fourteen studies stated that practicing mindfulness while eating will reduce binge and emotional eating.

There is free meditation apps available for meditation. Download the one you like the most and try it out, and you will feel the change in yourself.

• Plan out your meals

To avoid binge eating, create your meal plan. And in planning, include what you would eat today and when. This way, you will know when you must eat instead of eating due to a craving.

Focus on what you are eating and include all the food you like in a small portion. If you like binge-eating chocolate, add a small chocolate bar to your meal. This will satisfy your craving, which will not be counted in binge eating. Adding your favorite food to your meal makes you not to skip any meal because skipping a meal will lead to hunger and trigger binge eating.

Include protein in your diet. A study shows that people who take more protein in their diet feel more satisfied after a meal as compared to those who don’t include protein in their diet. Foods like dairy products, meats, fish, eggs, and lentils contain protein.

It would help if you stayed hydrated because it reduces cravings and lowers your appetite. Before taking the meal, drink a glass of water as it will make you eat less and reduce your cravings. If you still feel hungry after taking your meal, drink water.

Conclusion

It is not a one-day game to end binge eating; it is a continuous process. The level of severity varies from person to person. Try not to judge yourself to get back to it even after trying the above-mentioned points. Appreciate yourself for every small achievement. However, if it persists even after changing your lifestyle, then take professional help. Please do not take it lightly; it can lead to many other health problems.