Binge Eating and Tips to Help You Stop the Habit

Before we get started, let’s clarify - we are not talking about Binge Eating Disorder. 

If you have been diagnosed by a medical professional with an Eating Disorder, follow your doctor’s instructions. 

Some of what this article suggests might not apply to you. 

That being said, binge eating can lead to weight issues, and can have a negative impact on your health. 

What is binge eating?

The binging we’re talking about is when you eat way past the point of satiety. 

Some people call it “volume eating.” 

And sometimes it can be constant snacking, even when you’re not hungry. 

What is the difference between binge eating and binge eating disorder?

We have all found ourselves overeating at times. Christmas or Thanksgiving, anyone? 

But when it happens more frequently, that’s when it can lead to a disorder diagnosis. 

Or when it’s accompanied by other symptoms of a binge eating disorder, such as:

• Purging 

• Eating in secrecy or hiding evidence of food

• Extreme feelings of guilt or shame 

Why do I binge?

There’s many reasons why one might tend to overdo it with food.

Sometimes it’s a special occasion, like a holiday. 

But other times, there’s more going on. 

Emotional

Often the urge to eat more than we require is fuelled by an emotional need. 

That could be loneliness, boredom, stress, or any number of things affecting you on an emotional level. 

And the physical feeling of fullness, even being overfull, is a form of self-soothing. 

Plus, you get a big hit of those feel good hormones. 

Fear of missing out 

When we worry that we’re not going to have food later, we might eat more than we physically need at the moment. 

This can be related to the emotional thing, if you’ve had times in your life where basic needs weren’t met.

Fear of missing out can also come from years of dieting and food restriction. 

Dieting and yes … even fasting

Constant food restriction can cause issues on two levels, mentally and physically. 

Mentally, the whole fear of missing out that we just went over. 

Your brain thinks that you might not have food later, so filling up now becomes the goal. 

Physically, you could be malnourished, or deficient in vitamins and minerals. 

You could be low on electrolytes, or dehydrated. 

You could be experiencing blood sugar or insulin issues. 

You could have underlying medical conditions, such as type 2 Diabetes. 

Trigger foods 

Many times when we overeat, it’s the same food that triggers us, or the same types of foods. 

Satiety signals

You likely have lost touch with your satiety signals, such as glucagon, and GLP-1. 

You might not  know when you’re full until you’ve eaten too much. 

You can read more about satiety signals here. 

So what do I do about binging

We’ve talked about the why of binging. 

Hopefully you’ve identified the reason or reasons you might be overdoing it. 

That’s an important step. 

If you don’t know why you’re doing something, it’s difficult to fix the problem. 

So now let’s look at some tips that can help. 

Address emotional needs 

You have to come to a place where you accept that food is not going to fix the problem. 

It can help you feel better for the moment, but it’s not a permanent solution.

And might even be making things worse. 

What is going on emotionally and what things besides food can help?

Are you bored? Find something to do. Make a list of things you can fill your time with. 

Stressed? Look for ways to relieve stress, such as meditation, daily walks, or deep breathing exercises. 

You might even consider therapy, or a mental health care provider, if needed. 

Nourish yourself 

Stop yo-yo dieting! And stop restricting calories. 

Spend some time refueling your body with nutritious food. 

Eat till satisfied when you eat. Ask yourself “have I had enough?” and leave the food on the plate if you feel full. You don’t have to eat everything in front of you.

If you practice fasting and find that you tend to overeat after a long fast, consider some shorter fasts. 

A daily 19/5 window (19 hours of fasting and a 5 hour eating window) might be a better option for you than extended fasts. 

Make sure you are getting your electrolytes, and staying hydrated. 

Eat the right kinds of foods

Ever notice how you can eat a whole bunch of pizza, but get full quickly when you eat beef or eggs?

Simple carbohydrates, seed oils, and junk food play havoc on your satiety signals. 

Aim for whole foods, healthy fats, and proteins. 

And if there’s specific foods that you binge, keep those foods out of reach. 

At least until you feel like you can be around them again without binging.

Take things nice and slow

Eating slower can help curb the urge to binge. 

Food is your friend

We want you to feel good about food. 

Enjoy your food, eat what you need, and then stop. 

We hope our tips help. 

If you feel you need more help, or suspect you might have an eating disorder, please speak to your doctor.