Madeleine Hull
Binge eating is a common occurrence, and it can leave you feeling physically uncomfortable and emotionally distressed. It is important to remember that binge eating is not a failure, and you should not be too hard on yourself. Instead, focus on mindful eating habits, such as paying attention to your body's hunger cues and savouring each bite of food. Forgive yourself and try to understand your triggers to avoid future binges. To get back on track, ensure you get adequate sleep, stay hydrated, and eat nutritious foods like yogurt, bananas, eggs, and spinach. Light exercise can also aid digestion and regulate blood sugar levels. If binge eating is a recurring issue, consider seeking professional help to develop a healthy relationship with food.
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What You'll Learn
Forgive yourself and let go of guilt
Binge eating is often followed by intense feelings of guilt, shame, and other distressing emotions. However, it's important to forgive yourself and let go of the guilt to move forward. Here are some reasons and ways to do so:
Recognize the Cycle of Restriction and Binge
Highly restrictive diets or rules about food can lead to binge eating. Forgiving yourself involves recognizing that this cycle exists and that it's not about a lack of willpower. Instead, it's a biological response to ongoing restriction. By loosening the judgments and rules around food, you can rebuild a healthier relationship with it.
Understand the Impact of Guilt
Guilt after a binge can lead to negative self-talk and a spiral of negative emotions. It can also lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as over-exercising or skipping meals, to "cancel out" the binge. Recognize that this guilt is not helpful and that you deserve peace, freedom, and even joy when it comes to food and eating.
Embrace Self-Compassion and Self-Love
Forgiving yourself means treating yourself with kindness and compassion. It means recognizing that you are not a failure and that you are worthy of self-love. Affirmations can be a powerful tool to foster self-love and resilience. Repeat positive statements to yourself, such as "I welcome kindness, compassion, and love into my life" or "Hurting myself and punishing myself forever is unhelpful to me and my recovery."
Focus on Learning and Growth
Instead of dwelling on the binge, use it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Ask yourself what triggered the binge and what you can learn from it. This mindset shift can help you develop a healthier relationship with food and make positive changes.
Take Care of Your Body
After a binge, focus on taking care of your physical and mental well-being. Get a good night's sleep, eat nutritious meals, stay hydrated, and engage in moderate physical activity. Taking care of your body is an act of self-love and can help you feel better physically and mentally.
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Drink lots of water to rehydrate
Drinking water is essential to rehydrate your body and restore its normal functions. After a binge, your body needs to rehydrate, especially if you've consumed high-salt and high-sugar foods or alcohol. These substances can lead to dehydration, and rehydrating helps counteract their effects.
The recommended daily water intake is at least two liters, or about 66 ounces. However, if drinking large amounts of water at once is challenging, try smaller doses throughout the day. This approach ensures a steady supply of fluids to your body. Drinking water is the cheapest and most effective way to rehydrate, and it doesn't contain any added sugars or calories.
If you find it challenging to drink plain water, you can try oral rehydration solutions, which are powders that you mix with water. Alternatively, drinking moderate amounts of coffee or tea can also contribute to your hydration. These beverages have similar hydrating properties as water, and their caffeine content can give you an energy boost. However, be mindful that coffee and tea are not as hydrating as water, so they should be consumed in moderation.
While sports drinks contain water and electrolytes, they may be high in calories, added sugars, and artificial sweeteners. Therefore, it's essential to check the ingredients before consuming them. Another option is to choose skim or low-fat milk, which has excellent hydrating properties and provides protein and other important nutrients. However, milk may cause stomach discomfort and is not suitable for those with lactose intolerance or milk protein allergies.
In addition to drinking water, you can also increase your hydration by consuming foods with high water content, such as soups, fruits, and vegetables. These foods contribute to your fluid intake and provide essential nutrients.
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Get a good night's sleep
Binge eating can leave you feeling physically uncomfortable and emotionally drained. It can be tempting to skip meals or restrict your food intake the day after a binge, but this can lead to another binge. Instead, getting a good night's sleep after a binge can be a great way to fight off cravings and get a fresh start the next day.
Sleep deprivation has been associated with increased food intake and alterations in hormones that influence hunger. Studies have found that sleeping fewer than eight hours per night is associated with higher body weight, higher levels of ghrelin (the hormone that stimulates hunger), and lower levels of leptin (the hormone that signals fullness and suppresses hunger). Therefore, aiming for seven to nine hours of sleep per night is generally recommended.
To ensure you get a full night of restful sleep after a binge, try going to bed earlier than usual. This will help you feel refreshed and energized the next day, allowing you to make healthier food choices. Getting a good night's sleep will also aid in digestion and reduce any bloating you may be experiencing after overeating.
Additionally, it is important to address the emotional toll that binge eating can take. Binge eating can often be followed by intense feelings of guilt, shame, and other distressing emotions. Forgiving yourself and practicing self-compassion are crucial steps in the recovery process. Recognize that a binge-eating episode does not define your worth or indicate failure.
If you find yourself struggling with recurrent episodes of binge eating, it may be beneficial to seek professional help. Binge eating can be a symptom of a more serious eating disorder, and it is important to address any underlying issues contributing to this behavior.
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Eat protein-rich foods
Eating protein-rich foods is an important strategy to prevent binge eating and to get back on track after a binge. Protein-rich foods can help regulate hunger signals, appetite, and feelings of fullness. A study of 19 people showed that increasing protein intake from 15% to 30% reduced daily calorie intake by 441 calories on average, leading to significant decreases in body weight and fat mass.
Protein-rich foods can help you feel fuller for longer, reducing the risk of overeating and subsequent binging. Good sources of protein include eggs, chicken, turkey, edamame (soybeans), and Greek yogurt. For dinner, try grilled salmon, chicken, or sirloin steak—any "loin" cuts of beef are leaner than other cuts.
It is also beneficial to combine protein-rich foods with high-fiber foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and legumes. These foods provide essential nutrients and help stabilize blood glucose levels. Additionally, the fiber content ensures slower digestion, keeping you feeling fuller for a more extended period.
To summarize, incorporating protein-rich foods into your diet is a powerful strategy to regulate your appetite, reduce calorie intake, and prevent future binges. By including a variety of protein sources and combining them with high-fiber options, you can effectively manage your hunger and promote a healthier relationship with food.
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Exercise lightly to aid digestion
Binge eating is common, and it can happen after a stressful day or during the holidays. It is defined as eating a large amount of food in a short time, past the point of fullness, and often to the point of physical discomfort. If you have been binge eating and want to start a diet, it is important to not feel guilty and instead focus on getting back on track.
One way to do this is by exercising lightly to aid digestion. Light exercises like walking, yoga, stretching, and breathing exercises can help improve digestion and reduce bloating. Walking after a meal can be especially beneficial for improving digestion and preventing the metabolism from storing large quantities of carbohydrates. It is recommended to try walking after meals, whether you are eating out or at home. If walking is not an option, there are some simple exercises you can do in six minutes, such as lifting your knee to your chest while twisting your elbow towards your knee.
In addition to light exercise, staying well-hydrated by drinking water can also aid digestion and reduce bloating. Getting a good night's sleep of seven to nine hours can also help regulate hormones that influence hunger.
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Frequently asked questions
First, it's important to forgive yourself and not feel guilty or ashamed. Binge eating is common, and it's important to be kind to yourself. Next, drink lots of water to rehydrate your body and aid digestion. Try to get a good night's sleep, and don't skip meals the next day. Instead, start your day with a healthy meal and get back into your routine.
Learn your triggers and try to avoid them. Practise mindful eating, which can help you get in tune with your body's hunger cues and prevent future binge episodes. Boost your intake of protein-rich foods, which can help regulate your hunger signals, appetite and feelings of fullness.
Yogurt can help balance out the bad bacteria in your gut and ease tummy troubles. Bananas can help lower blood pressure if you've eaten a lot of sodium. Spinach is full of vitamin B2, which helps metabolise fat, while also fighting disease and infection.
If you think you may have an eating disorder such as binge eating disorder (BED), it's important to seek help. Visit your primary care doctor or a registered dietitian, who can provide support and guidance.
Binge eating disorder is characterised by regularly consuming large amounts of food in a short period, past the point of fullness and often to the point of discomfort. It is often accompanied by feelings of guilt, shame or distress. BED can develop from occasional binge eating and is usually preceded by a period of food restriction.
