I used to be a binge eater.  (Sometimes but rarely, these old habits creep in.)  When I would feel bad about it, I would starve myself the next day, then binge again.  It was a vicious cycle.  Then I put a stop to it.  You have to first realize that sometimes you make mistakes (binge) and you shouldn't self loath or punish yourself (starve) because you’re just going to keep going back and forth.  (Plus, you should always love yourself!) So instead…this is what you do after binge eating:

1. Make a mental note about how you feel emotionally and let it go.  (You are gorgeous!)
   
2. Make a mental note about how you feel physically (more than likely, you’re in a bit of belly pain) and keep that in your mind.  (Write it down if you must.)  
3. Try  to figure out what triggered the binge.  For me, it's usually because I'm bored and alone.  So I have to get busy with writing, sewing, hanging out with friends, or running errands.  
   
4. Don’t skip your next planned meal if you are hungry.  (I say "if" because sometimes I’m still full from binge eating by the time the next meal comes around.) 
   
5. Continue on with your healthy eating plan.  For most of us, it’s eating 6 small and healthy meals a day of good carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats.  (This ensures you’re fueling your body with proper nutrition.  Eating in intervals generally keeps your binge habits and random cravings at bay.)
   
6. Set yourself up to NOT mindlessly eat.  Hide food away in the cupboards or fridge and don’t set out whole bags of anything for you to potentially consume all at once.  (If there is a bag of chips, a plate of cookies, or a huge bowl of sliced fruit in front of me, nothing stops me from continuing to grab one after another.)
   
7. If you become hungry or have an urge to eat, maybe you’re thirsty.  Grab a glass of water.  Maybe you’re hungry.  Is it time for your next meal?  Eat that.  If you're actually hungry and it's not time for your next meal, vegetables should sound pretty tasty.
   
8. Do you really just have a craving for whatever it is you keep thinking of and nothing else sounds good?  It’s probably emotional eating.  I wouldn't ignore it.  Serve yourself a tiny portion of it and put the rest away first before taking one bite!  Then sit down somewhere to enjoy whatever it is that you want with a large glass of water.  (I serve myself a small amount of fruit/nut/chocolate chip mix in a miniature ramekin, wash it down with water, and tend to feel extremely full from water while still satisfying my craving.)  Sometimes, I repeat this step.
   
9. Reflect on how you feel.  Did you just realize that giving into your cravings wasn't as amazing as you thought it would be?  Be glad you only ate a little.  Are you happy that you got rid of your urge to eat more?  Applaud yourself.  You did well.
10. Repeat the whole process as necessary.

Naturally, you will learn to eat right or on plan all of the time and indulge occasionally on the things you truly want.  You’ll stop wanting to waste treating (cheating) yourself on something as insignificant as processed junk like Oreos or another boring dinner roll and when you do treat yourself with something you REALLY want, you'll make sure it's worth it (mom's cheesecake?).  You will also start to become satisfied with 2-3 bites instead of the entire pan because you know how much it hurts your stomach, your goals, and your emotions to overdo it.  (Then at some point, you’ll start sharing your desserts between 1 or 2 people or simply just taking a single bite of your husbands treat...hehe.)  You learn you don’t need much to be happy…and you never go home with an upset stomach or guilt.  That's the best part, never having the guilt.  Once you learn to control yourself, you will feel empowered and you'll start seeing positive results!

~ Amber


Questions for you:

• Do you suffer from emotional eating?
  
• What triggers it?
• How do you overcome it?