Do you have a problem with binge eating? In the US, about 3% of adults are binge eaters. This condition is different from eating three meals and some snacks during the day. It basically involves being unable to stop eating after you start. If you have this condition it’s important to learn how to stop binge eating. There are various steps to take like avoiding diets and eating three square meals every day. Taking some basic steps can help to break the cycle of constantly eating. The problem with this activity is that it can boost the risk of health conditions like obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease.
It’s important to know what binge eating is all about so you can treat the condition effectively. This is basically eating lots of food in a short time. It could be said that this is what’s informally known as “pigging out.” There are various causes for why people have this condition. Some people have problems with appetite control. Meanwhile, others might be in stressful situations that cause them to reach for their favorite comfort food as a way to deal with the situation. Regardless of the cause, it’s important to treat this condition ASAP. The reason is that it could become worse and cause very serious health issues.
What Exactly Is Binge Eating?
This is an eating disorder that’s quickly being considered as serious as other eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia. However, it’s a different type of eating disorder. It usually just involves binge eating. There are usually very serious guilty feelings regarding the person’s behavior.
It’s important to note that this condition is different from eating lots of food because it’s a birthday party of New Year’s Eve. This condition involves eating lots of calories. For example, people with this disorder might take this step, even if it’s not a special event. This can lead to many health issues like obesity.
It’s important to know the difference between “overeating” and “binge eating.” A person’s caloric intake can vary from 1500 to 3000 calories, for example. However, people with this disorder could eat 15,000+ calories.
That’s a huge amount. In fact, it’s up to 10x more than people normally eating. It’s equal to up to a dozen servings of buttered popcorn at a movie theater. Not only that but it would also involve the person eating the food within the average movie length of about 2 hours.
The high consumption of food is just part of the eating disorder. For example, people might take steps like hiding food then eating it later. They also might be dealing with problems like anxiety and depression. This condition can also cause the person to be overweight or obese.
There are psychological issues often involved. For example, the person might be aware they have an eating disorder and feel quite guilty about it. However, this might actually worsen the problem. They might then feel like they can’t stop eating non-stop.
This can sometimes cause a cycle. That’s because a person wants to go on a diet and start eating healthy. They might go on a diet then binge eats again.
How to Stop Binge Eating
1. Keep food journal
2. Eat three meals
It’s a good idea to eat three meals instead of skipping 1+. The reason is if you go on a starvation diet, for example, you’ll be more likely to consume unhealthy snacks between meals. There’s also a good chance you’ll actually consume more calories during your next meal. You could ditch all the snacks.
3. Sleep more
4. Drink enough water
This might seem to have nothing to do with stopping binge eating. What’s the big deal? Drinking water can provide several health benefits. One of the main ones is it can help you feel full. Water actually has 0 calories. However, if you drink a glass before meals, you’ll feel fuller and will be less likely to eat tons of food at one sitting.
5. Eat breakfast
6. Make the kitchen junk food-free
This is a basic and effective way to help prevent binge eating. Quite simply if you don’t have certain unhealthy foods in your kitchen and pantry you can’t eat it. That can help you to have more self-control and avoid doing binge eating. When you start your anti-binging, programs make sure you clean out all unhealthy food from your kitchen cabinets.
7. Hit the gym
8. Don’t diet
This might seem like an odd approach to take since you want to lose weight. The problem is this is often only a short-term fix. In fact, if you go on a fad diet in particular then there’s a good chance, you’ll regain the weight back. A better approach is to consider long-term changes to your eating habits.
9. Consume more fiber
This might be a surprising one. When you consume more fiber, it can affect hormones that help you feel full. This is a plus and can help to prevent binging. Another issue is the body doesn’t digest fiber. So, when you consume more fiber it can reduce your net carbs, for example. That’s because this figure is minus fiber.
10. Do yoga
Top Symptoms of Binge Eating
1. No control of eating
Here’s a key sign that you have a problem with binge eating. This is actually one of the key signs that you’re a binge eater. It’s about more than having a craving now and then eating your favorite comfort food. This is the process of eating too much and not stopping when you should. This involves different issues like self-control.
2. Binging in secret
Many people with this condition actually eat regularly when they’re with other people. The binging happens when they’re alone. That’s when they eat tons of calories and can’t control how much they eat. If you show this behavior then there’s a good chance you have problems with binge eating. Try to observe if you eat a lot more when nobody else is dining with you.
3. Saving food
If you’re saving up food to eating later then you could have a problem with binge eating. Sure, you’ll sometimes want to stock certain foods because they’re tough to find or you’ll need them during next week’s meals.
However, it’s quite another issue if you’re buying food to eat later. This is especially true if it’s junk food since you’ll also be getting little nutritional value. People with binge eating disorder often save up food then eat it in secret. This is a sign they have problems controlling their eating, which is a situation you should try to avoid.
4. Eating after you’re full
This is one of the main signs of binge eating. The standard process is to eat until we’re full. Sometimes we might eat a little more than needed because the food is super-yummy, for example. However, it’s quite another story if you keep eating when you’re already full. There’s no reason to take this step and it can result in the need to learn how to stop binge eating.
