You should keep all foods in the kitchen and out of site. The more you see food, the more likely you are to want food. Many people binge because they are not paying attention to if they are really hungry or not. You could be watching a television program with a bag of chips in your lap. Before you know it, the whole bag is gone. Your mind was occupied by the television program. This is why it is very important to keep all your foods in the kitchen and only eat at the dinner table.
Do eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Remember breakfast revs up your metabolism for the day. The majority of people who struggle with eating at night are those who usually skip meals or not eating a well balanced meal throughout the day. This causes the major setup for binging and overeating at night.
Avoid sugar, especially early in the day. after you eat sugar your blood sugar spikes up and then drops within an hour and that drop in blood sugar will make you want to snack. There is a sugar roller coaster that will go on in your body and once you recognize this you will notice your feelings and emotions are being triggered by the hype and comfort of high blood sugar and the depression and cravings that go on from low blood sugar.
Positive affirmations are basically short sentences which you repeat to yourself over and over again. This may seem a little silly, but your mind will pick up on those sentences and it will slowly change your thought patterns to fit what you're saying. A good sentence will be something like: " I won't allow my emotions to cause me to binge" or " I can stop my binge eating". You'd be amazed at how effective this can be.
Drink pure water to refresh and cleanse your body and brain. Water is essential to every function in your body, and the more stressed you are, the more water you need. If you drink coffee, drink two cups of water for every cup of coffee. The same formula holds true for sodas. If you have trouble drinking enough water, try adding lime or sea salt to improve the taste. If you feel the urge for emotional eating, drink one glass of water first, then stop and consider your foods choices. The water will give you a feeling of fullness and give you a little extra time to prevent a food binge.
Another powerful way to stop emotional eating is drinking more water. It is important that you drink between 8-12 glasses of water daily. Drinking say 10 glasses of water daily will help fill you stomach and also help you deal with false hunger - which leads to binge eating. You don't have to drink 8-12 glasses at once, just spread it throughout the day. Drink more plenty of water between and after meals. One thing you should take note of is that you can not replace water with soda, water is got to be water. Drink water only and not soda.
To overcome binge eating, you need to be able to deal with issues that cause the overeating. Therefore, you need to find things that help you relax, other than eating. There are many things you can turn to that are safe, such as walking, riding a bike, riding a stationary bike, taking a bath or listening to relaxing music. This step varies on the person, so choose something that is relaxing for you.
Unable to cope - Studies have shown that some individuals who cannot handle their emotions like sadness, anger, stress etc and even people who have a low self esteem often turn to binge eating in order to cope better. They binge eat in order to hide from these various emotions.
This may be tricky if no one knows that you have binge eating disorder. If there is a trusted friend, family member, or counselor that you have told, why not hold yourself accountable to them? You will do anything you can think of to avoid a binge so that you do not have to go back and let that person know that you gave in. You'll even come up with some great distractions for binge eating!
From the moment the buzzing alarm clock jolts us out of a sound sleep, most of us whiz through the day under stressful conditions. Finally, after everyone else has gone to bed, curling up on the couch with a pint of ice cream seems to be the best way to unwind.
Yet even when we know in our minds that 'comfort foods' won't solve our problems, many of us still find ourselves overeating when we're under stress. There are reasons for this and ways you can resist the urge to binge.
Responding to Stress
Why does feeling stressed cause us to overeat? For one, eating is an effective way to temporarily forget about our problems. When we focus on food, we escape from our problems, at least for a little while. We've probably learned from past situations that food enables us to do this. And so eating distracts us during times of stress, and it feels good. Think about it, how many times have you run out of the office to grab some candy when you're having trouble tackling a problem at work, or meeting a deadline?
There are physiological explanations as to why we feel calmer when we eat. As blood flows from the brain to the stomach for digestion, we start to feel at ease, and ultimately relaxed.
When we gorge ourselves with food, we escape in a somewhat 'unconscious' way. Binging on very large amounts of carbohydrates produces a 'sugar high,' which can result in a 'numb' feeling, taking us away from what we really feel.
In addition, the release of cortisol from the adrenal glands into the bloodstream during stressful times causes levels of serotonin, a hormone responsible for relaxed and content feelings, to decrease. Theories based on animal studies suggest that decreased levels of serotonin causes increased cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods, and once carbohydrate-rich foods are consumed, feelings of relaxation and contentedness resume.
Immediate Solutions to Prevent Eating in Response to Stress
So what can you do when you feel the urge to binge? Well, there are lots of different things to do! Here are 20 activities you can do instead of grabbing those cookies or chips when you feel an overwhelming desire to eat. Before you try these suggestions, however, make a deal with yourself-that is, if you wish to have a specific food, you can have it, but only after you've done three things on the list below.
Here are 20 Things You Can Do Instead of Eating: 1.Read a book or your favorite fitness magazine 2.Search for a Web site, on a topic that is of interest to you but that you haven't had time to pursue 3.Go for a walk 4.Call or email a friend 5.Write in a journal 6.Go window-shopping 7.Play a game with your spouse, children, or pets, whether it's Frisbee or fetch, checkers or chess 8.Do an exercise video, or hit the gym for aerobics, weightlifting, or yoga 9.Tackle some household chores: dust, vacuum, balance the checkbook, etc. 10.Take a long bath or shower 11.Start your holiday gift list both gifts to give, and gifts to receive 12.Alphabetize your books, CDs, videotapes, spice rack... 13.Do some outside chores: work in the garden, mow the lawn, rake leaves, or shovel snow 14.Meditate or pray 15.Work on a craft project that will keep your hands busy: knitting, needlepoint, painting, woodworking, etc. 16.Crank up your stereo and dance around the living room 17.Try on old clothes. Clothes that are now too big as well as clothes that are still too small 18.Research healthy recipes to prepare for the coming week, and make a shopping list 19.Brush your teeth, use a strong mouthwash, then pop in a piece of extra-minty gum 20.Start, or add to, a scrapbook of your weight loss journey. Include photos, motivational articles, and your own thoughts and feelings
Longer-term Solutions
The best way to decrease the urge to binge on high-calorie foods when experiencing stressful feelings is to get at the root of the problem: that is, get at the root of what's eating you.
Figure out what is causing the stress, and address the problem immediately. For example, if you are stressed about your job, find ways to cope with the problem. This can mean talking with friends and family, or speaking with a mental health professional. Talking about a stressful situation helps us to feel calm and connected to others, which can help to relieve feelings of frustration and confusion.
Another feeling that causes stress and subsequent overeating is the feeling of helplessness, and lack of control. A good way to approach this feeling is to focus on the things that you do have control over, and can make a difference in. For example, try volunteering at a local hospital, or delivering meals to the elderly. Certainly avoiding excess calories and exercising regularly are examples of things we have control over and things that we should focus on.
Other Suggestions for Dealing With Stress Over the Long-Term.
Consume a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet, and limit alcohol and caffeine.
As mentioned above, theories suggest that the presence of carbohydrates can help to increase production of serotonin, the chemical responsible for making us feel relaxed and at ease. Whether or not this is actually true, it is probably worth a try, especially given the fact that a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet offers many other benefits, such as weight loss and protection against heart disease. For meals, choose whole-wheat pasta with shrimp and steamed vegetables, or a large baked potato with broccoli and low-fat cheddar. Fruits, pretzels, popcorn, yogurts, puddings, and energy bars are all good ideas for snacks.
As caffeine can further stimulate the central nervous system, thereby intensifying the stress response, it's best to avoid caffeinated beverages, such as coffee and colas. In addition, alcohol intake should be minimized, as it can increase appetite and decrease control over eating behavior.
Exercise!
Research shows that exercise can help to reduce stress. It can help us to 'vent' negative emotions, and it helps to boost our endorphins, or 'feel-good' hormones, ultimately improving our mood. Exercise also decreases our appetite, helping us to consume fewer calories. Try to engage in a regular exercise routine, even if that just means going for a 10-minute walk every day. Finding exercise buddies can be a great way to connect with others and do your body good at the same time.
Incorporate relaxation techniques as part of your daily routine.
Yoga, meditation, or even deep breathing can help to take the edge off. Visualizing a peaceful place can be a soothing way to 'escape' from reality, for just a few needed seconds.
Both Scott Gillespie & Glenn Freiboth are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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