Here’s the not-so-dirty secret:
Everybody binges… at some point. Think about the last time you declared, “Just one chip,”
but finished with an upended bag of salty crumbs on your lips. What about that
holiday feast turned food coma? The fact of the matter is it happened, and
there’s no use pretending it didn’t.
What Is a Binge?
A binge is overeating in a short period of time. You go past satisfying hunger, despite feeling stuffed with food — and oftentimes regret. A binge happens unintentionally, unlike a “cheat meal,” which you can plan into a healthy eating regimen. Binges can occur periodically, as in Thanksgiving dinner, or over a stretch of time like a weeklong cruise to Cancun featuring all-you-can-eat crab legs.
Keep in mind that we’re talking about
a binge, where you overindulge, and not a consistent pattern of binging that
may be a sign of a more serious eating issue. To read more information about
eating disorders, visit the National
Eating Disorder Association.
Your 5-Step Guide to Beat the Binge
(and the Bulge)
Just because we all binge at some point doesn’t mean we can’t beat the bulge. A binge can be discouraging, especially if you’ve just started to see progress on the scale. Follow these five steps, so you can get back on track after a binge:
Step 1: Do Emotional Damage Control
Unless you’re a special kind of saint, binging will make you feel lousy. Guilt, shame, worthlessness, and disgust can be knee-jerk reactions post-binge. Catch yourself immediately! You can’t change the past or let this binge define you. Here are a few tips to reign in your gloomy thoughts:
·
Reframe the situation. This binge session is not going to tank your
progress. Your weight is affected by how much you eat averaged over a
long period of time. Think of this binge as a learning opportunity, and use it
to course correct for the future. It may be helpful to jot down your
thoughts in a journal for when you can look back on this moment with a
clearer mind, and glean insights from it.
·
Get your mind off your mood. Feeling blue? Call up a close friend and plan something fun that
doesn’t involve food. Now is the time to distract yourself with a hobby you
love (yoga, anyone?). Bonus points if it involves light exercise.
·
Don’t weigh yourself. Binging is a hard blow, especially if your self-esteem is tied up
in your shape and weight. It’s tempting to weigh that food baby, but do
yourself a favor and stay off the scale for now.
Step 2: Pick a Fallback Nutrition
Plan
So, you inhaled a large pepperoni pizza, now what? All that excess calories, fat, refined carbs, and salt can make you feel bloated and tired. After dealing with the emotional hurdles of a binge, refocus your effort to get back on the healthy-eating horse. There’s no one answer to how to do this, but here are a few options you can try:
·
Get back on the healthy habits
horse as soon as possible. Resume an appropriately
portioned, balanced diet. Word of caution: Despite tons of calories post
pig-out, you may feel hungrier than normal the next morning. This is likely due
to the sugary, high-glycemic index nature of most binge foods, which can spike
blood sugar and stimulate hunger.
·
Focus on fluid and fiber. If you’re like me, you’ll get a bit queasy thinking about your
binge foods. On the flipside, a fresh salad or tangy fruit-and-veggie
smoothie sounds like pure bliss. If this is you, kick off your post-binge
meal with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and water. The combination of fluid
and fiber makes digestion more efficient, which helps move your binge food
right on through your system. Avoid loading up on calorie-dense, high-fat foods
at this point, as these will slow down digestion.
·
Try out a non-gimmicky reset. Depending on the bigness of your binge, you may want to slate
about two to three days to recuperate. You can get back on track while eating
nutritious fruits, veggies, and good-for-you fats.
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