: How to Control Binge Eating
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(437 Words)
Binge eating can be extremely detrimental to a diet. There are different ways that you can try to control this habit to help you manage your weight and health better.
Distract yourself when you want to binge eat
The urge for binge eating can be very strong indeed. Instead of trying to fight it, see if you can distract yourself instead. For instance, if you know you are not hungry but just want to eat and eat and eat, then see if you can watch a funny movie that will take your mind off of food. Call someone on the phone that tends to distract you well. If you need to do something with your hands then take up an activity such as sewing. If you need something in your mouth, then get some sugar-free gum to chew on.
Get rid of the items that you binge on
Some people tend to binge on certain foods. Oftentimes these are the very unhealthy foods. Why torture yourself? If you know that you cannot help yourself with these items, then you should try to take them out of the house.
Place items in single serving packets
The serving size of many items seems way too small. You may just keep eating and eating and before you know it the entire bag of potato chips is gone. To help yourself avoid binge eating, you can divide these food items into single servings. For instance, take the potato chip bag and put the amount you would like to eat in a serving into a Ziploc bag.
Some people find that they binge when they go out to eat. Some meals at restaurants literally have an entire day’s worth of fat and calories in them. They may be many serving sizes in one. If you know that you will have trouble stopping yourself, then you can ask if they can wrap half of it to go from the beginning. You can also share a meal with someone or order a lunch portion. You may want to avoid restaurants where the portions are out of control or avoid buffets if you know that you will binge there.
One mistake does not equal a free pass
Some people make one mistake in their diet and then decide that since they “messed up” they can now eat whatever they want. Do not have this mentality. Even if you made a mistake, you can start over from where you are. Why make it worse by binge eating?
Binge eating is unhealthy and can sabotage a diet. The above techniques can help you avoid this self-destructive habit.