3 Steps to Beat Binges Before They Even Happen
Binge eating is a serious condition.
Everyone goes over their macros now and then. Whether that’s because you’re out for dinner, it’s a special occasion, or you’ve just entered the ‘hangry zone,’ it’s probably going to happen from time to time.
However, when these lapses become more frequent and you go from just eating a little too much to gorging and feasting until you’re stuffed, bloated, and sick, it’s classed as binge eating.
Sometimes, it’s just a case that you consistently break your diet and go over macros, eating to the point of discomfort and feeling guilty afterward. There are steps you can take to prevent this from happening in the first place.
We all like to think we’re strong-minded and can overcome cravings through sheer willpower alone, but every single one of us will have moments where it all gets to be too much and we want to break and binge.
But the important thing is to recognize the triggers to binging and to put steps in place to ensure that you can cope with them and beat the binge before it happens.
Let’s look at ways to do just that.
1. Fill Up on Fiber
The number one cause for a binge is the most obvious—hunger.
If you’re in a calorie deficit and carry low levels of body fat, it makes sense that you’re going to be hungry. In part, this is unavoidable, but if you’re constantly hungry and feeling unsatisfied then your chances of binging go through the roof.
The good news is that there are simple steps you can take to stay more full and maximize your ability to stay on track.
This is where fiber becomes a real rock star. It delays gastric emptying, meaning you stay feeling fuller for longer when you eat a meal.
2. Get Cooking
After all, there are no restrictions on what foods you eat, and you can literally have anything. (Provided that you understand what macronutritents are best for you.)
Trouble is, when your macros are low, there’s really not much room for ‘fun stuff’ and so we often ban all of our favorite treats until after we’re done getting lean. This is fine, but if it increases your cravings and makes you binge, it becomes problematic.
The solution?
Make macro-friendly recipes.
These low-calorie alternatives to ‘junk food’ make dieting a whole lot easier and allow you to eat food that tastes awesome without blowing your numbers.
3. Identify Your Triggers
It’s rare to binge when we’re happy and stress free. After all, when we’re feeling content we don’t need to use food as a crutch or a comfort to take us away from pain.
When we’re stressed, anxious, angry, upset, or overwhelmed, however, it’s easy to ‘eat our feelings’ and use food as a way of escaping our true emotions for a short-term fix.
Binging is often used as a coping mechanism, as it temporarily distracts you from discomfort. But afterwards you feel guilty for it, and these feelings of guilt can simply add to any misery you felt in the first place.
Though easier said than done, the key is to identify other forms of dealing with any negative emotions. This might mean you go for a walk, listen to a piece of music you love, talk with a friend, or take your aggression out by pumping some iron.
Beating Binging: As Easy as 1, 2, 3 … 4
While the words in this blog might make beating binging seem like a piece of cake (pun intended), it’s not always that easy.
If you’ve been an on-off binge eater for years, it’s not going to stop overnight, and you may well slip up. But don’t let that set you back.
