How to STOP Binging on Foods you LOVE
On a weekly basis, I hear some variation of this statement: “Oh I can’t keep that in my house or I’ll eat the whole thing in one sitting!”
Do you do feel the same way? If so, let’s dissect this...
First, we have to talk about the Cycle of Dieting. And it goes a little something like this.
We want to go on a diet (we’ll get into reasonings in a minute), so we restrict/limit certain foods, label them as “good” foods or “bad” foods and try to not eat them. Then we might lost some weight and feel really good about ourselves. SUCCESS! We did it! 🎉 And people might start to notice and reinforce the weight loss/changes in our body. We might even reward ourselves with a yummy meal. And here’s where things start to spiral down. The food tastes. so. good. And we don’t want to stop eating it, because its just this one time, right? You need to enjoy it before you cant have it again. You’re not going to have this cake, cookie, pizza, pasta, bread for at least another month, so get it in while you can and you’ll be sure to work out really extra hard tomorrow. But then oh no, is your friends birthday party this weekend and she’s having appetizers and BYOB. Okay, just this time… Crap, Girl Scout cookies. Thin Mints. Those are your favorite. But just one box, and then you eat the whole sleeve because you just cant keep them in the house. You just want them gone. Slowly but surely you start to realize you cant keep up with only eating 1500 calories. You miss a work out, the holidays are coming up, you already messed up. Guilt. Shame. Embarrassment. Disappointment. You were doing SO good. You gained 5 pounds. Are you freaking kidding me? All that work to regain the 5 pounds you lost last month? Ugh. Time to get back on track… So you go on a diet.
If you are a visual learner here you go:
If you have ever gotten stuck in this cycle, you are NOT alone. The diet industry thrives off of the Diet Cycle because it keeps you coming back. Low carb didn’t work, but have you tried counting macros? That didn’t last either, but there’s always intermittent fasting? What about meal replacement shakes… those are supposed to keep you full, right? Crap that didn’t work either. Maybe Keto, I know someone who lost a ton of weight on keto. Who needs carbs?
There will always be another diet, or another diet rebranded so it seems like it’s new, but they are all the same. Restrictive.
Here lies the issue. When we feel restricted of something, we are more inclined to focus on that thing. If you think about it with dieting and if you have ever been on a diet, it’s probably all you think about. How much you need to eat, just ate or are about to eat. What did you weigh this morning? What is your goal weight next week? How much you’re going to exercise, need to exercise or should exercise. Weighing food. Looking up recipes. Etc. It’s all consuming. This is what happens when we feel out of control, we try to control everything around us, but we become all consumed.
Here’s a different example.
Have you ever been sleep deprived? (Anyone with kids haha) So if you have, you know that all you think about is when you’re going to be able to nap/rest/sleep. When you get home, the first thing on your mind is going to be getting straight to bed and you long for the feeling of when your head finally hits the pillow. We tend to think about the things our bodies need, whether its sleep, food, or even needing to pee! When we are deprived, we focus on that thing even more.
Let’s get back to food. You might be thinking “well I do eat enough when I am dieting!”. Ok sure. You might be getting enough calories but are you restricting foods you really thoroughly enjoy? If the answer is yes, this is still a type of restriction. Telling yourself “I cant eat that” is a form of mental restriction and we tend to want that food even more, and will indulge in it when we get our hands on it (remember, Girl Scout cookies).
So how do we stop the Diet Cycle?
Eat enough food. If you are hungry please eat. Dont drink water, chew gum, or wait until you are starving to eat. Your body deserves adequate nourishment 100% of the time.
Eat all foods. Yup. All kinds of foods, cookies and all. When we feel less deprived of foods we are less likely to over eat on them. Hint: This STOPS the binging!
Treat your body kindly. You don’t have to love everything about it, but try to be nice. Talk to your body the same way you might talk with a friend or loved one.
Practice self-care. Do nice things for yourself to cope with stress. Make self care a part of your day to day routine.
Allow for mistakes. You’re only human. You don’t have to be perfect. Remember: one meal, one day, or one week of eating isn’t the end all be all. Zoom out. Consistency is achieved over time.
We think the way to stop binging is to restrict food or keep these foods out of the house, but the reality is, we need to consume MORE of that food and keep it in the house so we reduce the feeling of being deprived. I know it feels counteractive and scary, but don't worry friend, I am here to help!
Cheers to Mental Health and Food Freedom!
