10 strategies for overcoming binge eating and overeating | thinklean ...

Do you have an eating disorder? ? OK .. STOP .. for most people the immediate reaction is
?NO.. of course not, I?m not anorexic?. Instant identification with the words ?eating disorder? and anorexia is very common.. but did you know that the MOST common eating disorder is actually Binge Eating?

Anorexia or Anorexic is the word most people think of when you ask them to name an eating disorder. While Anorexia is a serious illness it?s important that you understand the very definition of ?eating disorder?:

eat?ing dis?or?der

Noun:

Any of a range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits

So let?s get words like ?anorexia? and ?bulimia? out of our minds for a few minutes and learn more about the most common eating disorder; Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

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Binge Eating vs Overeating

This is IMPORTANT: We all overeat from time to time?taking an extra helping at Thanksgiving dinner or having dessert when we?re already full. Occasional over eating does not make a person overweight or put us at risk for significant health trauma.For binge eaters, overeating is regular, common and at times uncontrollable.

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• Nearly 10 million females and 1 million males in the U.S. are battling eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, while millions more suffer from binge eating disorder.

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• More than 1/3 of normal dieters progress to pathological dieting. (MORE than 1 in every 3 people!)

Lets look at some statistics to put eating disorders in perspective. Over a lifetime, the following percentages of women and men will experience an eating disorder:

Female Eating Disorder Prevalence Rates

• 0.9% of women will struggle with anorexia in their lifetime
• 1.5% of women will struggle with bulimia in their lifetime
• 3.5% of women will struggle with binge eating disorder

Male Eating Disorder Statistics

• 0.3% of men will struggle with anorexia
• 0.5% of men will struggle with bulimia
• 2% of men will struggle with binge eating disorder

Yo Yo Dieting causes weight gain and obesity

Pathological dieting or Yo-yo dieting refers on-again off-again attempts at weight loss.? Yo-yo dieting rarely leads to success, and it also poses health risks such as depression, reduced metabolism, weight gain and poor heart health.

Binge Eating

People with binge eating disorder are embarrassed and ashamed of their eating habits, so they often try to hide their symptoms and eat in secret. Most binge eaters are overweight or obese, however it is possible for a binge eater to be of normal weight. If a binge eater is of normal weight however that does not mean they are immune to the harmful effects of binge eating (as listed below).

Behavioral Symptoms may include

• Inability to stop eating or control what you?re eating
• Rapidly eating large amounts of food
• Eating even when you?re full
• Hiding or stockpiling food to eat later in secret
• Eating normally around others, but gorging when you?re alone
• Eating continuously throughout the day, with no planned mealtimes

Emotional Symptoms may include

• Feeling stress or tension that is only relieved by eating
• Embarrassment over how much you?re eating
• Feeling numb while binging?like you?re not really there or you?re on auto-pilot.
• Never feeling satisfied, no matter how much you eat
• Feeling guilty, disgusted, or depressed after overeating
• Desperation to control weight and eating habits

Binge eating leads to a wide variety of physical, emotional, and social problems. People with binge eating disorder report more health issues, stress, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts than people without an eating disorder. Depression, anxiety, and substance abuse are common side effects as well. But the most prominent effect of binge eating disorder is weight gain. Over time, compulsive overeating usually leads to obesity. Obesity, in turn, causes numerous medical complications, including:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Gallbladder disease
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Certain types of cancer
• Osteoarthritis
• Joint and muscle pain
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Sleep apnea

Generally, it takes a combination of things to develop binge eating disorder ? including a person?s genes, emotions, and experience. Biological abnormalities can contribute to binge eating. For example, the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that controls appetite) may not be sending correct messages about hunger and fullness. Social pressure to be thin can add to the shame binge eaters feel and fuel their emotional eating. Some parents unwittingly set the stage for binge eating by using food to comfort, dismiss, or reward their children. Children who are exposed to frequent critical comments about their bodies and weight are also vulnerable, as are those who have been sexually abused in childhood. Depression and binge eating are strongly linked. Many binge eaters are either depressed or have been before; others may have trouble with impulse control and managing and expressing their feelings. Low self-esteem, loneliness, and body dissatisfaction may also contribute to binge eating.

One of the most common reasons for binge eating is an attempt to manage unpleasant emotions such as stress, depression, loneliness, fear, and anxiety. When you have a bad day, it can seem like food is your only friend. Binge eating can temporarily make feelings such as stress, sadness, anxiety, depression, and boredom evaporate into thin air. But the relief is only very fleeting.

It can be difficult to overcome binge eating and food addiction. Unlike other addictions, your ?drug? is necessary for survival, so you don?t have the option of avoiding it. Instead, you must develop a healthier relationship with food ? a relationship that?s based on meeting your nutritional needs, not your emotional ones.

Overcoming Binge Eating and Overeating

In order to stop the unhealthy pattern of binge eating, it?s important to start eating for health and nutrition. Healthy eating involves making balanced meal plans, choosing healthy foods when eating out, and making sure you?re getting the right vitamins and minerals in your diet.

10 strategies for overcoming binge eating and overeating

• Manage stress. One of the most important aspects of controlling binge eating is to find alternate ways to handle stress and other overwhelming feelings without using food. These may include exercising, meditating, using sensory relaxation strategies, and practicing simple breathing exercises.
• Eat 3 meals a day plus healthy snacks.? Eating breakfast jump starts your metabolism in the morning. Follow breakfast with a balanced lunch and dinner, and healthy snacks in between. Stick to scheduled mealtimes, as skipping meals often leads to binge eating later in the day.
• Avoid temptation. You?re much more likely to overeat if you have junk food, desserts, and unhealthy snacks in the house. Remove the temptation by clearing your fridge and cupboards of your favorite binge foods.
• Stop dieting. The deprivation and hunger of strict dieting can trigger food cravings and the urge to overeat. Instead of dieting, focus on eating in moderation. Find nutritious foods that you enjoy and eat only until you feel content, not uncomfortably stuffed. Avoid banning certain foods as this can make you crave them even more.
• Exercise. Not only will exercise help you lose weight in a healthy way, but it also lifts depression, improves overall health, and reduces stress. The natural mood-boosting effects of exercise can help put a stop to emotional eating.
• Fight boredom. Instead of snacking when you?re bored, distract yourself. Take a walk, call a friend, read, or take up a hobby such as painting or gardening.
• Get enough sleep. If you?re tired, you may want to keep eating in order to boost your energy. Take a nap or go to bed earlier instead.
• Listen to your body. Learn to distinguish between physical and emotional hunger. If you ate recently and don?t have a rumbling stomach, you?re probably not really hungry. Give the craving time to pass. Drink plenty of water, especially during times when you ?feel? hungry but know that you?ve recently eaten and should not ?be? hungry. If you?re sticking to your schedule of snacks and meals these moments will pass faster and become fewer with time.
• Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, when, how much, and how you?re feeling when you eat. You may see patterns emerge that reveal the connection between your moods and binge eating. I like to uses an online and smart phone app calorie counter and food tracker. My favorite is My Fitness Pal and you can find it here: http://myfitnesspal.com ? it?s free and simple to use. Once you have all your regular foods plugged in it takes only seconds to plug all your snack and meal data in, it will monitor your calories in and out, as well as let you get nutritional data on the recipes that you use so you know exactly what you?re taking in. Most people who are not regular calorie counters report consuming 1/2 to 1/3 of the actual calories they are taking in on a daily basis. Get to know your labels, get to know your food.
• Get support. You?re more likely to succumb to binge eating triggers if you lack a solid support network. Talking helps, even if it?s not with a professional. Lean on family and friends, join a support group, and if possible or necessary consult a therapist. Studies show that the best way to achieve a weight loss or health / fitness goal is by doing it with friends. If you enroll in a weight loss / health or fitness program with 3 friends or colleagues who you already know, the odds of maintaining your weight loss 10 months later goes up to 66% versus 24% if you enroll in a program alone.

YOU CAN change the way YOU think about food, nutrition, health and overcome the mental hurdles that SO many people struggle with when it comes to our bodies and our relationship with food. All you need to be successful is the willingness to change.

About Mary

As a Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach I know what it takes to create a lean strong healthy body. As a human being who loves chocolate and is in general a self proclaimed "foodie" I work daily to find a balance between the two. :) Truth is, before I got educated on nutrition I struggled with my weight and dieting my whole life. I have found a simple solution to losing fat, being healthy, having more energy .. and most important .. maintaining those results, for life. I have changed the way I think about food, nutrition, health and overcome the mental hurdles that SO many people struggle with when it comes to our bodies and our relationship with food. I can help you .. all you need to be successful is the willingness to change. (Don't worry, it's not as scary or difficult as most people make it out to be :) To your health, Mary - Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach

Source: http://thinklean.net/blog/?p=454

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