1. Water
Water will help in many ways. Make sure you drink at least 2 litres and start drinking water instead of any other beverages. We often confuse thirst with hungry, so, when you’re hungry, make sure to drink some water before eating; this will also help with eating less in general. While you’re eating, continue to drink water and take sips between every bite or every other bite.
2. Listen to Your Body // Mindful Eating
Learn to listen to your body by asking yourself if you’re really hungry. “Am I hungry enough to eat an apple or some celery?” “How am I feeling right now?” Also, know how you’re physically feeling. If you’re feeling dizzy, shaky or feel like you’re about to faint, just eat. If you allow your body to become so desperate for food, it may cause a binge. Another method to cope with physical hungry is to have more frequent and smaller meals to avoid hungry while you’re waiting for the next meal.
When you’re eating, focus on the taste, texture and consistency. Try to enjoy your food so you will feel more satisfied once you’re done. You can better enjoy your food by taking your time. Set a certain about of time, for example, twenty minutes and try to make your meal last for that whole time. Keep putting down your utensils, drawing out the time it takes to finish your food. Absolutely NEVER eat while doing something else, this will put you on “autopilot” and make you eat more, while also making the food less satisfying.
3. Identifying Triggers and Avoiding Them
One of the most common triggers is restricting yourself too much. Restricting is more than just calories, you can feel too restricted when limiting your food choices too. In response to restriction, your body and mind will be wanting food. Avoid this by allowing yourself a cheat/binge day but this doesn’t always work since this will just make you feel restricted as well but instead of that, you can allow yourself a small treat a day which can be accommodated by a higher calorie intake.
Certain foods will often trigger a binge. Document your binges as accurate as you can and check your most sought after foods then throw them out or avoid having them around. When people offer you a trigger food, just say no. It’s not that hard when you really think about it. If it actually is hard to avoid a food, make an excuse as to why you can’t eat it.
Obviously, emotions can trigger a binge. Identify trigger emotions by recording your emotions during a binge. Find ways you can avoid these negative emotions by bringing down stress or getting more organized. Take a bath, take up a hobby, learn time management and go through your possessions then find a proper place for them or dispose of them.
Your relationship with food makes a big impact in your diet or lifestyle. What is food to you? Comfort, safety, a reward or fuel? If it’s anything other than fuel, you need to develop a different view and relationship with food. Know that particular nutrients themselves won’t make you fat but will provide you with a level of sufficient energy. Complex carbs will provide you will long-term energy, as will fat but simple carbs will give you instant energy, providing an insulin spike that won’t last very long. Educate yourself on what food truly is.
Purging (vomiting, laxative abuse, diuretics, over-exercising) gives us a sense of relief after a binge and also tells us that in a way, it’s okay to binge. Suffer after a binge and train your brain to know it’s NOT okay to binge and whatever excess food you eat will make you gain excess fat.
Often feeling discouraged is what makes people give up. Smaller goals and weigh-ins further apart will show more progress. Rewards will also give you more encouragement to reach each small goal and
4. Stop Making Excuses
Excuse number one to avoid is “I will do better tomorrow.” Do you know what? You won’t and you know you won’t. The minute you catch yourself doing bad, stop, drink some water and figure out a plan you can follow RIGHT NOW! (Ex: Only eat certain foods for the rest of the day but don’t fast or restrict too much, it’s setting yourself up for failure)
5. Distract yourself.
Take a look at the “Distractions” page for help and possibly find a new hobby !x
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