Don’t Let A Binge Take You Down: How To Bounce Back After Binge Eating
What is binge eating?
First and foremost, there are two levels of binge eating; Binge Eating Disorder and binge-eating episodes, habits, or tendencies.
A Binge Eating Disorder is a severe but treatable eating disorder that is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of food, often very quickly and to the point of discomfort. More specifically, it’s characterized by eating an excessive, significantly larger amount of food than is generally considered to be a normal meal in a 2-hour time period or less. People will also experience a lack of control during these episodes. They may feel as though they can’t stop themselves or aren’t intentionally eating.
Now let’s say you experience some of those symptoms; consuming larger than average portion sizes, experiencing a loss of control, and possibly feeling distressed or guilty after the fact. However in contrast, you experience these episodes less often than as described above, or possibly with less severity. While you may not have Binge Eating Disorder, you’re still experiencing binge eating episodes. Before we talk about what’s causing it, we need to walk through what it actually is.
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Binge eating vs overeating
Aside from the differences in a Binge Eating Disorder and a binge eating episode, it’s also important to recognize the difference between simply overeating and entering a binge cycle. While both may be mindless behaviors, causing you to eat too much without thinking about why, there are some major differences.
Binge eating is more emotionally driven and is often linked to emotional eating habits unlike overeating. Binge eating usually always ends in feeling guilty about what was eaten. Some examples of binge eating are:
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Sneaking a bag of candy into your room, and finishing it in secret
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Eating a whole cake in one sitting and then feeling guilty about it
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Finishing a third burger even though you’re already uncomfortably full
Overeating on the other hand has less to do with an emotional response. Overeating is exactly what it sounds like, eating more food than is necessary. Some examples of overeating are:
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Having more than one dessert after dinner
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Finishing a whole bag of popcorn while watching a movie
Signs & symptoms of binge eating
Emotional stress or distress often plays a role in binge eating, and might even trigger a binge eating episode every now and then. The following are symptoms that would be currently present if you were suffering from binge eating:
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Eating faster than normal & usual
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Eating until you feel uncomfortably full
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Eating due to feelings about your body weight and/or shape
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Eating large amounts of food even though you don’t feel hungry
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Feeling extremely unhappy or distressed about your eating
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Eating by yourself due to feelings of shame or embarrassment
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Feeling guilty or disgusted with yourself during or after a binge episode
When we have a craving for something and we are heading into a binge cycle, there are underlying things that are going on that could be the cause behind it. The first step to conquering a binge is understanding what is causing it.
What causes binge eating?
An episode of binge eating can be triggered by a variety of genetic, environmental, social and psychological things, that are all potential risks associated with its development. Some of the more common factors that are at risk of triggering binge eating are the following:
BODY SIZE
Almost 50% of people with a binge eating disorder have obesity, while the other half who struggle with a binge eating disorder tend to be of normal or even slightly higher than average weight. And most people who are labeled clinically obese don’t have a binge eating disorder.
EMOTIONAL TRAUMA
Stressful life events like abuse, death, or even a car accident could be a risk factor for developing a binge eating disorder. Another stressful life event that could often lead to binge eating later in life is childhood bullying due to weight.
GENDER
Binge eating is more commonly seen in women than it is seen in men. An estimated 3.6% of women experience binge eating at some point in their lives, compared with 2% of men who experience it. Some believe this may be due to underlying biological factors.
OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
Around 80% of people who suffer from a binge eating disorder have at least one other psychological disorder that they are suffering from. Such examples are commonly depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, anxiety, or substance abuse.
How to bounce back after a binge eating episode
Although some say that after overeating it may take up to three days to feel like your old self again, there are some tips that can help you get back on track right away. The following are some of the best ways to bounce back from a binge, so you can continue living your life again.
Forgive yourself
It's not a crime to indulge, and you’re only human like everyone else. Dwelling on your binge will only make you more upset, which could lead to emotional bouts of overeating down the road. Moving past the guilt is the first step toward getting back on track. It's important to realize that if it was just one overindulgent meal, it won't do too much damage. This would generally only set you back a day or two. So forgive yourself and keep your head up.
Hydrate
When you're super full the last thing you want to do is guzzle down water. But staying hydrated can aid in binge recovery by aiding digestion and fighting gas-induced bloat. Additionally, staying hydrated supports a healthy metabolism and satiety, making recovery more manageable for the body. Drink a large glass of water before bed and a few large glasses the next morning. It's also advisable to keep a water bottle by your side over the next two days.
Get a good night sleep
Getting seven to nine hours of sleep is one of the best things you can do to get back on track after a binge because it may make it easier to turn down fat and carb-laden trigger foods the next day. Additionally, getting enough sleep will help keep your stress levels low and will help you to become less likely to fall into another binge.
Have protein and fibers for breakfast the day after
After eating a huge meal, we oftentimes swear we will never eat again only to wake up the next morning feeling more ravenous than ever before. This happens because after eating a big dinner, insulin levels spike. This is often followed by a blood sugar drop, which increases feelings of hunger the next morning. So instead of heading to the cupboard and stuffing your face with sugary cereal, try making a balanced breakfast with a mix of protein, carbs, and fat. This will help tame your crazy hunger and aid in the continued digestion of last night's heavy meal.
Avoid hard to digest foods
If you’re feeling any post-binge digestive distress, try to steer clear of any foods that may disrupt your digestive tract further. Big culprits include gluten, dairy products, coffee, refined sugar, carbonated beverages, and acidic foods like fruit juice, pasta, alcohol, fatty meats, and chocolate. On the other hand, fruits, vegetables, green teas, almonds, lentils, and avocados are all more alkaline and won't upset those prone to acid reflux.
Focus first on eliminating known problem foods, and then decide if there are any others that you may need to avoid for a day or two to restore balance.
Don’t starve yourself as penance
If you're hungry between meals, eat something. Don't deprive yourself of food just because you overdid it yesterday. Skipping usual meals or snacks the day after a binge will only increase the desire to overeat again. Try reaching for snacks rich in protein to promote satiety, like plain greek yogurt with berries, organic turkey slices with avocado, or two eggs with a piece of fruit.
Allow flexibility in your diet
Eliminate the urge to binge by allowing more flexibility and freedom into food choices and meal plans throughout the week. Labeling food as good or bad will only lead to restrictive behaviors that will ultimately trigger a binge when the bad foods are reintroduced into the diet. As long as portion sizes and calories are controlled, there should be no foods that are off limits.
Talk to someone
Much like most obstacles, the best way to tackle them is head-on, which is why you need to get to the root of the problem by addressing it. Try asking yourself what triggered your binge eating episode. Was it stress, a fight with a partner? A fight with a friend? Or you're just feeling overwhelmed? Regardless of the reason, it's best to get it off of your chest. If not a friend or a parent, then find a therapist and talk it out.
Underlying motivations for binge eating
Those who suffer from a binge eating disorder may eat an usually large amount of food in a short time frame, even if they aren’t hungry. If you are a binge eater, you might even feel a sense of release or relief during your binge eating episode, and might think that the binge is what you truly needed. However, more often than not those who felt that relief during their binge will often experience feelings of shame or loss of control afterwards.
There are three main underlying motivations for binge eating that may be present at any given time. You could find yourself experiencing one of these motivations during binge episode, then find yourself experiencing a different one during another episode. Moreover, by recognizing any of these motivations you will find that taking control of your binge eating episodes will become increasingly easier.
Decision fatigue
This is when there is a stressful or hard decision in your life that you know needs to be made, but you are worried or anxious to make it. Often times we crave this binge because we’re not sure what that decision is going to be. And we're looking for a resolution but don't have it yet.
Unconscious, unmet needs
This is that energy of urgency, attachment and fight. The binge is going to be a fight for your needs to be met. We want to be conscious of the feelings that we are unwilling to feel, and acknowledge what some of the needs were looking to have met are.
Fear of desire
This is more of a flight and an overwhelm. It's a fear of feeling positive sensual sensations because we are worried we're going to be overwhelmed and exploited. We are worried that we won't be able to control it and that it's going to overtake us. Often times when we have a craving in a binge, we feel this disassociation. And that's essentially what a binge is, a disassociated eating experience. It's because of underlying motivation and it's a fear of desire.
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Binge eating is a common eating disorder that can seriously affect someone’s health if it is not properly treated. It can also have negative effects on a persons overall health, body weight, self-esteem, and even their mental health. However there are many healthy strategies that can be incorporated into your daily life routines, like exercising and mindfulness.
Extra tips for binge eating
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Keep a food diary where you keep track of what and when you eat, along with any impactful or emotional events that happen. A food diary will help you learn when you tend to binge, and can also help see what was going on in your life that may have led you to do it.
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Practice mindfulness. By focusing on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, you will be less likely to let your underlying emotions control a binge.
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Portion out your food. Try measuring out one serving onto a plate instead of bringing the entire bag to the couch with you. You'll be less likely to eat too much if you have to get up for more.
