Do you ever get so consumed in your emotions that all of the sudden you feel like you black out while eating and don't come to until there's empty bags and wrappers around you and you don't know how much you've ate?
Or, do you find yourself craving something, like a cupcake or a donut, but you feel like you can't eat that because it's not ~healthy~ so you find a copy-cat healthy recipe, it doesn't satisfy you, so try to make something else, which still doesn't satisfy you, so you go out and buy the donut you've been craving?
Maybe you're having a bad day and you get home from work and don't feel like making dinner so you go through your pantry and have a little bit of everything that's been hanging out in there?
With any of these scenarios, you're probably feeling guilt after it too. Enter the cycle of binge and restrict, where you over indulge one day on things you deem you aren't allowed to eat and the following days you cut back so drastically to make up for the overeating you feel guilty for. It feels like it just doesn't stop.
If any of those scenarios sound like you, I know how you feel and I have helped so many women that have those same stories and feelings too. They found themselves perpetually feeling like they are drowning in their attempt to get healthy and stay healthy.
So what's their secret BESIDES working with a dietitian to get to the root of their nutrition problems?
They ask for help and know how to have special treats in their daily routine to minimize cravings as well as learn how to work through and beyond binge cycles to use their energy in a more helpful way
Bingeing can be a result of an emotional trigger like stress or boredom, but also a result of restriction. For the most, many binges tend to start from a place of restriction, like denying yourself any sweets or candy can put you into a vulnerable place for when you are in a situation that there are large amounts of the foods you've been denying yourself. You start to feel like you can't say no because that food is EVERYWHERE, then, you give yourself an inch and eat a small candy bar and 10 minutes later you're fist deep in the Herhsey Kisses eating them until you feel sick.
What can we do? Ask for help and accountability PLUS have some of these foods that we often consider trigger foods as part of our regular routine. one or two mini chocolates at lunch won't be the reason you aren't making progress. They actually could be the fuel to keep you going and staying consistent because you won't feel deprived from your favorite foods.
Yes you can eat chocolate every day and still make progress, we just have to be mindful about it.
What do you usually binge on?