Taking Back Control: 4 Key Ways to Take Control of Your Binge Eating Habits Right Now

Individuals with eating disorders don’t always know they have a problem. They may think it is normal to overeat or not eat at all, also known as food avoidance. Binge eating disorder (BED), and the lack of eating, Anorexia, wanting to be thin, is a psychological issue and the symptoms are physical.

Those people who engage in binge eating are among the most common United States eating disorders. According to the Center for Discovery, BED affects an estimated 1.6 percent of adolescents, 3.5 percent of women, and 2 percent of men in the U.S.

Unlike Bulimia and Anorexia, individuals suffering from BED will not purge or engage in compensatory behaviours like excessive exercising or vomiting after every meal. This is what makes this particular disorder, so difficult to diagnose. Some people are labelled lazy or unmotivated to change their life.

The following is a list of 4 key ways to take control of your Binge Eating habits right now.

1. Drink More Water

Staying hydrated is one of the key processes for controlling Binge Eating. This is a simple, yet effective way to control overeating and curb most food cravings. If you drink adequate water, and you are still hungry, then it is true hunger and you should eat something healthy

When your body is hydrated, in other words, satisfied with the amount of water intake, you will not get the urgent signals to eat something, and then continue to eat. Your body will be full of water and feeling much better.

2. Avoid Dieting

When you restrict various foods, you will only crave them more. Instead of illuminating all foods, try to limit the amount of so-called “bad” foods. Try to substitute something nutritious for a processed, fat-filled sweet.

Avoid fad diets because they don’t work and are often extremely unhealthy. Fasting is another type of diet, which will lead to overeating. When you deprive your body of what it craves, it will eat and store more at the first meal after a fasting session.

3. Eat More Fiber

Filling up on high fiber foods helps to keep you fuller longer. This will cut down on cravings for extra food. Fiber is a slow-moving food through the digestive tract, which is what causes the full feeling to last.

If you could supplement a processed, sugary food with high fiber food, like a vegetable, twice a day, you will reduce calorie intake, increase fullness, and decrease hunger. If you could increase your daily levels of a specific hormone, by adding around 17 grams of prebiotic fiber, you would be influencing the area of the brain that controls satisfaction and therefore reducing the need for more food.

4. Hit the Gym

Exercise is not everyone’s favourite activity, especially those who love to eat. However, adding exercise to your daily predictable activities could help eliminate binge eating. When you are busy moving about a weight training circuit or taking a yoga class, your mind and body will not be focused on food.

Experts say it is best to mix up your exercise program with a variety of workouts. Walking, swimming, weight lifting, yoga, and different classes will keep boredom away and allow you to stick with an exercise program.