You know that feeling all binge eaters have when they have screwed up their diet yet again even though they were SURE this time was it... things were going to be different? Isn't it so maddening to keep going round and round on the binge cycle not-so-merry-go-round? It amazes me how long I actually did this over and over again. For 45 years I spent my life following the strictest of diets only to soon cave in and eat everything in sight allowing me to gain as much as 9 lbs. in 3 days.
Then came the real fun... mustering up more willpower to go at it again. The thought process would be something like this: "ok, I'll search the internet for a new diet/weight loss method/cleanse, etc. because now I'm really ready. My clothes no longer fit, I feel disgusting, I'm depressed, I'm embarrassed." Each time I did this, I honestly believed I had the right intentions. And I believed that next time would really be different. Now that I no longer overindulge in food, I can almost laugh, or cry actually when I think of what I put myself through on a daily basis.
"Should I go for a different type of therapy? Should I go to the gym every day this week? Will I ever be able to truly enjoy my life or will it be filled with obsessive thoughts about food for the rest of my days?" These are the questions I spent more hours in the day asking myself than time I actually spent being productive in my life and enjoying activities.
So what changed for me and how can you implement changes that will last for the rest of your life so you can get off this wheel leading to fatter than ever land? Here are 5 things you can do right away to begin changing your bad habits into better habits:
1) Stop Dieting- That doesn't mean eat whatever you want in whatever quantities you want! What it does mean is to stop restricting yourself saying that you can never eat certain foods again. That way of thinking sets up the deprivation trap which leads to binge eating. You need to follow a plan that allows all foods like Weight Watchers where you have a structure in place but you can eat what you want as long as you account for it. Believe me, as daunting as this sounds it is not nearly as difficult as you may think.
2) Decide what little changes you are willing to make- lofty goals whether they are related to weight loss or exercise NEVER work. If you are not a daily exerciser, why would you commit to exercising every day? That will for sure set you up for disappointment because setting goals that are not attainable will not be attained! But it doesn't have to be all or nothing thinking. You don't have to go all out with exercise or cut your portions or food choices to such an extreme. Instead come up with really small changes that are doable for you. If that means to walk 10 minutes 3 times per week then do that. Take pride in the changes you choose to make and are able to maintain in your life. Regarding food, maybe you can have a snack or 2 that you really enjoy and decide that you are allowed to enjoy it and not think it means you have blown it and now you are going to eat half the pantry. Pay attention to the delicious taste of your snack knowing you can have it again tomorrow and the next day if you have just a portion of it.
3) Stop being afraid of food- If you pre-pare yourself throughout the day with your food choices, you won't have to spend time to re-pair what you've done wrong. The more you put some control into your planning for the day, the less likely you will fear eating too much food. It feels so good to be making choices instead of winging it and letting a situation happen to you where you give into eating lots of junk and paying the price for it on the scale and in your clothes. Think before you get going for the day whether you will have any food challenges that day and ask yourself how you can prepare yourself for them so that you are in control instead of being controlled by the food.
4) Listen to what your body needs and wants- Do you ever find yourself just eating whatever is around whether you are in the mood for it or not? Your body has an incredible ability to know and to let you know what it needs. Listen to it... ask yourself what it is you truly want? Is it juicy, sweet, salty, crunchy or is it that you are actually thirsty and not even hungry? I suggest you don't eat anything until you figure out just what you want. Eating what your body needs and wants will prevent you from going from one food to the next on some never ending food frenzy. When you eat what you truly crave and eat it in a portion that is moderate, then and only then will you find true satisfaction.
5) Forget perfection and focus on progress- this journey is not about concentrating on an end point... a point at which you expect to finish your diet having lost all the weight you want, hoping to be able to keep it off. Every little change you make needs to be acknowledged and celebrated by you in whatever fashion feels right to you. Think about all the little changes you are willing to make. If you find that you overdo it once in a while, that doesn't mean "oh this won't work either." It means you are human and humans are not perfect. Accept small digressions and focus on any good behaviors you have changed. Learn from a digression and think of how you may want to handle the same situation in the future to possibly have a better winning outcome. But most importantly, don't go to that place of berating yourself. Keep your expectations under control. Be kind to yourself and be mindful of what you are doing. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.
To stop binge eating quickly and safely, please visit http://www.endfoodaddiction.com. You will be guided by a certified Food Psychology Coach as to how to begin putting an end to food addiction and binge eating. You'll learn how to reclaim your life and make peace with food even if you have tried everything else.
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