5 Weight Loss Strategies to Beat the Binge
5 Weight Loss Strategies to Beat the Binge
Your weight loss journey can have its ups and downs and one of the challenges that you can face is a binge. A binge happens when you eat a lot over a short and quick period of time. Typically, you do not just eat to satisfy your hunger as you eat some more even when you already are full. In this case, you know that binge eating is no stranger to you and this is so with everybody else. Binge eating can be a hard habit to lose when it gives you so much oral pleasure and when you often turn to food to make you feel good. If you have been trying to limit your food intake, it can also trigger a binge especially when you feel pressured and feel the urge to turn to your favorite food for comfort. Any occasion, from your birthday, a wedding, victory party or a holiday weekend can also tempt you to just enjoy the food and forget about your weight loss goals completely.
While a binge is unintentional, it can really throw you off-guard, make you feel guilty, and cause a disturbance in your weight loss schedule. As such, while there could be so many reasons for you to binge and go back to your unhealthy eating habits, you have to take control of the situation and get back on track. Otherwise, all your past efforts will be wasted and you will loose your determination to lose weight. Here is how you can beat the binge:
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Get hold of your emotions
Yes, you have enjoyed that special moment when you have let go of yourself and have forgotten about portion control or calorie count. It can be really liberating indeed. But once you are done binging, that is where all the negative emotions will come rushing down to gnaw at you. Feelings of worthlessness, shame, disgust and anger at yourself are common. At this point, you can choose to wallow in guilt or gather the strength to get back up. If you value yourself though, it is good to work for the latter and immediately implement an emotional damage control.
First off, put in mind that you cannot change the past. You have to accept that you had a weak moment and you let your guard down with that binge. However, that one weak moment is not going to define the rest of your weight loss journey. It will not have a drastic effect on your weight as it is an isolated case. So do not attempt to weigh yourself after a binge as it will only make you feel worst about yourself. Binge eating can be a hard blow on your self-esteem especially when it’s tied up to your weight and physical appearance. So stay off the scale and just set it aside for awhile.
Meanwhile, that one time should already serve as a lesson for you to be more conscious of your emotions and how it affects your tendency to binge. Take that binge as an opportunity to evaluate your cravings and take note of how it happens. You can try to recall how it started and how you reacted. Jot them down in a journal and use it as a reference in case you will be confronted with the same situation again.
If the negative feelings continue to wear you down, confront it by taking action. Cheer yourself up by doing a favorite activity, talking to a friend, going on a fishing trip, or trying a new hobby – practically anything that will help improve your mood that doesn’t involve food. If it involves some kind of physical activity or exercise, then that would be better as the release of endorphins or happy hormones that go with it can indeed make you feel happier.
So after a binge, take control of your feelings, accept your mistake, move forward, take immediate action, and then plan ahead.
2. Choose a Fallback Diet
Now that you have dealt with what could be the primary emotional source of your recent binge, it is time to literally get back on track. After a binge, it can be difficult to go back to your diet program as the cravings can still linger and continue to tempt you. In addition, all those extra food, calories, refined carbs, salt, and soda can make you feel sluggish and bloated. You will also notice that you will feel hungrier than usual so you will really tend to eat more still. This is because binge foods are often sugary or have a high glycemic index which in turn spikes blood sugar up as well as stimulates hunger. Consequently, you need a backup nutrition plan that will help you ease back into your weight loss diet.
One option to take is the fluid and fiber combination. Now, it is easy to feel guilty after all those binge foods you had, and you can slowly let that guilt fade away by thinking about healthier foods this time. Think fruit and vegetable smoothies or garden fresh salad. If you used to have fruits and veggies, then have plenty of them post-binge and then have more water. This fluid and fiber combination is meant to make the digestion more efficient so that all the binge food can be moved right through your system. So do not load up on high-fat, calorie-dense foods again as this is going to slow down digestion.
Another option involves a practical approach where you give yourself 2 to 3 days to recuperate depending on how heavy a binge you had. If a solid meal is your thing, then you can give the Beachbody 3-day Refresh program a try. It will help you ease into your diet program while having nutritious vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. You can also start a healthy eating habit with the help of Shakeology. Have it everyday and make your comeback a delicious habit that you can keep going for good.
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Go back to the gym
There is no other way to recover from a binge than to go back to what you have been practicing as a weight loss routine before you gave in to the temptation. So yes, start exercising once more to condition both your body and mind towards healthiness. First, make sure that you have properly digested all your food and then schedule a trip to the gym, a morning jog, or afternoon walk. You can go slow but sure by starting with light exercises first and then gradually increasing your intensity level until you feel like your old healthy self again.
On the other hand, if you are feeling tensed and need to shake off those guilt feelings fast, you can go for a brisk walk or do your favorite cardio to re-channel your energy. And when you are feeling better, you can officially go back to your routine with a killer workout. The excess glycogen from your last binge can fuel your workout and give you the kind of energy you need. Just keep in mind that you are exercising for the sake of good health and not working hard to give yourself permission to eat more or satisfy your every craving. In case you will opt to do a detox cleanse after a binge, take it easy on your physical activity as the cleanse itself will already consume much of your energy reserve.
4. Arm yourself for the next encounter
If it happened once, it can happen again. But when you are prepared, you could do better the next time it confronts you and actually prevent a binge from ruining your healthy lifestyle. Yes, a binge can be prevented using mental preparation and the right strategies. Open your mind to the idea that it is going to strike again because you are only human. But at the same time, commit to do everything you can to prevent it. Tell yourself that you can do it and that anyway, you are doing it for your own sake so why not do it right.
Get to the core of the issue as to why you binged in the first place. Be conscious of the warning signs that you see before the binge and analyze what factors lead you to eat like you were left starving for years. A binge can be triggered by different reasons or circumstances and you need to identify which ones they are so when you will be confronted by the same situation, you will be able to consciously deal with it in a non-binge manner.
One typical reason for people falling into the binge trap is when they have a very restrictive diet and have dived into it too fast without establishing a strong resolve or understanding the science of healthy dieting first. These individuals are those who tend to be too strict with their calories to the point of under-eating or those who avoid food and skip meals completely. After a while, they can grow tired, starved, and end up craving for more. Hence, the binge. If this is your cycle, then it is time to loosen up and take it slow. Try to eat those foods which you used to love in small portions to ease your cravings. Next, use Portion Fix Containers to help you balance your diet by consuming different foods at the right portions. Only by eating right will you be able to stop a binge from haunting you and let you enjoy your favorite foods without having to feel guilty about it.
Also, you have to make mindful eating a daily practice to help you decipher which one is a physical hunger and which one is an emotional arousal that can lead to a binge. Mindful eating has been established in studies to be responsible for the reduction in the severity and frequency of typical binges.
In case you cannot do it on your own, do not be afraid to seek professional help. A binge can compose an eating disorder such as bulimia when you try to get rid of the food that you eat by vomiting all of them. A psychiatrist or psychologist can help you get equipped with better coping mechanisms besides a binge.
Another way to avoid a binge is to keep your usual binge foods out of sight and reach. Sometimes, when they are just there lying around and waiting to be opened, it will be very hard to resist them. So do not keep any of them in the house, in your ref, or your drawers. Remove them from hiding and replace them with healthier food choices. In this way, even if you are craving for them, you will have no choice but to eat what’s in front of you – fruits, veggies, and whatnot.
If all else fails and you find yourself in a binge, do not go on autopilot and completely forget about your weight loss resolve. Take a pause from time to time and remember all the strategies you created to fight it. Remember that you can stop at anytime and you don’t have to take the binge into completion and get into the vicious guilt cycle again. Have a taste or two and bid your cravings goodbye.
5. Take it easy on yourself
Trying to lose weight and getting back in shape is no walk in the park. It is a journey that is full of hurdles and sacrifices. The challenge is how you can survive them until you are able to reach your health goals successfully. Sometimes, you need to be kind to yourself in order to get there. Patience is a must too in this case along with moderation and balance. In time, you will witness how strong you can be at fighting a binge until you are able to get it off your system completely. In the meantime, do not beat yourself up and keep moving forward no matter what. Success is for those who never quit.
Are you ready to lose weight, build muscle, or feel more fit? Join Beachbody On Demand, and get unlimited access to Beachbody’s world-famous programs, including 80 Day Obsession, 21 Day FIX®, Insanity, P90X® and 100’s more. Don’t miss out on your chance for amazing results. Sign up today!
