Before I start this blog post- I want to kindly remind everyone that if you are struggling with an eating disorder of any kind- there is no shame in asking for help from a licensed therapist or treatment facility. We only have one life and you should not feel bad for getting treatment for an ED. I am NOT a licensed therapist nor can I diagnose anyone with an ED. I am not trying to cure EDs with this post- I simply want to shed some lift on the topic of binge eating.
Ok, now that we have the formalities out of the way- let’s start talking binge eating.
There is a huge difference between over eating and binge eating. And the term "binge" is often used to describe when someone is "over eating" If you take nothing else away from this post- please switch your mindset from calling something a "binge" when its really just you over-eating that day (unless you are experiencing the below). Binge eating is an eating disorder and can be classified by the following characteristics:
Reoccurring episode of eating an enormous amount of food
Lack of control / loss of control
Eating rapidly
Eating until you are uncomfortably full
Eating alone out of embarrassment
Not being able to stop eating
Feeling guilty
Eating when you aren’t hungry
Being concerned about binge eating habits
Binge eating at least once a week for at least 3 months on a reoccurring basis
Hiding food to binge on out of embarassment
This is not associated with purging or excessive exercise or laxative use- different diagnosis
If you experience any of the above symptoms- I would highly recommend seeking the help of a licensed professional to combat the binge eating disorder.
So then- what is overeating?
OVEREATING IS NOT BINGING
OVEREATING IS NOT BINGING
OVEREATING IS NOT BINGING
OVEREATING IS NOT BINGING
OVEREATING IS NOT BINGING
I hope I am clear- over eating is NOT an eating disorder. If it’s hunger driven- it’s not binge eating. If you can stop, it's not binge eating. If you do it front of others- it's not binge eating. Too often, people are calling their over-eating habits "binging" and that is simply not the cause. Switch your mindset. And you will find the solution...
Over eating typically stems from not eating enough calories throughout the day. This usually occurs when you have a bad online coach, when you wrote a meal plan for yourself and you don't know what you are doing, or you aren't talking to your coach enough to let them know you are hungry.
There are a ton of ways to stop overeating:
1: Don't buy the foods that you tend to over-eat. If you can't control yourself around nut butters- don't keep them in the house. You can't eat if you don't buy it
2: If you feel you over-eat because you're bored with your meal plan, consider getting my cookbooks (macros included):
Healthy Entrees: https://wildgamewildgainz.com/collections/recipe-book/products/wild-game-wild-gains-recipe-e-book
3: A boring meal plan often leads to over-eating at night so make sure your last meal of the day is one you actually enjoy eating and look forward to the most
4: Create a healthy relationship with food
5: Have planned treat meals (this varies for everyone, here's a longer blog post)
6: NEVER restrict something- just monitor the quantity of it. Like snickers? Eat one a day. Just account for the macros and adjust the rest of your day accordingly
7: Don’t go below your BMR. If your "coach" has you eating below your BMR, fire them. Run away. Faster. Run faster.
8: Over-eating may also stem from stress. If you are stressed and emotionally eat- try drinking 1/4 gallon of water before you go crazy with your food. Chances are- you won't feel so hungry afterwards. Apple cider vinegar with mother helps as do BCAAs
9: We set up our meal plans to be a weekly average of your calories needed to meet your goals. If you over-eat one day, make sure you start fresh ASAP. Don't wait until the next morning or next week. Have a protein shake for your next meal. Calm down. Eliminate your treat meal for the week. And get back to business.
If you binge or over-eat, please DO NOT punish yourself with extra cardio or training. Lift a big muscle the next day- shuttle that extra food to be used for something! Do not set yourself up for a vicious cycle of over-eating and then a ton of cardio.
