Proven ways to Manage Binge Eating
You don’t need me to tell you that managing binge eating is a challenge. I have been there and done that. At the time, all you can think of is food. All you want to do is eat and you feel as though you have been rescued off a desert island and are seeing food for the first time in weeks.
Then. Once the plate is empty and you have eaten everything in sight, the guilt arrives. Like clockwork and always too late to make a difference, guilt and a little sorrow arrives to take away all the satisfaction a good meal should provide.
The craving comes at all times of day or night. It doesn’t care if you ate already. It doesn’t care if you have had all the nutrients you need for the day. It doesn’t care if you don’t actually like chocolate cake or meat loaf. It WANTS it and it wants it NOW.
There is a way to avoid binge eating and it actually works. It is one of the many coping mechanisms I can teach you in order to help cravings.
How to manage binge eating
Give the craving a name. Sounds simple right? But it works. Most psychologists know that by giving something a name, we give it an identity. Give it an identity and you give yourself the power to control it.
Vegetarians and animal lovers do it all the time. They give sheep and pigs names so we are less likely to want to eat them. They keep them as pets so we don’t see them as a food source. It’s the same principle at work.
Give your urge to binge eat something a name. It can be any name. Repeat that name to yourself regularly over a period of days so it is ingrained in your brain. I call my binge craving machine “The Pig”. Use a name that resonates with you.
Then when you get the urge to binge eat you can say to yourself, ‘Do I want to give The Pig the power over me?’ or ‘Do I want to let The Pig to control my life?’ You get the idea.
By using a name, you can then identify the craving as something separate from yourself. It is still a part of you but not the whole you. It is the lower brain , the lizard brain or the Amygdala. This mental construct game, helps target it and fight against it. You’re not your own worst enemy, The Pig is the one that wants to bring you down. You’re not subject to uncontrollable food cravings, the Pig is working against you.
Then you can do something about it. You can show The Pig who is boss. You can address The Pig directly and tell him No.
The first time you say no to the pig is amazing. It’s like the birth of a child or an epiphany moment. You feel exulted that you have overcome something that has controlled you for the longest time. It is an important first step in controlling binge eating.
It is also the first step I can teach you to help control all your urges.
If you need help controlling your version of The Pig from someone who has been there and overcome it, I can help. If you want more simple, practical steps for managing urges, let me help you solve your food problem. I CAN help you change your life.
Your Coach,
Alan
These tools are just some of the techniques we use to master cravings and lose weight. Learn more at Mind-Body-Spirit-Perfection.com