overcome the urges
- Gloria Gong
- May 10, 2020
- 2 min read
end the cycle once for all
This is a no-BS blog about overcoming binge eating. Before reading, identify for yourself if you ACTUALLY have a binge eating disorder. Grabbing a snack when you’re bored is not binge eating. However, if you’re like me, eating 5k calories all at once, please dive in.
Try not to let perfectionism get in the way of your eating habit. Enjoying an extra dessert or having a cheat day for yourself is totally normal. Your “all or nothing” mentality creates a boundary for your ultimate happiness. One fry or one chip will not lead you to failure. Step outside of your comfort zone and remember that nothing is black or white.
Stop fighting the ED thoughts. The harder you try to fight the urges, the easier you will feed into them. It’s easy to identify the urges in our heads, yet, if you don’t respond to them, they will eventually go away. “Don’t open the refrigerator!” “Only one bite of the brownie.” The resentments towards those thoughts will lead you to stronger desires to engage in behaviors. Listen to your body and let it decide whether you need that bite of the brownie or not.
Like I just said in my last tip, your body knows it the best. Eating intuitively is an important process in recovery. After ED behaviors became a habit for me, I couldn’t feel the hunger cues anymore. But after a week or so of eating normally (3 meals and 3 snacks a day), I gained the awareness back. Find out what your true desires are and make decisions accordingly.
Don’t starve yourself. I know it is not an easy thing to do. But, starving will only lead to craving. After going through a “perfect week” of cutting calories, you will most likely binge on the weekend, because you are not taking care of your body well. It is normal for it to want food. A car needs gas to be able to start. Give your body the fuel it needs. It's your body after all. Be grateful for it.
Control your portions. Instead of eating 10 servings of broccoli, try 2 servings plus a side of protein. The right amount of food -the amount that your body will feel comfortable afterward- will help you getting away with ED urges.
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