Do you find it difficult to control your appetite? Are you having trouble understanding your unhealthy relationship with food? Are you looking for an easy and effective strategy to stop your eating behavior? Since you’re reading this article and realizing that you might have a problem, it is a great sign that you’re ready to adopt a healthier diet! With the following four step-by-step techniques, you will be well prepared to manage binge eating. These techniques have been scientifically proven to break the unhealthy eating cycle, so let’s get down to it.
Don’t Restrict Yourself
If you’re following a diet with extreme food restrictions, your body may later react by getting you to overeat. Many diets incorporate ways that result in quick weight loss while implementing strong guidelines, such as cutting an entire group of food like carbohydrates or solely drinking beverages for a week. An extreme diet cannot be sustained for a long time no matter how long you stick to it. Staying away from your favorite foods and the ones your body requires can increase your cravings and force you to consume large amounts of food that you couldn’t eat earlier.
Instead of starting an unhealthy, fast-acting diet, make healthier choices about your food intake. For example, choose your favorite low-calorie salad dressing instead of worrying about how plain your plate looks. Moreover, be aware of the wrong habits that may contribute to binge eating. For example, if you seem to overeat while watching TV, turn it off during mealtime.
Don’t Skip Meals
Skipping a meal is another aspect that can provoke binge eating. Limiting calories increases your chances of overeating and skipping meals may have the same effect. If you skip a meal, you will want to eat more. Skipping daily meals and limiting calories can have the opposite effect of what you’re expecting.
Breakfast boosts metabolism and provides you with the energy you need for the rest of the day. That’s why you should never skip breakfast. Consider a high-protein meal in the morning to suppress hunger. It can include eggs, almonds, oatmeal, and Greek yogurt. Moreover, you can also try to make use of supplements to suppress appetite and to keep you full for a long time. Try to eat 3 times a day, about every 3-4 hours, with a snack in between. Following a balanced diet along with taking supplements can help you a lot in controlling your binge eating habit.
Exercise and Sleep Well
Binge eating can be triggered by stress. Luckily, exercise is known to lower stress levels. Some studies have shown that aerobic exercise significantly reduces bulimia in the long run. You can also prevent binge eating by walking, biking, dancing, or swimming for 30 minutes every day. Yoga is one of the exercises that are proven to reduce binge eating. Besides exercising and taking an appetite suppressant, participating in breathing exercises, practicing mindfulness, and strengthening your physical and mental connection can encourage relaxation and reduce stress.
Sleep is also one of the aspects that have a huge impact on hunger and appetite; it’s been suggested that BED (Binge Eating Disorder) may be associated with insomnia. Try to get eight hours of sleep each night to lower the risk of BED. A nighttime yoga routine will also help relax your body and mind before sleep.
Stay Hydrated All the Time
Drinking water all day is an easy yet effective method to control hunger and excessive eating. Studies show that increased water intake may be associated with lower hunger and caloric intake. According to research, drinking 500 ml of water before meals reduces caloric intake by 13%, while in another study, drinking the same amount of water 30 minutes before meals significantly reduces hunger and caloric intake, resulting in a feeling of fullness throughout the day. Some other studies suggest that staying hydrated promotes metabolism and weight loss.
Your daily water intake depends on several factors, so we cannot roughly suggest how many cups of water you need per day. However, as a general rule of thumb, whenever you’re hungry or thirsty, just listen to your body and drink to stay hydrated. Many people mistakenly think that they’re hungry while, in fact, all they need is water.
Excessive eating can be stressful, but there are plenty of ways to control this behavior. Try to identify triggers, work out, meditate to reduce stress, and drink water properly to overcome this condition. It is possible to build a healthy, rewarding relationship with food. Your investment in your health is essential for a happy and healthy future.