I decided to tackle this subject because until quite recently,
it was one of my biggest downfalls. I suspect that it might, and
I do repeat the word might, be a problem which affects women
more than men.
After all, we do tend to deprive ourselves more than men, and
being totally realistic, although men nowadays are much more
concerned about their weight and health, they do not take it to
extremes as a general rule.
Women are much more susceptible to mood swings, caused by
hormone imbalances, and are much much more sensitive in terms of
what people think of them. There are many more pressures on them
to look good, or to measure up to the latest fashion trend and
so on.
What man I ask you would continue to read any magazine that told
him that he really did not measure up, or was the wrong shape,
height or weight etc. Women strive for perfection, and sadly
perfection is not possible. We can only make the best of what we
have!.
So women go to extremes (yes we do, if we are honest with
ourselves), and in pusuit of this unattainable image that we
strive for, we deprive ourselves of so much that is necessary
for good health.
In fact if the truth were known, we often starve ourselves,
which is totally fatal, and leave ourselves craving for all the
things that we miss out on. The consequence of this often leads
to a full blown binge! Any one who has ever been on any diet,
will know all about the disasters that binge eating causes.
Straight out of the window goes all the hard work that you have
done to lose your excess weight. A binge strikes totally out of
the blue, crumbles your resolve and leaves you feeling a total
failure.
Well let me tell you that you can control your impulse to binge.
What it all comes down to, is how you choose to act. In other
words it means controlling your behaviour. Perhaps you find as I
did, that negative emotions like depression, anger, anxiety, and
feelings of failure can all spark off a binge.
I must stress however, that for any severe eating disorder it is
always best to seek professional help!
Do not despair though, there are many self help steps that you
can take to prevent the occasional indulgences, and stop
periodic binge eating, from becoming a habit of constant over
eating. You will need to map out a plan to prevent you from
starting a binge in the first place, and if you have given in to
one, the steps to take to cope with the effects of the aftermath.
So watch out for the triggers that can set you off on a binge!
Sometimes it helps just sitting quietly by yourself, getting in
touch with how you are feeling, and deciding which is the best
way to cope with the temptation. You will learn that your
feelings are not all that scary, it isn't actually so terrible
to have negative feelings, such as frustration, confusion, or
even jealousy or hatred. We all suffer from them, and to have
such feelings is certainly not unique to you.
If we are not eating enough food when we are cutting down on our
calories, we can find ourselves being drawn to binge eating.
Your body needs a certain amount of calories just to function,
so if you are constantly feeling unsatisfied and hungry, this
will most likely lead to a binge. I suggest therefore, that you
bulk up on plenty of vegetables, fruit and high-fiber foods, and
by drinking plenty of water with your meals you will feel much
fuller. In turn this should stop the desire to binge eat!
When you do have a craving, sometimes it is best just to give in
and indulge in a portion of what you are craving for. Otherwise,
before you know it, you are eating everything else in sight, and
most probably whatever it was that you were craving for as well.
This in turn will make you feel absolutely lousy and a total
failure. You will have tripled your calorie intake in that one
binge, whereas if you had eaten what you craved for in the first
place, your calorie intake would have probably been less.
Remember do try and stop, and analize what is triggering you
into wanting to binge. Is it just that you are hungry, or are
you angry, frustrated, bored or just lonely! Could your body be
lacking something perhaps! The more you analize, the more you
will understand yourself, and be able to cope with why and what
makes you binge.
Keep these five steps in mind:-
1. Determine why you want to eat so badly right now!
2. Try hard to delay your response (are you hungry because you
have skipped a meal). Really take the time and think about it!
3. Try and distract yourself for about 15 minutes. If you are at
home, have a shower, give yourself a manicure, (with wet nails
you will find it hard to binge!) If you are at work, take a
break, go for a walk, or just freshen up in the ladies room. The
longer you delay the binge the more likely it is to pass.
4. Distance yourself as much as possible from temptation, and do
not surround yourself with foods that you tend to binge on.
5. Decide how to handle the situation, it is up to you after
all, you have the choice and it is only you that controls your
behaviour. Consider what you are doing, understand why, and
realize the consequences.
If you have done all of the above and still gave in to
temptation, "do not" I repeat "do not" feel dispirited. Just go
back onto your normal eating regime and please do not beat
yourself up, (what's done is done!) Many of us can let a binge
totally destroy our diet, and just keep being out of control.
Please do not let that happen, forgive yourself and always try
and understand the reasons why you let it happen in the first
place. You will feel much better by just starting your normal
eating pattern again. Look at the good qualities that you have,
and also your achievements so far, and focus on them, not on the
negative feelings after a binge.
Keep telling yourself what a likeable and worthwhile person you
really are. Do not waste another second on the negative aspects
of it, just keep on being positive.
About the author:
Marie Gordon is Author and Publisher of "Your Fastest Way To
Permanent Weight Loss" the complete solution to all your weight
loss problems. You can find out more by visiting
http://www.howtoloseitfast.com
