I've struggled with binge, emotional and secretive eating for as long as, well, for as long as I can remember. I remember sneaking candy from a candy drawer we had at home when I was really young.
Back in the late 70's there were these boxes of little chocolate bites, appetite suppressants called Ayds that my mom used to eat 1 or 2 before meals. I remember getting the box out of the cabinet hiding it under my bed and eating the entire box one evening. They didn't even taste good!
I would walk to the little convenience store buy a large bag of cookies, chips and candies, hide it under my bed and eat it all in what seems like a matter minutes.
I felt so sick after I did that. Both physically and emotionally. I would be so sick to my stomach and beating myself up for eating so uncontrollably. I could not stop myself from doing it over and over again over the years.
It is definitely one of the things that helped me diet my way up to 247 pounds. I would go on a diet and after a while I would start feeling so hungry or so deprived for my favorite things I would lose it and start binging on foods that didn't even taste that great, just whatsoever was on hand at the time - weight watchers desserts, boxes of 100 calorie packs of cookies and crackers and so on....
Changing my thinking and making nothing off-limits has helped me so much. I can still have my favorites and there is nothing to get my mind in that, Oh No! I Cheated!, mindset that would send me spiraling out of control in the past.
Here are a few of my tips that I use and have really helped me with binge and emotional eating:
* No Skipping Meals! In the past I would skip meals or go too long without eating and that is one of the quickest ways to send yourself into a binge. I eat 5-6 times a day and have fruits and veggies in between any meals if I feel like I might be getting hungry.
* Mindful Eating. I can accidentally eat several candy bars or bags of cookies/chips without realizing it. I get myself a serving of anything I want to eat and enjoy and notice I am eating it. Food is to be noticed and enjoyed, not stuffed down so quickly you forget you even ate it.
* Eat Slower. I try to slow down while I am eating. I can be putting food in so fast and chewing, swallowing so fast I don't even notice, so I work on slowing down the process of eating my food and being more aware of chewing and tasting my food.
* Forgive Yourself. I know how easy it is to feel so guilty after binge and emotional eating, but beating yourself up over it doesn't do any good. It just makes you feel worse. Learn from the experience and see if there is something you might be able to next time to prevent it from happening again.
* Keep Moving Forward. If you have a binge, learn from it and move on the very next meal make better choices and keep moving forward.
Never give up! I still struggle at times, but still managed to lose 120 pounds and am keeping it off. Believe in yourself and believe you can do it and always keep moving forward!
Jaki Sinclair is the creator of Slim Down U ( http://www.slimdownu.com ) and is committed to encouraging people to make healthy habits one step at a time for weight loss, better health and a happier life.
Back in the late 70's there were these boxes of little chocolate bites, appetite suppressants called Ayds that my mom used to eat 1 or 2 before meals. I remember getting the box out of the cabinet hiding it under my bed and eating the entire box one evening. They didn't even taste good!
I would walk to the little convenience store buy a large bag of cookies, chips and candies, hide it under my bed and eat it all in what seems like a matter minutes.
I felt so sick after I did that. Both physically and emotionally. I would be so sick to my stomach and beating myself up for eating so uncontrollably. I could not stop myself from doing it over and over again over the years.
It is definitely one of the things that helped me diet my way up to 247 pounds. I would go on a diet and after a while I would start feeling so hungry or so deprived for my favorite things I would lose it and start binging on foods that didn't even taste that great, just whatsoever was on hand at the time - weight watchers desserts, boxes of 100 calorie packs of cookies and crackers and so on....
Changing my thinking and making nothing off-limits has helped me so much. I can still have my favorites and there is nothing to get my mind in that, Oh No! I Cheated!, mindset that would send me spiraling out of control in the past.
Here are a few of my tips that I use and have really helped me with binge and emotional eating:
* No Skipping Meals! In the past I would skip meals or go too long without eating and that is one of the quickest ways to send yourself into a binge. I eat 5-6 times a day and have fruits and veggies in between any meals if I feel like I might be getting hungry.
* Mindful Eating. I can accidentally eat several candy bars or bags of cookies/chips without realizing it. I get myself a serving of anything I want to eat and enjoy and notice I am eating it. Food is to be noticed and enjoyed, not stuffed down so quickly you forget you even ate it.
* Eat Slower. I try to slow down while I am eating. I can be putting food in so fast and chewing, swallowing so fast I don't even notice, so I work on slowing down the process of eating my food and being more aware of chewing and tasting my food.
* Forgive Yourself. I know how easy it is to feel so guilty after binge and emotional eating, but beating yourself up over it doesn't do any good. It just makes you feel worse. Learn from the experience and see if there is something you might be able to next time to prevent it from happening again.
* Keep Moving Forward. If you have a binge, learn from it and move on the very next meal make better choices and keep moving forward.
Never give up! I still struggle at times, but still managed to lose 120 pounds and am keeping it off. Believe in yourself and believe you can do it and always keep moving forward!
Jaki Sinclair is the creator of Slim Down U ( http://www.slimdownu.com ) and is committed to encouraging people to make healthy habits one step at a time for weight loss, better health and a happier life.