Why did I do it? I should have stopped. Oh come on, let’s be serious here, I really shouldn’t have even started! I can’t believe I ate so much!
You are feeling bloated, uncomfortable, gassy and even just plain pissed off with yourself and the world. That sugar rush you were riding high on after those lollies, pastries or ice-cream is wearing off and you are crashing. It’s not pretty.
Food binges. They may just be limited to one meal .You know you don’t need to eat so much of the fatty or sugar-laden food. It could even stretch to days of mindless eating, not even caring what you are putting in your mouth, as long as its food, and it keeps on coming.
Ok. You’ve slipped and made some mistakes. That does not mean the binge-fest needs to continue. Once you make the conscious decision to make yourself a priority again and do what’s right for your body, and your emotional and mental state, here are some handy dandy tips to help you recover from your food binge.
10. Forgive yourself!!
We are all human. We make mistakes. It happens, it’s called life. There is no tripping back in time to make it never happen, but there are ways of overcoming the binge episode. Usually, there are emotional triggers that lead to us embarking on a binge session. Acknowledge those issues and work out other more effective ways of dealing with them. Food most likely will not give you the answer you were looking for.
9. Begin again on the right foot.
Literally. If you’ve binged the night before, strap on your walking shoes and go for a brisk 20-minute walk before having breakfast. If you’ve only recently finished your binge, go for a light walk, not too strenuous though as you don’t want to be hurling the contents of your stomach up on the neighbours perfectly manicured front lawn.
The bonus of this is that you get out, get some fresh air and those feel-good endorphins that help to reduce stress and pain while creating sensations of pleasure. You will be starting anew with a clearer more positive mind knowing you’re doing something positive for you.
8. Do NOT jump on the scales!
That’s right – step away from those bad boys! There is a real possibility that you are retaining fluid from the salt and overeating. Weighing yourself will only bring you down and you just don’t need that right now. Leave it for a few days or more if you must, give your body a chance to recover and stabilise once again.
7. Should you even eat now or skip a meal or two?
You must continue to eat regular (smaller sized) meals after having your binge. By starving or denying ourselves food can lead to blood sugar destabilising and our receptors screaming for more food. It’s a lot harder to stop if you’re thinking how starving you are and you’re now eating so fast the mind hasn’t got time to yell out “OI!! That’s enough you are FULL!!” Keep the serving sizes small and regular and high in fibre.
6. What should I eat then?
Try to cut down on your carbohydrate intake over the next day or so. Aim for some small serves of proteins and some awesome vegetables/ salads. This will give your body a chance to seek and destroy that excess glycogen from the carbohydrates ingested previously. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in our muscles and liver. Once the muscles and liver are filled with glycogen, any further carbohydrates that are eaten are stored as fat.
5. Water.
Yep, there it is again. Water, as well as herbal teas, are also great to help your body process the extra food that has been eaten. Consider it also to be a tactical manoeuvre against any possible constipation from your binge.
4. Plan your next meals
Know what you are going to have and when. By doing this, you give yourself some power again, as you are in charge of what is going to go in your mouth. A positive step in self-care and regaining confidence in your choices.
3. Keep it real.
Although the amount of food you’ve put in your mouth may seem like a mountain worthy of bearing snow in winter, in the realm of life this episode is only a small hiccup. It is not worth self-loathing or negative self-name calling. Acknowledge that it has happened and that you are working on strategies to keep the damage to a minimum.
2. Talk it out
Find someone who you can trust with your feelings, or a counsellor and talk to them about what you are going through. If your food binges are becoming more frequent or are getting longer in duration, there may be something that your mind is trying to tell you. Often eating is a way of avoiding feelings and emotions. Once you can identify what it is that is freaking you out talk about it. A problem shared and a problem halved.
1. Get some sleep.
Give yourself a good night sleep. By the morning, you will be feeling a whole heap better, and your food coma and your food baby won’t be right there in your immediate memory.
Bouncing back is possible and with the right attitude you too will be able to jump aboard that healthy eating bandwagon again.
Appreciate what has happened, but anticipate what can now happen.
Trust me You’ve got this!