How to: banish binge & emotional eating

Although finding comfort in an overconsumption of calories may temporarily ease our erratic emotions, turning to tasty treats and takeaways during times of emotional stress and distress can see us sacrificing more than just our silhouette.  

Here are my top three tips for how to banish the bothersome binges that lead to a bigger body and a beaten brain...

1. Focus on your future feelings.
Although the aftermath of your abnormal actions may resemble a 'repulsive' reflection that forces you to fixate on your 'fuller' figure and 'failure' to sustain self control, focusing on the flurry of negative feelings experienced after an episode of erratic eating is often enough to overpower the overwhelming urge to consume a copious amount of calories. 
Before another binge gets the better of you, remember what the reality of your abnormal addiction to food resembles, and how the self hatred that stems from finding comfort in an overconsumption of calories makes you feel - guilty, ashamed, embarrassed and willing to hinder your health and happiness by doing anything to banish the bigger body that your binging behaviour has built.

2. Have healthier alternatives close to hand.
As tempting as it may be to turn to the calorie fuelled confectionery that temporarily eases your emotions, tucking into these tasty treats will not only tighten your trousers, but trigger toxic thoughts of negativity the second that you snap back to reality. 
Instead of instantly intensifying the insecurities that stem from your shape and size by binging on the 'bad' stuff, use innocent ingredients - ingredients that allow to slash the sugar and calorie content of your fabourite food/s - to create healthier alternatives of the treats that tempt you, before storing them in your 'safe' spot - the spot where you stash a selection of sweet and savoury 'treats' for when times get tough.
Although this simple swap may not soothe a stressful situation, it will leave you less likely to worry about your wider waistline (a common culprit responsible for triggering a bothersome binge) whilst you work on banishing your binging behaviour.

3. Remove yourself from the situation.
Finding comfort in the contents of your kitchen cupboards may seem like a sensible solution to soothing emotionally stressful situations, but religiously resorting to scoffing everything in sight the second that times get tough quickly creates an unhealthy habit that often feels too hard to overcome.
Despite the dominating effect of erratic eating making it difficult to see sense, swapping sweet and savoury 'treats' for the sensory stimulation that stems from a scenic stroll will not only take you away from temptation, but help to cease the binging cycle by convincing your brain that stressful situations can be soothed in a selection of safe and satisfying ways - ways which are far more mentally motivating and beneficial for the body than binging on an overconsumption of calories.

Top tip: don't suffer in silence.
Although the shame that stems from binge eating disorder can drive you to self destruct, finding the strength to seek help will take you one step closer to ceasing the cycle - don't be ashamed to ask for it.

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