If you are wrestling with a compulsive-like behavior, such as binge eating or compulsive eating, it may currently feel like it is hard or next to impossible to change this frustrating pattern. When this happens, maybe you feel like you are on autopilot, somewhat akin to having an out-of-body experience, and feel like all your typical values, health goals, and intentions have gone flying out the window..

Whenever an eating episode like this occurs (whether it is once in a while, every day, or multiple times a day), you likely feel some sort of combination of discouragement, disgust, and embarrassment regarding yourself and the eating behaviors. You may vow to change your ways, possibly restricting the next day or meal, yet the pattern continues.

UGH!

Maybe you even fear feeling hungry, you avoid social situations, and you are confused about what body size might be healthy for you. I can imagine that if you are dealing with something like this it is likely affecting your work, relationships, and overall self-care. You may be feeling alone and isolated, with no one knowing about your struggle.

If so, this post is for you!

When dealing with compulsive eating behaviors, it can be helpful to have tools and strategies for debriefing (or looking back on) the behavior, in order to identify patterns, triggers, and possible avenues for intervention and (ultimately) healing.  

In today’s post, we will think about 4 areas to debrief when it comes to binge/compulsive eating experiences.

• Overall context/situation
• Nutritional/physical factors
• Psychological factors
• Emotional factors 

We will then consider a few ideas for intervention and healing. Because, if you’re like me, when it comes to frustrating, negative and unwanted dynamics, I’m guessing you are wanting this to eventually be a thing of the past! Which it can be!!

Guide to Debriefing & Intervening in Binge/Compulsive Eating Experiences:

Note: “debriefing” your compulsive eating experience can be done with a dietitian or therapist, with a trusted friend or family member, or on your own (journaling can be helpful).

Overall context/situation:

When taking the time to think back on your compulsive eating experience, I first recommend taking a look at the overall context surrounding the experience. Possible questions to ask yourself and/or factors to consider:

• What was going on that day? What happened leading up to the compulsive eating episode? (Even seemingly irrelevant details can be important to consider).
• What was happening that week?
• Were there any frustrating or difficult relational dynamics? What about work or school dynamics?
• Was there anything that happened that caused you to feel anxious, overwhelmed, shamed, embarrassed, or other more difficult-to-tolerate emotions?
• What about your overall stress level and potential feelings of overwhelm?

The more specific you can get about the details of your day or week, the better.

Nutritional/physical factors:

Your body’s nutritional and physical status also makes you more or less prone to compulsive eating.

Possible questions to ask yourself and/or factors to consider here include:

• Have I been restricting food intake? (Whether intentional or unintentional)
• Have I been eating adequate sources of ALL THREE macronutrients at each meal? (Fat, protein, carbohydrate)
• Have I been eating regularly? (I recommend about every 3 hours, give or take)
• Did I let myself get overly hungry? (Much more difficult to stop eating at a comfortable level of fullness when ravenous)
• Are my meals and snacks actually satisfying? (From hunger, taste, and enjoyment standpoints)
• Did I get enough sleep last night / throughout the week?

Psychological factors:

How we are thinking about food has a great impact on our ability to feel calm and centered around food.

Possible questions to ask yourself and/or thought patterns to consider include:

• Am I psychologically restricting certain foods? (Whether specific foods or amounts)
• Am I labeling foods “good” or “bad”?
• Am I telling myself that now that I’ve had this one bite or portion, I can’t have anymore tomorrow?
• Am I telling myself that now that I’ve had this one bite or portion, all is lost and now I might as well eat it all now??
• Do I avoid foods I enjoy and wish I could be eating?
• Do I see my compulsive eating episodes as an absolute catastrophe? (Likely triggers guilt/shame, which then likely triggers more compulsive eating)
• Do I think my eating should be (the mythical) “perfect” way of eating?
• Do I think I should only eat foods that are “healthy” and “nutritious”? Do I feel like there is always a “better option” with food that I could be eating?

Emotional factors:

How we manage our emotions is another big factor to think about when it comes to healing from binge/compulsive eating. Many of us may have grown up without learning skills and strategies for managing feelings effectively. We may have been conditioned to believe that certain emotions are “bad” or to be avoided. (Enter compulsive behaviors to “deal” with said uncomfortable feelings).

Potential questions to consider regarding emotional dynamics:

• How was I feeling earlier in the day/week, and leading up to the eating episode? (Using a Feelings Wheel or Mood Meter can be helpful for identifying more specifically how you were feeling, and/or expanding your feelings words vocabulary).
• If I am unsure of how I was feeling, did I notice any physical symptoms throughout the day that may provide clues as to how I was feeling? (Tension, racing heartbeat, sweaty palms, tight chest, etc.).
• What might I have been telling myself (possibly subconsciously) that the food was going to do for me? (For example, provide relief, distraction, enjoyment, escape, etc.).
• Was there anything that happened today that reminded me of something distressing from my past, leading to a heightened emotional response?
• Are there any deeper core wounds or fears that I can identify that may have been brought up today? (Such as feeling inadequate or not enough, feeling out of control, feeling unloved or unaccepted, feeling like you have to prove your worth or be perfect, etc.)

This is where working with a skilled therapist can be especially helpful.

A few ideas for intervention & healing:

To close, I’ll provide a few suggestions to consider as you seek to intervene and eventually heal whatever may be driving your compulsive eating (generally a multifaceted picture). When I talk to clients about intervening in a compulsive behavior (such as binge eating, purging, or addictive exercise), it is imperative to think about interventions that occur before “the point of no return” (i.e., when the compulsivity has become so strong, it is almost impossible to stop). While much more could be said, I’ll leave you with a few ideas to think about:

Eat enough food throughout the day. // Food restriction, whether that is physical or psychological, is basically a guaranteed way to feel chaotic and compulsive around food. Physical restriction might look like not eating enough food. Psychological restriction could look like not mentally allowing yourself certain foods. Eating enough throughout the day — such as by eating 3 meals and multiple snacks — is one way to prevent compulsive eating later in the day or week.

Find a way to connect to your feelings earlier on in the day. // Compulsive eating is often a response to distressing and difficult-to-manage emotions. Again, before the compulsive nature of the eating becomes overwhelming, I recommend finding a way to connect to how you are feeling earlier in the day. This could look like starting by journaling out a sentence or two about how you are feeling, or sharing this with a trusted friend.

Consider pursuing an avenue to connect to a support person/system. // Related to the point above, having a trusted friend, therapist, and/or dietitian who you can process your feelings with is a key component of making headway in breaking free from compulsive eating behaviors. Having someone compassionately and empathetically listen, without judgement, is also healing for the shame and guilt that coincides with compulsive, binge-like eating.

Think about possible ways to help manage your nervous system and your ability to feel calm. // Being in an anxious, frazzled state makes it a LOT hard to feel calm and mindful around food. A few ways to consider practicing calming your nervous system throughout the day include setting a timer to practice deep breathing for a few minutes, using the tapping technique, praying, or lying down and closing your eyes. Other longer-term strategies include things like therapy, yoga, craniosacral therapy, spiritual or religious practices, managing your phone/social media usage, and connection with friends/family.

Other posts you may find helpful:

5 Strategies to Help Prevent Binge Eating
Increasing Satisfaction in Eating
Bringing Awareness to Food Rules
Trade-Offs in the Pursuit of “Perfect” Food Choices
Some Thoughts on What to Do After a Binge
Healthy Food Boundaries vs. Unhealthy Restriction