Do you ever struggle with feeling out-of-control around food? Do you find that you have patterns of days where you restrict your food intake and consciously try to eat “healthy,” followed by days of feeling chaotic around food and like you’ve “blown it” when it comes to eating and nutrition? If so, you are not alone. Experiences of binge eating, overeating, and/or feeling out-of-control around food in general can lead to feelings of guilt and shame that are difficult to manage and can lead to a spiral of even more chaotic eating in the future.
First things first, let’s define binge eating. Binge eating is characterized by the following: (1) eating an amount of food in a given period of time (for example, within an hour) that is objectively and considerably more than most people would eat during a similar timeframe and under similar circumstances; AND (2) a sense that you are out-of-control in regards to the eating episode. Binge eating episodes often involve eating much more quickly than usual, eating past a comfortable level of fullness, eating large quantities of food even though you aren’t physically hungry, eating alone due to shame/embarrassment regarding what and how much you are eating, and feeling guilty/disgusted with oneself afterwards.
Maybe you do struggle with actual clinical-level binge eating as described above. OR if not, maybe you struggle from time to time with feeling out-of-control around food, or chaotic and mindless in your eating. Either way, feeling this way is tough and worthy of getting help.
Whether you experience aspects of binge eating disorder or any degree of chaotic/out-of-control feelings around food, there are strategies you can begin to incorporate TODAY to help normalize feelings + thoughts around food, helping you to be more present and engaged in your everyday life. Let’s learn more!
