The Binge Code: 7 Unconventional Keys to End Binge Eating and Lose Excess Weight

by Alison C. Kerr

Women and men who attempt to achieve this particular body type (but lack the genetic material to do so) are setting themselves up for a lifetime of yo-yo dieting, weight fluctuations and binge eating.

Your brain goes into autopilot as you lose the ability to think logically or clearly.

Here are a few more interesting facts about food restriction and binge eating: In one large study girls who dieted frequently were twelve times more likely to report binge eating. Boys who dieted frequently were seven times more likely to binge eat. When food is restricted through the day, binge urges become more frequent. The stricter the diet and food restriction is, the stronger the binge urges are in response.

You panic and try to compensate for the food eaten After losing control and bingeing, intense feelings of fear, panic, disgust, failure and guilt overwhelm you. You swear to yourself that you’re going to compensate for this binge by not eating for rest of the day, or by only having salad for the rest of the week, or by getting straight back on that diet tomorrow.

Each binge leads to greater desire to restrict and diet, which leads to more binge urges.

This is not a sign of weakness or a lack of willpower.

daily multivitamin

Magnesium

Omega 3 (fish oil)

Vitamin D

Vitamin B complex

Probiotics

NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY TRAP SUMMARY Start taking a high quality daily multivitamin. Aim to add more real, whole foods into your diet. You know, fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds and lean animal protein like fish, chicken and eggs (the type of food your great-grandmother would have eaten). This will help you feel REALLY satisfied after eating.

Eat enough nutritious, balanced food, spread throughout the day.

MRI brain imaging studies have shown that sugar and “junk foods” flood our brains with dopamine and endorphins, stimulating the same areas as hard drugs such as cocaine would.

If you have a clear idea of when and where you tend to binge, break the habit by mixing up your routine and doing something different.

The problem was that every day there’d be a new fad, a new diet rule, a new weight loss expert and all of them had conflicting advice. It got to the point where I was terrified of food - every time I ate something I knew I’d find it on a list of “things you must never eat” the very next day.

You tell yourself you’ll just eat a little but as soon as you take one bite, that’s it, a rule has been broken and you are no longer successfully on a diet, or “being good”. You believe you have failed and so “all or nothing” thinking kicks in. You find yourself thinking, “I’ve blown it now, I might as well keep eating,” and so you begin to binge uncontrollably. “I’ll start again tomorrow,” you think. But tomorrow never comes because you can't seem to escape the cycle of binge eating, no matter how hard you try.

Regular consumption of forbidden foods will prevent you from bingeing on them.

Try not to think of “sometimes food” as special treats to be eaten occasionally. They’re not special and they’re not treats. Do not make them more significant than they really are or allow yourself to see them as a reward.

Let go of your strict food rules. Allow yourself to eat all foods GUILT FREE. View food as “sometimes food” and “all the time food”. Avoid feeling deprived by eating a portion of “sometimes food” regularly (this also helps remove any anxiety, guilt or fear associated with the food).

could you convince someone to become a binge eater? If you had children would you encourage them to be binge eaters?

I convince Chad to treat himself. Make his meal worth it, get the shrimp, get the extras, enjoy

FALSE FRIEND BINGE EXAMPLES The “I’m alone/bored/sad” binge When you’re feeling a really uncomfortable emotion and you just want to escape into a food-coma to avoid thinking or feeling right now. The 4hr slow binge When you’re are on the sofa, vegging out, in a comatose state, slowly devouring numerous boxes of chocolates, crisps and sweets over a 4 hour period. Binge grazing When you’re just picking at foods all day long without any really clear indication of when one meals starts and one meal ends. The whole day is just one big meal. The planned binge When you start planning your binge episode hours or even days beforehand. What foods you are going to buy, where you are going to do it, how you’re going to sneak away from everyone, etc. As though you are preparing to have a binge as a special treat for yourself.

When you are feeling emotionally vulnerable you may crave a binge on food for comfort. Realize that this type of craving is not a sign that you’re weak or lack willpower. This is simply the part of you that is looking to ease the discomfort you feel.

It’s time to let go of the “I am broken” excuse. You are not weak, broken or faulty because you cannot stop bingeing on food. It is not your fault.

Nurture yourself, take better care of yourself, cater to your needs and don’t be afraid to use the “I love myself” mantra for at least for a few minutes each day. Emotional healing takes time so give yourself space to heal.

INNER CRITIC TRAP SUMMARY Stop blaming yourself for binge eating. It’s not your fault. Go easy on yourself. You are not perfect and no one expects you to be perfect. Realize that you don’t need a reason to love yourself. Repeat the “I love myself” mantra to yourself for a few minutes each day.

if you want to ensure success you have to make a resolute decision in your mind that you are going to commit to a solution that’s proven to work. And then create the time and space in your life to make those changes.

Once you really forgive yourself you’ll feel freer. You'll feel lighter. You’ll have more energy. You can then use that energy and direct it towards a more successful tomorrow rather than dwelling on any setbacks today.

Do not feel guilty about eating the extra food. Understand that if you overeat at one meal, your body will naturally self-correct and you will not feel so hungry at the next meal.

Accepting emotions does not mean that you resign yourself to always feeling terrible or wallowing in pain.

If you are feeling off-balance just ask yourself, “Am I nourishing my core needs? Am I observing how I feel throughout the day? And from my observations what do I need to do to rebalance?”.