Binging

Let me give you my take on binging and then lets chat about it. The reason I want your input is because I don't have all the answers, I only have what I have learned from my experience. First who is a binger? I feel this could be anyone that consumes a large amount of calories that have little to no benefit for the body. Have you ever just binged on things like broccoli or other veggies or maybe pineapple? I am going to guess no. We are talking extremes and we want to get things back into balance. Balance to me is eating the amount of calories you need to maintain the weight you want to be. Also in that balance is working out a reasonable amount to maintain that weight. I would have to look up to see what the experts have to say but 1/2 hour to a 1 hour should be considered reasonable. I feel if you are working more then this you are either out of balance or you are a bodybuilder. I am not writing with the intent of becoming a bodybuilder. If you are working out 3-4 hours a day and not losing weight there is something wrong. Calories in - calories out will determine what happens to your weight.
I feel you life should be more than working out. If this is your life I welcome your input.

There are 1000 things that could cause a binge and the length of the binge is unknown. Anyone can binge. Lets talk about how to stop it, switch gears, put on the breaks, and stop the insanity. It is insane to eat 1000's of unneeded calories but how to stop? You have to say I'm done! I wont do this anymore! First you have to make a change of some sort. For me a binge might be starting to eat ice cream one day and skipping working out, then the next day having it again and again no work out, by day 3 I am hooked and chips and salsa, ice cream, pizza, trail mix, and the list goes on. This is where your journal comes in. Write it down, I understand that I am out of balance and only I can change it. I personally believe that it is the additives in the foods we eat that can cause some of these binges.
How I have found is a good start.
1. Do some kind of workout that involves moving your body. Walking is great. I find the best to be some kind of cardo. 1/2 hour is a good time. If you can't do 1/2 hour then do 15. While you are walking think am I doing this to prevent a binge or as guilt after a binge. If it is a guilt walk think of how you want to change you’re live and that you want to live and you want to live a healthy life and you want to be in control. Think "I am a controlled eater" breath in. This is done best in the morning. Think how can I add nutrition to my diet and cut out the additives. I truly believe it is the additives in our foods that cause the body to freak out and not know what to do with these fake items. It may say maybe if I eat____ (fill in next binge food) I can clear it out, so you eat something else. Sometimes you just want to eat everything. Is this your body saying I am in control not you? Most processed foods are high in sugars and sugars are really easy for the body to get into the bloodstream. It is like an energy fix. I guess what I am saying a binge is your body kind of being lazy and not wanting to digest the healthy foods and absorbing the nutrition but just getting a fix. A binge can be anything from ice cream and cake to pizza. Most of the time a binge includes a large amount of simple carbs. Simple carbs being your white products like floor and sugars. I refer to these items as baby bird syndrome, which would be grain items that are so broken down that as soon as they hit the body they go straight into the blood stream. I will use the example of instant oatmeal. I am talking about the one that you just add boiling water to the pack. Read the box to see what else is in this item. I'm thinking you will find a few forms of sugar. Say this is your only choice, I wouldn't eat it and expect to be able to sit at computer for the next few hours. Eat it and get moving because it is going to give you energy now! If you eat the oats that look and are more like the whole grain then you will be full longer. One reason is that the body has to take these oats and break them down, convert it into useable energy, absorb the nutrition and get rid of the waste.

Make sure you put your oats in a measuring cup because it is a calorie dense food. Cut up some fruit into it of your choice. I'm not talking a small amount of fruit I am talking a whole apple or a cup of fresh pineapple. This is a great way of taking a calorie dense food and turning it into a less dense. It also adds sweetness. People that binge are volume eaters. I cook oats on one day add some flax to it and some wheat germ. I make enough for 5 days and save it for the next 5 days. This way I just have to microwave it in the morning.

So to break the binge I

1. Make the choice to change.
2. Make a list of why I want to change including I'm tired of feeling like crap.
3 I ask my self before I eat something .......I follow the concepts I wrote in my book. Let me give you a C/P of that list
Keep up what works and get rid of what doesn’t.
Everything in moderation is out the window
Reading labels. Read all labels
Additives and preservatives are my # 1 red flag
This doesn’t work for me
Emotional side of dieting.
Remember the concept that you miss the foods that nurture the body
Cheating
Concept once you stop walking, you will miss it. (My dear husband misses our bonding time.)
Non diet food
You can’t make people understand your point if they have a mind set against it. Concept: This is working for me and it may not be for you.
Learning from the past
Don’t spoil your dinner
Really tasting food
You will eat again
If you keep doing the same thing you will get the same outcome.
We all react to food differently.
Having to explain yourself
Water and hydration
Walking or working out
Beware of Sabotages.
What is a portion and how do you know when to stop eating?
Don’t up size
Pick your battles, your weapons, and your armor.
listen to what an advertiser is really saying
Use your resources
Keep learning.

I talk about each of these items in my book but I am going to guess you get the idea. If you want a copy of my book let me know. I can email it to you.
I do have a spot in my book where you can make a list of things you want to get done. Make that list and when you feel a binge coming on look at that list and try to get something done. Sometimes this helps.
I do understand you just have to eat it. As you write in your journal really think, OK I ate 10,000 calories yesterday. How did you feel? Think of each food you ate and attach a feel rating to it. Example would be trail mix; 5, chips and salsa; 4, pizza; 4 Corn on the cob; 7 the thought of eating ice-cream and magic shell after other items; 1 the thought of eating all this together; 2 how I feel the next day about it; 3 would I do it again no. Am I going to remember how the foods tasted no am I going to remember how I felt yes. These foods make me feel like a 2. Don't do it again. The trick is to remember how it made you feel along with rating each food. I take 2 bites because bite 1 is always really good because bite 1 is filling that need to taste. Bite 2 is a better judge. So rate it on the 1-10. The next time you go to eat this food refer to how good was it and how did it make you feel. Now make a real choice "do you really want to eat this? If this blog was about maintaining weight a binge every now and then isn't the worst thing but this is about weight loss and we don't want to be on the yo-yo diet. I have it in my book that it takes 21 days to make a positive habit and 3 days to make a negative habit. I did read 27 days so you are safe to say it takes longer to be positive rather then negative.

Now that you know all of this, you make the choice of what to eat. If you had a binge 1 day watch out on day 2 if you repeat it on day 2 watch out again and you better get out your journal and start writing what direction do I want to go down the slide or back down the steps. Day 3 you are on the top of the slide ready to go. You got your legs out arms out and your ready. Wait what is at the bottom of the slide? Something positive or not so positive like your pants won’t fit well, you will have that fat roll you don't like seeing. You can at any time go back down the stairs. It wont be as much fun but if you go down the slide will you be able to go down the slide just once. How many times do you go down the slide til you fall face first in the mud puddle at the end of the slide? I know your good. You can leave you shirts out. Leave the button on your pants unbuttoned, buy a bigger size, wear you sweat and say they are in fashion because they have a matching top. One of those times you will fall into the mud may it be 5, 10, 15, 50 pounds.
I now have to go workout because as you know I write from my experience.