Binge eating is something that I struggled with for years and has been a source of shame for me. I would find myself in ‘binge cycles’ that were nearly impossible to get out of. I would spend my week eating perfectly and right on plan and then the weekend would come and I would binge and ruin every bit of progress that I had made throughout the week and vow to start again on Monday. It left me in a chronic state of dieting for years, yet never really seeing any results. I knew I needed to get out of this cycle for both my mental and physical health but I had no idea how! I am here to tell you that the steps to get free from this are simple…but not easy. Before we get started on the 5 things to do to break free from binge eating, I want to share a diagram that I made to show the binge cycle so it is a bit easier to understand.

As you can see, one thing leads to another and you just keep going round and round. It is a vicious cycle but there is no better time to break free than now! Let’s dive into the 5 simple steps!

1. Stop cutting certain food groups from your diet! 

We’ve all been tempted by keto or paleo or a host of other fad diets that promise FAST weight loss. Most of these fad diets require you to cut certain things from your diet for an extended period of time. While you might initially see great results from cutting carbs from your diet, it is not a very realistic approach and likely something you can’t stick with forever. When you inevitably add carbs back into your diet, you will likely gain back most of the weight, maybe even plus some! To top it off, as soon as a food is “off limits”, it tends to be all you can think about. Picture it like this: you could literally pass by a thousand windows and never even think about looking inside but then you pass by one that says, “DO NOT LOOK INSIDE THIS WINDOW” and instantly, you are hooked! That sign has effectively given you every bit of desire to find out why on earth you shouldn’t be looking inside! It’s the same with food. As soon as I say, “no more potato chips,” I will begin to crave the ‘forbidden food.’ I will think about how I can’t have them, and it will make me want them even more.  These intense cravings will leave me feeling deprived which, as you can see, is the start of the binge cycle.

2. Stop skipping meals.

Intermittent fasting is all the rage these days. I am not here to discuss the benefits or lack thereof of this approach, but I do want to touch on how this can affect binge disorder. I used intermittent fasting for years and loved how skipping breakfast and not breaking my fast until later in my day allowed me to eat a large dinner and also a significant dessert. Over half of my calories would be consumed in one meal and this practice played a big role in my binge disorder. I would be hungry all day and save up calories for my nighttime meal and wind up over full at that meal. I didn’t overeat for the day, but I trained my body that being hungry or overly full was the norm. This just reinforced the idea that depriving and overindulging was a good way to do life.  

3. Change the way you see food.

There are two common misconceptions about food that will really contribute to binge disorder.

#1 Food holds moral value

Labeling certain foods as “bad” is a sure-fire way to bring shame into the game. You aren’t good if you eat clean or whole30 or paleo and you aren’t bad if you eat McDonald’s or Taco Bell at every meal. One will make your body feel and function better but neither will make you a better or worse person. Food was created to taste good and there should be no shame associated with enjoying the foods you love in moderation. 

#2 Food will comfort me.

“Comfort food” is a term thrown around so often. Here’s a harsh truth friend, when we turn to food for comfort we are essentially saying that food is our god. We are assigning God’s power and His role to something that can never satisfy the need. Food tastes good and makes you feel better for a fleeting moment, but does nothing for the long-term need that your heart is crying out for. The Bible says that God is “the source of all comfort.”(2 Corinthians 1:3-4). We can’t put food in God’s place and expect to live free in that area! Using food as comfort will often make you feel out of control and ashamed and thrust you right into that binge cycle.

4. Pinpoint triggers and find a healthy way to handle them. 

I highly recommend you get a journal and do some soul searching for this part. What is it that normally causes your binge? Is it shame associated with your body or your food choices? Is it feelings of deprivation? Is it sadness or stress that leads you to food for comfort? Identify what you are generally feeling right before a binge episode and pray about how you can invite God into that area. 

Ex. If you find that you often end up binging when you are really stressed, ask God to remind you of this when the urge to eat comes and to give you peace in the situation. Find a bible verse that points you to God’s peace and recite it out loud or write it down. 

5. Recover well. – extend grace. Don’t restrict. 

This is so important! There will likely be times when you fall off the wagon and find yourself smack dab at the bottom of the Ben and Jerry’s pint. Knowing how to recover from a binge episode is just as important as guarding yourself against allowing it to happen in the first place. Here’s what to do when you’re thrust back into the cycle:

Please comment and let me know if this article helped you or how I can pray for you! I truly love hearing from you!

XOXO