Category Archives: Compulsive Overeating

Reduce Binge Eating

5 Ways a Dietitian Can Help Reduce Binge Eating

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Whether you are struggling with binge eating disorder or bulimia nervosa, a dietitian who specializes in eating disorders on your treatment team is a must.

If you have an eating disorder, you probably already know a lot about food.  You probably know how many calories, how much fat and how many sugar grams are in different foods.  You probably are an expert on the latest diets.   You may be asking yourself, “Why do I need to see a dietitian for my recovery if I already know so much about food?”.

Remember, eating disorders are not really about food.  Food and eating disorder behaviors are used to cope with stress, relationship struggles, worry, and other uncomfortable feelings.

Therefore, knowledge about food is not the issue, but rather how you relate to food.

5 ways that a dietitian can help in binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa recovery:

1. Reduce chaotic eating associated with binge eating.

Binge eating can cause chaotic eating patterns in several ways.  After a binge, you may find yourself not wanting to eat for several hours or skip the next meal.  This turns into a nasty cycle because skipping meals can then lead to more binge eating.   If you tend to binge (or binge-purge) at a certain time of the day, let’s say in the evening, then you may tend to restrict food during the day in order to “make-up” for binge eating later on in the evening.  Again, restricting calories can exacerbate the binge eating.  A registered dietitian will help set-up a meal plan to reduce the food chaos.

2. Ensure that you are eating enough at meals and snacks.

Studies show that food restriction leads to binge eating.   Our bodies want to ensure that we get enough food.  If we chronically underfeed it at certain times of the day then when we have access to food, we will eat more than we made need at that moment.  Along with helping manage your chaotic eating style, a dietitian can help ensure that you are eating enough throughout the day with enough variety to help reduce binge eating.

3.  Challenge mistaken beliefs about food.

A dietitian can help you sort out science from fad when it comes to eating, food, weight, and shape.  There are a million messages about food on TV and social media and from well-meaning friends, family members, and co-workers.  On any given day, it seems like the messages about which foods are “good” and which foods are “bad” to eat are moving targets.  During the 90s, fat was the culprit.   Now gluten and carbohydrates have a bullet on their head.  Not only do we get messages about which foods to eat, but also how to eat them—eat these foods;  not these foods; eat 6 small meals a day;  don’t eat in between meals.  You get the point.  There are so many messages out there, it’s no wonder America is plagued with eating problems.

Challenging mistaken beliefs about food can reduce feelings of guilt and increase your confidence about food choices, which ultimately help reduce binge eating and the binge-purge cycle.

4. Learn how to eat “binge foods” without fear.

A dietitian can help you feel more confident around foods that on which historically binged.  Once your eating pattern has become less chaotic and you are feeding yourself more regularly throughout the day with foods you enjoy, you will work with your dietitian on “challenge foods.”  Challenge foods are foods that you avoid (due to fear of binge or binge-purge), foods that you regularly binge on, and/or foods that cause a lot of anxiety before or after eating them.

A dietitian can work with you several ways to do this, such as doing an in-the-office food challenge (yep, eating your challenge food during the appointment) and practicing eating the foods with others.

5.  Intuitive eating.

One of the last steps of nutritional therapy for binge eating and bulimia nervosa is learning how to listen and respond to the internal cues your body provides.  In other words, you will learn how to trust your body, not some diet, when it comes to feeding yourself.

Note:  Consulting with a registered dietitian who has experience treating eating disorders is a must.  While a registered dietitian is one member of the treatment team, a medical doctor, counselor, and a psychiatrist are also needed.

reduce binge eating infographic
reduce binge eating
reduce binge eating

 

Are you an emotional eater?

Are You an Emotional Eater?

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We are emotional beings.

 

As we go through our day we experience a wide range of emotions. We feel sadness, excitement, fear, anger, happiness, and the list goes on. That’s normal. We experience emotion while we are going about our daily lives: at work, talking with friends, relaxing and of course while eating.

 

So, it is normal to experience some emotions while you eat. You may have an emotional response to the meal, to the food itself, or to something else that is going on in your day.

Does this make you an “emotional eater?”

 

No.

 

Simply put, emotional eating is habitually eating in response to emotions (all kinds whether they’re happy feelings or distressing feelings) when not physically hungry.

 

You may be familiar with other habits people use to cope with uncomfortable feelings. These may include excessive spending of money or playing excessive amounts of video games, for example.

 

Thinking about, buying & preparing food, and eating food to cope with usually uncomfortable feelings is really the hallmark of emotional eating.

 

Emotional eating can be hard to figure out because we need food to survive! Furthermore, some health conditions and medications can cause an increase in appetite. Increased or decreased appetite is a symptom of depression.

 

Anyone who lives in Western society, unfortunately, is very familiar with all the mixed food messages we get in the media (for example, foods that we should and shouldn’t eat), which complicates it even further.

 

Emotional eating has nothing to do with being weak, unmotivated, or not having willpower.  Some of my clients are incredibly successful and determined folks. I know this may sound backward, but people who rely on food to get through stress are able to be successful because of their emotional eating.

 

How do I know if I am an emotional eater?

 

  1. “Emotional eater” is not a diagnosis per se.  But, it can be a part of an eating disorder. If you think that you have an eating disorder, please seek treatment immediately.

 

  1. It is normal to eat when experiencing emotions because we are emotional beings.

 

  1. Remember, emotional eating is eating in response to feelings that you think you can’t handle, so you turn to food to help you feel better.

 

  1. Emotional eating usually makes you feel good in the short-term but worse in the long-term.

 

  1. Emotional eating is problematic if it is one of the few (or only) coping skills that make you feel better.

 

  1. Emotional eating becomes problematic if it is pervasive and negatively affects your life. This includes your physical health, social life & relationships, and/or career or academics.

 

Some tips to reduce eating in response to emotions:

 

Often people try to diet or follow some sort of a meal plan to make the emotional eating go away.

 

This almost always backfires.

 

Remember, the food is used to cope with feelings, so the feelings need to be addressed, not the food itself.

 

  1. Notice your feelings. Right now, go ahead and try to identify a feeling that you may be having. Are you experiencing feelings of worry, hopefulness, anger, or contentment?

 

  1. As you go through your day, notice the ebb and flow of feelings.  Feelings come and go throughout out the day.

 

  1. Oftentimes, there is a body sensation connected to a feeling.  For example, when you feel worried, you may feel it in your stomach.

 

  1. Try not to judge your feelings. Often we deem our feelings to be either “good” or “bad”. Happiness, contentment, joy, and hope are often labeled as “good” emotions. Fear, anger, and jealousy are often identified as “bad” emotions. When we judge our feelings, we tend to focus on eliminating the negative and pursuing the positive.

 

“Negative” feelings are a normal part of life. Once we learn to accept this and tolerate them we don’t have to use food to cope.

  1. Now that you have named your feelings, you may be able to identify how it feels in your body. There are several ways to cope with intense feelings instead of using food.

 

Sit with your feelings. Try to accept that you are having an intense emotion and notice that it will pass.

 

If this feels too uncomfortable try these methods:

 

Distraction; which includes thinking or doing something else to not think about feelings. Distraction can include reading a book, listening to music or a podcast, watching TV, going out with or calling a friend or family member, or hobbies, to name a few. When choosing a method of distraction, consider using a method that is not harmful (such as excessive drinking, spending, etc.).

 

Work through your feelings by talking to a friend or family member, writing in a journal, or listening to music that may mirror the feelings you are feeling.

 

If you are reading this, then most likely you have been using food to cope with life for quite awhile. Often this habit is developed in childhood.  So, be patient with yourself.  It is going to take a lot of practice to cope with emotions without using food.

 

If you live in the Austin area, please call (512) 293-5770 for a free 15-minute phone call to see if my services are right for you.

 

This article is for informational purposes only.  It does not replace mental health or medical treatment if needed.

how to reduce eating in response to emotions

 

Are You an Emotional Eater?
all-or-nothing thinking could lead to disordered eating

Is the Good-Food-Bad-Food Trap Ruining your Relationship with Food?

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I can’t eat that because it is bad for me” or “That is a good food, so I can eat that anytime I want” are examples of the “good-food-bad-food trap.” They are common statements among the general public, and particularly dieters.

The good-food-bad-food trap is just as it sounds—dividing foods into different categories deemed either good to eat or bad to eat. Dieting and public health campaigns really reinforce this all-or-nothing thinking with a series of rules about what we should and should not be eating. While the intention behind this notion is good, it is actually quite problematic in practice. 

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improving your body image

3 Steps to Liking Your Body Better (Without having to change it.)

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I want to scream every time I see this advertisement: “Get your body ready for bathing suit season”.  This is a typical fitness & diet advertisement that plays over and over during the Summer months. Guess what? Your body is all ready for bathing suit season-no changes needed.  Don’t believe me? Keep reading!

What is body image?

Body image is a mental image of what we think we look like. Body image is not necessarily how we look, but how we think we look. It is dynamic. That is, body image is dependent on the situation or your mood. For example, you may have a more positive body image if you are out enjoying yourself on a nice hike. In contrast, you may have a poorer body image if you are anxious in a new social situation.  Your mood affects how you think about yourself.

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Eating disorders in midlife

Not Your Teens Eating Disorder: What you need to know about eating disorders in midlife.

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Unfortunately, eating disorders in midlife are on the rise.  Many eating disorders in adult women may go undiagnosed because of the mistaken belief that older women don’t develop eating disorders.   It is true that adolescent girls are at a higher risk, but women of all ages are at risk for developing and maintaining an eating disorder.

Adult women usually present with eating disorders in the three following ways:

  1. An eating disorder was developed earlier in their life. That is, as an adolescent or young adult the individual developed her eating disorder, but never fully recovered.  Adequate treatment, motivation to change, social & family support, etc. are all necessary for a full recovery.
  2. The second scenario is similar to the first, an eating disorder developed in adolescence or early adulthood and the individual fully recovered through treatment.  But, then in midlife, a relapse took place either in response to environmental, social, psychological and/or physical stressors and the eating disorder returned.
  3. In this last scenario, which is the least common, is that the onset of the eating disorder first occurred in midlife. That is to say, the individual had no pre-existing eating disorder. The most common type of eating disorder that starts in mid-life is binge eating disorder (click here to learn more about binge eating disorder).

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common binge eating myths

5 Common Binge Eating Disorder Myths You Need To Know

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Accurate information & challenging misconceptions is an important first step in getting treatment for binge eating disorder.  The phrase “binge eating” gets used a lot in the media & pop culture.  I have gathered some common myths about binge eating disorder (BED) that I have seen over my 15 years of working with clients with eating disorders.

  1.  Myth:  Overeating regularly at meal or snack time is considered binge eating.

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