Have you ever had a feeling to fast just after you have binged eaten or wondered if it’d be a clever way out to get rid of the excess calories? Then you need to know why you shouldn’t take such steps.
Firstly, we’ll have to understand what ‘Binge-eating’ is & why we get such feelings like ‘fasting’ or ‘taking a diet break’ right after that!
Binge eating is basically an eating disorder in which we consume a large amount of food in a very short period of time. Now, just right after this eating episode, we tend to feel overwhelmed, confused or sometimes guilty and ashamed. As a result, we try to fix it as it’s a common human nature and we think of fasting or limiting our food intake.
Unfortunately, fasting or taking a diet break only worsens the health condition. It can lead to recurrent episodes of binge eating and fasting, with no end in sight. Fasting will result in major cravings which ultimately will be hitting your saturation point and again as an out-turn you’ll binge-eat more.
To stop this cycle, following the mentioned below points might be helpful:
1. Being compassionate
Being compassionate may end the cycle. Yes! You’ve heard it right. With compassion, it’s easy to remove the guilt. It is important to figure out the reason behind the binge-eating and then deal with it with empathy. Empathize yourself as you would do with a friend or a family member.
Always remember one thing “Guilt induces the cycle but compassion ends it.”
2. Replace larger meals with shorter ones:
Try to have small, frequent meals instead of three bigger meals in a day. Smaller meals provide you with satiety and manage hunger. Therefore, you don’t get cravings, you don’t binge-eat also.
Maintaining a diet diary might also help, where craving timing, craving type and the amount can be added so that you can have an idea about your cravings.
3. Eat balanced foods:
As we have already discussed before the human nature of going directly for fasting right after a binge-eating episode. Now, quite a lot of people can think that if not fasting, we can go for a low-calorie diet or some strict and rigid diet plan. Then, again it will result in binge eating.
How? Low-calorie is definitely going to restrict the calorie intake but will not provide you with satiety. Diets like these will prevent you from feeling satiated after eating, which again may trigger you to have some food later. On the other hand, consuming a balanced diet will not only provide you with the correct nutrition but also satisfy you, which will lead to less mindless eating.
4. Drink plenty of water:
Hydration comes into play to stop this cycle. If we don’t drink much water or liquids and keep ourselves hydrated, our bodies will try to crave food. So, keep your water bottle near you and stay hydrated throughout the day.
5. Don’t over-exercise:
And again we are talking about the guilt that we get after binge eating. We might think if not fasting if not low-calorie diets, then physical exercise would work.
Again, We’re Wrong.
If we over-exercise and exhaust ourselves then as a result our body will try to replenish it and we all know how.
Food is the source of our energy. A tired body will ask for fuel to work and to be active and as a result, again we’ll eat more.
So, instead of over-exercising, try to be gentle with yourself. Going for a walk, 30 minutes of yoga can also be helpful in that case.
The bottom line is fasting, low-calorie diets and vigorous exercises are not the answer. Instead of that, be kind and patient to yourself. Try to figure out the reason behind your binge eating, and maintain a diary for yourself, if possible, a little lifestyle modification can also help.
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