Binge Eating Part 2

[Cookies may be delicious, but they contain loads of sugar that will spike your insulin levels and put you in a fat storing and food craving mode. I still believe you should eat and enjoy them, but try your best to do so on occasion.]

I later discovered that insulin and strict dieting had a lot to do with this “switch”. I realized that the switch occurred mostly when I indulged in sweets. This was mainly because the sugar from the sweets would cause my insulin levels to spike which created false hunger. The false hunger combined with strict dieting led to my binge sessions. Fortunately, I avoided weight gain by returning to my diet and exercise plan, but these binges would leave me feeling guilty and made returning to my strict diet and exercise routine extremely difficult. Also unlike most people with eating disorders who purge with exercise following binge sessions to burn off the calories they ate (trust me you can’t out run a whole pizza no matter how hard you try) I had a “what’s the point” attitude and would fall off my schedule. My binge sessions indicated that I hadn’t yet conquered all of my eating issues and still had an eating disorder. I however, believe this to not be entirely true. I certainly still had some eating issues, but I soon found out this wasn’t the only problem.

You see, throughout my weight loss I worked hard and with the help of a psychologist successfully changed the way I viewed food. I truly believe that by the end of my weight loss I had conquered most of my eating disorder and that my binges following my weight loss were due more to the long periods of strict diet and exercise. My point is that people with and without eating disorders can fall victim to binge eating. The counseling did help me, but I believe the best change I made following my weight loss was switching to a more balanced diet and exercise routine. I ate more and made sure to incorporate a balanced ratio of healthy proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Eating larger and more balanced meals and putting less stress on diet and exercise, satisfied my stomach and my mind. This is why I believe that not all carbohydrates are bad and that extremely low carb diets work for a time, but eventually lead to physical and psychological problems.

You can stay lean as ever by limiting high glycemic carbs and sticking to mostly low to moderate glycemic ones such as fruits, whole grains and other fibrous foods. (See my don’t fear carbs post http://www.aryafarzin.com/2009/04/dont-fear-carbs.html) Eating a balanced diet keeps your insulin levels at bay and provides a steady release of energy to help you conquer the day. You will no longer be dieting, but living! I hope you enjoyed reading this post I am excited to see what people think and how they can relate so please comment away! Below I have listed a few ways to avoid binge eating.

1. Eat a balanced diet of healthy fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

2. Avoid long stretches of extremely strict diet and exercise (don’t over train your body and mind)

3. Make sure when you eat any meal to take the time to enjoy it. Chew slowly and savor the food. It will satisfy your stomach and your mind. Try taking sips of water or tea between bites and if you are eating something sweet try drinking coffee with the meal.

4. When you feel like eating, even if you’re full, try occupying yourself with something; such as, running some errands, meeting up with friends, or taking a walk.

5. When cravings are strong and you know you are full, chew some gum or drink some coffee. This doesn’t work for everyone, but I have found that the act of chewing gum calms me down and helps me forget cravings. As for coffee, I am one of the fortunate people for whom coffee is a successful appetite suppressant. I feel especially full when I drink black coffee.

6. Live baby!...just live. Life shouldn’t revolve around food or exercise.