How dieting can lead to Binge Eating
Many people that struggle with binge eating often resort to dieting to lose the weight. Most of the research indicates that obesity was caused by two things, how much we ate and how much of that energy we used. Therefore the advice of medical professionals has been to diet and exercise. The relapse rates for strict diets has a tend to be very high. Additionally, they will encourage avoiding certain foods that are considered harmful, these foods are often sweets or other food that are high in sugar. But doing so can have the opposite effect intended, because forbidden food is more likely to be binged. This may seem counterintuitive, but it is often the reality. One reason this happens had to do with diets not being long-term, the other has to do with our brains.
Food on the brain, weight on the body
Therefore, if this food is on the mind, then it will be desired by the body. Usually the forbidden foods are high in refined sugars, so bingeing them can have a lot of consequences for the diet. This is the single most important reason that diets fail and why those of restrict food instead of taking a mindful approach to eating often gain much of the weight or even more back.
Mindfulness and Binge Eating
Just like with other forms of addiction, food addiction comes down to thinking processes. Additionally in individuals that have issues with addiction these processes are disrupted. Controlling urges by accepting them and redirecting our brains, increases the chances of overcoming addiction. This is mindfulness, knowing that part of us will desire these foods or behaviors and controlling them. Bingeing is the result of ignoring these thoughts and giving into the indulgent urges. In binging it is common that we eat past the point we are full. However, these thoughts are often subconscious and cause a state of automatic thinking that overrides our self-control. Controlling triggers starts with being aware of them.
Techniques to improve mindfulness.
- Observation of surroundings: This includes being aware of your environment and surroundings and paying close attention to the world around you enough to recall.
- Participation: Being Proactive within your own life. This means being proactive and making things happen for yourself.
- Acceptance: accepting others and your own failures, not everyone is perfect we all lack good judgement at times.
- Living in the moment: this means focusing on everything as it happens without distraction.
- Trusting Yourself: Trust your past experiences, what has worked in the past will probably continue to work in the future.
- Avoid Automatic-Pilot: Do not fall into the habit of autopilot, this is the opposite of all the other techniques on the list and can become counter-productive.
Addiction and Binge Eating are serious conditions that effect many people, and they can have a devastating impact on the individuals suffering and their family and friends. However, not all treatments are the same and not all clinics are the same. Every individual has a different road to recovery. This is what StepHouse Recovery specializes in. Not only do we have inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment and monitored hospitalization, we have in total five different levels of treatment designed to provide the exact level of care for each case. We also provide an inhouse detox program and dual diagnosis therapy.
Our YouTube channel is full of testimonials from our patients.
More about mindfulness https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-mindfulness-21854
More about diet and Binge eating
If this information about binge eating was helpful, there are also many other resources online such as free books