Bindge Eating Blues!

You may think it only happens to you, but I’m here to tell you it doesn’t: Binge eating affects people of all levels of fitness (even body builders) and can exist on the most basic level (the Friday night “It’s-the-weekend-and-I-deserve-to-overindulge” variety), or the most extreme (all-night, post-dinner snacking episodes that leave you feeling too full and too guilty to eat breakfast the next day). Most people believe only the obese or those struggling with a weight problem are binge eaters, but in actuality there are just as many binge eaters out there that are in shape (i.e.: regular gym-goers that watch what they eat during the week days but then go on all-out binges on the weekends). I’ll even go so far as to predict that as you read this article you’re nodding your head on the inside because at some time in your life you’ve been there, because we all have (hello, college!).
Maybe you’ve overcome it by now – in which case please insert a pat on the back here – but if you haven’t then let this be the beginning of a new approach to food for you. I’m breaking down binge-eating so that you understand why it happens, what it does to your body, how to get back on the healthy track the next day, and how to avoid the binge blues altogether!

The Why

The main reason you binge on food is because you’ve either starved yourself all day long (pay special attention, you breakfast skippers!) or you don’t let yourself have a treat once in a while so you go completely overboard. A “treat” suddenly turns into a feast because your body and mind are deprived of any variety. I have no problem admitting that I enjoy my Dreyer’s Slow Churned Ice Cream once in a while, or that in a rare state of cabin fever I went a little overboard on the Oreos. It happens. And more often than not, it happens with carbohydrates.

Whether you’ve starved yourself all day or you’ve stuck to your meal plan like the good dieter you are, you probably find yourself bingeing with carbs. Got a sweet or salty craving? I don’t know many who reach for a protein at that point. This is why no-carb diets don’t work: You cannot cut out an entire nutrient and expect to stick with it. You end up over-loading on carbs in the form of sweets, breads, chips, pizza, candy, etc. Then you feel guilty for it so you starve yourself again the next day to make up for it and the cycle continues. With that said, it might help you to know what this cycle is doing to your body.

The Effect

Anytime you skip meals or stick to a rigid diet plan, your body will crave carbohydrates first because they’re your most efficient form of energy. Even body builders need supplements and only eat complex carbohydrates – they need energy for those heavy sessions at the gym. From an athlete to your 90-year-old grandparent, humans need carbs. When you eat carbs your body converts them to glycogen and stores them in your liver and muscles. This is a good, natural thing. Now take a food binge into account: When your liver and muscles are at their maximum capacity for carbs the excess will be stored as fat, which causes weight gain, which causes anger, frustration, guilt and other emotions that make you not want to try on your jeans the next day.

The Recovery

Many people believe that after a night, day, or weekend of bingeing they should just go as long as possible without eating the next day. Please promise me out loud right now that you won’t do that. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Instead, the best way to recover after a binge is to absolutely eat breakfast but skip the carbs for that one meal and eat lean protein (yogurt, eggs, etc.). Your glycogen overdose from the day before will get you through the morning. By lunchtime you can then introduce a small amount of complex carbs back into your repertoire. This means no white breads or refined flour products. Choose whole-grain instead and go with a high fiber content. Try to keep your lunch meal protein-filled with chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, etc., and of course include veggies. Same goes with dinner.

Another key component to your recovery: Exercise! If time allows, exercise first thing that morning to get your metabolism moving again. If a morning workout can’t happen then get it in some time that day. All those carbs will last you through a good cardio or strength training session. Most importantly, get back on the healthy horse and don’t skip meals even though you feel guilty for eating again. Your metabolism will thank you!

The Remedy

If binge eating is a constant truth you face, figure out what’s causing it and get out of your normal routine. Usually binge eaters get stuck in a rut with food, exercise, or even lifestyle. Try something new: Take a class at the gym, train for a race, take skiing lessons, try a new healthy food, or start saving to go visit that destination you’ve always wanted to see. The bottom line is if you keep living your life the same way, you’re going to get the same results.

If it’s all about the guilt, then let it go. You ate too much, so don’t eat as much next time! Give yourself the occasional treat, just make it occasional. Just like those Oreos I mentioned (I don’t even really like Oreos), I can live with that because it’s not about deprivation, it’s about having a long-term, healthy mindset where you know you’re going to mess up your diet once in a while but you vow to get right back on course the next meal or the next day and you stick with it. We’re human, we screw up. But we owe it to ourselves to do better the next time!

Meet the Trainer

Crystal is a certified personal trainer through the
National Sports and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
She has a passion for helping others live a healthy lifestyle and coaching them to push their limits beyond what they think they are capable of.