Debbie Williams, an NLP trainer, Hypnotherapist and Expert in Eating Disorders and Addictions from Birmingham UK, gives 7 tips to beat the compulsion to binge…
Binge eaters consume large amounts of food that is often high fat, not because they are hungry but because it activates pleasure centres in the brain that numb negative emotions.
It’s a common problem that can affect anyone. I’ve had to treat TV presenters, athletes, sports people, business owners, housewives – and even leaders of diet clubs!
Rather than go on the yo-yo diet that involves starving yourself, falling off the wagon and then bingeing because you feel you’ve failed, here are my…
…7 Tips to Overcome Binge Eating
1. Plan ahead
Have a simple written plan, where you can see what you are going to eat for the next 7 days including ‘treats’ every day.
It might sound crazy, but I’ve had clients say when it has come to their 4pm chocolate treat that sometimes they feel ‘I don’t want it’ which is empowering and tells me they are mastering a lean person’s strategy.
2. Ask the right questions
Ask yourself: “If I eat this how will it feel over time?” Think through the consequences of your choice, so if you need to you can swap some of the foods on your plan with the surprise piece of birthday cake, or have fruit at 4pm instead of the bag of crisps which was today’s treat.
It’s what naturally lean, healthy happy people do all the time with no effort because they instinctively know if I eat too much of this I will feel, A, stuffed, B, tired, C, ill D, bloated and uncomfortable.
3. Learn from the best
Imagine stepping into a lean, healthy happy person’s shoes for the day. If they were in charge of your thoughts today how do they feel and act around food?
4. Celebrate success
Keep a success journal of positive things you notice. This will be your best resource when times are hard to help you stay on track.
5. NLP
Use NLP and hypnosis to help you – whether it’s through having sessions, learning it yourself or listening to self-help recordings. Many studies have shown good hypnosis can really help you succeed.
6. Enjoy your treat
It’s a reward and a pleasure so take the time to connect and feel satisfied. I’ve had a client say her flat mate makes her one cream egg an almost orgasmic experience! Make it a ritual to focus on eating, tasting and enjoying food, then forget about it and get on with your life!
7. Accept your set backs
Rather than bingeing continually when you “fall of the wagon”, just acknowledge your setback, change what you are eating and keep going. After all, if you lost a few pounds over the last few weeks and then you ate a massive meal, how is the last few weeks a failure?!?! Keep going and you will develop the habits of a slim person, rather than keeping on in the same old patterns as before!
