Ever worry that if you keep your favorite foods in the house that you'll "lose control" and consume way more than you want to--especially if you're alone? Does a long day at work end with a pint of ice cream, to relax and bring joy to the end of your day? After skipping breakfast and lunch, do you find yourself unable to stop eating once you start, at least until you feel stuffed and miserable? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be a binge eater. Or not. When I refer to "binge eating", I'm talking about the serious habit that can get out of control, both physically and emotionally. I'm not talking about the occasional episode of overeating. Find out the truth about some of the most common misconceptions about binge eating, and how to get help if you're struggling with the issue.

1. Top 6
Binge Eating Myths
BingeEatingBreakthrough.com

2. Myth: Binge Eating means you eat a massive
amount of food at one time.

3. It’s not necessarily the amount of food you eat, but the
way you eat it. Normally, though, binge eating
is defined as eating an amount of food that would be
considered more than most people would eat, in a short
period of time, accompanied by feeling out of control or
anxious about the eating. There’s also such a thing as a
subjective binge. People who follow very restrictive diets
can experience a subjective binge when they eat
something that’s not on their “allowed” food list, even if
it’s only a small amount.

4. Myth: All binge eaters are overweight.

5. “Not all people who binge eat are overweight or feel they struggle
with their weight,” says Chevese Turner, founder and CEO of the
Binge Eating Disorder Association and recovered binge eater
herself.
“Many people binge eat at different times throughout their lives:
some in response to emotional cues and some who are perhaps
enjoying a meal at a gathering and not mindful of the amount of
food they are eating or how quickly.” Bottom line: It’s not about
what the scales say, it’s about the behavior.

6. Myth: Binge eating is always emotional.

7. Getting too hungry is one of the most common triggers for a
binge. It’s definitely been one of my common triggers. This isn’t
emotional, this is more biological.
It becomes emotional, however, when guilt, anxiety and
depression move in, or when food becomes a way to avoid
feeling a certain emotion (e.g. boredom, sadness, loneliness,
guilt, anxiety).

8. Myth: If you don’t let yourself ever have
sugary foods, you’ll be fine.

9. Deprivation often triggers binge eating. We avoid a food as long as
we can, then give in at vulnerable moments either because we’re
hungry or using food to cope with an emotion or an unmet need.
Because we believe, however, that we shouldn’t eat the food we
give in to, or shouldn’t use food to cope, we feel guilty or defeated.
We often rationalize, “tomorrow I’ll go back on my diet” and then
go hog wild.

10. The key to recovering from binge eating is learning how to not have
to strictly avoid a food. It involves developing a relationship with
food where you allow yourself to enjoy exactly what you want and
learning to eat in a healthy portion.
It’s also about learning to check in with yourself to see how you feel
after eating a food.
You might very naturally find that the foods you thought you’d
never be able to have control with become less desirable. This
happens as you begin to understand what’s driving the impulse to
fill up with food: the emotion or need that’s being met by the food.
Then you can find other ways to fulfill those emotions and needs,
and the food becomes less important.

11. Myth: Binge Eating isn’t an eating disorder
like anorexia and bulimia.

12. As someone who has gone through all three, I can
assure you that each one is a disorder. While the
physical consequences of binge eating disorder may be
less “severe” than bulimia or anorexia, the psychological
and emotional effects are still as vital.
Most people don’t realize, however, that binge eating
disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder. It’s
estimated to afflict over 15 million Americans, more
women than men.

13. Myth: Giving yourself permission to binge
may help you stop binge eating.

14. It seems contradictory, but giving yourself permission to binge
can actually help stop you from doing it. This was a method
that worked in my recovery.
Here’s how it works: When you feel a binge coming on and
don’t think any other option will work to calm you, tell yourself
it’s OK to binge. This recognizes how binge eating has helped
you deal with difficult emotions in the past.
Then, pick out what you want to eat and find a comfortable
spot to enjoy your food. Finally, eat-but the key is to stay
present the entire time. Focus on the food, savor every bite,
really make it worth it. Eat until you simply don’t want it any
more. If you’re truly indulging without distraction, you will
reach this point.

15. After you have finished, the next critical component is to be kind to
yourself. Like over-the-top: give yourself a bath, go for a massage,
take a trip, go buy yourself a new dress…whatever it is that makes
you feel doted upon.
Loving yourself is a ninja move because it’s the direct opposite of what
you will want to do.
It takes strength and audacity to do it anyway. But the more you love
and nourish yourself in this way, the more you’re teaching yourself that
you are not “bad” or “wrong” or “weak”. You’re re-programming your
subconscious, which has endured years of self flagellating.
When you feed your mind thoughts that you are bad, weak and wrong,
you will continue to pour fuel into the fire. There’s no way you can rewire and get a different result if you continue to do the same thing.

16. For more information, a free video
course and additional support,
visit
http://www.bingeeatingbreakthrough.com