7 Steps to Break Free from Binge Eating

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Episode 13. Today’s episode is all about binge eating and emotional eating. What is it, why do we do it, and how to stop.

Stressed about emotional eating? Thinking of ideas in the moment when the urge strikes can feel near impossible. Grab my free guide for 23 positive ideas here!

Can You Relate to This?

You’ve eaten “well” all day. You had a sensible breakfast with lean protein, a salad for lunch, and an portioned out handful of almonds mid-afternoon. You sat down to dinner and had a “normal” amount, enough to fit in your calorie limit for the day. You are feeling good.

But then, for whatever reason you at a little extra — Most likely because you are a human being who isn’t programmed to eat an exact amount of calories.

Maybe someone offered you an extra roll and you ate it without thinking or maybe you got up and had a second portion of food.

Whatever the reason, your immediate automatic thought is “Well, I screwed up, might as well enjoy the night” and you proceed to have a lot more food until you are incredibly full. You feel out of control and frustrated with yourself. You beat yourself up and resolve to get “back on track” tomorrow.

Sound familiar?

What Binge Eating Does to Our Sense of Self

Binge eating can feel incredibly hopeless and overwhelming.

It can feel like you have zero control and destroy your self-confidence.

Today’s post will go over what binge eating is, the causes of binge eating, how it’s different than (and at times similar to) emotional eating, and most importantly what to do about it.

What is Binge Eating?

Technical Definition of a Binge Episode

Binge eating’s technical definition according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) is eating:

• Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances.
• A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g., a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating)

The binge eating episodes also need to be associated with at least three of the following:

• Eating much more rapidly than normal
• Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
• Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
• Eating alone because of feeling embarrassed by how much one is eating
• Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty afterwards

What is Binge Eating Disorder

To meet criteria for binge eating disorder, you must have had at least 1 binge episode once per week for at least 3 months.

There are other circumstances were you might not meet criteria for binge eating disorder but still have an eating pattern that you are distressed about.

Some examples of this includes:

• If you experience binge eating and are distressed by this, but it occurs less often than once a week.
• If you feel out of control with your eating, but you don’t eat an amount that is “definitely larger” than what others might eat in a similar circumstances (e.g., you eat 3 small cookies, but feel out of control and guilty afterwards).

In these cases, assuming your symptoms are not better characterized in another disorder or category, you might get a less specific diagnosis, like eating disorder not otherwise specified.

What If I Feel Out of Control But Do Not Eat Much?

This is called subjective binge eating. This occurs if you feel out of control, but only end up eating a relatively small amount of food (e.g., 1 cookie) but you intended to make a different choice or eat less and now you are feeling guilty about it.

What Causes Binge Eating?

The causes of binge eating are multi-faceted.

1. Like most things, our genetics can set us up for developing any condition or behavior pattern, and binge eating is no different.
2. Our food environment also plays a role. Food is more readily available and more processed than ever and this sets us up for binge eating. Basically, food scientists know what they are doing and are able to make “hyper-palatable designer foods” (that perfect combination of fat, sugar, and salt) that “hook” our brains and fuel eating much beyond hunger.
3. Additionally, dieting and restriction causes binge eating for many, and the risk of this is higher with more restriction. This is due to both biological and psychological factors. Although sometimes when you go on an eating plan, binge eating maybe temporarily reduce, it often will eventually return, sometimes even more intensely the next time around.

Does Dieting Cause Binge Eating for Everyone?

Nope. Some people I work with have dieted for decades with developing binge eating, while others develop it relatively quickly.

I will say though, that subjective binge eating can be just as distressing and many folks I work with have that feeling about food (labeling foods and good/bad, healthy/unhealthy, and feeling guilt when they eat “bad”) for many years before seeking help.

This would be a perfect example of where the “diet mentality” causes significant distress, but since it’s SO normal in our culture, people just deal with it without knowing they could feel differently.

Overeating is NOT Binge Eating

People will often use the term binge eating when they really mean overeating. This might be your friend who tells you she “binged on cookies”. However, if this friend does not have a poor relationship with food and she just meant to say she ate more cookies than she wanted today. If she did not feel out of control or guilty after, this isn’t a binge.

Overeating is normal, common, and we ALL do it. The definition of overeating is simply eating more than our body truly “needs” in terms of energy to replenish what was used up. This might be eating past fullness, eating when we aren’t hungry or just eating because something tastes good.

And given what I will describe below about how adaptive overeating is, we should probably come up with a new name for it. Since it’s a helpful response to be able to take in extra calories when available.

Overeating is Inevitable

Although the word overeating can have a reputation of being “bad” (like so many things when it comes to weight), it’s inevitable. We aren’t ever going to get to a point where we eat the perfect amount of food for our body’s biological needs only. That just does not make sense.

In fact, our ancestors needed to overeat when more food was available so that they could survive times when food was scare. It is adaptive.

Therefore, We ALL “overeat” and we will continue to for the rest of our lives.

Reframing How We Think of Overeating

The guilt that so many have about eating is astounding. I used to do this too. I’ve watched for years as men and women (mostly women) “confess” to eating a little bit extra. She might tell me “I ate 2 bowls of pasta and 2 apples, is that bad? Does that seem like a lot?” [I’m paraphrasing here].

The lack of trust in ourselves and the guilt and shame we feel about eating is causing what could just be an episode of overeating, into a binge spiral. Which often leads back to dieting. And more binge eating. See how this works?

What is the Driving Force for Binge Eating?

Dieting absolutely can and does cause binge eating. The diet and weight loss industry tells us we are not “enough” so that we need to buy their products to become so. But sometimes there are other underlying concerns if we were to remove the binge-diet cycle veil.

Binge eating can be a way to avoid stress or pain, even mild pain (e.g., discomfort with feeling bored or dissatisfied/disengaged).

Can Weight Loss Reduce Binge Eating?

There has been some research that suggests that going on a weight loss diet can sometimes temporarily curb binge eating (Grilo et al., 2011). However, the long-term data suggests that not only will these folks regain the lost weight most of the time, they will continue to be prone to binge eating in the future.

For many dieters, particularly those with a history of multiple weight loss diets including weight loss and regain, falling “off” a diet plan will spur binge eating or emotional eating.

There is likely a reason that one of the most consistently predictors of weight gain is asking the question: “Are you currently on a diet to lose weight?” (Lowe, Doshi, Katterman, & Feig).

Is Binge Eating Different Than Emotional Eating?

Emotional eating is defined as eating to cope with feelings, which could include anything from bored, to sadness, to anger, to joy. This sometimes leads to binge eating, other times does not.

Sometimes people will eat to comfort themselves, and this is not always going to meet criteria for binge eating. That is, they may not eat a large amount of food and they also may not feel out of control while doing it.

Binge Eating By Definition Means Feeling Out of Control

Someone who comes home after a long stressful day and says “I deserve a treat” and has ice cream for their dinner would be considered eating to cope with their emotions. But if they don’t feel out of control then it wouldn’t be considered binge eating. Even if they eat the whole ice cream gallon, they have to feel out of control otherwise it isn’t a binge.

What If I Feel Out of Control but Don’t Eat Much?

Many people with varying forms of eating disorders and/or “disordered eating” (a catch all category for people who struggle with their relationship with food and are very distressed by it, but don’t fit into the other eating disorder categories), feel out of control while eating, but don’t necessarily eat a whole lot of food or meet all the criteria listed above.

This is actually what is often seen after bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery) when folks have binge eating before and it returns after surgery. They may experience what’s called “subjective binge eating” where they aren’t eating a huge amount of food (2 cookies, let’s say) but they feel out of control of the behavior and very guilty afterwards.

This can also look like subjective grazing after surgery, eating small amounts of food throughout the day, when not hungry.

How Do You Tell is Someone is Binge Eating versus Overeating?

The thing is, no one except you can truly know if you are binge eating. By definition, if you feel out of control it is a binge episode, but only you know how it feels and whether you feel in control.

How Does Food and Sugar Addiction Overlap with Binge or Emotional Eating?

This is an important question. Particularly so because when people are binge eating and have done so for years, they often begin to believe that something is wrong with them. They think that maybe their brains are different than other brains.

They might call themselves a food addict and join programs like Food Addicts Anonymous that teach them that they are powerless over processed foods and sugar.

Once Addicted to Food, Always Addicted?

Once your brain is addicted you will always be addicted, right?

Actually this is not supported by science. While food (particularly processed foods and foods with a lot of sugar, fat and salt in them) absolutely can feel addictive and look somewhat like other addictions (e.g., gambling) when we study the brain (Gearhardt, Yokum, Orr, et al., 2011), it does not mean your brain will always light up like that.

That is, you could experience feeling addicted to certain foods at one point in your life, and down the road (often after you stop dieting) you could feel totally at peace being around those foods.

I’ve Been Binge Eating for Years. Is There Hope?

Absolutely. Binge eating treatments are actually quite effective. However, for many people, truly moving away from the diet mentality is a key component of true recovery and peace in their relationship with food.

For years I’ve observed people and their eating and weight patterns and histories and more and more I’m seeing people who gain weight and start dieting then mysteriously start to experience binge eating. Even if they never did before.

Freaked out about weight gain, they might start to restrict those foods more, and then when they are unable to do so, feel more out of control.

This vicious cycle is one of the ways that dieting can cause us to lose confidence in ourselves and stop trusting our bodies. It also causes us to have less confidence that we can do what we set out to do. Then we have to look to external guides for what is “right”, “healthy.”

And of course the diet industry is more than happy to help us out there.

The Myth of Comforting Yourself with Food

Interestingly, the idea that food works to feel better is actually not true.

I used to tell people that “food works to meet a lot of needs! In the short term.” I used to believe this. But researchers have actually studied this at the University of Minnesota. They were trying to study if comfort foods could be a way to help astronauts reduce stress while also not losing weight on long missions to Mars.

Because Eating Does Not Help Our Mood, It Keeps Us In the Cycle

Contrary to popular belief, participants experience a little mood boost after eating comfort foods, but this boost was no different than another of the other more neutral foods or even foods they liked, but didn’t perceive as “comforting.” (Scherschel Wagner, Ahlstrom, Redden, Vickers, & Mann, 2014).

So while I’m all for not restricting, it is important to note that although we may feel we are doing something positive for ourselves by eating to cope, we actually could be getting the same benefit from eating something else, OR by doing something else for ourselves that actually meets our need for comfort.

7 Steps to Break Free from Binge Eating

1. Stop Dieting. If you have read any of my posts, you know I believe that the diet mentality does more harm than good. To be fair, as mentioned above, some people that do behavioral weight loss programs (typically including calorie monitoring and reduction of calories gradually) see a reduction of binge eating, at least in the short-term. However, the vast majority of people do regain weight and if you were binge eating in the past, this is likely to return. Speaking from personal experience, I engaged in “healthy diets” on and off for much of my teenage and young adult life. There were times when I lost some weight via “healthy” means (Weight Watchers was most helpful to me) but eventually as I regained weight I would try dieting again, which resumed binge eating with a vengeance. You can stop dieting for good and reap the psychological and emotional benefits, sooner rather than later if you so choose.
2. Set Yourself Up For Success with Your Habits. Are you waking up at 7:00am and not eating until 2:00pm and then eating too much because you are super hungry? How are your sleep habits? Did you know not getting enough (ideally most adults need between 7-9 hours) good quality sleep (do you have an underlying sleep disorder like sleep apnea that isn’t treated) can increase cravings for sweets and stress the body making it harder to control our eating? Look at your habits, and start with one realistic goal (e.g., get up at the same time each day, and aim for a 10:00pm bedtime).
3. Look at Your Sugar and Processed Food Intake. You know by now I’m not about restriction. At the same time, many of the foods we regularly eat make us feel terrible. They set us up for blood sugar spikes and falls that make us lethargic and irritable and just set us up to crave more sugar and processed foods. The more we eat whole unprocessed foods and the less we eat sugary “hyperpalatable foods” the more we train our taste buds to actually enjoy real food. When we make these changes from a place of self-respect and not a diet mentality, we can actually learn to prefer and enjoy our new habits, and the sugar and processed foods hold less power over us.
4. Make Your Environment Work for You. Our food environment is the #1 reason for all the weight gain in the United States and other industrialized countries over the past several decades. So why let the food environment that has been called “obesigenic” (obesity causing) into your home? Keeping sugar and processed foods out of your home from a place of self-respect and non-restriction can be an essential strategy. The key is, you aren’t doing it because you are “out of control” but instead because most people overeat on those types of foods. So you are just respecting your body but not having them extremely easy to grab.
5. Look at your Beliefs. Do you believe you are out of control? Do you think something is wrong with you or your brain? Many people with binge eating believe they are food addicts. The problem is, that often they also believe “once and addict, also an addict.” The science does not support this. In fact, quite to the contrary, our brains are amazingly adaptable and have shown that they can change drastically. Personally, I used to feel incredibly addicted to food. I woke up thinking about food and my weight, and often went to bed thinking about it. If something I liked was in the house, it was never “out of sight, out of mind” like they say. Now, however, it’s been years since I binged and I rarely think about food. I can have candy tucked away on a top shelf and if I don’t see it, I totally forget about it. I never would have thought that was possible, and yet, here I am. Feeling different in your relationship with food is truly possible. It might take work and a new paradigm (probably a truly anti-diet one) but my friend, you absolutely can change your brain and feel in control again.
6. Have a Plan for When the Urge to Binge Strikes. Binge or emotional eating urges can be INTENSE, especially when you are in them. Having a plan does not have to equal having a restrictive diet, although people often feel the need to do this. Instead, be prepared in terms of what you will do and/or say to yourself when the urge comes up. Ideally, tempting foods are out of the home so there’s more time to stop yourself. Even if you stop yourself while you are driving to the drive thru, that is excellent progress. I recommend have a list written out in advance of at least 8-10 options for what to do. If you need some ideas, I made this free PDF just for that reason! This might include taking a walk, taking a shower, drinking water, or reaching out to a friend or loved one. There are tons of free online groups for immediate support, perhaps find a community there and commit to posting. When our brain is telling us to binge eating, it’s our primitive brain, not our front cortex which is involved in higher level thinking. For this reason, having a plan set out in advance is key. Read your list, and do one or more of the items. That is your focus.
7. Consider Seeking Professional Support. Often the binge-diet cycle is just distracting us from some underlying pain. Sometimes it’s big and obvious pain like unresolved grief, other times it’s more subtle, like boredom and dissatisfaction in an important relationship or a job. Sometimes we can figure this out ourselves by journaling and talking to loved ones, and other times we need professional support. Or if nothing else, having an objective person to talk to regularly helps accelerate the process.

Ready to Improve Your Relationship with Food? Free Audio Training

My free 15 minute audio training helps you in the moments of feeling out of control with eating and weight gain. It’s for you if you want to get “back on track” with healthy habits but don’t want to jump to a restrictive diet.

It’s all about shifting from a fixed mindset when it comes to eating (all-or-nothing, good or bad) to a growth mindset (your relationship with food and your body is a process and you are on this journey whether you like it or note, might as well embrace it). Grab it here or click the image above!

References

Gearhardt, A. N. Yokum, S., Orr, P. T., et al. (2011). Neural Correlates of Food Addiction. Archives of Geneneral Psychiatry, 68, 808-816. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.32

Grilo, C. M., Masheb, R. M., Wilson, G. T., Gueorguieva, R., & White, M. A. (2011). Cognitive–behavioral therapy, behavioral weight loss, and sequential treatment for obese patients with binge-eating disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79(5), 675–685.

Lowe, M. R., Doshi, S. D., Katterman, S. N., & Feig, E. (2013). Dieting and restrained eating as prospective predictors of weight gain. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 577.

Scherschel Wagner, H. , Ahlstrom, B., Redden, J. P., Vickers, Z., & Mann, T. (2014). The Myth of Comfort Food. Health Psychology, 33, 1552–1557

Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship.