Tap into other sources of pleasure.
Science has shown that the desire for pleasure is embedded in our DNA and causes us to seek out the feel-good sensation multiple times a day. But everyday life is often so hectic that it's easy to overlook bliss or find the time for it. "There's a good chance that you're pleasure deprived and have been using food—a fast and easy pleasure hit—as a substitute," says weight loss expert Jena la Flamme. "The key to reaching your healthy weight and avoiding binging is to embrace a variety of things that tap into that happy brain chemistry—not just food but friendships, movement, music, art, relaxation, and love." So think about what you enjoy, and find ways to weave in healthier pleasure hits throughout the day.
Don't forget to eat.
Skipping meals or spacing them too far apart means you're setting yourself up for big-time hunger—resulting in you inhaling everything in sight. And the consequences keep piling on after you've finished that doughnut: Research suggests that the glycemic impact of the foods you eat at one meal can last for up to 14 hours and influence what you decide to eat for your next meal. Eating protein and fiber rich meals or snacks every 2 to 3 hours can help keep your blood sugar levels normal, your metabolism revved—and your cravings under control.
If you're going to indulge, slow down and enjoy it.
When you inhale your food, you miss the experience of eating and the pleasure that goes with it," says la Flamme. Instead, practice mindful eating. Slowing down allows you to recognize when your joy in the meal is waning and gives your body time to send fullness signals to your brain, a process that takes about 20 minutes. The technique can yield aha moments: In a recent study, mindful eaters noticed the foods they thought they loved didn't actually taste that good. "When we eat quickly, we miss important information, and we tend to overeat, not because we're hungry, but because we don't feel satisfied when we're done,” says study author Ruth Wolever, PhD, director of research at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, NC. (Here's how to try an eating meditation.)
Hit the yoga mat.
Photo by PhotoAlto/Frederic Cirou/Getty Images
Yoga is amazing for so many things and, according to a study published in the journal Qualitative Health Research, it could help you curb out-of-control eating: An at-home yoga practice reduced women's bingeing in only 12 weeks. Simply by cultivating present-moment awareness, the participants found that they ate less overall. Yoga also helps us learn self-compassion, says yoga teacher Jillian Pransky, and research has shown that people who avoid beating themselves up over diet slip-ups are much more likely to go back to healthy eating at the next meal. It's not so much the moves, but the yogic lessons (the stuff teachers often share at the beginning and end of class) that encourage people to be nice to themselves. "The work you do in class fosters a compassion that flows into every aspect of your life," says Pransky. The bottom line: figure out why it happened, forgive yourself, and move on.
Make a point to relax.
When you're stressed, your body releases hormones that stimulate your appetite for fatty treats like cookies, cake, and ice cream. "Just 20% of chronically stressed people eat normally," says Mary Dallman, PhD, professor emerita of physiology at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies how stress affects diet and weight. "Of the other 80%, half eat more than usual and half eat less—but they're all more likely to consume fatty, caloric comfort foods." Feeling guilty when you eat is just as bad. It makes you more likely to inhale food quickly, which means you miss out on one of the main reasons you're eating in the first place: the drive to experience pleasure. (Try these 2-minute stress solutions for relief.)
Tell yourself to HALT.
Overeaters Anonymous has a saying known as HALT. It reminds you to ask yourself if you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired before you eat. If it's simply hunger, eat something! If not, however, work on addressing what's really going on with you. You may want to try Overeaters Anonymous meetings or other forms of support, says Limor Baum, MS, RD. "Any kind of support really helps—such as therapy, support groups or just talking to friends and family."
Drink more water.
Photo by FUSE/Getty Images
Sometimes your body thinks it's hungry, when in fact it's just thirsty. Drink a tall glass of ice cold water when you feel hungry; the chilly drink will cause your metabolism to speed up because your body is working harder to warm the water, and you'll feel fuller. Get creative and spice up your plain water with herbs like mint or basil, or slices of lemon or cucumber. (These 25 Sassy Water recipes will do just fine.)
Notice how foods make you feel.
Sometimes your favorite treat, eaten mindfully, is just what the doctor ordered for a quick mood boost, says la Flamme. But that doesn't mean gorging on pastries and chips. "True pleasure comes from a reasonable serving of food and stops when overeating begins," says la Flamme. By paying attention to how food makes you feel—in the moment, in the following hour, and even the next day—you can start to use pleasure as a guide to a healthy diet. You may be shocked to find that the foods that give you the most pleasure are actually good for you, like a piece of fresh fish or a cool slice of juicy watermelon.
Clean out your pantry.
Bingeing usually happens at home, so if you don't have junk food readily available, you'll be less likely to binge. Fill your kitchen instead with healthy snacks such as carrots and celery, or Greek yogurt with blueberries. Give these high protein snacks a try.
Get moving.
A common misconception about exercising is that it makes you even hungrier. But according to Baum, a moderate amount of exercise (about 30 minutes a day) can actually suppress your appetite. Just don't overdo it: Bingeing is likely to occur when people exercise in an extreme way and don't know how to re-nourish their bodies.
Don't obsess when you overdo it.
You aren't going to be able to quit bingeing cold turkey—there will be days when you give in and that's not a reason to beat yourself up about it. The key? Reminding yourself that one bad day doesn't have to—and shouldn't—ruin your week of healthy eating.
