Do you struggle with binge eating and find yourself feeling completely lost as to what is causing it and feel like it just happens? This sense of helplessness probably leaves you feeling out of control and hopeless to make change.  I am here to tell you that there is always a reason as to why you binge and understanding some of the causes can help you feel more in control of your own life.

Before we get started, I want to chat with you about what binge looks like. I find that people are often confused if they are binging or not.  Binge eating is eating a larger amount of food that you normally would eat in one sitting.  For example, a bag of family size chips instead of a bowl full. A binge can even be a large salad, then two protein bars, an apple, and a piece of Halloween candy.  What I am getting at here is that you can binge on a variety of foods, it’s not just eating fast food or take-out; it’s the AMOUNT and FEELINGS associated with it. Next, you feel out of control when eating, you also feel like you can’t stop eating once you start, which is very upsetting. Also, during a binge, many people describe it as ‘zoning out’ or ‘blacking out.’ Does this sound familiar to you? After consuming this large amount of food you typically feel guilty and ashamed and often physically unwell: countless individuals describe this as a ‘binge hangover.’  Another aspect of binge eating that is very common is that binge eating typically happens at night or in the early evening (p.s.: you can also binge during the day).  More on why this happens in the blog, so keep reading!

So now that we have explained what binging is, let’s look at some of the reasons why it occurs.  There are four common reasons and as you read this, I encourage you to think about your own experiences and see if any of the following resonate with you. 

I’ll start with the most common reason, which is starvation/under-eating.  Do you find that you go all day without eating, or eating very little and then find yourself in the kitchen or nearest grocery store starving, grabbing anything you can?  Once you start eating you can stop and eat way past the point of fullness. This is what happens when you don’t eat much during the day; your energy levels dip, your food cravings increase, your thoughts about food become so strong that your body takes over and you grab whatever you can and eat.  Sounds familiar?  To avoid this, it is important to eat regularly throughout the day.  You want to keep our energy levels as even as possible, so they don’t dip too low into the danger zone. Eating regularly means including balanced meals and snacks throughout the day with complex carbs (yes, carbs are good!). Next time you think about skipping a meal or avoiding your hunger cues, remember that you are putting yourself in a situation that is potentially setting you up to binge. 

The second reason why binging occurs is breaking a dietary rule, such as ‘I’ll never eat past 7pm,’ or ‘I’ll never eat pizza.’  Spoiler alert, there will be times when you are hungry past 7pm or pizza is offered at a party, or you just want some because pizza is amazing. If you keep telling yourself you can’t have something, especially if your body is telling you to eat, you will inevitably end up eating, hence the ‘rule’ is broken and the ‘screw it’ attitude follows, which leads to a binge.  This all-or-nothing thinking around food is very constricting and impossible to follow.  My advice here is to look at the rules you have around food and ask yourself, are they working for you?

The third reason why binging can occur is due to disinhibition; this includes the use of drugs, alcohol, or lack of sleep.  These situations lower your ability to make the best decision for yourself and often result in choices that lead to binging. It can also lead to a terrible night’s sleep, which doesn’t help when you already don’t feel great and can throw off your regular eating schedule.

Reason number four is being emotional, experiencing a tough situation or having a low/off mood.  Binging can act as a way of coping with these stinky moods/situations.  It can happen so automatically that we don’t even realize the connection until it’s too late.  Being mindful of your mood throughout the day, and problem solving how to handle a stressful event can really be helpful to prevent a binge from occurring.  Remember that strong emotions don’t last forever, it takes about 30 to 40 minutes for them to calm down. If possible, try and ride them out, and if that is too much, go for a walk and talk yourself through it, because eventually those emotions will calm down and then you will be able to cope in a more adaptable way.

If you are struggling with binge eating, I hope this helps you see that binging just doesn’t occur out of the blue. I encourage you to think about why your binges occur, so you can start to regain control of your eating and find a life worth living outside of your binging.