Binge eating disorder (BED) is a condition where a person consumes large amounts of food in short periods of time. People with BED also feel they can’t control what or how much they eat.
Left unaddressed, binge eating can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other serious health problems. Treatment usually involves psychotherapy, nutritional counseling, and support groups. With personal commitment and professional support, you can make important lifestyle changes and develop a healthy relationship with food.
This article discusses binge eating disorder. It explores 13 lifestyle strategies that can help you stop binge eating.
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Verywell / Jessica Olah
Stop Restricting Yourself
Diets that involve extreme restrictions on food intake rarely work and typically lead to cravings that cause you to overeat. This is especially true if have BED.
Many of these diets promise a "quick fix" by endorsing radical changes to your eating habits, such as cutting off entire food groups or only drinking juices for a week. As rational as some of the arguments may sound, they are rarely based on sound nutritional science.
Stay away from any diet plan that:
- Promises rapid weight loss
- Groups foods into the "bad" category
- Eliminates entire food groups, like carbohydrates
- Claims weight loss can be achieved without exercise
- Involves rigid eating plans and limited food choices
In the end, weight loss is about burning more calories than you consume. This not only involves a reduction in calories but also some form of routine exercise.
A slow and steady approach is not only more sustainable but allows you to make gradual changes that reduce cravings and the risk of binge eating.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated has many health benefits but can also help curb cravings and reduce overeating. This is evidenced by a study in the Journal of the American Dietary Association in which 24 adults who drank 17 ounces of water before eating consumed fewer calories than people who did not drink any water.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends the following daily fluid intake for adults:
- Around 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for males
- Around 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for females
Drinking plenty of water is not only a strategy for how to stop binge eating. It can also boost metabolism and may contribute to weight loss.
Don't Skip Meals
It may seem contradictory that eating regularly is a recommendation for how to stop binge eating, but skipping meals can leave your body desperate for nutrition and increase the likelihood of overeating.
A regular eating pattern has been shown to reduce the chances of binge eating later in the day.
Breakfast is important as it jumpstarts your metabolism and provides you with the energy needed to function until lunchtime. Consider eating a high-protein meal in the morning that includes things like eggs, almonds, chicken breast, oats, and Greek yogurt.
To maintain metabolism and energy levels, eat lunch and dinner with healthy snacks in between (spaced around three to four hours apart). Dips in energy levels are key triggers for binge eating.
Practice Intuitive Eating
Intuitive eating means eating when you feel hungry and stopping once you are full. It involves giving yourself permission to eat and trusting your body to make good choices around foods.
Intuitive eating is something we are born with but often lose as we get older and use food to provide us with comfort or distraction. It can take time to re-learn intuitive eating, but, with practice, doing so may help curb compulsive eating.
The 10 principles of intuitive eating include:
- Rejecting diets
- Honoring your hunger
- Making peace with food
- Challenging the "food police" (people who tell you what to eat and when)
- Discovering the "satisfaction factor" to avoid overindulgence
- Consciously feeling your fullness
- Coping with emotions with kindness
- Respecting your body
- Involving movement in the practice
- Honoring your health with "gentle nutrition" (choosing foods you enjoy that also honor your health and make you feel good)
A study published in Eating and Weight Disorder in 2020 concluded that intuitive eating was associated with lower odds of binge eating.
Intuitive eating is also linked to better psychological health. People who eat intuitively are less likely to have depression, low self-esteem, or body dissatisfaction. They are also less likely to have unhealthy weight control habits (such as fasting or skipping meals) or eating disorders like bulimia.
To practice intuitive eating, pay attention to your hunger cues and eat only when hungry. Don't categorize food as good or bad, and give yourself the freedom to eat whatever you want. This is an ongoing process and may take years to unlearn unhealthy eating habits. Patience is key.
Plan Meals in Advance
Meal planning can help to regulate your eating and prevent binging. Take time each week to plan what you will eat each day and shop accordingly. That way, you will have healthy food in the house and be less tempted to reach for binge foods.
Research shows people who meal plan eat a healthier, more varied diet. What's more, meal planners are more likely to maintain a healthy weight and have a lower risk of obesity.
Eating at regular intervals throughout the day can also help to prevent binge eating. One study found people in treatment for BED had fewer binge-eating episodes when they ate three meals and two or three planned snacks a day.
Prepping meals in advance can also help you stick to a meal plan. Instead of cooking daily meals, consider preparing several dishes at once. Then portion into individual serving sizes and freeze for the week ahead.
Clean Out the Kitchen
Remove unhealthy food from your kitchen cabinets and refrigerator. Keeping junk food on hand will only lead to temptation and derail your efforts.
Start by getting rid of any trigger foods. This includes fatty, sugary, or processed snack foods, like chips, candy, cookies, ice cream, and baked goods. Don't keep sweetened beverages, like regular soda, sweet tea, or lemonade, around either.
Depending on the type of binge foods you gravitate toward, you may also need to clear out other tempting foods, like peanut butter or cheese.
Some people also benefit from removing ingredients that are not problematic on their own but, combined with others, become binge-worthy. Foods like butter, cream, cocoa, flour, and sugar can easily be mixed into a tempting treat.
Stock the kitchen with healthy, non-tempting foods instead. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, nuts, and seeds are nutritious options.
Keep a Food Journal
Writing down what you eat each day in a notebook or online tracking app can help to manage eating disorders. Record the time of day, what you ate or drank, and portion sizes.
It can also be helpful to jot down any feelings or emotions you have before or after eating. Tracking your emotions in this way can help to identify emotional eating triggers.
Difficulty managing negative emotions is a significant factor in binge eating disorder. Research shows people with BED have a tendency to suppress or ruminate on unwanted emotions like anger, disappointment, loneliness, and sadness.
Learning to identify your feelings and how they relate to food is an important aspect of overcoming eating disorders.
Eat More Protein
Adding more protein to your diet can help control your appetite and prevent the urge to binge. Research shows increasing intake of protein-rich foods enhances feelings of fullness and satiety in people living with obesity.
The amount of protein you need depends on your caloric needs. In one study, a diet consisting of 30% of calories from protein provided significant reductions in appetite compared to a 10% protein diet.
Good sources of protein include lean meat, eggs, nuts, seeds, and legumes. If you struggle to eat enough protein, consider adding a protein-rich shake or protein powder supplement to your diet.
Increase Your Fiber Intake
Eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed foods can help you feel satiated (full and satisfied) compared to eating refined grains, sugars, and processed foods. This latter group of food typically provides a rapid burst of energy followed by a "crash" that can lead to cravings that may promote binge eating.
Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables also offer plenty of dietary fiber. Fiber moves slowly through the digestive tract, keeping you satiated for a longer period of time.
Nutritious, high-fiber foods include:
- Apples
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Barley
- Beans
- Berries
- Brown rice
- Brussel sprouts
- Carrots
- Green bean
- Nuts and seeds
- Oatmeal
- Whole grain bread
- Whole wheat pasta
Fiber-rich foods also help lower cholesterol and blood sugar while reducing the risks of diabetes and heart disease.
Exercise
Research shows getting regular exercise can help curb binge eating. According to a 2020 study in the journal Nutrition, adding an exercise program to standard BED treatment significantly decreased the number of binge-eating episodes.
For the study, standard treatment involved cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) along with a nutritionist-designed meal plan based on the Mediterranean diet.
The exercise group attended four 90-minute exercise sessions a week, supervised by an exercise therapist. The workouts involved 60 minutes of aerobic activity, 20 minutes of strength training, and a 10-minute cool-down with stretching. While both groups showed improvements, the exercise participants had the best results.
If you do not currently exercise, talk to your healthcare before getting started. People who are mostly sedentary may be advised to start slowly with 30 minutes of cardio, such as walking, cycling, dancing, and swimming. Then add stretching and strength training, gradually working up to 90-minute sessions four times a week.
Try Yoga and Meditation
Yoga is another activity that has been shown to prevent binge eating by reducing stress levels.
Practicing yogic breathing exercises (pranayama) and meditation may also help you dial down the tension.
Mindfulness meditation, in particular, is a helpful tool for combating binge eating. One study of people with BED found mindfulness meditation effectively reduced binge eating and emotional eating.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep also affects hunger and appetite, with some studies suggesting that BED may be linked to insomnia.
Try to get at least eight hours of sleep a night to reduce the risk of late-night binge eating. Doing nighttime yoga can also help relax the mind and promote good sleep.
Seek Help
While lifestyle strategies can help curb binge eating, counseling by a mental health professional may be needed to identify the root cause of the disorder. This is especially true if binge-eating episodes are done in secrecy, cause feelings of embarrassment or shame, or involve a preoccupation with weight or body image.
If you or a loved one are living with an eating disorder, contact the National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline at 1-866-662-1235 for support and referrals.
Summary
Binge eating disorder (BED) is a serious condition that often requires counseling and treatment by a licensed mental health professional.
The best plan to stop binge eating depends on your needs, but lifestyle changes are essential. Some examples include eating three meals a day, staying hydrated, increasing your fiber intake, and exercising regularly to reduce stress.
These strategies aren't substitutes for professional care, but they can complement therapies offered by a healthcare provider.