Overcoming Overeating and Binge Eating: Part 2

Author: Diana Gordon, Psy.D.

In part 1 of this blog post, we explored how the psychologists at SFBayCBT work with overeating and binge eating using an intuitive and mindful eating approach. In this post, we will talk more about concrete strategies you can use to help increase your mindfulness around food. These are techniques that you can try yourself at home to see whether mindful eating strategies are helpful for you.

Why should you try mindful eating?

Mindful eating can be a great strategy for helping you feel more in control around food. If you have concerns about bingeing or overeating, mindful eating can help you get back in touch with your body and enjoy your food more. This can help you feel more confident in your food choices and develop a healthier relationship with food. If you’re ready to try out mindful eating, read on for some strategies to help you get started. Each of these strategies will give you an opportunity to experiment with eating intuitively and mindfully.

1. Choose a day to experiment with eating whatever you want. As scary as that sounds, it will help you learn a lot about yourself and your eating habits. Before each meal or snack, ask yourself what you truly crave, and do your best to fulfill that craving.  Really, eat whatever you want! The only “rule” is that you really pay attention to the experience, and savor each bite. Notice how you feel physically and emotionally before, during, and after each meal or snack. Make sure you take notes throughout the day so you can identify any patterns or barriers to eating more intuitively.
2. Approach your eating choices with self-compassion and curiosity, rather than judgement. For example, instead of saying “I can’t believe I ate 2 donuts at breakfast, I feel so disgusting”  you might say “ I ate two donuts at breakfast. I noticed that before I ate I felt ravenously hungry and lightheaded, and after I ate my stomach felt uncomfortably full.” The latter is less likely to trigger negative emotions, and also gives you valuable information about your body’s needs. As you continue to approach eating with curiosity and self-compassion, you will collect more data about your habits and be able to make deliberate changes.
3. Think of your hunger and fullness on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being absolutely stuffed full and 1 being ravenously hungry. Before each meal or snack, rate your hunger/fullness, and do so again after you’ve eaten. Notice any patterns that come up, and strive to start eating around a 2-3 and stop eating around a 6 or 7.
4. If you notice that you, like many people, have difficulty recognizing you are full, try an experiment to help you become more aware. Before you start eating,  loosely divide your portion into 4 quarters. As you finish each quarter, check in with your body and notice how you are feeling. If you still feel hungry, continue eating. Dividing up your portion gives you a natural stopping point so that you can remember to check in with your body.
5. Before you start eating, take a moment to check in with yourself about what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling. In addition to noticing your hunger signals (as described above), take a moment to notice if there are any thoughts or feelings that may be encouraging you to eat when your body isn’t hungry. If there are, ask yourself whether eating is going to help with those thoughts and feelings, or whether there is a different action you can take. What do you really need to help you feel better?
6. Avoid bored eating. A lot of us eat when we feel bored or aimless. Notice if you’re feeling bored when you reach for food, and ask yourself what you can do instead of eating to alleviate boredom.
7. Before you eat, ask yourself whether your body is hungry (you are feeling physical hunger such as emptiness in your stomach, headache, lightheadedness, etc), your mind is hungry (you are craving certain foods or the experience of eating), or both. If you are feeling mind hunger, decide what you want to do about it. There’s nothing wrong with eating sometimes when just your mind is hungry, and if you choose to do that make sure you savor and enjoy your food fully. But most of the time, you should aim to eat out of physical hunger.
8. Remember that eating is supposed to be fun and pleasurable, and do your best to extract as much pleasure from your food as possible. Eat in an environment that is calming, relaxing, and enjoyable. Savor your food and notice how it feels to eat it. When you fully enjoy your food, you are less likely to overeat, and you get more pleasure out of an activity that you’re doing anyways!
9. Make a commitment to practice good self care. When you are taking good care of yourself, your desire to use food to eliminate negative emotions diminishes significantly. What can you do to take better care of yourself? Maybe you want to make a commitment to see a friend once a week, go to yoga twice a week, or meditate during your lunch break. What can you do to care for yourself and manage your emotions?
10. When you are deciding what to eat, see if you can find something that feels satisfying for both your mental and physical hunger. Ask your mind what it is craving, and what would make it feel good. Then ask your body the same question. Choose foods that feel both physically and mentally nurturing.

If you’d like to learn more about how we work with overeating and binge eating, or if you’d like guidance about how to implement mindful eating in your life, feel free to contact us for a complimentary phone consultation.