Binge eating

I've never struggled with this, so for me it's a bit hard to give advice on it. If I end up being insensitive bc of this, I apologize. But maybe planning balanced meals would be a good way of avoiding binge eating. Buy the groceries you need to prepare your food, don't fill the cart with processed food. Instead, if you feel like eating a burger, ice-cream, pizza, chocolate or whatever else of this kind, go out and eat it in a fast food joint. And don't feel restricted or guilty when you do it. Also, don't look at a healthy diet as a restriction. Look at it as a hobby too. Maybe incorporate vegetarian and vegan options, look for foreign cuisine, experiment with different flavors, look for healthier alternatives for your food cravings. Also, maybe add some exercise into your routine, if you haven't so far. Do it out of self love, because moving around is fun. Go on walks, runs, hikes. Join the gym if you like weight lifting. Pilates, swimming, dancing, the options are endless. If you have a friend, family member or colleague that can go with you it's even better. Don't look at this as a race. Look at it as developing a healthy, sustainable lifestyle for the long run.

Thank you for your advice!

When I was in an eating disorder and OCD residential center several people with binge disorders had exposure ms where they would for eat smaller and smaller quantities of their binge foods. There were also people who struggled with only eating the “right” food as a compulsion. One day as an exposure field trip we ate desserts at Dairy Queen. My issue was fear of foods that would create more if linger trips to the restroom - I ended up in a diet of only 11 foods/ drinks for several years and was hospitalized for malnutrition but with the residential program at Rogers Behavioral I eat a good variety of foods and have my OCD based Avoidance/ Restrictive Food Disorder (ARFID) under control.

I've struggled with anxious eating on and off for a few years now. I'm not entirely sure, but I believe eating when you are anxious can actually be an OCD compulsion. It's something I've been meaning to speak with my therapist about.

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