Her Unique Glow

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SUPPORT

With any eating disorder, it’s so important to get and create a strong support system around you. Even if you only have the occasional binge, having that network of people to support you and guide you is also critically important. It’s so easy to close off, hide away and not open up about how you’re feeling and what you’re going through – in fact, that might be your natural instinct, but that’s what makes it so crucial to start talking!

It might not be about relying on one person, maybe your support system means looking to a whole group of different people for help – whatever ‘support’ looks like for you, seek it out! Start talking, expressing how you’re feeling and getting things off your chest. That way, you’ll no longer feel alone and isolated and your one step closer towards healing.

Rather than relying on food as a form of self-soothing, look to those who love and support you for comfort.

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REDUCE STRESS

Not only does bingeing result in stressors that affect the body, but it’s also triggered from stress. Remember, it’s the release of stress hormones (mainly cortisol) that may lead towards sugar cravings.

Be aware of where those sugar cravings are coming from and next time you feel the need to binge on starchy and sugary foods, try de-stressing techniques instead, wait a while and see if the craving subsides.

Reducing stress over all may also lead to less binging overall as your body won’t perceive itself to be in a state of distress and seeking that self-soothing or comfort through food.

Some of my favourite de-stressing techniques include:

• Deep breathing (think about breathing right into your belly)
• Calm breathing (breathe in for 4 counts and breathe out for 6)
• 4,7,8,4 breath (breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 7 and breathe out for 8 – repeating 4 times)
• Making a list of activities that self-sooth you (warm baths, essential oils, meditation…window shopping!)
• Journaling

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HUNGER SCALE

Imagine a scale from 0-10.

0 represents feeling so desperately hungry that every cell in your body screams for nourishment and 10 represents extreme fullness where you can no longer put any food in your body not matter how hard you tried.

Ideally, as we go through life we want to live in a state from 3-7. So, that means that we are never ravenously hungry or completely full – we are just constantly in that happy medium. Focussing on this hunger scale is actually an intuitive eating exercise but something that is also really useful if you binge or suffer with binge eating disorder. Any disordered relationship with food may usually mean that we are out of touch with our bodies and also the hunger/fullness cues that our body sends out. By focussing on this hunger scale, you are training your body and mind to connect to the foods you’re eating and how it affects your body.

If you notice yourself getting hungry and feel you’re around a 3 or 4 mark on the scale, don’t wait another hour until it’s ‘lunch time’ as you’ll be too hungry and may binge on more food than you would ideally want to. Prepare some snacks and have something at that moment before your hunger scale tips over that edge.

Also notice how you feel when you’re eating and try not to tip the scale over the other way and become too full. Try to notice when enough is enough and stop when you reach that 7 on the hunger scale. If you have hit that 7 but are still craving food, ask yourself why – it might be a sign that you’re about to overeat. So start to understand what is triggering you to do so and comfort yourself in knowing that the food will always be there, you just don’t need it right this moment.

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TASTE, TEXTURE, FEEL TEST

This is again an intuitive eating exercise but a very powerful one when it comes to binging. Most of the time during a binge, we don’t actually notice what we are putting into our mouths. We lose that connection to the food we’re eating and we’re no longer eating from a place of love but a place of fear. This exercise is about bringing you back into the moment and practicing mindful eating.

When you notice you’re having a binge or are about to, practice this exercise:

1. Have the first bite and notice how it tastes, what the texture is like and how it feels.
2. Take your time to enjoy that mouthful and then ask yourself if you need another bite.
3. If the answer is yes, then repeat the exercise.
4. Repeat the exercise with every mouthful until it no longer tastes or feels the same.
5. At that point put that food to one side.
6. Keep connected to the food you’re eating and be mindful with your choices.

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LET GO OF JUDGEMENTS & FORGIVE

Binging and overeating can lead to a lot of self-judgement and that is not only unhealthy for yourself but also unhealthy for your relationship with food. It’s time to release and let go of those judgements you have about yourself. These judgements may happen during a binge or even before or after. In fact, it’s these judgements that can sometimes lead to that binge – remember our relationship with ourselves is directly reflected in our relationship with food.

Create a judgement journal:

1. When you notice a judgement appearing, write it down – express it on paper.
2. Then it’s time to reframe it.
3. Next to that judgment, write a forgiveness statement – write down what you forgive yourself for so that you no longer experience that self-judgment.
4. Next to that, write down how you now accept yourself.

It’s not about believing it in that moment, but the more you practice this exercise, the more you’ll be able to notice a judgement creeping in and be able to reframe it quickly so that you can forgive yourself and move on.

For example:

1. Judgment: I am unworthy
2. Forgiveness: I forgive myself for thinking that I am worthless
3. Acceptance: I am worthy of anything I desire, I love myself unconditionally

When you release your own judgements of yourself, you’re able to love yourself unconditionally. The more you unconditionally love yourself, the more that will be reflected in your relationship with food and the less likely you are to be overpowered by the need to binge.

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