There are lot of reasons why you start to binge eat.  Loneliness, anger, sadness and stress are popular triggers for binge eating.

If you’re the type of person who takes care of everything in your life like your children, spouse, job and home – then you might not have the time to take care of yourself.

Unfortunately, because of this you may not be able to talk to someone about how you feel and never really get a chance to express your emotions.  At this point your mind and body is full of emotions which you cant get rid of, so what do you do?  EAT.

By eating you calm down and make all your problems go away.  But the worst part is…afterwards you’ll feel even worse and end up punishing yourself for it.

Below are 7 tips and strategies that you can use to put an end to your binge eating right away!

1.  Keep a journal to track your feelings. Make it a priority to talk with your friends and family members when there’s a problem or if you just need to unwind or vent. If nobody is available write it down in a journal to get your feelings out on paper.

2.  Get some physical exercise. Go for walks or jogs to keep your stress in check.  Exercise releases endorphins and allows your emotions to feel at ease.  This is very important not only for its physical benefits but also for its mental benefits as well.

3.  Meet your own emotional needs. In order to stop thinking about eating it’s important for you to meet your own emotional needs.  This includes developing a habit of eating regular meals and snacks.  You can try self-help techniques on your own, or you can seek help from a therapist or support group.

4.  Write it all down. Along with your “feelings journal” you should also keep a “mood-food” journal, This will be used to track all the food you eat, how much you eat, and how you’re feeling at the time. After a week, take a look at what you have written down, you might find that you skip meals, and then binge out of hunger, or that certain situations trigger emotions that lead to bingeing.

5.  Stick with regular meals and snacks. Here’ s where having some discipline comes into play.  It’s crucial to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as snacks in between to take away any feelings of hunger.  Follow this routine even if it means having a meal right after a binge.   Even after a binge, work your butt off to get back into your regular eating schedule!

6.  Put your needs first. The same steps that help people improve their self-esteem are very important to people overcome emotional as well. So consider taking time to nurture yourself, challenge critical self-talk, and ask for what you need from others in a confident way.

7.  Problem-solve. Once you’ve acknowledged your personal trigger emotions and situations for binge eating, try to spot them before a binge begins.  After, think about and evaluate solutions other than food.  For example you may feel lonely and could go out with a friend, watch a movie, or go for a nice walk.

Binge eating doesn’t have to control your life, by digging deep and finding your inner strength, you’ll be able to kick the problem out the door.  If you need a bit of extra help one resource that will show you the way is The Rebound Workout – it covers everything you need to know about binge eating and how to cut it out of your life for good!