Why Can’t I Stop Eating? Strategies to Overcome Binge Eating

Welcome to a compassionate understanding on a challenge many of us face: feeling like we can’t stop eating. This experience may often be linked to emotional eating, where the call of the fridge and pantry doesn’t have much to do with our actual hunger.  Let’s unravel what might be happening and how we can move towards peace with food.

Understanding Binge Eating

Binge eating can be a manifestation of emotional eating, a coping mechanism that we turn to during periods of stress or other overwhelming feelings.  By recognizing that our urges to eat are not driven by hunger but rather our emotions, we can begin to address the underlying causes.

Identifying Triggers

The first step in overcoming binge eating is to identify what triggers our nighttime cravings.  Is it stress from a long day at work, feelings of loneliness, or maybe that we are craving something more mentally and even physically stimulating?  By pinpointing these emotions, we can start to seek healthier coping strategies.  Writing down what you remember the triggering event was (after you have eaten) and write down what you think you might have been feeling, can offer a great deal of clarity and insight to help you be better prepared to welcome in your triggers next time.

Cultivating Self-Compassion

It’s important that we approach these ideas with kindness towards ourselves.  Often, our critical inner voices make all our eating, including binge eating, so much more tense than they need to be.  By practicing self-compassion and understanding that turning to food and lots of it, even though it doesn’t make any logical sense (we’re not logical beings, we’re emotional, feeling human beings) is a habit that we can change, we can give ourselves the grace we need to explore new strategies.

Adopting New Practices

Incorporating awareness practices can help us become more attuned to our body’s signals and emotions.  Consider developing small nurturing rituals that do not revolve around food, such as a gentle stretching ritual, maybe a pot of tea drinking ritual, a sniffing essential oils and coating your hands and feet in a rich moisturizer routine or even a showering/bathing ritual if it’s the appropriate time for you.  Awareness helps anchor us in the present moment, reducing the need to fill our challenging feelings, such as loneliness, emptiness, or a lack of creativity in our lives with food.

Seeking Support

If binge eating continues to feel overwhelming, seeking support can be incredibly beneficial.  At Support to Stop Overeating, we’re here to offer guidance and understanding on your journey. Whether through our online resources or one-on-one support, we’re here to help you discover a life beyond binge eating.

For more resources on overcoming binge eating and to connect with supportive practices, please visit our website at supporttostopovereating.com.au.