Identifying your Binge Triggers

Over the past month and a half, I’ve been fighting my binge urges quite frequently and I have to tell you that each time I overcome it; I learn something new in the process. My recovery didn’t involve me following a strict nutrition plan. Instead, it was more about listening to my body and identifying the difference between emotional hunger and real physical hunger. It was a mental challenge rather than a physical one. In the process of fighting my binge urges, I learnt that there are a few things that can trigger my binge eating and so I decided to list them down, for it might help to find out your triggers and hence overcome it.

I continue to emphasize and stress on how important it is to identify your binge eating trigger points and catch them before they take over your sanity. 

1. Protein Bars:

As weird as this sounds, I just cannot have one protein bar without eating 12 other ones with it. My solution? Stay away from protein bars at all costs. 

2. Skipping Meals:

For someone who has 5-6 meals a day, skipping one meal makes me extremely hungry and would relapse on me so I would literally eat everything in sight. 

3. Negative self-talk:

*Has one piece of chocolate* “Great, now my weight will fluctuate tomorrow I might as well just give up and eat everything in sight.” That’s exactly how it all starts, negative self-talk. 

4. Post Family Gatherings:

Leftover food from family gatherings the day after is a huge binge trigger for me. I would eat one thing and my negative-self talk would start. 

5. Other:

- Being alone in a place that I binged before (such as the house kitchen) would trigger my binge eating.

- Feeling unattractive and ugly (that’s where negative self-talk begins and binge is triggered)

These are my major binge triggers, once you start identifying them, it will be easier for you to catch your thoughts before it takes over you in the kitchen. 

So, what are your binge triggers?