You are not alone.

Today I was looking to find a funny meme to go with a post, but the topic I wanted to cover just didn't seem right to sit alongside one of the usual comedy pictures I like. That’s because I wanted to touch on the serious issue of binge eating, and how common it is in the fitness world. Binge eating is actually an Eating Disorder, but it’s something where a lot of people just don’t realise that iteffects them, but in my experience a lot of people suffer from. It’s very prominent for those who are overweight and those that follow restrictive diets, and it’s clear that it’s a big problem in the “clean” eating world. That’s why I am so very keen on flexible dieting, it’s something that I have struggled with myself in the past, and on the odd occasion can easily slip back into even now. My own personal experiences have shown how destructive and detrimental to your health it can be. Binge eating is defined when people who consume very large quantities of food over a short period of time and they often eat even when they are not hungry. Episodes of binge eating often alternate with periods where the person severely restricts the amount of food they eat, which can make the problem worse, developing unhealthy relationships with food. In the case of the “clean eater”, restricting so called “unclean” or “dirty” foods often result in severe cravings for the foods you’ve told yourself you are not allowed, and when they break, they break! They don’t just eat one jam donut, they eat the whole pack until they feel sick. They will often have feelings of guilt or disgust after binge eating, and it may highlight some further psychological issues. If you can’t buy biscuits without eating the whole packet, a tray of brownies without finishing them all, or a family bag of malteasers without devouring every one then you could have a problem with binge eating. It’s scary how often I can have this conversation with people, that they wont buy biscuits or chocolate in fear of eating the whole bar. There are also bio-mechanical issues that affect people’s tendencies to binge eat, namely out of control blood sugar levels. When people consume high amounts of carbohydrates in their diet, your blood sugar rises to a dangerous level. Large levels of insulin are secreted into your blood stream to “clear” the sugar. Low blood sugar levels are the result, being tired, irritable or Hypoglycaemia (rapid heartbeat, unexplained fatigue, shaking, skin tingling, loss of consciousness). Your body being very adaptive, sends your brain signals to bring your blood sugar back up. Hence you crave bread, cakes, chocolate, brownies, pasta, or anything with sugar. In effect, some carbohydrate cravings are a biochemical response to low blood sugar, cravings are not always a lack of will power! There is no magic way to treat binge eating disorder, but for me the first step is to actually recognise it and understand why it happens. Is it psychological or bio-mechanical? Are you depressed or have low self-esteem or anxiety? Do you really want the brownie or are you just craving sugary foods because you have low blood sugar? It helps to understand so you can put it into perspective. Some tips to help*; 1) Re-label for what it is. Recognise it is an addiction of some sort, and realise there is no urgency to eat 2) Re-attribute the blame. Realise it is your brain signalling you to eat as it wants endorphins or dopamine - brain chemicals that motivate you and make you feel happy 3) Re-focus yourself on something else. Keep busy, allow time to pass and more often than not the hunger or craving will pass. Physical activity releases the same endorphins so this is an awesome option! However, realise the cravings will come back, but also know they will become weaker 4) Re-value the binge eating. Write down how it effects your life and goals, and how it makes you feel. This is not a trial against you though so feel no guilt, it is only for the mind to gather information and put into perspective the influence of the addiction Those that follow the flexible dieting approach (I am not talking #IIFYM here!) will have a much better relationship with food and are far less likely to binge, because no foods are restricted. It will help to avoid cravings, as people can easily have what foods they desire while being accountable for them, knowing it into the bigger picture and will have no real impact on health as long as they practice moderation! Tracking foods, whilst making 80-90% nutrient dense choices, and eating the right amounts of macronutrients and fibre certainly allows for 10-20% of “empty junk” in your diet. Could your progression be more optimal if you avoided this junk? Yes. Does it mean you can’t progress though? Not at all. In fact, without restriction you will far more likely stick to it, and that is the key to any successful diet. If you can’t see yourself eating a certain way the rest of your life, then that diet is not for you. The Greek meaning of diet is "way of living", that always sticks in my mind. Thanks Brett Adapt. Evolve. Become. *courtesy of the Shredded by Science guys, check their page out, it's awesome! http://www.shreddedbyscience.co.uk/blog/four-step-process-alleviate-binge-eating/