Had a binge day? Weight loss coach shares 3 things to do after indulging in your favourite food: ‘Don’t burn it off'

If you have had a binge session, here are three things you need to do to maintain a healthy relationship with food and feel amazing after.

We all have days when things go wrong, and we want to binge eat and relish food items we love to feel better. However, its aftermath puts you in a spiral and makes you feel bad about losing control. How can you deal with these feelings? Per weight loss coach Emma Doherty, who herself got in shape after losing considerable weight, you need to remember 3 key things and fix your relationship with food.

Unhealthy mindset towards food

Emma revealed that earlier, she used to have an all-consuming binge eating problem, which made her believe that she had a sugar allergy. When she ate anything sweet, it would switch on an “all or nothing” switch in her brain. “Before I knew it, I would’ve consumed 2 more pieces of cake, a giant bar of chocolate, cookies, ice cream & anything else I could find,” she revealed.

However, when she healed her relationship with food, it helped her realise that there was nothing wrong with her. Rather, it was her unhealthy mindset towards food and the perpetual mistakes she made after a binge session that left her in a toxic binge/restriction cycle for years.

Check out the three things she suggested to do after a binge session to break the cycle:

1. Don't compensate

It’s very common for people to try and “burn it off” by over-exercising or under-eating. Per Emma, this only worsens your relationship with food/ exercise as it associates both of them with “punishment”.

“Restriction is often the catalyst for binge eating, so you need to move away from a restrictive mindset and encourage a balanced + healthy approach after a binge,” she explained.

2. Practise self-compassion

Don’t judge yourself or beat yourself up. It’s important to acknowledge what has happened so you can learn & move forward with it. However, don’t do it through guilt or shame. Accept what’s happened through self-compassion and kindness, and then let it go!

“This also reduces the heavy energy and emotional charge around it [binge eating], so you can feel calm and think more rationally,” she added.

3. See it as an opportunity to heal

After a binge session, turn it into an opportunity to do some reflection and ask yourself questions to help you heal. Think about what triggered you to binge - maybe it was stress, feelings of deprivation, sadness, boredom, or overwhelm. Explore what led you to binge and use this to help you learn valuable insights and implement strategies to eliminate future episodes of bingeing.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.