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Weight, is there an issue beyond if a person eats too much or too little? This article probes the topic of weight and the causes.

Ellen, a freelance writer, told me: “I have a very stressful job. I never know if I’m going to sell an article or not. Sometimes it’s a long time between paychecks. When nobody’s around or everybody’s asleep, I get up and go to the refrigerator and start in on a gallon of ice cream or maybe I take out the candy bars I have hidden. I don’t stop with a bowl of ice cream, I eat it all. I do the same with candy. My mind goes blank and I just eat. Before I know it, I’ve eaten everything. Yes, I’m way overweight, but I just can’t help it. I feel so guilty, but I just can’t seem to stop.”

Ed, an eighth grade teacher, told me: “My mother used to give me cookies or cake to shut me up when I was little. When I got older, I turned to food to make me feel better. I started gaining weight and the kids used to tease me. Then I’d run home and have a dozen cookies or three pieces of pie. They keep putting more and more kids in my class and some of them swear and make a lot of noise. It’s very hard to stay calm. When I get home, I head for the food. If I were a better teacher, maybe I could cope.”

WHAT IS BINGE EATING?

Linda and Ed are victims of binge eating. They are stressed and they turn to food to feel better. For many people, maybe even for you, binge eating can provide a temporary distraction from the stresses and strains of everyday life.

HOW DIETING AND BINGE EATING GO HAND AND HAND

Research studies have shown that feelings of stress and anxiety can lead to overeating. The worse you feel about yourself and your predicament, the more you may feel like bingeing. More than likely, you will feel guilty after you binge. You will probably promise yourself to eat only celery and carrot strips for days. As you start to deprive yourself, your blood sugar falls and you feel dizzy, weak, irritable, stressed. In that condition, the first thing you’re going to do when you see food is eat.

DO YOU DIET?

Are you on a diet? Are you always trying to lose weight? Do you deny yourself foods because you think you shouldn’t have them?

Did you know that dieting leads right to bingeing? People who diet are the most likely to binge. If you’re a dieter, maybe it’s time to ask, “What am I going to do, continue to diet and long for the foods I love or start enjoying myself?”

DISMISS YOUR GUILT AND START TO ENJOY FOOD

Start today to dismiss your guilt and start enjoying the foods you love.

That’s right! It’s okay to eat foods that taste good. Not only is it okay, it’s mandatory if you are a binge eater and want to lose weight and keep it off.

How can that be? First, let’s be clear. By eating foods that taste good, I’m not suggesting that you eat half an apple pie or three-quarters of a pizza here. I mean choosing a favorite food (or at the most, two) and deciding to eat a portion of that food at least once a week. Set a goal, e.g., “I will eat a slice of pizza every Friday for lunch,” or “I will have a slice of apple pie every Sunday after dinner.” These are reasonable goals that will not cause you to gain weight, but will stop your urge to binge.

It is by restricting yourself so sharply to tasteless or boring foods that your body rebells and sets the stage for a binge fest. Instead of bingeing, set a goal to eat a portion of the food you love every week. While you’re at it, start to forgive yourself for bingeing and for the feelings you have that bring binges on.

While you’re eating your favored food, remember to savor it, enjoy it, and taste every morsel. While you’re doing that, remember to tell yourself, “I deserve this!”