Managing Binge Eating Disorder (BED) during COVID-19
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) during COVID-19: Finding Comfort in Food
In the wake of COVID-19, orders to stay-at-home, and now the uncertainty around the process of lifting sanctions, many of us are dealing with increased feelings of stress, anxiety, depression – and a range of feelings within those designations.
Are you, or someone you know, responding to these changes by finding immediate comfort in unhealthy or unwanted habits, such as eating too much or for the wrong reasons (i.e. emotional eating)? After these periods of consumption, do you ever become depressed about the type or amount of food you ate? Do you then find yourself in the vicious cycle of feeling depressed and relying on food for emotional comfort even further? This vicious cycle is powerful and partly unconscious. It can leave you feeling out-of-control and can spur all kinds of other difficult emotions and situations. In the midst of a global pandemic, these cycles are likely to be triggered more easily.
Binge Eating Disorder : How Can you Stop the Cycle?
Does food help comfort us in the short term? Yes, of course. Does it solve the problem in the long run? No. You know this well, as do we. We can and want to help you break this behavior, which so often leaves us feeling helpless and has harmful effects on our health.
Binge Eating may seem like something that is easy to fix, but it is not something you can simply overcome with willpower. The professionals at The Kahm Clinic have helped lots of people overcome binge eating and we can help you overcome it.
It is completely normal for binge behaviors to increase or return during this time of stress and uncertainty. Acknowledging this and being gentle with yourself can be the first steps to getting through this. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Try to figure out what triggers the cycle. Maybe you need to limit exposure to the news outlets or stay off of / limit time on social media. Notice and feel ALL of your emotions – even the uncomfortable feelings like anxiety, sadness and fear. Once you understand how you are feeling you can start to break the habit of eating away your emotions. You can start learning new ways to cope that do NOT include numbing them with food. But - you can’t start dealing with the problem until you know what it is.
The Broccoli Test. When you’re about to eat, ask yourself whether you are so hungry that you would eat broccoli. If you are, then you probably really are hungry and should eat. Otherwise, take a step back and think about what’s triggering your desire to eat. This is a great tactic to use especially when we have full access to our well-stocked pantries!
Find true pleasures in life. Make a list of pleasurable activities that you truly enjoy and that also help you decrease stress. There are many things we can still do while staying at home! Plan a virtual hangout with friends and / or family. Add these activities to your daily schedule and stick to it – even if you don’t feel like doing it. Try new activities that could help you bust stress, such as yoga, walking or picking up a new hobby (knitting, reading, photography, etc.)
Seek out professional help. We are now slowly and thoughtfully opening our doors, while still providing virtual visits and most insurance is covering these visits. A professional will help you stop the binge cycle, which will go a long way to decreasing depression and other negative thoughts and behaviors. You can’t - and shouldn’t - do this alone; you need and deserve support.
Overcoming Binge Eating Disorder during COVID-19
We have compiled some helpful tips for overcoming binge eating during a time when food can feel like our only source of comfort:
Keep a consistent eating pattern even at home. Eat three regular meals and at least two snacks – don’t graze throughout the day.
Stick to a schedule. Plan your meals and snacks ahead and only go to the kitchen for these foods.
Make sure you still eat with regular intervals despite our schedules being completely different! Waiting too long to eat can make you feel “hangry” and vulnerable to overeating – you want to avoid that!
Try not to keep your favorite binge or “trigger” foods in the house. Even though we are all stocking our pantries a bit more than usual, keep these particular types of food out of the house and instead stock up on bulk items that need to be prepared (i.e. rice, beans, frozen vegetables, etc.)
Make sleep a priority. Focus on your sleep; good sleep hygiene is key in overcoming stress eating. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day, even if you don’t have to report to work or work from home. Maintain a regular routine to help you relax in the evenings. Take a warm bath at night. Avoid screens for an hour before you get into bed. Set up your nightly routine to make a relaxing and consistent environment for yourself.
Binge Eating Disorder Treatment at The Kahm Clinic
You are not alone. Binge Eating Disorder (BED) affects six to eight million Americans, but, sadly, it is often unrecognized, misdiagnosed or misunderstood by professionals, and less than half of those impacted receive treatment.
We can help you.
Using metabolic testing and body composition analysis, our nutritionists (who have expertise in BED) will give you a plan and work with you to help you to take back control of your life and health. Many with BED often binge at night and restrict during the day. This under/overeating pattern often slows the metabolism, and when the body is not burning enough calories it will usually gain weight. Body Composition Analysis also helps our nutritionists to tailor an eating plan to meet your body’s needs based on the data. We will not simply hand you another diet, we will guide you to become the agent of your own recovery. We will show you what your body needs by revealing when your body is malnourished and when it is beginning to thrive.
See our short video below for a visual representation of this process:
Under the right guidance, Binge Eating Disorder can be overcome. We have helped many overcome it, and we can help you. Life is too short and precious to keep suffering from BED; it is too hard on your emotions and health.