How to Navigate Triggers to Binge Eat
Why do I binge eat?
This is a question we receive from clients we work with in our eating disorder recovery programs all the time. If you search this question online, you will likely receive an oversimplified answer… But the truth is that there are many reasons why someone struggles with binge eating and binge eating disorder, ranging from emotional to physical, and there is almost always a varied combination of contributing factors (including both psychological and physiological) instead of only one thing.
For some, one of their triggers may be much food related. Perhaps they feel a strong urge to binge when on a diet, restricting their food intake, counting calories and generally not nourishing their body enough. I have talked about this many times before, but restriction really does lead to a binge (you can learn more about this in my article on “What NOT to do After Binge Eating”). Someone can also be triggered to binge eat when mentally restricting (compared to physically restricting), meaning they are constantly thinking about what not to eat, what and how much to restrict, or mentally planning the next diet. This is what I like to call “food noise” and it can be exhausting!
For others, a trigger and contributing factor to binge eating may be the experience and discomfort of having been put on a diet in the past, often in childhood. Of having a lifetime of losing their autonomy over food which can lead to its overconsumption in the way of a binge. Think of it as holding on tightly to something you feel like could be taken away at any moment. This sometimes relates to all foods, and other times relates to foods they were never allowed to have. There is something very empowering about being the one who gets to decide what to eat and when. This is the gift of recovery and food freedom. Though of course, it is a process with the nutrition work to get there! It requires unlearning old belief systems around food, establishing a regular pattern of eating as you teach your body to trust that there is no restriction coming up, and normalizing foods avoided and restricted.
And yes, for others, their binge eating disorder is triggered for (or in part by) emotional reasons. For some, this is a trauma. I have sadly seen too many who have dealt with sexual abuse and other forms of trauma which has lead to binge eating as a way to cope (burry emotions, fill unstructured time or times where thoughts could become loud, change body physically to feel more safe). And yet for others, this presents in the way of an emotion triggering the urge to binge. Maybe this is anger, frustration, being bored, discomfort with a spouse, lack of motivation in life, etc.
Whatever the reason(s) (and there are MANY more beyond the above examples), it is important to notice that the binge eating disorder is serving a purpose in your life. Yes, truly. There are much more loving and supportive ways to cope that recovery helps you learn, but the way you are currently using food is a tool you have picked up to navigate those triggers (restriction, autonomy, emotions, trauma, etc).
Recovery is therefore not as easy as simply stopping binge eating. It is not something that someone struggling can simply turn off. It is much more nuanced and layered than that. When we remove one way of dealing with things in our life, it can lead to a lot of uncomfortable emotions, thoughts, feelings and memories. It is so important that you are able to not only identify what those triggers for your eating disorder are, but also find the right tools to implement for those triggers as you begin to work towards engaging with the eating disorder less and less.
Step 1: Become Aware of Your Triggers:
You already may be relatively clear on this. Some are. But many truly are not certain what triggers them, or are aware of some triggers but not others. I would love to invite you to take a week and get curious with yourself (and take notes!). So much about recovery is in knowing yourself.
When you have the urge to binge, note down what was happening:
Were you bored?
What time of day was it?
Were you at home, at work, or on the way to somewhere?
What were you feeling? Were you stressed or anxious or anticipating anything?
Were you alone or with someone?
Were you spending time on the screen? (scrolling social media, watching TV, etc).
I really want you to get curious here. Become an observer of your life and simply notice what you notice without placing judgment on it.
Now that you know your triggers, it’s time to implement some other tools.
Tools to Navigate the Urge to Binge Eat:
1. Alternate Activities:
What are alternate activities?
Alternate activities are simply things that you cannot or know that you will not eat while doing. These activities can be implemented when you know that you are going into a triggering situation, have been triggered or are in a triggering situation, entering a challenging time of day, etc. They help you identify the urge and trigger and try to create some space between the trigger/ urge and the symptom of binge eating.
How does it work?
Take pen to paper and jot down a list of possible alternate activities for you, which are things that you cannot easily binge while doing, but yet are easily doable in your everyday life. Don’t worry too much about finding the perfect thing. This is trial and error and you will amend this list as you work through it (you will find that some things serve you really well and others simply don’t!).
Some examples of alternate activities may include: taking a bath or shower, going out for a walk, going to a store you love, going to the library, doing art, video calling a friend or family member, painting your nails, meditating, etc. It can honestly be anything that works for you!
Now that you have your list, keep it somewhere you can easily access. Maybe you take a picture and save it to your phone, keep it in the notes of your phone, or tape it somewhere in your home (or other place in your life that you most often binge, for example your car or office) that you see often.
Now that you know your triggers, practice becoming very aware of them. Maybe you know that being bored in the evening is a trigger to binge, for example. If so, don’t even wait for the urge to binge the next time you are headed into a span of unstructured time. When you become aware of your trigger, work on getting ahead of that binge. Choose 1-2 alternate activities from your list to do that evening and see if you can create some space from the trigger and/ or urge to binge, and the actual act of it.
Keep practicing! This takes time. You will sometimes be able to catch it, and other times it will feel like a tornado blowing through you. Stay present and stay patient. In recovery it is important to give ourselves grace and space. In time, you will have more and more moments of being able to notice those urges and triggers and therefore more opportunities to make another choice. The awareness is foundational and creates the space for a different action.
2.Urge Surfing:
Did you know that on average, it takes 20-30 minutes for the urge to binge to peak and then dissipate? The urge to binge feels so incredibly overpowering, but I find this knowledge really helps. It means that when the urge to binge eat begins, the clock does too. In half an hour it will feel like a ripple instead of a wave.
With this knowledge, we can utilize a tool called urge surfing.
How does it work?
When you notice your trigger or feel an urge to binge eat, set your timer for 30 minutes. You can adjust this time to your specifics once you learn how long your urges typically last for. For example, maybe you will learn after a few tries at this that your ideal time is 20 or 25 minutes instead.
I like to pair this tool with that alternate activity list. Pick something, and engage in it for that duration of time (do your nails, go for a 30 minute walk, do a 30 minute guided meditation, take a shower and take the time to pamper yourself, do your hair…anything goes!).
Inhale, exhale and ride the wave. Each urge is just that- a wave of intensity that will rise and then fall.
Binge eating disorder recovery is absolutely possible. If you are curious which type of support is best for you, we offer free discovery calls for you to learn more, connect with us, ask questions and receive guidance on next steps as well as free resources that are applicable to you.
