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In today’s world, it’s all too easy to overeat

• We don’t walk. We overeat because we’ve made it easy to overeat. We have fast-food joints on every corner. By the way, the ‘we’ is all of us. It’s not the government. It’s all of us doing this together. Mehmet Oz
• Gluttony,  Diet,  Food cravings,  Food,  Addiction,  Health,  Illness

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Overeating is the lowest ranking addiction, but it is still very damaging physically and emotionally

• Overeating is the addiction of choice of carers, and that’s why it’s come to be regarded as the lowest-ranking of all the addictions. It’s a way of fucking yourself up while still remaining fully functional, because you have to. Fat people aren’t indulging in the “luxury” of their addiction making them useless, chaotic, or a burden. Instead, they are slowly self- destructing in a way that doesn’t inconvenience anyone. And that’s why it’s so often a woman’s addiction of choice. All the quietly eating mums. All the KitKats in office drawers. All the unhappy moments, late at night, caught only in the fridge light. Caitlin Moran
• Binge eating leads to a wide variety of physical, emotional, and social problems. People with binge eating disorder report more health issues, stress, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts than people without an eating disorder. Depression, anxiety, and substance abuse are common side effects as well. But the most prominent effect of binge eating disorder is weight gain. Melinda Smith, M.A.
• Gluttony is the source of all our infirmities and the fountain of all our diseases. As fire extinguished by an excess of fuel, so is the natural health of the body destroyed by an intemperate diet. Robert Burton
• I saw few die of hunger; of eating, a hundred thousand. Benjamin Franklin
• More die in the United States of too much food than of too little. John Kenneth Galbraith
• The spirit cannot endure the body when overfed, but, if underfed, the body cannot endure the spirit. St Frances de Sales
• The meal is not over when I’m full. The meal is over when I hate myself. Louis C.K.
• They are sick that surfeit with too much, as they that starve with nothing. William Shakespeare
• Gluttony is the source of all our infirmities and the fountain of all our diseases. As fire extinguished by an excess of fuel, so is the natural health of the body destroyed by an intemperate diet. Robert Burton
• Gluttony is the source of all our infirmities and the fountain of all our diseases. As a lamp is choked by a superabundance of oil, and a fire extinguished by excess of fuel, so is the natural health of the body destroyed by intemperate diet. Marion L. Burton
• Glutton: one who digs his grave with his teeth. French Proverb
• Gluttony kills more than the sword. Proverb
• Addiction

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Overeating, and especially binge eating, is a vicious circle

• Binge eating often leads to weight gain and obesity, which only reinforces compulsive eating. The worse a binge eater feels about themself and their appearance, the more they use food to cope. It becomes a vicious cycle: eating to feel better, feeling even worse, and then turning back to food for relief. Melinda Smith, M.A.
• It’s a vicious circle. You feel depressed, anxious, and angry, so you binge. Then you feel depressed, anxious, and angry about bingeing and despair of ever being able to stop. So you binge again. Dori Winchell, PhD

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Emotions often lie at the root of overeating …

• One of the most common reasons for binge eating is an attempt to manage unpleasant emotions such as stress, depression, loneliness, fear, and anxiety. When you have a bad day, it can seem like food is your only friend. Binge eating can temporarily make feelings such as stress, sadness, anxiety, depression, and boredom evaporate into thin air. But the relief is only very fleeting. Melinda Smith, M.A.
• If you’ve ever make room for dessert even though you’re already full or dove into a pint of ice cream when you’re feeling down, you’ve experienced emotional eating. Emotional eating is using food to make yourself feel better—eating to fill emotional needs, rather than to fill your stomach. Melinda Smith, M.A.
• Binge eating is literally stuffing feelings down. Mary Froning, PsyD.
• Gluttony is an emotional escape, a sign something is eating us. Peter De Vries
• Emotions,  Pain

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… especially a sense of inner unease or emptiness

• Underneath our nice, friendly facades there is great unease. If I were to scratch below the surface of anyone I would find fear, pain, and anxiety running amok. We all have ways to cover them up. We overeat, over-drink, overwork; we watch too much television. Joko Beck
• We have it in our head that if we fill our stomachs, we’ll fill our hearts. Kate Wicker
• Almost everyone I’ve ever met who overeats is doing so on behalf of an old self (a discouraged child, an unpopular teenager, a self-conscious young adult) who no longer exists. Deepak Chopra
• There ARE people who won’t customarily eat an entire row of cookies, or hear food calling their name from other rooms, or who don’t grind up food in the garbage disposal for fear of eating it, or get it back out of the garbage so they could eat it. Of course, my binge eating was just a cover-up for the larger issue: Trying to fill the emptiness. SARK
• Stress

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Get in touch with the underlying emotions

• If you feel the urge to binge, set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes and try to figure out what’s going on. Is anger or depression or anxiety making you want to stuff yourself with candy bars? If so, try to figure out why you feel so upset. Mary Froning, PsyD.
• Consider what would happen if you didn’t eat when you’re, say, feeling sad. You may, even on a subconscious level, believe that you’d fall apart if you let the sadness in or never stop crying, says Roth. Or you may think you just can’t deal with your boredom. But give it a try once and see. Allow yourself to feel the boredom, sadness, or anxiety without using food to change the channel on what’s happening in your life. Geneen Roth
• Let go of emotions through mindfulness

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Use music to help manage trigger emotions

• Find a better solution for dealing with emotional triggers. One of my favorites is to create a music playlist to help manage each mood—anxiety, depression, anger, boredom. When you feel the urge to eat, listen to the appropriate music or podcast instead. Naomi Barr
• Music

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Learn to manage stress

• Well, I think probably the main reason people overeat is stress. Jenny Craig
• Manage stress. One of the most important aspects of controlling binge eating is to find alternate ways to handle stress and other overwhelming feelings without using food. These may include exercising, meditating, using sensory relaxation strategies, and practicing simple breathing exercises. Melinda Smith, M.A.
• Sometimes binge eating isn’t really about the food or the craving at all. Instead it’s more of a stress reliever after a really bad day or a difficult breakup. Often without realizing it, we eat the whole bag of cookies or that entire bowl of pasta as a coping mechanism for stress or personal struggles. Seek out stress relief by going for a walk around the block or taking a hot bath. Lauri Watson
• Stress

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Stop dieting

• Strict diets, especially those that revolve around limiting or completely eliminating foods, food groups, or macronutrients only add fuel to the binge eating fire. The solution is not found in a diet, so don’t search for one.  Nia Shanks
• Many times, dieting can lead to out-of-control binge eating episodes in which the dieter gets so fed up with restricting herself that she overindulges in every “sinful” treat she had been avoiding. Lauri Watson
• Eat real, whole, natural foods most of the time. Eat when you’re physically hungry and learn to do something other than turn to food when you’re gripped by emotion and want to eat. Nia Shanks
• Stop dieting. The deprivation and hunger of strict dieting can trigger food cravings and the urge to overeat. Instead of dieting, focus on eating in moderation. Find nutritious foods that you enjoy and eat only until you feel content, not uncomfortably stuffed. Avoid banning certain foods as this can make you crave them even more. Melinda Smith, M.A.
• I’ve never met a diet that didn’t have a binge attached to it. Geneen Roth

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Eat 3 meals a day plus healthy snacks

• Eat 3 meals a day plus healthy snacks. Eating breakfast jump starts your metabolism in the morning. Follow breakfast with a balanced lunch and dinner, and healthy snacks in between. Stick to scheduled mealtimes, as skipping meals often leads to binge eating later in the day.   Melinda Smith, M.A.
• Missing breakfast sets up a binge eater both biologically and psychologically: Extending the fasting period from the night before intensifies hunger later in the day, making it more likely that they’ll overeat and justify it by telling themselves, “It’s okay; I skipped breakfast. Naomi Barr
• DON’T skip meals! This is very important. Skipping meals and snacks can cause you to overeat at the next meal, and eating just one (or two) big meal per day can wreak havoc on your blood sugars and hinder weight loss. Aim for three meals per day plus one or two healthy snacks. Lauri Watson
• Cereal eating is almost a marker for a healthy lifestyle. It sets you up for the day, so you don’t overeat. Bruce Barton
• Stave off night-time binges. On its simplest level, binge eating at night is often brought on by starving all day. Eat a sensible breakfast and lunch, and you’re less likely to clean out your refrigerator at night. Susan Zelitch, MD

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Drink water before each meal

• Quench your hunger with water. Instead of high-calorie, low-nutrient drinks like soda, alcohol, or other sugary drinks, choose water. It’s free wherever you go, and most people don’t meet their 8-10 cups-a-day requirement. Drink water before, during, and after a meal to slow yourself down while eating and curb hunger. Nicole Nichols
• Sometimes, we can confuse hunger with thirst. If you find yourself staring into the fridge looking for something to eat, but don’t know what you want, you are most likely experiencing boredom cravings. Grab a glass of water and walk away. Lauri Watson
• You can do something as simple as drinking two cups of water before a meal to fill your belly a bit so that you don’t overeat, or change up your cheese from dairy to non-dairy. Kathy Freston

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Eat mindfully

• Take the time to really appreciate your food. Savor every bite and take the time to enjoy the flavors present in your meal. Make an effort to chew your food more before swallowing. Leo Babauta
• Mindful eating is eating slowly, fully tasting the food, appreciating every bite, being conscious of what you’re putting into your body, savoring but not overdoing. Leo Babauta
• When walking, walk. When eating, eat. Zen Proverb
• Be present when you’re eating, and be mindful of the way you talk about food when you’re not. Amanda Owen
• Eating is more pleasurable when it is a multi-sensory experience. Use your eyes and notice what is on your plate. Smell the aroma. Chew slowly so you can appreciate the flavors and experience the textures. Amanda Owen
• Eat mindfully. Give thanks for your food. Chew each bite. Pause in between bites. Tess Marshall
• There are some people who eat an orange but don’t really eat it. They eat their sorrow, fear, anger, past, and future. Thich Nhat Hanh
• One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. Luciano Pavarotti
• When walking, walk. When eating, eat. Zen Proverb
• He who distinguishes the true savor of his food can never be a glutton; he who does not cannot be otherwise. Henry David Thoreau
• Mindfulness

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Stay present while eating …

• Stay present while eating. Be aware of what you are eating and how much. Focus on your food and minimize any other distractions: Avoid eating in front of the TV or computer. Clear off the kitchen table. Don’t read, study, write or talk on the phone while you eat. By eating more mindfully, you will enjoy your meals more, notices fullness, flavor and satisfaction better than ever before, and feel less of a desire to overeat.  Lauri Watson
• Never eat while doing something else, because you won’t get the satisfaction from your food and you’ll be more likely to overeat. Bethenny Frankel

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… and eat slowly

• Set a kitchen timer or monitor the clock and try to extend meal times to 15-20 minutes. Take small bites and put your fork down in between bites. Have a conversation, chew slowly, etc. These strategies will allow your body to have enough time for its fullness cues to kick in. It takes about 15-20 minutes for your tummy to send a single to your brain that you are full. Lauri Watson
• Eat slowly. This isn’t a new concept; remember all those familiar dieting tips like “sip water between bites” and “chew thoroughly before swallowing”? These were all aimed at slowing us down when we eat. Research led by Mark Gold, MD, at the University of Florida at Gainesville has shown it takes 12 or more minutes for food satisfaction signals to reach the brain of a thin person, but 20 or more minutes for an obese person. Eating slowly ensures that these important messages have time to reach the brain. Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
• Slow down

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Especially savour the first few mouthfuls

• Make the first bites count. The maximum food enjoyment comes in the initial bites. After a few bites, taste buds start to lose their sensitivity to the chemicals in food that make it taste good. Satisfying your taste buds by really savoring those first few bites may help you stop eating when you’re physically comfortable. Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
• Savouring

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Practice moderation

• Instead of eating the whole carton of ice cream on Saturday night, why not enjoy a small serving a few times throughout the week? Lauri Watson
• You should have a modest meal, rather than a major meal. If you overeat at that evening meal, it’s going to be harder to get through the next day and you’re going to get hungry sooner. Jodi R. Godfrey
• Moderation,  Balance

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Learn to listen to your body

• Learn to listen to your body. Relearn how to identify physical hunger. In the midst of my disordered eating habits, I couldn’t identify physical hunger. I lost that ability for well over a year, even when I started to recover from binge eating. But I was patient and became more in-tune to my body’s signals. Learn to identify physical hunger. And when you eat, eat slowly and savor your food. Listen to your body’s signals and identify when you’re satisfied. Make an effort to stop eating when you’re satisfied, but not overly stuffed. Nia Shanks
• Listen to your body. Learn to distinguish between physical and emotional hunger. If you ate recently and don’t have a rumbling stomach, you’re probably not really hungry. Give the craving time to pass. Melinda Smith, M.A.

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Never be more than 2/3 full

• Ayurveda, which means “science of life,” is thought to be the world’s oldest medical system. It’s still going strong. Many other philosophies, religions and medical practices have borrowed its basic tenet that the stomach must never be more than 2/3 full: 1/3 food, 1/3 drink, 1/3 room for digestion. It’s sometimes said the last third, the empty space, is to digest emotions since these can strongly flavor what and how we eat. Undigested emotions are thought to be the cause of most diseases. Ayurvedic therapists counsel to stop eating before you start feeling full. Sandra Garson

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Learn to differentiate between hunger and cravings

• Learn to differentiate between hunger and cravings. Cravings are usually for something specific (brownies, French fries, bread, candy, etc.). However, if you are truly hungry, you will most likely eat anything, including raw veggies dipped in hummus or a small handful of nuts. Lauri Watson
• Cravings,  Food cravings

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Keep your house free of trigger foods

• Avoid temptation. You’re much more likely to overeat if you have junk food, desserts, and unhealthy snacks in the house. Remove the temptation by clearing your fridge and cupboards of your favorite binge foods. Melinda Smith, M.A.

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When you feel a craving, distract yourself

• Fight boredom. Instead of snacking when you’re bored, distract yourself. Take a walk, call a friend, read, or take up a hobby such as painting or gardening. Melinda Smith, M.A.
• Avoid the impulse to use food as a source of comfort. When you find yourself reaching for food to counteract the effects of a bad day, make a conscious effort to divert yourself to another activity rather than eating.
• When a craving for a specific food strikes, have an answer for it: Go for a walk, read a good book, take a hot bath, whatever you have to do to get your mind off of the craving. Lauri Watson
• Take your mind away from your forbidden food by focusing on something that takes all your concentration, like the Sunday crossword puzzle. Once your mind is engaged in a task that you enjoy and must pay attention to, you’re less likely to be fixated on food.  Dori Winchell, PhD

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Stay clear of low volume, high calorie foods

• Choose satisfying foods. Steer away from foods that give you a lot of calories for very little volume, such as milk shakes, cheese, and chocolate. The higher the fiber, protein, and/or water content of a food or meal, the more likely it is to be satisfying in your stomach without going overboard on calories. Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
• If you’re going to overeat, eat foods that have a lot of volume and fewer calories. David Grotto

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Fill up on fibre

• Fill up on fibre. The healthiest and most filling foods are high in fibre—think fruits and veggies, and whole, unprocessed grains. Adding fibre to your diet will aid in weight loss, and keep you feeling fuller longer, so you may eat less. Nicole Nichols

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Buy smaller packages

• Buy smaller packages. Studies show that when people eat directly out of big bags of chips, big bags of cookies, supersize popcorn, they eat 25 to 50 per cent more. Leslie Beck

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Don’t eat from the bag

• Plate your snacks. Never eat your snacks straight out of the bag. When you eat that way, you don’t get a sense of how much you’ve actually eaten until the bag is empty. Leslie Beck
• NEVER eat directly from the whole carton, bag or box. Take out your portion and put the rest away. Lauri Watson

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Have a snack before you go out

• Have a snack before you go out. Whenever you’re going out, whether it’s to a dinner party, a restaurant or a cocktail party, have a snack before you go. Try a piece of fruit, some yogurt or a filling bowl of vegetable soup. By doing this, you won’t arrive famished and be more likely to overeat. Leslie Beck

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Keep a food dairy

• Keep a food diary for at least a couple of weeks. Write down everything you eat and you’ll start to see patterns, she says. You can even write down why you’re eating something and you may find it’s because you’re bored or stressed out or it’s just become a habit in front of the television at night. Leslie Beck
• Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, when, how much, and how you’re feeling when you eat. You may see patterns emerge that reveal the connection between your moods and binge eating. Melinda Smith, M.A.

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Record your indulgences and triggers

• Record your indulgences. Even if you’ve just eaten the whole box of goodies, it’s not too late to do something about the binge. Write down what triggered the binge, so that you can figure out what to do differently next time. Elizabeth Somer, RD.
• I tell people to track their binges for a week. What set them off? What are the cues? Was it a call from your boss? People think their binges come out of the blue, but once they start writing them down, they’re surprised to find out that they have clear patterns. Naomi Barr

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Focus on actions, not outcomes

• Focus on actions, not outcomes. Proclaiming, “I want to stop binge eating” isn’t enough. You’re far better off focusing on actions you can take, consistently, that will lead you in that direction. Come up with some actions you can perform on a weekly basis. Here are some examples: Stock your house with real, whole foods you enjoy. Engage in a fun activity 1-3 times per week. Focus on eating your meals slowly. Say one positive thing to yourself every morning and evening. Eat slowly and savor your food. Nia Shanks

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Exercise

• Not only will exercise help you lose weight in a healthy way, but it also lifts depression, improves overall health, and reduces stress. The natural mood-boosting effects of exercise can help put a stop to emotional eating. Melinda Smith, M.A.
• Exercise

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Get enough sleep

• Get enough sleep. If you’re tired, you may want to keep eating in order to boost your energy. Take a nap or go to bed earlier instead. Melinda Smith, M.A.
• Sleep,  Rest and renewal

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Beware of holidays

• The holidays can turn … into a year of overeating. There are some who gain 20 or 30 pounds over the year. Their mindset is why not keep going. Leslie Fink

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Forgive yourself for slip ups …

• Forgive yourself. You didn’t start bingeing overnight, and you won’t be able to stop that quickly either. Each small step that you take away from bingeing will help you feel better about yourself, but it can take a few years to change your behavior completely. “Forgive yourself in advance for slip-ups. And just remember: To succeed, the trick is to try and try again. Mary Froning, PsyD.
• Be kind to yourself. You’re going to slip up. And when you do, you must be kind to yourself. Berating yourself when you binge or slip up only makes things worse. Instead of calling yourself a “failure” or something similar, be kind to yourself. Realize it’s just a tiny mistake. Give yourself a break because you are trying your very best. Nia Shanks
• When you binge, don’t beat yourself up over it. We’ve all had those days at some point, and you can’t change what happened in the past. Do move forward and make your next meal or snack a healthy, portion-controlled one. Don’t overly restrict your diet over the next few days to “make up for being bad.” This will make you more likely to continue the cycle of deprivation dieting and binging. Lauri Watson
• Self-forgiveness

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… and don’t punish yourself when you do

• Don’t punish yourself at the gym after a binge. Stick to your usual exercise routine. Maybe go for an extra walk or do some other light activity in addition to your workouts but try to avoid the mindset of “working off” the calories you consumed. This, too, can lead to an unhealthy cycle of binging and over-exercising. Lauri Watson

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Stop while you’re ahead

• Stop while you’re ahead. You couldn’t help yourself. You stopped at the mall and bought a 5-pound box of chocolates. Now you and the chocolates are home alone. Throw them out.  And while you’re at it, take a walk or call a friend so that you can think about something else. “Too late? Already ate half the box? Throw out the rest.   Elizabeth Somer, RD.

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Get support if you need it

• Get support. You’re more likely to succumb to binge eating triggers if you lack a solid support network. Talking helps, even if it’s not with a professional. Lean on family and friends, join a support group, and if possible consult a therapist. Melinda Smith, M.A.
• Supportive groups are crucial. Surround yourself with positive people who motivate you to reach your goals, not those who want to sabotage your efforts. When you feel tempted, emotional, or if you have already gotten off-track, turn to your support group. Call a friend, email a family member, or get online to the message boards. Sometimes all you need is a short word of advice from a friendly voice. Nicole Nichols
• Women almost always binge alone. With friends, you’d be able to talk out your feelings instead of eating them away. So if you’re feeling down and you’re about to raid the refrigerator, call a friend first. Mary Froning, PsyD.

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Follow this Buddhist advice

• Two-thirds of the rules in the Buddha’s code of conduct for his monks, the Vinaya, are about eating. Here is a taste of vows not to break: To take only enough food to fill one bowl. To not take an extra-large mouthful.  To not eat in any way that stuffs out the cheeks.  To not eat food deliberately stored for the future.  To not eat beyond the appointed meal times.  Sandra Garson

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Tips to avoid overeating

• If you don’t want to eat it, don’t keep it in the house.
• Plan meals so you don’t get too hungry and overeat.
• Avoid smorgasbords.
• Don’t leave leftovers out.
• Eat lightly on the day you are planning to eat out.
• End meals with something small and sweet.
• Go for a walk after meals to get out of the kitchen.
• Don’t over-shop; buy only what you need each week.
• Have a snack before you attend social functions where food will be served.
• Quantify your hunger and aim to only eat when you are at eight or nine out of 10.

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• OVEREAT, v. To dine. Ambrose Bierce
• I had a missed call. It’s probably the all you can eat buffet calling to say, “Come back! We know you can eat just a little bit more. Jarod Kintz
• We don’t walk. We overeat because we’ve made it easy to overeat. We have fast-food joints on every corner. By the way, the ‘we’ is all of us. It’s not the government. It’s all of us doing this together. Mehmet Oz
• If two heads are better than one, then what about double chins? On that note, I will help myself to seconds. Jarod Kintz
• I’m at the age where food has taken the place of sex in my life. In fact, I’ve just had a mirror put over my kitchen table. Rodney Dangerfield
• In general, mankind, since the improvement in cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires. Benjamin Franklin
• I’ve decided that perhaps I’m bulimic and just keep forgetting to purge. Paula Poundstone
• Never eat more than you can lift. Miss Piggy
• Never order food in excess of your body weight. Erma Bombeck
• My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people. Orson Welles
• Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can’t even get into my own pants.
• The meal is not over when I’m full. The meal is over when I hate myself. Louis C.K.
• Why am I thinking about Krispy Kremes? We’re supposed to be exercising. Meg Cabot
• When we win, I’m so happy I eat a lot. When we lose, I’m so depressed, I eat a lot. When we’re rained out, I’m so disappointed I eat a lot. Tommy Lasorda
• You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six. Yogi Berra
• Eat whatever you want and if anyone tries to lecture you about your weight, eat them too.

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