Eating disorders like binge eating are very difficult for some people to break away from even though it is something that they despise. It not only makes a person feel miserable, but they may also experience chronic fatigue and suffer from various medical conditions. The cycle of binge eating can halt any efforts that a person may make to lose weight and they may never have a high level of self-confidence.

If you are a binge eater, you probably promise yourself after every cycle that it will be the final time you do it but, unfortunately, your resolve may begin to decrease over time. As a result, you begin to lose focus on any goals you may have had including:

• Finally developing a positive relationship with food
• Losing excess weight in a healthy way
• Maintaining a social life

Instead, you once again feel the desire to binge.

The following strategies are recommended by online RN to MSN nurses and you can implement into your daily routine to prevent the urge to binge.

Eat Enough Food So You Feel Satisfied

It is important that you eat enough calories every day so you are satisfied even when you are dieting. When you start a calorie restrictive diet plan, the chances of you bingeing greatly increase. It is also common for those who suffer from bulimia to have longer binging cycles when they are on a dieting plan to lose weight.

So, what does this mean? The more restrictive you are with your caloric intake, and the more weight you lose, the more intense the urge will be to binge. This often occurs in people who calorie restrict for extended periods without taking a break.

Now, this does not mean that you should not start a diet plan if you want to shed some weight, however, RN to masters nursing graduates emphasize that your body will still need to have enough calories and nutrients to keep you feeling satiated.

Stay Busy

Some binge eaters do so simply because there is nothing else for them to do. If you have nothing on your to-do list and you do not have a healthy network of friends and family, it is easy to find comfort with a container of ice cream or an entire jar of peanut butter. The solution to preventing scenarios like this from occurring is to find something to do.

What non-related hobbies do you enjoy? Create a list of these hobbies and when you feel the desire to binge, grab the list and begin working on one of your hobbies. If you are too exhausted to focus on your hobbies, try one of these activities instead:

• Read a book
• Go for a walk
• Play a game
• Complete a puzzle
• Call a friend
• Visit a bookstore
• Go thrifting

Spend Time with Your Loved Ones

It has been theorized that many people suffer from binge eating because they are unable to create or maintain healthy relationships with those closest to them. They may binge out of anger, frustration, or loneliness. If you feel like you want to binge, go and visit a friend or family member. It is easy to forget about food when you are engaging in conversation with someone.

Binge eating is an eating disorder that does not make a person feel good about themselves or what they are doing to their body. Fortunately, they can return to eating like ‘normal’ people if they take actionable steps to do so.

This blog originally appeared on Psych Central as, “Tips You Can Use To Finally Free Yourself From Binge Eating.”