Binge Eating

For the past couple of years i have found myself seeking sugary foods and literally anything bad for me for comfort and stress relief. I am constantly battling the urge to eat cakes, chocolate, crisps etc when i'm stressed, upset or angry even though i know i will feel incredibly shit about myself afterwards but at the time of eating these goods my endorphins kick in and i can feel that sugar rush relieving me from the stress. This only lasts as long as i'm eating. By binging out on sugary treats no matter how much i eat i will still be craving more and getting greedier considering how stressed i am. Sugar gives you that initial high that is dangerously addictive and leans to many others binge eating or over indulging after only promising themselves they would only have one or two biscuits and end up eating the entire packet in one sitting. I'm sure this is a common thing and why many of us have such a sweet tooth.

This is called mindless eating because i do not take the time to enjoy these treats which i must emphasis should be eaten in moderation not all at once. This causes the mind to think i haven't actually eaten and the brain takes longer to realise you have eaten something because i'm eating so quickly and not letting my body digest it properly before moving onto something else just as unhealthy. No matter how shit i feel after succumbing to my urges of sugar i will always end up in the same situation when I am feeling particularly stressed or seeking out comfort.Sometimes there isn't even a reason for my over indulging just the simple fact i love sweet treats and there is something eyeing me up in the cupboard.

I have gained weight in the last year or so due to relying on food to feel happy and content. I know there are a lot more dangerous relationships we can have with food however this is what i know about and that's why i want to write about it, for my own benefit as well as some of you. By gaining this weight it was made me more aware of what i am eating but this does not stop me caving in when things get a little tough and i feel i can't take much more stress or pressures of life. Being concious of what i'm eating if anything has made me worse because i'm constantly thinking about food and the more i try and restrict myself from caving in the more obsessed i get with calories and sugary treats.

It all starts when i enter the kitchen and am surrounded by foods that are screaming my name to eat them all, foods filled with sugar but my main problem is milk chocolate. If i know there is chocolate in the house it will always be in the back of my mind because i am incredibly addicted to chocolate and this probably is the reason we never have milk chocolate of any kind in our house because i only end up managing to stay away from it a day or two before having to eat it. I remember one easter managing to stay away from a decent size Oreo easter egg before getting a real urge to eat the whole thing in one. I did eat it all and felt so fill it generally hurt to move and thought to myself was it really worth it? Why couldn't i have just eaten half of the egg and saved the rest? I have never felt so shit and for the rest of the day i felt moody, irritable and upset that temptation took over. I know it isn't anything as bad as some people's binge eating however it does get me down a lot knowing that when i get these urges i feel as if i lose total control over what i'm putting into my mouth especially when i try so hard to be healthy the majority of the time.

I think one thing that has stopped me putting on too much weight is exercising which controls my urges as well because it's another better more sufficient way of dealing with stress. Exercise brings out endorphins as well that help you feel good about yourself which always improves your health. By exercising i feel that it encourages me to be healthier because fruit has appealed a lot more to me since i have been exercising on a regular basis.

Other ways that help me when I get urges to react the junk food cupboard include eating fruit, nuts and yoghurt because fruit contains natural sugars to help with your sweet tooth plus yoghurt and nuts are very filling. I mainly get these urges just before i go to bed or at night time and i find it hard to sleep so i always think eating lots of sugar things before bed will keep me up and i will feel incredibly bloated and horrible when lying in bed. Plus i've heard eating something light before bed can help you sleep so if i get these urges i normally eat a banana before i go to bed. I also think to myself will i feel great the next day when i am still bloated because this food hasn't digested properly from the evening before and have to carry it around all day? I don't think i will ever grow out of this bad habit and it will always be in the back of my mind even if i don't act upon it when i'm stressed because sugar is addictive and is an addiction to many people. Some people would say it is worse than being addicted to alcohol or drugs because it gives off the same endorphins and is more accessible. It's about really getting to know your body and what benefits and what damages it because we need our bodies to be healthy to live. So why not pick the healthiest way possible?