Why do you binge over the weekend?
When we eat, receptors in our gut response by releasing dopamine in our brain.
The more we eat sweets, simple carbs, trans fat and salt, the greater release of dopamine. The more dopamine we have, the more “high” we feel.
More dopamine means also that we are motivated to have that substance over and over again which is why we cant stop searching for those particular foods that will give us that feeling over and over again.
If you have noticed that you try to avoid those but end up emotionally bingeing on them, this is for you!
These are thew things you may be doing that contribute to your overeating and bingeing:
1. Restrictions-Let me first remind you that you have ton eat. When you try to avoid food and chronically restrict food, you lose the ability to know and make a difference between true hunger and satiety cues making overeating more prevalent.
The more you throw off your leptin/ghrelin hormones (hunger and satiety) away, the more you will binge.
2. Saving up calories-if you think by restricting during the week you are doing a great job because you can “let go” over the weekend, think again. You won’t be able to save up any calories because by the time the weekend comes, you will be starved and you will binge like there is no tomorrow.
Instead, eat normally, 3 meals a day, protein at every meal, drink your water and treat yourself occasionally.
3. You give yourself the free pass-after a regretful weekend you start your diet all over again on a Monday and you have been telling yourself this story that you started to believe in it. You can start whenever with changing your habits. Don’t stay in a binge eating session just because it’s not Monday yet.
4. You want to feel happy through a number on the scale-you can want to lose weight for health or for vanity reasons . Don’t think however that a lower number on the scale will make you happier. Happiness has nothing to do with how much you weigh. Change your body from a place of self love not from a place of self loathing.
These are just some of the most common reasons why you can’t stop bingeing.
Do these scenarios sound familiar to you?
Want to make a change and end binge and emotional eating for good?