There is nothing wrong with overeating now and then. There may be days when you are out celebrating with friends or family, or you may be on holiday and you just want to relax and enjoy the new food. Indulging here and there is perfectly normal.
However, if you find yourself regularly overeating, for no reason and cannot control this urge just to eat anything and everything, it is possible you have a eating disorder, more specifically binge eating disorder.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s Scientific Congress have identified that women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) are six times more likely to suffer from eating disorders compared to women who do not have PCOS.
PCOS has many symptoms and many of which are embarrassing. This often leads to constant emotional feelings and stress. You often feel uncomfortable and unhappy in your own skin. For many women this can lead to an urge to seek food for comfort.
What is Binge Eating Disorder?
Binge Eating Disorder is characterized as the urge to overeat on a regular basis. People that binge eat feel they have no control over their eating. A binge may happen privately, away from other people, often due to feeling embarrassed, disgust with their behavior or a result of feeling guilty after the binge.
What causes binge eating?
=>It can be due to emotional feelings, such as stress, anger, loneliness, boredom
=>Anxiety and depression
=> Lack of confidence and low self-esteem
=>Dissatisfaction with your body, a desire to be thin.
=>Traumatic events in your past
Tips to help with binge eating
Eat More and Regularly
If you find yourself binging late at night, make sure you eat a bigger breakfast and more throughout the day, eating every 3-4 hours, this will ensure you are not too hungry and that you will not have the urge to overeat and binge late at night.
Stop Restricting Yourself
Avoid labeling foods as good and bad, healthy and unhealthy. If you label foods and put them in groups you are creating an unhealthy relationship with food. Yes, certain foods are better for us and our overall health but food is food. We eat food for energy, however, we also eat it as a way to indulge and enjoy it. Make sure you allow yourself to eat 'bad' foods too. Satisfy your sweet tooth and your sugar craving, there is nothing wrong with that.
Drink more water
Before you eat anything, drink water. It may be that you are dehydrated and often we mistake thirst with hunger.
Avoid Dieting
Get out of the diet mentality. Ensure you are eating an array of food and following a balanced lifestyle. Try and eat more fat and protein to keep you satiated through out the day.
Eat Carbohydrates
You do not have to avoid carbs if you have PCOS. Including carbohydrates in your diet can help with binge eating, as carbs are often what people binge on. Therefore, look to implement healthy grains, such as bulgur wheat, quinoa, and avoid or limit processed carbs.
Find Activities
If you know you are not hungry and just bored try and distract yourself by undertaking an activity. Read a book, go for a walk or a jog, listen to a podcast.
Seek Support
If you find yourself in a stressful or emotional situation, turn to someone for support. Talking to someone can help and can often result in a solution to a problem. Turning to food will never provide you with any answers.
Sources
Lee et al. (2016), “Increased Risk of Eating Disorders in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.” American Society of Reproductive Medicine Annual Conference.
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/binge-eating-disorder
Kerchner, A., Lester, W., Stuart, P.S., Dokras, A.(2009). "Risk of depression and other mental health disorders in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a longitudinal study". Fertility and Sterility. 91(1), 207–212.
For more information on PCOS and to read my eating disorder journey/recovery visit my website ==> http://www.pcosandnutrition.com
http://pcosandnutrition.com/i-am-on-steemit/
Author Despina, owner of PCOS and Nutrition
pcosandnutrition.com is an educational, informative and motivational website. The main focus of the website is for women who suffer from PCOS. The blog is dedicated to offering information on how women can heal their body and how PCOS can be managed. The content is full of information on nutrition for women with PCOS, to an array of recipes that are healthy and PCOS friendly but also motivational and inspirational posts. However, the website also offers further educational information on other health and fitness topics that are beneficial for anybody and everybody that is interested or looking to understand and learn about nutrition.