Learn to spot the cues
There’s no universal definition of what binging is so it’s essential to learn to spot the cues. Maybe one junk meal a week is fine for you but if you ate like that for a whole day you would start on a downward spiral. Similarly, a few drinks over the holidays might feel like a celebration but if it becomes a glass every night then it’s a problem. Be aware of your binging behaviour and when it turns from an intentional pleasurable thing to a habit with bad side effects, you know you’ve crossed a line and it’s time for a course correction.
Stop and ask questions
Use your binge to ask yourself some important questions. Why am I over-indulgent? What other needs are not being met that I have to compensate for with food? If you’re honest with yourself the answers will come easily. It shouldn’t be hard to swap indulgences that are regretful and unhealthy with those that help you thrive. For example, you might just need to take a day off to laze around once in a while, have a massage, cook something delicious for yourself, or hang out with people that are important to you.
Have a plan
If you’re trying to improve your lifestyle then you need to do some prep and have a plan. Write down everything that has a high chance of throwing you off course and then think of solutions. Reach out to people in your life that can support you, talk to you, and do new things with you. You should have shopping lists, training plans, and recovery activities at the ready. When the crap hits the fan you’ll be much more ready to deal with it and prevent one binge turning into two and more.
Swap guilt for acceptance
The last but maybe also the most important thing to do is to adjust how you look at binging. Overcoming obstacles and failing is a part of progress. If you’re in it for the long haul then there’s no reason to feel guilty for binging, it will happen and it is ok. As long as you avoid the mentality of “I’m good during the week so I can be bad on the weekend”, you’ll be fine.
