Tips To Feel Better After a Binge

I can still remember the physical and emotional pain of coming out of a binge. My stomach had never felt so full, literally bursting at the seams. If I put another morsel of food in my belly, I would feel like I was going to explode. The guilt that would follow shortly after was unfathomable. The confusion, the frustration, the pain of "why was this happening and when was it going to end?" consumed me.

My binge eating went on for probably about 5-6 years of my disordered eating journey, starting mid-way through high school and ending at the tail end of university. If you've ever experienced a binge (which I don't wish upon anyone), you're likely familiar with the trance-like state that you fall into during a binge.

No matter how many times you may have engaged in binge eating, it can be difficult to intervene in that moment, even if you know the inevitable outcome of the pain and guilt that's to come. Each time I would be met with that immense pain, but recognizing the pattern that it was happening wasn't enough for me to stop it.

Here's the thing: there are so many layers to binge eating which is why it's important to work with a professional to determine what is causing your binge eating to begin with, but at the very least, I wanted to share some tips that will help you to start feeling better after a binge right away to alleviate some of the guilt and pain so you don't have to find yourself stuck in the restriction/deprivation cycle again that often results in a binge in the first place.

Remember, these tips are meant to be born out of self-care for your body (which is usually not present when you've engaged in a binge) and are not meant to be a solution for un-doing what you did, but to help you feel some relief from the pain in that moment.

1. Drink a cup of peppermint tea – The act of drinking tea can be very soothing and can help you to be still in the moment because of its relaxing nature, which might help to reflect on what caused the binge or overeating. Peppermint is a great choice for alleviating the feeling of fullness because it's a carminative that helps to alleviate excess gas from the intestinal tract. 

2. Take a shot of apple cider vinegar – When your belly is so full, it can take a while for your digestive system to break down each food which may lead to hours of uncomfortable fullness. Taking 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar diluted in a bit of water (and shooting it back really fast because there is ZERO pleasure in this but a TON of relief in it) can be really helpful to aid in digestion and the breakdown of food parts.

3. Go for a walk – When you feel up to it, going for a gentle walk can really help to soothe digestion because walking encourages stomach emptying to help the food move its way through your body. Walking outside in nature can also help to boost your mood and neurotransmitters like serotonin that make you feel good. This can both be helpful for preventing binging in the future or to find relief in the moment after you've just binged.

4. Forgive yourself – It's easy to be hard on yourself and mentally beat yourself up after a binge but please, please, please, try your best not to. This is the worst thing you can do in this moment, knowing that much of binging is often born out of a lack of self-love and self-care.

If hating yourself got you anywhere, wouldn't you be there already?

In the moments following a binge, it's especially important to be compassionate and gentle with yourself. Some things you may find particularly helpful is to remove the blame that you're projecting towards yourself and remind yourself that food is a coping mechanism. That's all it is – it's the most socially acceptable way of coping with an uncomfortable emotion that we've been taught from a young age. It doesn't mean you're a bad person, it doesn't mean you have no self-control, it doesn't mean you are worth any less. Remind yourself of this.

You may also find turning to affirmations to be helpful. Some of the ones I really like are: "I am enough", "My weight does not define me" and "I am allowed to be imperfect but it doesn't mean I am any less perfect or whole as I am".

5. Stay hydrated – Squeeze some fresh lemon into a cup of water and start by taking slow and gentle sips. It can be hot or room temperature water, whichever you prefer really. This will help to promote digestion (especially the addition of lemon) and keep things moving throughout your system. I recommend not chugging too much at once as this can lead to the feeling of fullness, but tiny little sips frequently following the binge can be helpful to experience physical relief. 

6.Sleep – More often than not, I would naturally fall asleep after a binge regardless, even if it was mid-day because the digestive system is working in overdrive. You may also find you naturally get tired due to the blood sugar crash that comes after the initial blood sugar spike as a result of eating many carbohydrate-rich and sugar-containing foods.

Consuming carbohydrates, which are often the natural choice during a binge, also promote serotonin in the brain which leads to drowsiness. In other words, binging will naturally make you tired but that's okay. I encourage you to listen to your body as much as you can in this moment and what it needs and if it needs sleep – honour that! Lack of sleep is also one of the many causes of binging and is a sign that we're not meeting our basic needs. It can also interfere with our hunger hormones, ghrelin, and leptin, which is why it's super important to prioritize sleep the day or night after a binge. 

7. Don't skip meals – You may not even be thinking of your next meal at this moment, or maybe you are as you map out your plan to deprive/restrict/un-do the so-called "damage" which I can assure you, is not the answer and is often the cause of binging to begin with. But it's important that you don't skip meals.

Of course, honour your hunger by listening to the hunger signals your body gives you. But don't wake up and skip breakfast because you feel you over-did it yesterday or last night. This is only setting you up for another binge. The best thing you can do is to continue eating as you normally would as this is going to keep your metabolism running and prevent your blood sugar from dipping too low, which can otherwise result in overeating or binging again. 

If you have any questions about anything I covered, or maybe that I didn't cover, feel free to comment below or reach out to me directly! Remember to be kind to yourself, especially in these moments. You are still worthy, this doesn't make you any less and you are still enough.

This information is designed for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional care. The content within this post should not be used to diagnose or treat illness of any kind and it is recommended that you consult with a trusted healthcare professional. If you are currently experiencing a mental health emergency please call 911 or a crisis line most suitable to your needs.