We always talk about what to eat and what not to eat.
Though, that is only part of the solution to a good eating regime.
There is something that we also need to talk about and that’s how to stop BINGE EATING.
Why is it important?
It is important because you want to eliminate any opportunity to binge eat. You don’t want to eat a whole bunch of food at any one time as this wreaks havoc on your digestion and energy levels.
Does this sound like your typical day ….
You skip breakfast because you are running late for work. You have a bunch of work that has been piling up, so you skip lunch also. Instead you have another cup of coffee, that’s 4 coffees by lunchtime and perhaps snack on some crackers.
You go home, you’re famished and you eat enough for three meals.
You were so hungry you could have eaten a horse!
Then you eat so much that you don’t think you will be able to walk for a week.
You lay on the couch, pull the covers over you, eat some more whilst watching some television but before its too long, you fall asleep.
Now, is this the same as eating three good meals each day? Eating one meal that is the same amount of food as three? Hell No!
It isn’t because of the way that the body digests the food.
All day long you have starved your body of what it needs, it can’t handle everything at once. All you are doing is over loading your body. The real risk of bingeing is this.
You will end up eating things that you shouldn’t be eating. You will end up eating a ton of fast food or other food that is high and fat and easy to obtain.
Why is this?
You’ve tipped the hunger point. You are so hungry, you have to eat something NOW. This tends to be whatever you can get your hands on. Generally, it will be something that isn’t good for you.
This is why it is important that you eat 5-6 small protein-packed meals per day.
The key thing to remember is to eat healthy snacks too. Eat things that make you feel good, not things that are loaded with fat.
Things that are loaded with fat will only make you feel drained, tired and lethargic and make you want to snack more. If you are having problems eating 5-6 meals a day, you really need to work on your eating regime.
This is because you don’t want to binge eat as it will only hurt you in the long run. Don’t believe me?
Look at it like this. You know what will happen if you don’t eat all day long. You will get hungry and you will get the shakes. If you start to get the shakes you will go for whatever that you can to make it stop.
Here is what I do to help me eat 5-6 meals a day.
Firstly, I shop regularly so my fridge always has healthy options and my pantry has my basic staples filled with good stuff.
I think in advance. I pre-prepare as much as I can of the next days meals, before I go to bed.
I do this because it’s less to do when I wake up in the morning. I prepare snacks for me to eat at work such as veggie sticks and/or some fruit in little plastic zip-lock bags, put aside nuts, a banana, boil some eggs or set aside protein balls.
When it comes to breakfast I have all of the things that I need on hand in canisters. All the ingredients such as oats, protein powder, pepitas, sunflower seeks, shredded coconut…. all ready to scoop out as I need.
I do the same with Lunch. I will try to prepare whatever I can the day before. Pre-cut vegetables for my salads, set aside a tin of tuna, or chicken or small portion of rice or quinoa.
So essentially, I will always prepare all of the things that I need in advance.
Eating 5-6 meals a day isn’t that hard.
If you put your mind into it, you can do it fairly easily. All you have to do is be prepared. If you feel that you can’t do it, email me direct at Ireene@ireenesiniakis.com and I’ll send you a Menu Planner.
Then, make a schedule for everything that you want to eat and map out your exercise schedule well in advance. This also helps with creating a shopping list and sets up your mindset for success.
Nothing feels better than being in control of your healthy habits.