Binge Eating During Quarantine
Many of us are currently quarantined or in self-isolation, and sometimes, the lack of things to do or places to go, or even people to meet can affect our mental and emotional health. Sometimes, it can also lead to bingeing on unhealthy habits from watching excessive movies and series, just lying in bed doing nothing to snacking the entire day. No doubt there will be times where you would need to just let go and give in to these urges, but there will come the point where you need to pick yourself up and create a better routine for yourself, so you don’t lose sight of your focus or goals.

If you are looking for new ways to curb binge eating or binge snacking, here are some ideas you could try:

Tip #1 – Water Is All You Will Ever Need

You don’t need sodas; you don’t need juices. You don’t need anything that comes with high sugar content, and why would you? When the only thing that is essential to your survival, the only thing that gives you life is completely calorie-free? Water is all that you will ever need, and it won’t even cost you an inch of your waistline but brings more benefits than all the other drinks on the market put together. As much as sugary drinks are nice, one of the easiest ways to curb snacking is to drink water.


Tip #2 – Wait Until You Rumble for Real

You’d be surprised at just how much you’re overeating when you’re not really hungry. Boredom, stress, nervousness, or maybe even out of habit, these factors could lead you to mindlessly reach for the nearest bit of comfort food without even thinking about it. If you want to lose weight, then you need to only feed when you’re well and truly hungry. Remember what we talked about above? When you think you’re hungry, reach for a glass of water first. Give it a while, and if your stomach is still rumbling despite filling yourself up with water, then you know it’s genuine hunger.

Tip #3 – Walk at Every Opportunity

When we are self-isolating and not allowed to leave our homes even for a quick workout, it’s easy to give up and lead a sedentary lifestyle. If hardcore or intense workouts are not something you’re ready to tackle in your tiny living space, there’s an easier alternative to getting some exercise in without even feeling like you’re exercising at all. Walk at every opportunity you get, even if it is in your apartment or if you have a garden.

Tip #4 – Make Yours a Small or Swap

Restricting your diet has been proven to only make it harder to stick to a healthy ratio of nutrients, so instead, here’s an even better tip – instead of depriving yourself, just cook small portion meals. Portion-control is a great way to keep those extra pounds at bay while still enjoying the little things in life. Another thing to do is to swap certain foods for healthier options, so instead of white flour, masa harina that is chef-grade, for instance. Masa harina is a better choice that can help treat high cholesterol by lowering LDL levels. It’s also high in niacin, a vitamin B component.

Swap couscous for quinoa, chicken thighs for chicken breast, eat fruits instead of drinking its juice, white pasta for whole wheat.

Tip #5 – Brush Your Teeth Once Dinner is Made

Once your dinner is made, wait about 30 minutes and then brush your teeth (because it is advised not to brush your teeth immediately after meals because the enamel is still in a weakened state after all that food, and you could risk damaging your tooth). Brushing your teeth after dinner will signal to your mind and your body that eating is over and done with for today, and it’ll help significantly cut down those late-night craving urges.

Tip #6 – Get Enough Sleep

This is probably the most overlooked tip, but the one which you should make a constant habit. Proper sleep is your key to managing your hormones, which then works to manage your weight. Being at home all day with nowhere to go can also lead to unhealthy sleeping patterns. We might feel we’re not tired enough and end up sleeping late, sometimes at 2 am to 3 am, and then we wake up at noon. While this is fine on some days, having a sleep routine that is inconsistent or clashing with eating times can contribute to overeating or undereating, or unnecessary cravings.

Tip #7 – Ditch the Diet Sodas

Diet sodas are misleading. Just because it says, diet doesn’t mean you’re consuming fewer calories. Artificial sweeteners are a disrupter of our body’s ability to naturally regulate calorie intake, and instead of dieting like the diet soda claims, you could be just encouraging your body to gain weight.

Tip #8 – Use a Smaller Plate

Another tip that is easy to get started on without really feeling the impact is to simply use a smaller plate during mealtimes. Food portions look bigger when you place them on a small plate, and it’ll help trick your mind into believing you’re full on a smaller portion.

Tip #9 – Chew It Slow

Your body takes 20-minutes to signal to your brain that you’re finally feeling full, and if you rush through your meals, you’ll believe that you’re still hungry and want to eat even more. So slow it, savor your meals, and drag it on for at least 20-minutes.


Tip #10 – Mantra, Mantra, Mantra

Every morning when you wake, take a couple of deep breathes and close your eyes like you would if you were about to meditate. Then, tell yourself every morning that you can, and you will be committed to losing weight, and you are stronger than your desires. Positive affirmations and mantras can do wonders to change the way you think, and the more you repeat them, the more they will become a part of your life.