Ask Mary

After a binge, you need figure out why you binged to reduce the occurrence of binging in the future.  Binges are triggered by anxiety created by negative feelings. Dieting itself often produces negative feelings, as well as severe physical hunger. To break the binging cycle, learn to differentiate between your physical and emotional hungers.  Deal with physical hunger by eating when you’re hungry and learn to handle emotional hunger without turning to food.  The process isn’t easy, but you can learn the method by reading Breaking Free from Emotional Eating by Geneen Roth.