3097: How to Recover from a Binge by Elly McGuinness on Recovery, Self-Forgiveness & Emotional Well-Being

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Living Daily Episode 3097, How to Recover from a Binge by Elly McGuinness of ellymcgunness.com And I'm Justin Malik. Welcome back to this show where I read an article to you every day,

[00:00:14] but on Sundays I share an extra episode from another podcast in the Optimal Living Daily Network. And today's is coming from my brother's show Optimal Health Daily. You can find that wherever you're listening to this.

[00:00:27] But let's get right to the bonus episode for now as we optimize your life. How to Recover from a Binge by Elly McGuinness of ellymcgunness.com Are you feeling guilty and maybe a bit off after some extra indulgence during a sugar-focused holiday?

[00:00:47] If so, this short blog is for you. Listen on to discover how to recover from a binge. Note that the advice in this post is not in reference to binge eating disorders.

[00:00:58] It's more about healthy eating and lifestyle tips to help people who have found themselves overeating during a short time period and want tips to get back on track with a healthy eating regime. Please seek professional advice if you have an eating disorder.

[00:01:13] There are likely to be mental health issues and additional layers to work through in this situation. Holidays will always be part of life and should be enjoyed. Whether your goals are centered on weight loss, improved fitness performance or something else,

[00:01:27] you should be able to enjoy a break away from your usual exercise and eating routine at certain times of the year. You should also be able to feel good that you have mindfully planned to do so.

[00:01:39] However, with the excellent marketing of tasty treats and perhaps the temporary ceasing of your exercise program during any holiday period, you might be feeling annoyed or frustrated at yourself for over-indulging. If you've gone a bit overboard and need to reset or re-energize your body,

[00:01:58] then remember these two simple steps to help you get back on track. 1. Move on from the guilt, and 2. Make choices that nourish you. What to do after a binge? 1. Move on from the guilt. What has happened in the past has already been and cannot be changed.

[00:02:19] It is important to be able to find a way to move on from guilty feelings about binging to help prevent other unhealthy behaviors from occurring. Other unhealthy behaviors could include binging on exercise or going on a diet to try and make up for it afterward.

[00:02:34] I know it's difficult to put this step into practice just by telling yourself to move on. Therefore, I'm providing a few suggestions that can help with acceptance and creating a positive mindset. 2. Practice EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique

[00:02:50] EFT can help to clear disruptions in your energy system caused by negative emotions that you are holding onto. In this case, the negative emotion is the feeling of guilt from over-indulgence.

[00:03:03] Freedom from persistent negative emotions can help reduce your tendency towards emotional eating and help improve your mental health in general. There are a vast array of resources available on the internet and in the library to teach you about EFT. Practice Meditation

[00:03:20] Try a guided meditation podcast focused on self-love and acceptance. First, download a podcast platform and then use keywords to find a meditation podcast. Try NLP for overeating. There are some very effective neuro-linguistic programming or NLP techniques you can use to help rewire your brain.

[00:03:41] Specific techniques can help you to think about food differently so that you'll want to grab nourishing and healthy options over less healthy options. If you really want to know how to recover from a binge, moving on from the guilt is an important first step.

[00:03:56] It helps you to enjoy and get the most out of the next step. Two, make choices that nourish you. Instead of focusing on things to avoid like sugar or chocolate as a way of getting back on track, I encourage you to move away from the deprivation mindset.

[00:04:12] Instead, focus on what you can add to your body or your life to help you feel healthier. This is the second step in how to recover from a binge. Movement

[00:04:24] Get back on track with your fitness after a holiday by choosing a form of movement that you really enjoy rather than one you feel like you have to do. Practice it with the purpose of enjoying it and feeling more energized.

[00:04:37] This is very different to going into exercise with a negative mindset that tells yourself to work off the extra kilogram or pound or two you've gained. Food Choose food you enjoy that you know are nutrient dense and nourishing for your body.

[00:04:52] For example, buy your favorite fruits to snack on during the week or look for some healthy alternatives. Get started with meal planning if you haven't already. Without planning, it's much easier to make poor food choices.

[00:05:05] This is because you'll reach the stage of feeling hungry and will end up grabbing whatever you have on hand. Be sure to include a source of protein and fat with every meal.

[00:05:15] This will help you to feel satisfied and less likely to feel like you want something else just a short time after your meal. When you focus on optimal nutrition choices from a wide variety of foods, your cravings for quick fixes will usually decrease.

[00:05:31] If you still feel like you need a chocolate fix, consider making something simple and delicious yourself. Further thoughts on what to do after binge eating If you've listened this far, you know you have some useful ideas to help you know how to recover from a binge.

[00:05:47] It's also worth considering who you are spending the majority of your time with. Often your food choices may be influenced by those who are around you. My final piece of advice is to be kind to yourself.

[00:05:59] Give yourself a chance to take a few small positive steps forward for better health and happiness. You just listened to the post titled How to Recover from a Binge by Ellie McGuinness of ellymaguinness.com Dr. Neal here for my commentary.

[00:06:19] In today's article, Ellie started off by saying something super important. Holidays will always be a part of life and should be enjoyed. Many of my patients would dread holidays. They were afraid because during the festivities, not so nutritious foods were everywhere. And they would give in to temptation.

[00:06:40] And if they gave in to temptation, they felt they would somehow lose all of the progress they had made. But this simply isn't true. When we think about all of the American holidays at least and how common they are,

[00:06:53] it would be hard not to be in a constant state of dread. There's a lot of double negatives but you get the idea. In the US, we just had our Independence Day holiday right? That was earlier this week. And when we're celebrating our nation's independence,

[00:07:07] it usually means we're eating lots of burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chips, french fries, beer, pies, ice cream. You get the idea. A giant mixed green salad is usually not at the top of folks lists when they think of foods to eat on our Independence Day holiday.

[00:07:27] And so like you heard, not so nutritious foods are basically the norm. Now our next holiday is right around the corner. In early September, we have our Labor Day, which signals the end of summer.

[00:07:38] And to celebrate the end of summer, we like to eat lots of burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chips, french fries, beer, pies and ice cream. Does that sound familiar? Then let's not forget there's Halloween a month and a half later. After Halloween bring on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

[00:07:59] Then the new set of holidays start all over again. Super Bowl Sunday, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day. Now this doesn't include any birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and just becausees along the way.

[00:08:15] So if we dread holidays, we're going to be in a near constant state of fear. The next celebration is often just weeks away. So instead, use the advice that Ellie shared in today's article. Pick just one or two of her tips as your go-tos.

[00:08:31] Now I'm going to leave you with a quote that I think summarizes the advice that we've given today perfectly. Quote, The language of falling versus failure matters because it changes our mindset. This is because falling happens naturally and implies we can get up and try again. Simon Sinek.

[00:08:55] Alright, that'll do it for the Saturday episode. I hope you have a great weekend if you're listening in real time and I'll be back here tomorrow as usual where your Optima Life awaits.