Sign #8: you eat until you’re stuffed, and you can’t stop

Sign #8: you eat until you’re stuffed, and you can’t stop
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Just as someone who is struggling with anorexia-like symptoms cuts way back on what they eat, another person who battles overeating might not be able to stop. “All of us eat more than is comfortable from time to time,” Brennan says. “However, if you find yourself repeating a pattern of planning on eating to the point of being stuffed or if you are experiencing a loss of control with eating, it could be a silent sign of the beginning of binge eating disorder.” You might turn to this habit during high-stress times, when you need to quell your worries and anxieties. “Foods, especially sugary, carbohydrate-rich sweets and snacks, can give one a rush of pleasure and sense of comfort and calm,” Brennan says. According to a study published in 2019 in the Journal of Eating Disorders, treatments that target low self-esteem – a common trait among binge eaters – and emotional regulation skills are likely to help reduce binge-eating episodes. Brennan recommends experimenting with healthy self-care behaviours such as a warm bath or sauna, using a weighted blanket, cuddling with a favourite pet, or trying a restorative yoga practice such as yin yoga or yoga nidra.

Here’s how to build a self-care plan, according to experts.

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Sign #9: you berate yourself if you don’t work out every day

Sign #9: you berate yourself if you don’t work out every day
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Regular exercise is essential for ideal health, and doctors recommend at least three to four workout sessions a week. But if you find yourself freaking out when you miss leg day at the gym, you might be developing an unhealthy attachment to your fitness regimen. “There is no doubt that a regular exercise practice is healthy and can help alleviate stress and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression,” says Brennan. However, “if you are doing things like skipping your kids’ dance recital, turning down social invitations, or feeling compelled to exercise in the middle of the night, you may be developing a compulsive relationship with exercise. This can lead to eating disorders and dangerous weight loss, poor nutrition, fragile bones and injuries.” If this is you, see a sports psychologist and registered dietitian who specialises in sports nutrition to help you get on a balanced movement plan.

Sign #10: you follow ‘thinspiration’ Instagram accounts

Sign #10: you follow ‘thinspiration’ Instagram accounts
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It’s never been easier (or more encouraged) to follow the lives of celebrities. You can see what nearly any model or actress is doing at any hour of the day via their social media accounts, and while it might be interesting, it could also create some pretty negative and damaging expectations for what your body should look like. And it’s not only celebs. Social media influencers with the so-called “perfect body” can be dangerous to follow too. “Social media sites that post Thinspo and Fitspo media images and messages meant to inspire thinness and fitness, can lure people into the spiral of feeling less than and ashamed for not being thin or fit enough,” Brennan says. Unfollow these accounts so you won’t be constantly tempted and pressured to change who you are.

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Sign #11: you’re feeling ashamed of yourself

Sign #11: you’re feeling ashamed of yourself
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Repeat after us: never, ever shame yourself about your relationship with food and your body. A study published in 2018 in Frontiers in Psychology suggests a direct link between that sort of behaviour and body dissatisfaction. “All coping skills serve the function of helping us to survive tough times, and sometimes these coping skills can also become problems, whether it’s in the form of food, exercise, substance use, or working, to name a few,” Brennan says. “Try to assess and consider the function your behaviour is serving, and seek help from professionals and your support system.” For additional information, support and counselling contact the Butterfly Foundation’s national helpline.

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Source: RD.com

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