What is Binge Eating?
What is Binge Eating?
Understanding Binge Eating: A Closer Look at a Complex Behavior
Binge eating isn't just about indulging in extra snacks—it's a pattern of consuming large amounts of food while feeling out of control, often accompanied by feelings of guilt and shame. Unlike occasional overeating, binge eating is a repetitive behavior that can be indicative of Binge Eating Disorder (BED), a recognized mental health condition influenced by emotional, biological, and societal factors. Binge eating can develop and continue for a variety of reasons including trauma, restrictive dieting, stress, depression, genetics, and societal pressures.
Note: I don’t think it’s necessary or helpful to be diagnosed with BED or to identify with it as a “condition”. I see binge eating as a pattern of behavior that was formed for a reason and it can absolutely be changed with guidance and support.
Binge Eating vs Overeating
I’m often asked - what is a binge? How do you differentiate between binge eating and overeating?
While there are no official measurements or quantities of food that would classify something as a binge vs an overeat, there are some key distinctions between the two:
Binge eating:
consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time
feeling out of control or unable to stop
usually done in secret
sometimes weird or unusual combinations of foods
often accompanied by feelings of guilt and shame
complete disconnection from self (often no memory or recollection of the experience)
from the internal dialogue:
“I can’t stop.”
“I’m disgusting.”
“Once I start I can’t/won’t/don’t stop until it’s gone.”
“I’m out of control.”
Overeating:
eating more food than the body needs
for a variety of reasons:
“It tastes so good.”
“I won’t be able to get this again.”
“I don’t want to waste food.”
“I don’t know when I will be able to eat again.”
“I don’t want to feel left out.”
“I don’t want someone to be upset that I’m not eating.”
disconnected from the experience or body signals
Emotional Eating:
eating to escape or create emotions
not wanting to feel the current emotional state of the body
an attempt to self-soothe
from the internal dialogue:
“I can’t handle this.”
“Food will make me feel better.”
“I deserve this.”
Here is a link to a podcast episode that I did on this topic:
How Do You Define a Binge?
When I was binge eating I didn’t have a definition of a binge. Most of my time was spent trying not to binge. Some people know they want to eat large amounts of food at one time, and others kind of snowball into it.
My binges often looked like eating “just a little more” several times in a row. After many return trips to the pantry (or convenience store), I would decide that I was, in fact, binging, and then I would be “all in”. Once I was committed I would eat for hours at a time, often until I simply couldn’t eat another bite.
I’ve always been very committed to anything I do, and binge eating was no different, even though I hated it and wanted desperately to stop. For me it wasn’t about the quantities, but about the energy behind the eating.
I do think there were times it wasn’t helpful to distinguish between a binge and an overeat because I thought that I couldn’t stop or control myself when I was binging so once I decided it was a binge then I was also deciding that I couldn’t stop.
At the end of the day, the word doesn’t really matter. What matters is the level of compassion, connection and curiosity you have with yourself, no matter how much food you eat.
What Do You Think of the Word Binge?
I recently asked the members of the Peaceful Eater community what they think of the word binge and here are a few of their responses. Do you resonate with any of them?
My binges usually are a random missmash of foods that I consume one-after-the-other, generally over the course of a couple hours, with little enjoyment of the actual taste of the food. They are usually tied to restless/anxious feelings outside home base. When I refer to my binges as "overeats," it feels kinder to myself.
A binge for me is eating when I am needing something, but can‘t figure out what it is. And I start to eat, and am in a trance, and can‘t stop. And keep on eating and eating. And feel disgusted afterward. I may even do it in secret so no one can witness it.
The word itself makes me feel shameful , like I’ve done something wrong, which of course, I have. At least that’s how I’ve always felt about them. I’m working on changing that!
I think the word 'binge' is important to me. It describes a behavior that I feel is really specific and different to emotional eating or overeating. In a way it's the one extreme of the pendulum of disordered eating. The converse if you will, of the restriction of dieting. The word binge can be quite emotionally charged for me as I still attach degrees of shame to it. I still over eat and emotionally eat but real disconnection for me is when I binge.
Binge is one end of a continuum of eating behaviors. Peaceful eating is at the other end.
As you read these words - is it helpful for you to know that you aren’t alone in your experience of binge eating?
Healing from Binge Eating
Recovery from binge eating is absolutely possible. I see it on a regular basis with my clients. It’s not a quick fix and it’s not often a linear journey, which can be disheartening if you just want it to go away quickly.
Overcoming binge eating involves understanding the needs underneath the behavior, working with your nervous system, developing new skills of connection, safety and trust with yourself and with food, and the support of others who have a deep understanding of the behavior.
Compassion and understanding are crucial in supporting individuals struggling with binge eating, as breaking free from this cycle requires time, patience, and support from both professionals and loved ones. By fostering a culture of acceptance and empathy, we can create a more supportive environment where individuals affected by binge eating feel empowered to seek help and embark on their journey toward recovery.
Here at the Peaceful Eater my goal is to provide the acceptance, empathy and support you need so that you can overcome binge eating. Through workshops, healing tools, community discussion and behind the scenes access, you will be able to see your binge eating in a new way so that you can become a peaceful eater too.
Discover Your Next Steps to Healing From Binge Eating
