***Compulsive Eating And Binge Eating Disaster Plan

Congratulations on waking up each morning and greeting the day with renewed determination! Perhaps you rise and say, "Today is the day - I will make it through the entire day sticking to my diet and weight loss goals." What a wonderful, optimistic way to begin a fresh day. Ahead of you lies the promise of a new day, a fresh start.

Sometimes though, as experience has shown, good intentions alone are not enough to overpower food cravings of the urge to binge. Willpower alone is not enough to overcome the desire to comfort eat, binge, or compulsively overeat. This is where positive desire needs to be coupled with a sound action plan. What provides empowerment is a predetermined, personalized plan of action. You need an individual plan that you carefully think out ahead of time and then write down.

Think about it - when was the last time you 'easily' sidestepped a binge or craving? Or 'effortlessly' drove past the fast food restaurant when you were feeling stressed, depressed, tired, or bored? Chances are your urge to eat was so strong that it blocked out all rational, goal-oriented thought. In a moment of crisis, willpower and optimistic intentions seem to disappear.

Believe it or not, the part of you that woke up this morning and firmly stated that today was going to be a success, is still there. A part of you does still want to make it through the day without overeating. Hidden somewhere behind your overwhelming urge to eat is that aspect of you that was so confident earlier. It is going to be your job to go looking for it and to bring it back to the forefront. For this, you are going to need some tools in your toolbox.

When you are in the midst of a crisis is no time to be gathering new tools. Instead, during strong and confident times is when it is time to prepare. That way, when you need them they are already there. You will just have to open the box and dig them out when needed. Use the guidelines below to prepare your personal plan of action to bypass a possible binge or craving.

Pre-Binge PlanningnOnce you are in the midst of a crisis, it is often impossible to view what is going on objectively. Overwhelmed by the desire to eat, it is difficult to gain the perspective needed to seek out alte
ative actions. Quite possibly, eating is your familiar way of coping with what's going on, so the urge may be intense. With such a powerful desire to eat and cope with the little picture of what is going on in your world, your mind is not going to be focused enough to recall your big picture plans. What you need is a written strategy that can take you out of the short-term crisis and eating behaviors, and back into the passion of your long-range personal goals.

A. Crisis Strategy ListnDevelop a list of things you can do, or have done in the past, to overcome the need to eat. When a crisis moment hits, you can decide which category or categories of ideas might help you through the moment. Include ideas in all the following categories:

Distraction StrategiesnIdeas that bring pleasure and/or distance from food. Examples might include craft hobbies, walking, cleaning house, planting in garden, etc.

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Behavior StrategiesnOptions that help you deal with your environment. These strategies might include drinking water to see if you were really thirsty instead of hungry, throwing away the tempting food, inviting a friend over, etc.

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Self-Soothing and Comforting StrategiesnInstead of using to food to calm or feel better, what are other ways that you can soothe your body, mind, and soul? Examples could include a warm and fragrant bath, deep breathing, yoga, peaceful music, or going to the park to watch the trees and feel the wind.

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Emotional Needs StrategiesnFind alte
ative ways to first identify and then cope with the underlying emotion you might be feeling. Talk to a friend or counselor, jou
al, or sit with the emotion. These are just a few ways of dealing with an emotion instead of eating to suppress it.

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After your list is completed, keep it in a place where you can easily get to it when needed (i.e. purse, refrigerator, etc.). Revise or update your list as needed.

B. Phone ListnIt is also important to reach out during times of crisis. During moments of urgency we often feel scared, alone, and out of control. Reaching out to someone during this time can help to relieve some of the distress that you may be having. Having someone to talk to can sometimes prevent a slip or setback. In addition, talking to someone about your feelings can remind you that others care for you and that you are not alone. Write down names and numbers of compassionate, understanding people you can reach out to and feel supported. While it may initially be difficult to "reach out and touch someone," it will gradually become easier. The person that you call will be glad that you trusted them enough to lean on them during a tough time.

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C. Personal MantranDevelop a short one or two line statement that is meaningful to you. Take some time with this one and write a powerful and meaningful statement that resonates within you. This sentence is something that brings you back to the larger picture, and helps remind you that you are capable of taking a breath and making a new choice. When crisis occurs, read and repeat your statement until you can feel the truth of it inside of your very body.

Examples:
• I have the strength to stand strong for everything I believe in.
• I have the ability to change anything in my life that I choose to change.
• I take complete responsibility for my life.
• Everyday in every way I am growing more and more confident.nn______________________________________n______________________________________n______________________________________n______________________________________n

Begin developing your own personalized strategy now. Don't worry if it's not perfect or if you're not sure if the ideas you write down will work. This is an ongoing plan that you will revise and continue to fine tune. No one strategy works in every situation. Look at your past successes and begin to note what occasionally worked. Also notice what did not work. Follow this basic outline and give yourself the extra support you need to avert a binge and create the wonderful outcome you desire.