Fight the tower.

Q: I'm trying to lose weight by limiting what I eat, but I find myself bingeing on sugary junk food whenever I'm stressed. Why is this, and what can I do about it?
-Kate, Deerfield, CT

A: You're not alone. Strong emotions (sadness, anxiety, even joy) are a common binge trigger in a lot of people, since society (along with our family and friends) have taught us to associate food with comfort, self-soothing and reward. So it's not surprising that you reach for a Snickers bar when you're feeling overwhelmed.

But, as you're also curbing your food intake, there are additional factors that may be driving you to overeat: Many people binge after periods of dietary restriction (e.g., having a late dinner after having a small, early lunch), in response to feelings of deprivation and physical hunger.

Another common pattern — especially among people who are dieting to lose weight — is eating a small amount of a "bad" food, labeling the whole day a "failure" and then bingeing while resolving to "be good tomorrow." Sound familiar? This reflects what cognitive therapists call "dichotomous thinking," or thinking about your behavior in absolute, extreme terms rather than on a continuum. Which helps explain why, if you're like most binge eaters, you can easily rationalize using otherwise "off-limits" foods — typically high in fat and/or sugar — to make yourself feel better. Of course, rather than being soothing, binges are upsetting because they make you feel out of control. But don't worry — if you address the triggers, it is possible to successfully ward off binges and get back in control.

Try these techniques: To prevent deprivation, you should consume a variety of foods in normal, portion-controlled quantities every three to four hours to keep from feeling too hungry or that your diet is lacking. Also, do not make particular selections off-limits. You can have those tempting, seemingly dangerous choices in moderate quantities at safe times (e.g. a handful of potato chips with your lunch). This will change your dichotomous "food rules" that lead to bingeing. And allowing yourself to indulge in small portions of your favorite treats will actually help you stick to a healthier eating plan overall.

Lastly, work on developing healthier ways to cope with stress and other emotions like loneliness and anxiety. When you find yourself overloaded with emotion or tempted to binge, try calling a friend, doing your nails, taking a walk, brushing your teeth, cleaning, knitting, etc. Any engaging, distracting activity should relax you and get you through the 10 minutes that an urge typically lasts — trust me, the craving will pass if you give it a little time. If you want to learn more about how to confront your bingeing, the book "Overcoming Binge Eating" by Christopher Fairburn, has a lot of great additional advice. I highly recommend it.

Rene D. Zweig, PhD, is a certified cognitive therapist and a clinical psychologist at the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy. To meet our other health experts, click here.


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