Do you have the “Forbidden Food” Syndrome?

Have you ever taken a bite of a “forbidden” food where one bite lead to another, then another, and then you “ate the whole thing,” leading to a day of ("Well, I've already ruined today, so I might as well stuff myself.) binge eating?

Photo courtesy of kengo

Afterward, did you feel dejected and guilty?

You’re not alone.

Thanks to a blog post by Roni yesterday, I read a great article on this subject Change the Way you Think about Food.

While it’s not a full fledged eating disorder, it’s called the “ Almost Eating Disorder,” where we occasionally lose control of our eating patterns, but not enough to be bulimic or anorexic.

“This kind of eating behavior can evolve into a full-fledged eating disorder, but more often the overeater waxes and wanes on the edges of an “almost eating disorder,” says Elena Ramirez, Ph.D., who is the co-founder of the Vermont Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

“There’s a reason why we often turn to chocolate, cake and other treats. Anything high in sugar and fat cause’s opioids—feel-good’ chemicals like endorphins—to be released in the brain, which replace stressed-out feelings with pleasurable ones.”

“Overeating to soothe emotions is also what behavioral scientists call a “conditioned” or “learned” response. When we repeatedly engage in a certain behavior every time we’re in a certain situation— grabbing a bag of chips at the vending machine every time we have a stressful meeting at work—we learn to associate one activity with the other.”

The good news is that we can unlearn learned behaviors.

Photo courtesy of Maggie's World

“It’s not uncommon for someone who’s been very restrictive to have some form of binge eating eventually…for physical as well as psychological reasons, their bodies won’t let them be that restrictive for very long.”

Totally restricting foods is never a good idea. You’ll always crave what you can’t have. This is one main reason “diets” don’t work in the long run.

“When someone severely restricts their calories or has an eating disorder, having these yummy foods around can be like a drink to an alcoholic,” said Mary Boggiano, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

So, how do you beat the Almost Eating Disorder?

1. Concentrate on positive thoughts instead of negative ones. Don’t beat yourself up on the things you did wrong, but congratulate yourself for what you did right.

2. Be accountable for your actions. Be honest with yourself. Keep a food journal. Listing the food you’re eating is extremely helpful.

3. Keep foods that might “trigger” a binge out of your house. As the old adage goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Or limit them, using our recommendation to not restrict you but control yourself.

4. Take responsibility for your actions. You might “fall off the wagon” but you have to forgive yourself and move on.

5. Exercise. It’s been proven that exercise releases similar endorphins as fatty foods, which help us feel better. It also burns calories and usually results in you being less hungry.

6. Stop dieting and don’t deny yourself “forbidden” foods.

If we allow ourselves to have smaller servings of foods deemed “forbidden,” then it isn’t really a big deal. You don’t have keep it a secret. There isn’t anything wrong with enjoying a Carmel Latte with friends once in a while.

Because, after all,

It’s about a Healthy Lifestyle

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