5 Practical Tips for Implementing Regular Eating Right Now
In my previous post we discussed the importance of regular eating and how it’s usually the first step in overcoming binge eating. We addressed the challenge of not feeling hungry and why you need to start building some routine around meals and snacking - even if your tummy isn’t rumbling.
So let's explore some practical tips for implementing regular eating into your daily life:
Set Times Meal and Snack Times
Plan your meals and snacks at consistent times throughout the day. Aim for three balanced meals and two or three snacks, depending on your individual needs. Setting specific times helps create structure and predictability. It might be helpful to set regular alarms or reminders to help.
Now, eating regularly will look different for everyone so it is good to find out what works for you. It might look like having 3 meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with 2-3 snacks or having 5-6 smaller meals across the day.
2. Have a range of snacks available to you
When you start feeling your hunger signs, you might notice an hour or two before meals you are hungry. So having snacks that are available to you can put you on till your lunch time and avoid you getting too hungry by the time you are ready to eat a meal.
For example, mid morning I would have a yogurt and a banana then mid afternoon those little packets of nuts and fruits are always handy to have in your bag. Before bed, a snack might be a warming hot chocolate in the winter or a bowl of cereal in the summer.
3. Learn your Earlier Hunger Signs
We want to avoid getting “over-hungry” when we are empty, shaking, growling stomach and feeling nauseous. Or perhaps being overly hungry impacts your mood, making your extremely irritated and angry (also known as “hangry”.
Instead, you want to aim to eat when you are at the ‘gently hungry’ stage. Now, this can look different for everyone, but you might notice you start thinking about food, or a gentle stomach rumbling or the talk of food makes your mouth water.
By eating at a ‘gently hungry’ stage, eating can be more of a mindful eating experience rather than if you are ‘overly hungry’, it can feel a bit out of control and chaotic.
4. Aim for Consistency over Perfection
The idea of striving for a perfect diet is common in people who yo-yo diet and binge eat. At the beginning of your journey, you want to aim for consistency over perfection as this will help you to reconnect to your body.
I always say that any food is better than nothing when you are trying to heal your relationship with food but we know that also life happens, you might go for more of a stretch between meals than you’d planned or may be too busy and accidentally skip breakfast.
This happens! So be kind to yourself when it does.
5. Plan your meals for a few days
Now, meal plans can be difficult if you have a history of dieting and following “strict meal plans”. I do things a bit differently, I help my clients build their skills in flexible meal planning because meal planning does not belong to diet culture. Meal planning can help reduce food waste and money waste so it is really valuable.
Start by writing a meal plan for 2-3 days at a time, but avoid writing the day and the meal as this can feel rigid, instead just write down what meals you have available for a few days, that way you can have more flexibility when choosing what you want to eat.
Regular eating is just the first step on this path to recovery. Over time, as you establish consistent eating patterns and rebuild trust in your body, you'll be better equipped to address the emotional and psychological aspects of binge eating.
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My Mission: Embracing a balanced and sustainable approach
At The Binge Dietitian, my mission is simple yet powerful: to help yo-yo dieters liberate themselves from binge eating and find lasting peace with food. I am passionate about guiding you towards a healthier relationship with both your body and the food you consume. Together, we will set sustainable and realistic goals that support your overall well-being.
