1. Use diaries or exercise books to record your eating. You may wish to do this in the form of diaries we provide. Write down everything you eat and drink with details of times and how you were feeling while you were eating.
    
2. Try to eat in company, not alone.
    
3. Do not do anything else while you eat, even if you are bingeing, except socialising. For instance do not watch television, do not read. It is usually okay to listen to music but try to concentrate on enjoying your meal.
    
4. Plan to eat 3 meals a day plus 2 snacks. Try to have these meals and snacks at predetermined times. Plan your meals in detail so that you know exactly what and when you will be eating. In general you should try to keep one step ahead of the problem.
    
5. Plan your days ahead; avoid both long periods of unstructured time and over-booking.
    
6. Only have planned food in the house, do not stock up too far ahead. If you feel you are at risk of buying too much food, carry as little money as possible.
    
7. Identify the times at which you are most likely to overeat, using your recent experience and the evidence provided by your diary. Then plan alternative activities that are not compatible with eating such as meeting a friend, exercising or taking a bath.
    
8. Whenever possible avoid areas where food is kept. Try to keep out of the kitchen between meals and plan what you will do at the end of each meal. If necessary, get out of the house completely - the washing up can wait.
    
9. Do not weigh yourself more than once a week. If necessary stop weighing yourself altogether. Do not try to lose weight while you are trying to learn new habits. Once you are eating normally you may reduce weight by cutting down the quantity you eat at each meal rather than skipping meals. Remember, gradual changes in weight are best.
    
10. If you are thinking too much about your shape and weight it may be because you are anxious or depressed. You tend to feel fat when things are not going well. Can you identify any current problems and do something positive to try and solve or at least minimise them.
     
11. Use exercise. Regular exercise increases metabolic rate and helps suppress an appetite, particularly carbohydrate craving.
     
12. Take particular care in the days leading up to your period. For many women food cravings increase at this time.
     
13. Avoid alcohol. It can increase cravings and reduce your control.
     
14. Set aside some time daily to reflect on how you are coping, some of your strategies may not be working, try others.
     
15. Set yourself limited realistic goals, work from hour to hour rather than from day to day. One failure does not justify a succession of failures.

Note your successes, however modest in your diaries.

Every time you eat normally you are reinforcing your new good eating habits.

Published: 09/10/2020 10:17