Does thinking about food so much ultimately turn into a binge eating session for you? Does this sound like you?

You are sitting at home and you can't stop thinking about food. You get up look in the pantry, close the door, and look in the refrigerator. You don't know what you are looking for, but you feel obsessed with food, like you need to eat it because you are at home. You try not to eat it, because you know what will happen. It's the same cycle as always: A little bite of something will turn into a binge eating session.

This happens to many people. Harmless snacking initially turns into a massive binge eating moment and they feel like they just cannot stop. It's true that most of the time people do turn to food for comfort and because of some kind of emotional issue that happened to them in the past, but what about the people that can't relate to that? The people who really can't trace their binge eating to anything in their past? These kinds of people just know that they really enjoy food and feel like they can't stop eating, which always turns into a binge for them.

So when you want to learn how to stop binge eating and curb any cravings, what do you do?

Here are some tips that used to help me stay away from the pantry and focus on things other than food and binge eating:

1. Chew gum.
Many times we are bored and eating sounds like just the thing to do to pass time. Instead of leading to a potential binge with a trigger food, try chewing gum. The constant chewing of gum will trick your mind and you won't find that you are drifting off to snacking. You will find satisfaction with picking a gum that has a long-lasting flavor.

2. Do something.
Working from home I find myself in the kitchen just because it's convenient. It's the same thing with people who work at an office. The community candy bowl or the kitchen seem to just be convenient, and before you know it, you've consumed food that you weren't even hungry for. Instead of falling victim to convenience, why not remove yourself from the situation. If you are at home and the kitchen keeps calling your name, leave the house. Making the kitchen invisible to you will really help you to not snack as much and will definitely curb future binges.

3. Find motivation.
What motivates you to stay on track? Is there a blog that you visit regularly or a website? Do you have a friend that will keep you on track? Think about your motivation towards not binging and do it. Not only will you become motivated to not binge and snack, but it (hopefully) won't even be on your mind anymore.

4. Find the alternative.
This tip really worked well for me. If you start to crave a food, don't deprive yourself of it necessarily; just find a healthier version of it. If you are craving tacos, make them at home because they will be healthier. If you can't get sweets out of your mind, instead of reaching for the bag of chocolate, try an apple or another sweet fruit. Many times you will feel satisfaction because you are still fulfilling your sweet tooth... just in another way.

The next time you can't seem to stop obsessing over food, or if a craving just seems like it is too much, try some of the tips. They worked for me when I was thinking how to stop binge eating for myself and hopefully you will have success with them as well.

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