Start with a piece then finish the whole thing? STOP SNACK BINGES!

Have you ever had "just one slice"?  Of pizza, of cake, of pie.  Or just one cookie, donut, or piece of candy?  Then one turns into another until you have eaten way more then you planned.  Then you decide you might as well finish it off because there is only a little left and you already blew it anyway...and you promise to do better next time.

Why do we go on a snacking binge?

1. We want to reward ourselves:  Many of us have received food as a reward since childhood (ice cream after the game, cake for birthdays, treats for good grades) and we carry this into adulthood.  We have stressful lives and jobs and "deserve" a cookie for going to the gym, cake for a bad day at work, ice cream to soothe a breakup.  We equate food with a prize; that is often how it ends up in front of us.

2.  We trick ourselves:   By eating something one slice or piece at a time, we let ourselves believe that we are not having a large amount.  Only when looking a the whole thing do we realize how much we've eaten.

3.  We were taught to clean our plates:  When there is only a little bit left, we have this instinct to finish it off that is quite different than when we look at the whole thing.  We are taught not to waste and finishing something gives the satisfaction of cleaning up.

4.  We feel the need to "hide the evidence":  I heard a story once of a woman who ate most of a cake then she was so embarrassed, she finished it off so her family wouldn't see how much she had eaten.   She baked a new one to replace it...and had to eat a piece out of that one because the first one had already been cut!

5.  We decide we already "blew it":  It is easy to justify continued binging with this mentality.  By deciding that we messed up, we can then decide "well, might as well mess up even more" because we feel bad about ourselves for overeating in the first place.  This self-defeating attitude lets the food be both reward and punishment which leads to uncomfortable inner conflict.

How do we stop ourselves from doing this?

Prevention 

• Don't keep large amounts on hand or don't keep temptation in the house at all.
• Know your triggers (stressful day, PMS, certain friends who overeat) so you can make an advance plan to defeat the triggers and emotions that lead to overeating.
• Eat with others.
• Take a photo of what you are about to eat.  Upload it to a Flash Diet website before you eat it. 
• Do something else...go for a walk, knit, volunteer, play with a pet, call a friend, exercise, dust...when you feel the urge coming on.
• Have a big glass of water, hot tea, or coffee.  Add cinnamon to a warm beverage for a dessert-like feeling. 
• Pre-plan a treat and make sure only one serving is available.
• Don't deprive yourself.  This will only set you up for a binge.
• Reward yourself with a manicure, massage, day off, a good book, time with a friend and other non-food treats.
• If you have something in front of you, make yourself wait 15 minutes before you can touch it.

Stopping a binge in progress

• Stand up and go brush your teeth.  Toothpaste flavor "resets" your mouth and doesn't go well with food.  Plus, less cavities!
• Open a bottle of vinegar and take a big sniff.
• Pop a piece of gum in your mouth.
• Put the rest away; cover it, put it in a container, put tape around it, then put it in a high cupboard (make it as inconvenient as possible to get more).
• Throw it away or put it down the garbage disposal (some things can be composted if you feel guilty about "wasting").
• Can't stop or have you pulled something out of the trash before?  Ruin it.  Pour vinegar on it, stir dirt in, whatever you have to do to make it completely inedible.
• Call a friend or go online to "break the spell" of the food.
• Walk away and distract yourself by doing something else (I don't recommend TV, the commercials can be brutal when you are having a major craving).
• Don't keep going just because you cheated on your diet.  Cheating does not give you a free pass to keep cheating!
• Ate some?  Want more?  Make yourself wait 15 min before the next piece...this cooling off period may help break the cycle.  During the 15 min, try some of the tricks listed above.

Remember, food is to nourish our bodies but we shouldn't be overly focused on food!  Sometimes it helps to get perspective...there are a lot of things going on in the world - miracles, tragedies - step outside your thought bubble or your staring contest with a candy bar.  Focus less on dieting and more on health.

Reader Question:  What are some effective ways that you have prevented or stopped a snack attack? Share your ideas in the comments section.