Don’t Blow Your Diet: Our Top 10 Binge Busters

Written by Kim Droze

You’ve canned the ice cream, bagged the potato chips and yet vivid visions of juicy junk food continue to dance seductively through your mind. Who ya gonna call? Binge Busters! Digest these Top 10 tips and you’ll help yourself not help yourself to gooey goodies that leave you feeling oh, so guilty!

You may not be able to turn back time, but you can take preventative measures with on-the-mark advice from weight loss and wellness expert Dr. Howard Rankin. Whether you’re an emotional eater or simply suffering a case of the eat-out-of-boredom blues, you can make a potential binge work in your favor. How? By simply turning the tables on those erratic feelings.

Instead of feeding into those impulsive urges and reaching for the chocolate-fudge cake that just “happened” to fall into your grocery cart, find another way to invest your energy. The best-selling author of 7 Steps To Wellness

(StepWise), Rankin suggests 10 binge busters that will help you put your best foot forward when fighting temptation. And who knows… you may get a little extra calorie-burning exercise in the process!

1. Watch TV! Veg out, but don’t become a couch potato. Remember, commercial breaks don’t give you permission to raid the refrigerator or pantry. Settle into your favorite spot and make your kitchen a no-fly zone.
2. Do yard work! Thirty-eight minutes of mowing the lawn burns 250 calories. So it’s the mow the merrier — you’ll get your yard and your body in tip-top shape in no time.
3. Hit the mall, but sidestep the food court! Window shopping won’t dent your wallet or your diet. In fact, you’ll be one step ahead with the extra exercise. But skip the trip to the food court where fattening fare like fully loaded pizza and cheese-dripping chimichangas are lurking. Boost your calorie-burning potential by parking as far away as possible from the mall entrance.
4. People watch! Whether it’s the park, the beach or a nearby lake, check out the sea of humanity sharing your space. You’ll quickly realize that the perfect figure is a Madison Avenue myth. Once you come to terms with the fact that everyone is flawed in one way or another, you’ll go easier on yourself. And while you’re there, why not take your daily walk or jump in on a friendly game of volleyball?
5. Reach out and touch someone! Phone a friend… but don’t make the call from the kitchen. For an added incentive, make your call on the treadmill or exercise bike. Grab the cordless phone and don’t be afraid to gab incessantly. With both your mouth and your feet moving, you’re sure to burn calories… and catch up on plenty of gossip.
6. Clean out your closets and drawers! Weeding through your “fat” and “thin” clothes is a perfect incentive for sticking to your diet. But before you go tossing out your comfy clothes, remember we all have bad days — those “big” clothes can come in handy.
7. Make a beeline for the local library or museum! Many of these places don’t permit food or drinks — a fact that makes them even more appetizing for dieters desperate to push food out of sight and mind. And leave your money at home. That way you won’t be snagged by the sinful snack bar on your way out or a fast-food joint on your way home.
8. Drink water! A tall glass of H2O will temporarily kill your cravings by giving your belly a pleasantly full feeling. It also will help you meet the daily 64-ounce intake recommended here at eDiets.
9. Master a puzzle or game! Find an activity that keeps your hands anywhere but near your mouth. If doing a puzzle is too mundane for your taste, why not lift hand weights or try some other form of quick, easy exercise?
10. Log on to eDiets.com! Between your meal plan, the bi-weekly newsletters, Worst Food mailer, chat rooms and bevy of bulletin boards, you should have enough resources to take your focus off feasting and put it back on staying healthy. No matter what time the binge strikes, eDiets is available… 24/7!