How to Cope with Compulsive Overeating with High-Protein Mini-Meals

If you're a compulsive overeater, you understand that it's not necessarily just the amount of food you consume that troubles you. In fact, many compulsive overeaters find that they eat small meals compared to their friends and family (although this isn't always the case). Quite often, a person with a food addiction is more concerned with the frequency of their grazing than with the amount consumed at any one given time, as well as the contents of their choices. It's not just about getting enough food to fill the stomach. It's about filling some void with carbohydrates. Only foods high in sugar, salt and fat seem to hit the spot. As a matter of fact, there is often a feeling of relief that hits once something high in carbohydrates is consumed. If that sounds like your battle, consider using high protein mini-meals to combat your addiction.

Before you start, understand that compulsive overeating cannot be treated through changes in the eating habits alone. You must also speak to your doctor about learning how to handle your emotions without food. With that being said and clearly understood, let's get to it.

To begin curbing some of that high calorie content and to start minimizing the damage that a high carbohydrate diet is doing to your body, start by scheduling four to six meals a day. Of course, these aren't going to be like the meals you are used to. Use a salad plate to give yourself a sense of what a mini-meal is, and never crowd the plate with food. Be sure that one third of the plate has a fiber and protein rich option on it to help curb cravings, and fill the rest with fruits, vegetables, dairy, or a whole wheat source. Remember, you will be eating frequently, so there is no need for snacks. The purpose of mini-meals is to have frequent, healthy fulfillment without going over caloric needs.

When preparing your mini-meals, keep in mind that the point is not merely to curb cravings, but also to get healthier. Many compulsive overeaters find that using high protein mini-meals isn't as effective as they'd hoped because they still feel tired, anxious, and overwhelmed. This is often due to the fact that while they are eating less, they are still eating badly. Consider your food groups each time you prepare your meals and be sure to give your body the nutrients it needs as you are learning how to cope with your compulsive overeating.

Next, give yourself a small "fix" of carbohydrates at two of your mini-meal times. If you attempt to completely deprive yourself, as you already know, your cravings and anxiety will go through the roof. Until you can learn how to deal with your emotions without food, you will likely need to allow yourself one or two "breaks" during your day.

Next, allow for imperfection as you transfer from high fat to high protein mini-meals. The purpose is to get better, not to be the model of perfect eating habits. Again, demanding perfection with scheduling, snack avoidance, and food choices is a setup for disaster. You will only cause more anxiety, increasing the "need" for carbohydrates to calm you down. Allow for mistakes from time to time, and keep going.

Finally, keep a list of what you eat during your mini-meals, how you felt before you ate each one, and how you felt afterward. Which meals seemed to satisfy you the most? Which ones left you craving something "better?" Are you still experiencing anxiety over food in much the same way? Talk to your doctor or nutritionist about which foods you feel are your weaknesses, which ones seem to satisfy, and how you can create a healthy combination of both (with moderation) over time as you learn to cope with the effects of compulsive overeating. The process is not quick or simple, but stay with it. Improvement, not perfection, is the key, and high protein mini-meals can keep you satisfied and calm until you are completely free from your addiction.