How Not To Binge Eat on The 4th of July

There are certain holidays that I call Binge Holidays. Oh yeah, there are all the typical ones, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve… But then – there are those sneaky Binge holidays that come up to bite you in the ass.. like Memorial Day, Superbowl Sunday, Labor Day, 4th of July, Superbowl Sunday…  Those holidays where people start drinking beer and eating potato chips and hotdogs at 11am and then pass out at 8pm and wake up the next morning for work feeling disoriented, bloated, hungover and all around crappy. 

Well Monday is one of our big American Binge Holidays. So here are some tips on how NOT to binge on the 4th of July.

1. Know that you, like every other American will be susceptible to a binge on Monday, so going into it with consciousness and an intention not to binge will help you to remember that you are holding an intention inside of you. 
2. Try to eat like it’s a regular day. Eat your breakfast, eat your lunch and eat your dinner. If you are at a barbecue, don’t graze– make one plate for yourself and fill it up with every interesting food that you want to eat. But then you’re done after your one plate. If desert is served- the same thing, one cupcake, one slice of water melon, etc. Just give yourself what you would give yourself for a “normal meal,” rather than an eat all day holiday meal.  If you are at an all day event– each lunch at lunch time and dinner at dinner time. 
3. Limit your alcohol intake. Binge Holidays are also Binge Drinking Holidays. And when people binge drink, they don’t eat much when they are out and about- but they do when they get home — alone and away from everyone. 
4. Don’t restrict. Often people will use restriction to keep themselves safe, but then they go home and binge after the barbecue. 
5. Really focus on connecting with people at the barbecue, talking to friends, etc. Look people in the eye and try to focus on them rather than the food or your beliefs about what people might be thinking of your body. 
6. Have fun! Try not to think of it as an eating holiday, but as a social holiday.  

How do you keep yourself safe on Binge Holidays? 

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