The Five W’s of Binging (Exercise 2)
Here is a quick, simple, and yet surprisingly effect exercise to pinpoint some hidden causes behind your emotional eating binges. Many of you are familiar with the Five W’s and have them already memorized, but if you don’t they are quite easy to learn! In this exercise you will select your last binge, and fill out the answer to these questions in your journal:
1. Who: Who was there when you were binging? who came to mind (if anyone) during your binge?
2. What: What did you binge on? what were you doing just before your binge? What were you thinking about? What were you feeling?
3. Where: Were you out friends? Alone? Talking to a specific person on the phone/online?
4. When: What time (or time of day) was it?
5. Why: Why do you think you may have turned to food in this particular case?
Try filling out the 5 W’s for the next week, even if you do not binge. Simply fill out the 5 W’s when you catch yourself fantasizing about food, thinking about overeating, geting the urge to overeat, or when you feel unusually hungry even after eating.
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