How can I stop the binge-purge cycle?

Its good if you can seek some help by a doctor to know exactly what to do to stop binge - purge cycle and also how to deal with the after effects.

Set yourself small goals like: I'm going to eat X thing and keep it down. Try to resist binging if possible, but whatever you eat try not to feel guilty about it, because guilt is the main emotion that motivates the desire to purge

You must realise that binging can be dealt with healthily by having strict discipline, exercising and compensation of diet over the next few days/week (eating lesser fats/sugar/salt) - purging is an unhealthy way out. Eventually, you can deal with binging by controlling the amount you eat (noting down how much you eat), planning your meals ahead, having the right amount of serving and etc. All that can be done if you put your heart to it. However, if you feel like you're constantly falling back into the cycle: seek professional help. Learn of the after-effects of purging. If you've been doing this, you must notice that your throat, mouth and esophagus might feel like it's even burning when you purge. Please do not overlook this at all, the acid (ph2- highly acidic) in your stomach eventually causes damage to the parts of your body that doesn't have the right mucous to protect it. Seek immediate professional help if you feel the burning sensation throughout the day. Take care of yourself and remember, healthy diets are eventually rewarding :)

Keeping yourself distracted and busy is often a useful tool when trying to overcome the binge/purge cycle, keeping your mind away from food can be very beneficial. One method of trying to overcome the urge to binge is to sit and allow the feelings of needing to binge to wash over you, sit there and focus on that feeling, and try to identify why you are feeling it, remember that the urge can and will go away. Try to forgive yourself after a binge, focusing on your "failures" often leads to more binging, forgiving yourself if crucial in trying to get rid of the "all or nothing" mentality.

Start by eating frequently throughout the day rather than eating a ton a one sitting. Talk to a dietitian or nutritionist and get feedback about portion control. Maybe making a food log can help you see what you are eating in a day right down what feeling you experienced. Hopefully this will help reduce the urge to purge.

Try to look at food for what it actually is, nourishment for our bodies, instead of attaching emotional thoughts or feelings to it, food wont make you feel better or worse, food is there simply to keep us alive, and food should be enjoyed for this reason no as a punishment or a reward for feelings or behaviour, setting a routine is the key and making sure its enjoyable, change your thoughts towards food and your feelings will follow.