High Frequency Leadership with Samantha Warren 83: Chronic Overeating and Recovery with Ronni Robinson
In today's episode, I'm joined by my incredible friend, Ronni Robinson. Ronni is an Author and a former Iron Man Competitor, Triathlete, Spin Instructor and someone who has been a huge part in my eating disorder journey. Her recently released book, "Out of the Pantry" details her disordered journey that started in childhood and controlled her life the majority of her early adult life until she heard the phrase "compulsive overeater" and decided to make a change.
During our conversation, Ronni talks about the emotional void she experienced as a child from her family and how she used food to try and fill that void for so many years. From a young age, she was groomed not to question actions and started to hide her overeating from her parents any way she could. Patterns of her disordered eating began to develop and the older she got, the easier it became. Even after leaving an emotional abusive relationship and marrying her now-husband, Ronni continued the pattern. Her life was focused on food- when she could next eat, what she could eat. It wasn’t until she was watching TV one night where she saw the words “compulsive overeater” that it became clear what was happening. It had a name. From there, she developed the four main tools she needed to recover and began the journey of healing herself.
Ronni Robinson Top Takeaways:
Talking about it and naming it for what it is- an eating disorder- is so important. Until recently, the narrative around eating disorders was solely focused on anorexia and bulimia. So many of us didn’t understand that compulsive eating was a thing and that others were going through it as well. There is so much shame associated with it and it can be isolating. Knowing that you are not alone is a huge relief. By naming it and talking about it, you can start to understand what it is and how you can recover. It helps remove that shame and opens you up to healing.
Therapy is key to recovery. In discovering the “why” behind your disordered eating, you will come to understand your body and mind in new ways and respect what it has been through. Therapy will help you work through the issues that led to you using food as a coping mechanism and how those experiences shaped you. You can develop the inner tools you need to cope now and into the future.
Having a food plan was vital to Ronni’s recovery. Don’t work for a place of deprivation (she always ended the day with five Hershey’s kisses!). Think about how you can get the most out of your food, in both nutrition and quantity, with the least amount of calories. It will take time and early on, you will need to learn to trust yourself again around food. Calorie tracking can also help, especially in the early stages, when you are learning about food and what your body needs. Understand that food needs to be part of your life but it shouldn’t be the most exciting part.
Finding another way to fill the “void” that food filled. For Ronni, it was starting to compete in triathlons. Doing something out of your comfort zone will put the spotlight and your focus on something other than food. It can feel like a selfish choice but it is empowering. It’s about filling up your cup in a different way and finding the grounding practices that work for you.
Relevant Links
https://www.instagram.com/ronnirobwrites/