Breaking Up With Binge Eating

Somewhere in time, many of us got the idea that we "should be" able to perform certain tasks. We might base it on the idea that everyone else can do X, therefore we ought to as well. Or we might reason that after working on recovery for so long and investing so much effort and money, it's only appropriate that we have gained certain abilities by this date or we are behind schedule. When it comes to food and body image challenges, these tasks might be bringing tempting foods into the house, checking out fitness accounts on social media, weighing ourselves, or starting a new diet program or cleanse. "Yes this will be a challenge, but I should be able to handle it." What should you be able to handle, anyway? Are you tempting fate with that jumbo bag of chips, or just trying to be a normal person? This episode might make you reconsider some of your own ideas. 

"I just want to eat". You've probably had this thought as you're considering all the other things you could choose from in this moment. But you're tired. It's been a hard day. You don't want those other things as much as you want food. In this episode, you'll find the tools you need to manage the moment successfully.  (You adaptable, thought-shifting superhero, you. )

Heading back to work after a holiday is prime time for a wave of overwhelm. Feeling overwhelmed includes feeling small, incapable, confused, and frustrated. And unfortunately, many of us end up in this state on a daily or weekly basis! A sense of overwhelm might have sent you searching for food in the past, but it doesn't have to. Listen for a 5 step guide to managing your OMG situations, and you'll hear how a real-life client used it in her own success. 

Have you had any "wow, this sucks" moments lately? If so, know this: it's a sign you are making progress if you feel intense emotions. Maybe they are more intense than ever before. It means at least in this moment, you haven't numbed or distracted yourself with food. Getting through these moments is hard, but it's worth it. Choosing to grow means choosing to experience feelings, and it often feels worse to sit and feel without going to food, but it pays off later that night, the next morning, and for the rest of your life. 

If you have a rocky past when it comes to potato chips, should you banish them from your home forever? What if your trigger food is chocolate -- does that mean you must never buy m&m's again? Or can you only call yourself 'recovered' when you can have your trickiest foods at home and not binge on them? In this episode we'll talk about how your relationships with specific foods may have turned abusive, but you can reset them! With a few sequential steps,  you'll form a new dynamic that is healthier, happier, peaceful, and binge free.

Being tired is one of the most common triggers for binge eating. And when we feel "tired" most people are experiencing not just physical fatigue, but also the emotional drain of dealing with responsibilities, challenges and... life! In this episode we'll talk about what makes our brains so sensitive to immediate gratification from food in that state. And I'll teach you a skill which helps avoid the whole loop of fatigue --> binge --> regret. 

There's nothing quite as upsetting as noticing someone is in distress and being able to do NOTHING about it. All too often, that person is us. We might notice through self-monitoring (see prior episode) that we are having a hard time, or just barely surviving, but draw a blank on what to do. Today we'll cover the 5 basic psychological needs introduced in the last show and some suggestions for what actions you can do if you are struggling in each area. 

We crave data. We journal our workouts, log physical measurements, and take interest in our gadgets' feedback on our steps counts and hours of sleep. But without insight into our psychological health, we suffer a major big blind spot. Staying aware of how we're doing psychologically gives us an edge in preventing and ending binge eating and emotional eating. In this episode you'll learn about 5 of your psychological needs, how to tell when we are replete or running low, and how this awareness helps us end binge eating. 

When even the thought of cutting back on carbs makes you crave bagels...Or the mental image of plain rice and canned tuna sends you straight to the vending machine... Or you consider restarting macro counting, but would rather do your own appendectomy...You've got diet burnout. And that is actually a good thing. You'll see why in this episode.  

At points in your journey you might find yourself not progressing or taking action, seemingly paralyzed. In this episode you'll meet Jackie and find out the perfectly logical reason she was stalled, and the solution we uncovered.