Breaking Up With Binge Eating

It seems paradoxical that having a very full stomach would cause a sudden urge to ... eat even more. Yet it's one of the most common triggers for people who struggle with binge eating! Most people trying to stop binge eating approach this problem the wrong way, but in this episode we'll clear up how to break the chain effectively, for good. 

"I can't seem to stick with something.""I keep trying to stop reading the phone at night." "I should be getting our for more walks." These all ways we express our desires to form new habits. We would love healthy behaviours to be automatic and easy, the sort of thing we do without straining. We aspire to extinguish pesky old habits that keep us from our goals. Does it take a miracle to make these wishes into actual lasting changes? No. It takes the 6 action steps we outline in this episode. (And none of them are "trying harder", so you can cross out that idea!) 

The pressure to maintain a perfect binge-free streak can be our undoing. When we start stringing together binge-free days, instead of feeling relaxed, we can become the opposite: edgy, uneasy, waiting for the whole thing to unravel (again). The desire to escape that mounting pressure can be the factor which drives us to binge again, if only to get relief. In this episode, we'll talk about how to deflate that pressure without turning to food. Phew! 

Body acceptance: it sounds positive, but also like it might conflict with having goals of changing our bodies. Here's how the two concepts fit together - and why there are actually TWO completely different meanings of body acceptance. Which one is right for you? 

How can a person cope with living in an emotionally intense environment? Well, we can eat or distract ourselves literally all day long, or we can try something called Making Space. This episode will give you a key strategy to access the fun, laughter and connection that is out there in the world while honouring the reality that life can be hella hard!

We can look to history for examples of how humans have withstood major crises. A global pandemic may be a first for us personally, but other generations have had certainly undergone tragedies and tests. The British kept morale high and fostered a fighting spirit which increased in intensity while London sustained nearly two months of daily bombing. How? In this episode, we'll look at how the human spirit has triumphed over ugly stuff in the past, and what modern psychology can teach us about handling the stresses we find ourselves facing today. We're with you every step of the way. 

Stressful times can knock us on our butts. Upheaval and life drama have the power to derail our health and fitness habits and leave us taking not-so-good care of our bodies. In this episode we cover 3 keys to getting through the stressful phase, as well as the recovery phase which follows. 

Intuitive Eating is one approach to food that helps people find an alternative to binge eating and dieting. But sometimes, the message to eat whatever your intuition tells you to only ends up in weight gain. That's not what anyone is after. Some recovery groups have spread the notion that a person should ALWAYS eat something if they want it, immediately, because anything else is restriction, the hallmark of dieting.  And if you restrict, they say, you'll keep bingeing. But I say otherwise. In this episode you'll learn why it's actually harmful to recommend that a person eat EVERYTHING they want the moment they want it. I'll discuss how it gets in the way of reaching a healthy bodyweight, and bars someone from feeling capable and empowered to make food decisions. We can do better, so much better. 

Do you care about the size and shape of your body? Of course you do! Do you care too much about the size and shape of your body? Well now, that's a harder question. In this episode we'll look at what researchers call "overconcern with weight and shape" and how we address it with our clients. The goal isn't to totally stop caring about your shape or size. But if appearance and weight concerns currently dominate your day-to-day existence, listen up! Some totally non-painful adjustments can mean having more money, time and brainpower to enjoy a full, more meaningful life -- and leave you closer to the people you care about. 

We teach our clients to use a 3-D process to get past urges to binge. Delay, Distract, and Decide. But if you currently have a hard time trusting yourself, it doesn't feel super-meaningful to "decide that you aren't going to give in". Clearly, we need to build up trust in ourselves to make this or any other promise and feel solid in our commitment. In this episode you'll learn what builds trust, what destroys trust, and what you can do this week to strengthen your self trust - no matter how low it has fallen in the past. Your story is not over.