If you've listened to our podcast before, then you've heard us talk extensively about the fact that being kind to yourself can lead to remarkable personal growth and improved well-being. In this episode, Coach Georgie explores the reasons people are often overly critical of themselves and how this can hinder progress. Join us as we unravel the psychology behind self-criticism and the harmful effects it can have. You will learn why it's essential to acknowledge your achievements and the value of drawing lessons from both your wins and mistakes. Have you ever thought, "I know what to do, I just need to consistently do it"? Who hasn't? Sometimes we need accountability. Sometimes we need specific strategies, new tools, or a bit of help. If you want help to become a confident, sensible eater with 1:1 personalized attention, sign up at ConfidentEaters.com. 

This is a free preview of subscribers-only content! To unlock ALL the subscribers-only episodes with real clients and conversations, join us at georgiefear.com/podcast.Join Georgie with her real life client Brian, who has had a really good week. He has been making progress in utilizing the tools they have worked on together, like taking good care of his mental state and eating well. In this episode, Georgie helps Brian navigate how to continue to get better at navigating distress without turning to food as they review one instance he had of overeating at night. By helping Brian get to know himself better, like he would a friend or a partner, you will see how he is learning to play on the same team as himself in his recovery journey.  Have you ever thought, "I know what to do, I just need to consistently do it"? Who hasn't? Sometimes we need accountability. Sometimes we need specific strategies, new tools, or a bit of help. If you want help to become a confident, sensible eater with 1:1 personalized attention, sign up at ConfidentEaters.com. 

Right after an overeating incident or binge, once of the most helpful things to do is look back and consider what lessons we want to take from the experience. Maybe you discovered a situation you don't want to put yourself in again, or a choice you don't want to repeat. Or, perhaps your regrettable incident revealed a supportive routine, which when absent (like a good night's sleep) contributes to eating difficulty. So you chastise and remind yourself that you know better. But before long, you find yourself squarely seated in the same pool of regret, having been tripped up by the identical situation. Is there a way out of this frustration? Absolutely. Let's get to it. Sometimes we need accountability. Sometimes we need specific strategies, new tools, or a bit of help. If you want help to become a confident, sensible eater with 1:1 personalized attention, sign up at ConfidentEaters.com. 

This is a free preview of subscribers-only content! To unlock ALL the subscribers-only episodes with real clients and conversations, join us at georgiefear.com/podcast.Today you'll hear Georgie and real life client Rachel in a conversation about what Rachel can do to escape the "hamster wheel" of swearing she will not binge, but then doing it one more time. What can she think about differently? What can she tell herself? As it turns out, there are many opportunities for Rachel to try something new and helpful, even though her environment and history have created numerous challenges which she cannot eliminate. Have you ever thought, "I know what to do, I just need to consistently do it"? Who hasn't? Sometimes we need accountability. Sometimes we need specific strategies, new tools, or a bit of help. If you are want help to become a confident, sensible eater with 1:1 personalized attention, sign up at ConfidentEaters.com. 

"I'll get started... after a snack." "This is so overwhelming... I need candy." Life contains onerous tasks, and they can cause dread and anxiety even when we haven't begun them. Because avoiding a chore presents its own drawn out emotional torture, binge eating or procrastineating entices us to escape BOTH the task and the heavy guilt we feel for stalling. But as we know, binge eating or emotional eating are not perfect solutions, because they come at steep costs to our self-esteem and wellness. Let's explore real life tools you can use to save yourself from procrastination hell while breaking up with binge eating. Website recommended in this episode: https://www.raptitude.com/ 

"Now's my chance." "I'll be better tomorrow." "One last time." Thoughts like these can make you feel just a little more reactive, a little more tense, a little less settled. And frankly, they also make you more prone overeating or binging. In this episode, you'll learn to recognize when you slip into a scarcity mindset. More importantly, you'll learn how to prevent it and how to gently help yourself out of it. 

The sinking feeling of realizing you made a mistake can be awful. It can lead to panic, fear, embarrassment, and often, binge eating. Presumably you are already trying hard to not make mistakes, so what else can be done? A lot. Here are five precise things to do after you make a mistake to help you get back to your feet emotionally without bingeing. Ideally, try to do them right away. However, if you forget initially and do them later, they still work!

The following sequence of events may be all too familiar: You want to push yourself to do something different with food - maybe order a carb, eat the dressing, or enjoy dessert out in the open instead of in secret. So you gather your strength, recite a mantra or two, take the leap... and then feel mega guilty afterwards. What gives? This is what you wanted to do, and now instead of glowing with pride, you're feeling like hell over it. In this episode, we'll talk about this phenomenon, why it happens, and how to manage it so it never gets in your way again. Full steam ahead, you can smash that guilt and keep stepping forwards in your journey of breaking up with binge eating. 

"It's frustrating," says Kaitlyn. Who wouldn't be frustrated? Watching your mind circle around the next opportunity to eat like a moth doing laps around a garden light...is hardly the fully-lived life most of us want to be experiencing. Let's look at how we can help Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn has already made some progress, including a recent win with handling a stressful day without a binge. She's worried that it will be a single outlier experience, though, and wants more strategies to help her feel in control of her eating, as opposed to the sense that eating is in control of her.  Grab a pen because there are a lot of tips and strategies in this one hour conversation! To benefit from all of the real life recorded sessions, subscribe at georgiefear.com/podcast. For less than the cost of a pumpkin spice latte you can help yourself to expert direction and real world strategies that improve your life.  

Enrolment for the Breaking Up With Binge Eating coaching program starts this week for 7 days only! Learn more at https://www.nutritionloft.com/store (Sign ups for the group begin 10/5/22, the program starts 10/12/22).When it comes to problems in our lives (such as disordered eating or excess weight), we can create full-time jobs for ourselves just thinking about them. We can spend endless hours considering how this problem has worsened or changed over time, what contributed to it, whom can be blamed, and how fiercely we want things to be different. To make progress, we know that dwelling on it has to give way to action... but which action is the right one to take? We spell it out in this bite-sized episode. Here's a hint: Trying harder and beating ourselves up are not the helpful actions we are going for. 

Making a list of alternatives to turn to instead of food is an important step. (Don't count on yourself to be creative when you are in a moment of distress.) But what if you have a list and keep ignoring it? Let's ensure that your list is done right, and look for the stories or thoughts you might be telling yourself that are keeping you from changing. 

Does any type of food guideline, rule, or limit "set you off?" You're not alone. As a person's relationship with food heals, this type of food limit reactivity goes down. In other words, it becomes tolerable, then comfortable to experiment with waiting to eat for a short time, or choosing some foods more often than others... without alarms going off and causing binges. This process takes several months of gentle practice in a consistent, kind, and trusting atmosphere. Learn more in this episode. Subscribe to the premium channel for Bonus Episodes and Recorded Client SessionsHear the real conversations which move people past binge eating and emotional eating.Wouldn't you love to listen in on people's private nutrition counselling sessions? You can't anywhere else. But with a premium subscription to the Breaking Up With Binge Eating Podcast, that's exactly what you get. In addition to bonus episodes, subscribers receive recorded full length coaching sessions from Georgie and Maryclaire helping people just like you. You can hear the conversations, the questions and answers, and homework given.  It's the next best thing to sitting down with a private coach of your own. And it costs less than a pint of ice cream per month. Check it out. Visit GeorgieFear.com/podcast

Food limit reactivity is an issue that I often see in my clients. If you feel like the mere thought of eating less drives you into a panic, sparking an immediate desire to eat compulsively, you may be experiencing it. This state makes it all but impossible to lose weight, or follow food guidelines for the sake of your health. Let's explore it together in this episode. Subscribe to the premium channel for Bonus Episodes and Recorded Client SessionsHear the real conversations which move people past binge eating and emotional eating. Sign up at Georgiefear.com/podcastWouldn't you love to listen in on people's private nutrition counselling sessions? You can't anywhere else. But with a premium subscription to the Breaking Up With Binge Eating Podcast, that's exactly what you get. In addition to bonus episodes, subscribers receive recorded full length coaching sessions from Georgie and Maryclaire helping people just like you. You can hear the conversations, the questions and answers, and homework given.  It's the next best thing to sitting down with a private coach of your own. And it costs less than a pint of ice cream per month. Check it out. 

Subscribe to the premium channel for Bonus Episodes and Recorded Client SessionsHear the real conversations which move people past binge eating and emotional eating.Wouldn't you love to listen in on people's private nutrition counselling sessions? You can't anywhere else. But with a premium subscription to the Breaking Up With Binge Eating Podcast, that's exactly what you get. In addition to bonus episodes, subscribers receive recorded full length coaching sessions from Georgie and Maryclaire helping people just like you. You can hear the conversations, the questions and answers, and homework given.  It's the next best thing to sitting down with a private coach of your own. And it costs less than a pint of ice cream per month. Check it out.

Some of the topics we discuss in this episode include:  Why ignoring your wants causes problems  Why you can feel like you really want a particular food, but then be unsatisfied once you have it Why wanting something doesn't mean it's a good idea to eat it (or that it will make you happy)  Why we are poor at predicting how it will feel to have (or not have) something we want What to do when you want conflicting things at the same time

It's interesting how even if we hide to eat in total secrecy, we don't really have peace. Not when the voices in our minds tell us that we're pathetic, weak, being "bad," or that no one would love us if they only knew. In this episode we map out a plan for Julie to finally end the hiding and break out of the shame that has plagued her since her childhood. It's a juicy one! Book mentioned: "It wasn't your fault" by Beverly Engel. 

If you've counted calories for ages and have become afraid to stop, here's a guide. You don't have to do it all at once, you can do it in several gradual phases, laid out for you in this episode. 

What a conundrum: Nobody likes counting calories. But people are also afraid to stop. So they continue. The idea of being able to eat an appropriate amount for our bodies *by feel* seems like nirvana. But how can a person get to this promised land, if counting calories feels absolutely necessary?  Let me draw you a map. 

In this episode, we discuss the most common reasons people eat past the point of satisfaction. And with that knowledge in hand, we can go over exactly what you personally  can to work on to achieve more success with eating the perfect feel-good amount for your body. 

Subscribe to the premium channel for Bonus Episodes and Recorded Client SessionsHear the real conversations which move people past binge eating and emotional eating.Wouldn't you love to listen in on people's private nutrition counselling sessions? You can't anywhere else. But with a premium subscription to the Breaking Up With Binge Eating Podcast, that's exactly what you get. In addition to bonus episodes, subscribers receive recorded full length coaching sessions from Georgie and Maryclaire helping people just like you. You can hear the conversations, the questions and answers, and homework given.  It's the next best thing to sitting down with a private coach of your own. And it costs less than a pint of ice cream per month. Check it out.

Some people just don't realize how hurtful or insensitive it is to comment on your body. If seeing family feels like putting yourself out there to be picked on or judged, this episode will give you some techniques for surviving he conversation. You'll learn how to use humor to respond to poor manners, end gossip about other people's weight on the spot, and bring out the best in yourself rather trying to disguise your body to avoid criticism.

When decades of your life have been spent alternating between binge eating and dieting, it makes to not know how to eat "normally". Many people we work with are accustomed to following a rigid low-calorie meal plan, punctuated by periods of eating excessively.  But to lose the binges, we also need to kick the habit of rigid dieting to the curb. In this short episode, we'll clear up what foods are okay to eat, how much to aim to eat, and how to handle the ultimate question: "to have dessert, or not to have dessert?"

Have to do this. Can't eat that. Over and over, these mandates drive a person crazy. Many of clients say that it builds up over time, and they snap. They just want to eat and eat, in opposition to feeling pushed around by all the responsibilities and demands on them. They want to feel free, like they can have or do whatever they want in at least one small area of life. Can't food be the one place they get to cut loose? Subscribe to the premium channel for Bonus Episodes and Recorded Client SessionsHear the real conversations which move people past binge eating and emotional eating.Wouldn't you love to listen in on people's private nutrition counselling sessions? You can't anywhere else. But with a premium subscription to the Breaking Up With Binge Eating Podcast, that's exactly what you get. In addition to bonus episodes, subscribers receive recorded full length coaching sessions from Georgie and Maryclaire helping people just like you. You can hear the conversations, the questions and answers, and homework given.  It's the next best thing to sitting down with a private coach of your own. And it costs less than a pint of ice cream per month. Check it out.

While reliving fond memories can be a pleasant way of interacting with our past, many people's personal history also include trauma. I personally didn't realize how much the things that happen to us contribute to the people we are today, including the way we make food decisions and see our bodies. Until I started researching, and then I began to see how deep this topic really ran. Subscribe to the premium channel for Bonus Episodes and Recorded Client SessionsHear the real conversations which move people past binge eating and emotional eating.Wouldn't you love to listen in on people's private nutrition counselling sessions? You can't anywhere else. But with a premium subscription to the Breaking Up With Binge Eating Podcast, that's exactly what you get. In addition to bonus episodes, subscribers receive recorded full length coaching sessions from Georgie and Maryclaire helping people just like you. You can hear the conversations, the questions and answers, and homework given.  It's the next best thing to sitting down with a private coach of your own. And it costs less than a pint of ice cream per month. Check it out.

What is self-control and why does it break down from time to time? This episodes explores the influence of delay discounting, scarcity versus abundance, exaggerated food reward value, and more on our ability to have strong self-control and willpower when we need it most. Subscribe to the premium channel for Bonus Episodes and Recorded Client SessionsHear the real conversations which move people past binge eating and emotional eating.Wouldn't you love to listen in on people's private nutrition counselling sessions? You can't anywhere else. But with a premium subscription to the Breaking Up With Binge Eating Podcast, that's exactly what you get. In addition to bonus episodes, subscribers receive recorded full length coaching sessions from Georgie and Maryclaire helping people just like you. You can hear the conversations, the questions and answers, and homework given.  It's the next best thing to sitting down with a private coach of your own. And it costs less than a pint of ice cream per month. Check it out.

Subscribe to the premium channel for Bonus Episodes and Recorded Client SessionsHear the real conversations which move people past binge eating and emotional eating.Wouldn't you love to listen in on people's private nutrition counselling sessions? You can't anywhere else. But with a premium subscription to the Breaking Up With Binge Eating Podcast, that's exactly what you get. In addition to bonus episodes, subscribers receive recorded full length coaching sessions from Georgie and Maryclaire helping people just like you. You can hear the conversations, the questions and answers, and homework given.  It's the next best thing to sitting down with a private coach of your own. And it costs less than a pint of ice cream per month. Check it out.

Old behaviors can come butting into our lives, long after we have shown them the door. That's okay. In this episode you'll hear from Charlotte, who found that after months of zero binges, she fell back into that behaviour. In this episode you'll learn how we got her unstuck, past the rough patch, and back on the path she wants to be on. Put this episode in your mental pocket for the days when you need it. 

When we look at our reflection in the mirror, or at a photo of us taken recently, it's all-too-common to find flaws in our appearance that leave us unhappy. But looking at photos of ourselves from years ago, many people see themselves differently. "Why did I think I needed to lose weight? I looked fine!" In this episode we'll discuss why we view current images and old images of ourselves differently, and how to be less self-critical of our current selves. (Because you are awesome, and you always were). 

In this second episode on closing the gap between *knowing* and *doing*, Georgie shares more practical tips. You'll find out how to start on the bunny slope, go for partial credit instead of pass/fail, and manage emotions about the past which have - until today - held you back like an anchor. 

When you know what to do, but just aren't doing it, how do you get unstuck? Listen in for Georgie's advice on turning what you *want to do* into what you are *actually doing*. In this episode you'll hear about some of the psychological factors that explain why we resist doing things we know would help us closer to our goals. And, you'll learn some specific strategies to get out of your own way. You aren't broken, resistance is a natural part of the recovery process. And it's one we can beat. 

Mystifying. Puzzling. Baffling. We could use any of these adjectives to describe the phenomenon of knowing what to do to make ourselves feel better - and not doing it. It's one thing to not know. But when it's right there, you know it's doable and that it's effective, what the heck is it getting in the way? Fear not, you are absolutely not the only person to experience this, and we've got tips to help. 

“Maybe it means I really just need to find some willpower!”" I worry that my struggling with the workload means I’m not cut out for this job.” (That was Brian.)“If I crave a burger, does it mean I need nutrients, like iron?” All these people wanted to know, “what does this behavior or feeling or craving, mean?” Our searching for meaning can lead us off the path of growth if we start to attach incorrect meanings to things. In today’s episode, we’ll talk about binges, cravings, slip ups and emotions, and what they all mean. And in some cases, what they don’t mean. 

What if urges to binge eat or compulsively raid the cabinets didn't feel so... urgent? What if they were weak, flimsy thoughts that passed by? In this episode, we'll talk about how changing your perspective can help you successfully pass on things which used to trigger uncontrolled eating.

With so much information coming us during every waking hour, we  naturally pay more attention to some data than others. But left unchecked, your mind may focus on prioritizing the wrong type of information. In this episode we'll talk about how to discover what kind of filtering your mind might do, and how get rid of any unhelpful filters that create a biased view of the world. 

Taking stock of our past often leads us to conclude that the future will be a repetition: same struggles, same mistakes, same old patterns. But that line of reasoning has a crucial flaw. In this episode we explore the most beneficial perspective to take when it comes to your future, and what you can be absolutely certain of. 

Cognitive distortions are part of the “launch sequence” you could say, leading up to binge or emotional eating.  The idea of eating a lot of food isn’t itself compelling, but it’s these sabotaging thoughts - which are kind of like little lies - that nudge you into doing it by saying that it’s a good idea, that it will help you feel better, that it will give you the rest and comfort you need and that you deserve it. That you’re going to fail at being healthy anyway so why bother trying? When we improve these thought patterns to remove the distortions, the idea of binge eating or emotionally eating isn’t as attractive, it’s more like an idea you can just pass on. So let's uncover the truth behind the natural phenomenon of cognitive distortion. 

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. 

Maybe there is actually nothing "wrong with you". Maybe it's okay that you slipped up. Maybe you can help yourself feel better instead of choosing to make yourself feel worse. Dare to be compassionate by learning more in this episode. 

It's normal to have confidence which varies depending on the context. But for many people who struggle with emotional eating or binge eating, feeling inferior to someone else can cause the intense anxiety and self-consciousness that makes a person head for the pantry.  In this episode, we'll talk about the 4 options you have in that scenario. 

Want to see yourself making more progress? Want to feel stronger and more motivated on a daily basis? It's all in the words you use. In this episode we'll touch on the key phrases you'll want to start using, and which terms you'll want to strike from your vocabulary to leave binge eating and emotional eating far behind you. 

If I were your fairy godmother, I'd wave my magic wand and get you out of every crappy situation: marathon Zoom meetings, the splitting headache days, I'd even get you out of hangovers and bad dates. But... (sigh) I can't stop life from being distressing at times. What I can do, is help you avoid the situations you can save yourself from, and give you some tools to get through the aggravations in your life without emotionally eating or binge eating. 

Feeling stuck or helplessly trapped in a distressing situation is one of our clients' most troubling setups. You might feel "stuck" when you are physically confined somewhere you don't want to hang out (thanks, quarantine), or when you are expected to be a certain way that feels unnatural and effortful. You might feel stuck in a role where the responsibilities feel like too much at times. In this episode, we'll cover some skills for managing these totally normal feelings, and how you can persevere and come out the other side without food as your chaperone. You got this. 

What if you could make an urge wither as soon as it started, so it never gained power from the start? Then they wouldn't overpower you, boss you around, or heckle you. You could go back to living your life, and eating the way you want to. In this episode we'll cover exactly how to do just that. 

The road to a regrettable eating experience has some signs. One of them reads, "MIGHT AS WELL!" with a big arrow pointing to food and drink. But you don't need to follow those signs. You've got a steering wheel, and this is anything but a one way street! 

In this episode, Georgie tells a story of how her inner quitter got the upper hand - but was proven to be a liar. And since then, it's never held the same power over her. "You can't make it. You are sunk. Just quit." Everyone has heard that defeatist voice at times, including the people who succeed! Here's how to handle those thoughts. 

Healthy relationships make us feel alive and nurtured. Dysfunctional or tumultuous relationships, on the other hand are zero fun! If the dynamic between you and food vacillates between love and hate, friendship and enmity, here's how to iron it out so you can enjoy a stable, healthy alliance which allows your mind and body to thrive. 

You've tried to improve your health by eating less. Sitting less. Getting less upset, and being less emotional. You wonder if you can make fewer excuses or be less lazy. Or if a new workout you hate would help get rid of more calories. But if it hasn't worked - I'd like you to try MORE. The pervasive problem is not overindulgence but that we are too skimpy with meeting our own needs!  Millions of women's food problems are manifestations of not having enough in other areas of our lives. And those eating problems quiet when we refill our shortages to abundance. In this episode, I'll reveal 6 areas that I'd like you to consider. If your needs are being less than 100% met in any or all of the areas - let's do something about it! You deserve MORE. Sink your teeth into my exciting new book, Give Yourself MORE: https://www.otpbooks.com/product/give-yourself-more/

We know how it is. You're trying to stop certain behaviors. Trying hard."No more nibbling crackers," you tell yourself. Or "I have to stop going for second bowls of ice cream." Or, "I shouldn't be eating the kid's cookies."But life gets nutty. We get stressed, become angry or tired and head over to the pantry... here we go again. The secret to changing this behavior is to give yourself a better tool than just "trying". Because, you might try and try forever without actually changing - if all you do is try. In this episode, we'll talk about what exactly you need to do THIS WEEK and NEXT WEEK, if you want to see a real change. 

Sometimes it's shocking to see just how different the world has become in a relatively short period of time. There are some important considerations in today's episode, about how the world you live in today is fundamentally different from one that you lived in when you first began binge eating - and we'll talk about why your chances for recovery have never been better.

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. 

Most of us know what it's like to be let down by our bodies. We compare them to other bodies in terms of how they look, how well they perform at sports or at the gym, or how they hold up against health problems. And often, we shake our heads in disappointment at how this clump of cells we call home is doing. "Can't you just be BETTER, body? Sheesh!"Being harshly critical is a default setting for many of us, but is it actually doing us any favours? In this episode we'll look at taking a more compassionate approach to how you relate to your body. 

Is the cure for binge to discover and fill your emotional voids? Nope! In this episode, Georgie takes a look at what this term even means, and provides some more useful specifics on how positive and negative emotions relate to binge eating recovery differently for different people. 

What we believe we look like can be highly distorted from what other people see. Similarly, the importance we place on attractiveness can grow like a weed in our minds - unless we correct it from time to time. In this episode we'll cover how you can see yourself realistically, and have a healthy view of your appearance's true importance.  

Stopping eating when we feel satisfied is simple, in theory. But if you've tried it, you know that in real life it can be anything but simple! In this episode Georgie covers how to develop the skill through 6 steps. Whether you have no idea what satisfied feels like, or if you sense the feeling struggle with obeying it, you'll find answers in this episode. Learn more about Breaking Up With Binge Eating at NutritionLoft.com. 

To keep binges at bay, it's best -- at least initially -- to eat frequently enough and avoid getting hungry. But as you probably guessed, that can prevent weight loss if you kept it up forever. What's a person to do if they want to eventually be able to lose weight? In this episode, we walk you though the steps we use with our clients to move away from binge eating and towards a healthy lifetime weight, getting to know and relate to hunger in new, positive, healthy ways. 

Most people who join our coaching program don't just want to recover from binge eating or emotional eating, they also want to lose weight! But as many people have discovered, trying to choose weight loss behaviours often triggers binge eating. This raises the question, "how will I ever lose weight in the future if right now I need to eat so often (and without any form of limits) to avoid binge eating?" The answer: Right now you may need frequent meals and snacks and absolutely zero limitations to stay binge-free, but it won't always be that way.  If you build up your skills through practice, in the future you will be able to handle more challenges and stay binge free, including things that might overwhelm you today. In this episode we share a progression of emotional skills. These are the type of things that our clients learn BEFORE they move anywhere near a calorie deficit. When you have these skills built up, you are more able to resist binge eating in the future, and are in a better place to take small steps towards losing weight.So if you want to lose weight in the future, take the time to master this progression, step by step. Keep your current focus not bingeing, and building up your emotional power, and you'll be ready for the weight-management progressions coming up in the next few episodes! 

One of the most common triggers for binge eating or emotional eating is being in distress. In a previous episode we covered alternative actions you can take to feel better - but in this episode we explore what sort of internal dialog works to de-escalate our fears, stress and tension from the inside out! This skill will allow you to become someone who can comfort yourself without needing other people to reassure you all the time. You won't need to numb or distract yourself with food when you are having a hard time, because you will know exactly how to pick yourself up, like a best friend would. These four simple steps will make you stronger, as soon as you start using them. 

It can feel like it comes out of "nowhere". One minute we are fine and the next we are shoving Oreos into our mouth as fast as we can. How does this sudden and complete shift happen? Why does a meltdown sneak up on us so easily?Knowing how to pick up on the right signals ahead of time means you can prevent yourself from attacks of runaway eating. You can keep your cool, and defuse the tension before it explodes.But if you don't know where or when to look for the warning signs, of course you'll keep being caught off guard, and keep suffering from tsunami emotions that knock you over without warning. That's no good! Let's start today with learning more about which silent signals you want to pay attention to, so you can stay steady, in-control, and binge-free.

We love to be in control. We get to do what we want, then!  But sometimes, it feels like we aren't actually calling the shots over what we get to eat.  And that's frustrating and angering. It can seem like the circumstances of your job or family situation are screwing you over, or that you are powerless in the face of your emotions or urges. In this episode we'll talk about how to handle those moments, and all the choices you have which you might not even have known about. Plus, we'll talk about how to squash rebelliousness for good, so it never derails you from you eating intentions again! 

Heading to party? Whether it's a bridal shower, holiday shindig, or a birthday bash, there's likely to be cake. Or cookies. Or both. And maybe candy too. For someone who feel vulnerable around these types of foods, their mere presence can ruin your night! Either you spend your entire evening gritting your teeth trying to NOT TOUCH THEM, or you eat one, sneak another, and end up sliding down the slope of "what's one more?" and eating who knows how many. But it doesn't have to be this way. Other people just like you have navigated parties with sweets and come home feeling good about how it went. In this episode we go through our top 5 tips for staying in control of your choices at a party with ample desserts. 

Emotional eating or binge eating often begins with a very normal human need: a need for comfort. Nothing in the world is more natural than wanting to feel better! Yet feeling like we need comfort can leave us unsure of what to do. Is it a sign we are too needy? Do we deserve comfort? What will help if we don't use food? In this episode we'll walk through exactly what to do when you are in need of comfort, in 3 steps. 1. We'll cover how to make peace with the fact you need comfort, instead of wondering what's wrong with you. 2. We'll roll out the map so you know where you can get it. (We'll talk through tons of ideas in this episode, including how food can actually help!) 3. We'll cover how to get it, when life may have placed some obstacles in your way. You and your happiness are worth it. 

Somewhere in between ultra-rigid control and "screw it" eating, there lies a land of peaceful, healthy eating. In this episode, we'll go over how to land in this feel-good place, where you break free of thinking about weight loss all the time, and yet still choose food like you care about yourself. You CAN lose the obsession with your weight and still give a damn about what you eat. And it feels incredibly good to do so! 

Why do I binge eat? Why don't other people develop this same habit? And most importantly, what needs to change so I can STOP? We answer these questions and more in this episode of the Breaking Up With Binge Eating podcast. (Plus there's a special announcement on how to fast track your success). Binge eating is a cycle. It is most commonly initiated and continued because of two factors:  Physical drivers  Emotional drivers In this episode we'll talk about how individuals vary in their personal "fingerprint". You own struggles might be mostly due to #1, mostly #2, or a solid mix of both. Regardless, there is a way to meet your needs better, and we'll show you how. 

It happens. Slip ups are not the end of the world, but if you do binge, you'll need to know how to get back on track without extending our suffering! In this episode we'll talk about the do's (practice self-compassion, get back to your normal schedule) and don'ts (beat yourself up, isolate yourself, skip meals, or keep bingeing/restricting) for getting back on your feet. 

At some point, you'll have to tackle an urge to binge eat. In fact, you'll probably need to face urges many time during your recovery. In this episode you'll learn our 3 part method for exactly what to do as soon as you notice you are experiencing an urge. 

In this episode you'll hear a detailed, personal account from someone who has been in your shoes. You'll hear the key lessons learned by a real life client as she worked to free herself from binge eating. Her story is inspiring, heartwarming, and encouraging. 

Emotional skill development is being uncovered as one of the crucial pieces to successfully treating and preventing eating problems. Without it, people simply don’t get better, or they get better for a short time and relapse when life gets hard again. Sadly, few weight management programs and “experts” use these skills in their treatment approach, opting instead to focus on food, food, food. If your personal history includes being given food directions, diet programs, and eating advice ad nauseam, yet no direction on how how skillfully deal with your feelings, you deserve better! Let it fuel your hope that you can and will get better - you just haven't been given the right tools before. And today, that starts changing. 

Clients often ask Maryclaire and I, “What are the usual signs that someone is making progress overcoming binge eating?" It makes sense; of course we want to know how we are doing! If you have wondered this too, perfect, because we’re getting right to those signposts in today’s episode.  

The smell hits you before you walk in the door: tacos. The Mexican music emanating from the brightly colored restaurant sounds cheerful and inviting, and you can't wait to run your fingers through the water droplets on the outside of an ice cold margarita glass. "This night with my friends is going to be so much fun," you think. "And some fun, is exactly what I need."Five hours later, fun is exactly the last word you would use to describe what you're feeling. You are bloated, stuffed, laying on the couch with your face mashed into the fabric. The citrusy drinks and salsa have left a sour taste in your throat, and your stomach is distended with an entire basket of chips, plus your tacos, part of your friend's shrimp burrito, and fried ice cream for dessert, even though you were already full. And when you got home, you went right to the pantry, scooping handfuls of cereal out of the box, crunching graham crackers, and finishing off the packet of cookies in front of the tv. You are miserable, ashamed, sick to your stomach and sick of this life. And yet, you know feeling this awful physical pain, self-hate and regret so many times before hasn't stopped you from doing it. And that's a frightening thought. If this amount of suffering hasn't made you change, what will? Answering that question is what today’s episode is all about.

Many people who come to Nutrition Loft wanting to permanently stop binge eating also want to be thinner. And they want to get right down to business seeing the pounds head for the hills.  But the expert in us coaches knows better and today, we’ll explore why we need to start with something that is NOT weight loss to free someone from binge eating, and in the long run, end their weight problems. Along the way, we'll talk about why dieting and weight control efforts so often backfire by worsening binge eating disorder.  We'll also explore how changing how you think about your choices can make weight loss possible down the road. 

Crying in dressing rooms. Afraid to go to a formal dinner. Never going to the beach. Body hatred can be cruel, and it's something most people have felt at least once in their lives. But we don't have to feel it in the future.This episode is for anyone out there who has ever felt not good looking enough. In it, you'll hear how you aren't alone, plus we'll share tactics for shifting your perspective on your body's role in your life. We'll give you some concrete steps you can use to begin a friendlier new relationship with your body. 

Megan thought she could bring an apple in her backpack, but to lose weight she heard snacking between meals was a bad idea. But she knew her main goal wasn’t weight loss, it was to not binge. So… should she snack or no?She began to fill with dread. Her chest tightened."You ok?" Her boyfriend asked. "You looked so happy a few minutes ago, but all of a sudden you look … miserable."  If you can relate to Megan’s stress, you’re not alone. Today’s show is all about answering that crucial question: “If my main goal is not to binge, how often should I be eating?”