The Surprising Hidden Reason For Your Binge Eating
34m
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The Innovative Therapist
·
Episode 80. What do you think is the reason for your binge eating or emotional eating? And when I say binge eating, what I mean is any eating you are doing where you feel even slightly out of control, guilty about it, feel like you "should" restrict certain foods, have certain food rules (even if they feel like they are "healthy" rules). Any and all of that is a form of disordered eating, and although it's very normalized, it does not need to be your reality. What to Expect in this Episode: My Iceberg Analogy for eating behavior (and why it works for almost any behavior) What types of things keep us stick in the binge eating cycle The most common mistakes that keep us stuck for years longer than we want to be Tangible steps to get yourself unstuck "I am binge eating because..." Most people when they come to work with me, or hear what I do have some sense of what they think might be causing their binge eating. They probably don't know for sure, but they have some guesses. Here are some of them: I just need to have more self control, more willpower (aka I'm weak) I am addicted to sweets or carbs (aka something is wrong with my brain, and therefore me) "No childhood sh*t, I just need some strategies." Have you seen Brene Brown's Ted Talk on the Power of Vulnerability? If not, it's time to become one of the 18 million views it's gotten at the time of this writing and recording. She said something that always makes me laugh: "No childhood sh*t, I just need some strategies." I can soooo relate to this. As a psychologist and a science minded person, I so badly wanted to be able to fix my emotional pain with books, learning, and strategies. All the Strategies in the World Won't Help If You Don't Address the Root Cause But guess what? All the best strategies in the world won't help if you don't get to the root of the issue. And as it turns out, most of our pain comes from childhood sh*t, or other early experiences. Although some of our pain may come from painful interactions as an adult. So while strategies may provide some Band-aid type relief, it's unlikely to solve the root of the issue. Examples of possible Band-aid fixes as it relates to our eating habits: Getting a new eating plan, meal prep strategy, reading a new book (e.g., Paleo, plant-based) Joining a new gym Eating to cover up our emotions or discomfort The Issue with Dieting The thing that is so confusing to so many, and was confusing to me, is that we see the surface behavior only. The "tip of the iceberg" if you will. I've had many people tell me lately that they are trying a new approach for their eating. The most common one lately is intermittent fasting. But the other common one is eating less gluten or carbohydrate heavy foods. But there are subtle things that I hear, that suggest to me their new plan is unlikely to work. Not because the plan is bad necessarily. I know a few people who do a lower gluten diet without any diet mentality at all, and they feel good. But I hear things like: "I really should be eating better, [and I'll work on it soon]" (diet mentality) "I can't lose weight because I continue to eat or drink [enter any food perceived as unhealthy here]" (self-blame and shame) "I just need to return to a more consistent schedule." (suggests to me that the eating plan they chose wont work for them long-term) "I've lost X amount of lbs so far." (indicates that they are focused on weight loss, versus internal motivators) When really, it's the stuff underneath the water's surface that's keeping us stuck. There's Nothing Wrong with You, and You Can Act More Skillfully People often also think that something is wrong with their character. Like something about them is defective. They also usually think that they need to just "control themselves" and "make a plan." Some of them might think there's some pain or traumatic expe...
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Working With Your Inner Critic To Build Healthy Habits
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How to Discuss Weight With Your Doctor with Dr. Emily Cordes, DO
Episode 83. We talk a lot on this podcast about the harmful ways weight is discussed in medical settings. But what about the harm that's caused when weight isn't discussed at all? I sat down with Dr. Emily Cordes, DO to have this important conversation. Dr. Cordes was trained in a traditional medical setting as a primary care physician. However, she quickly realized that this path wasn't giving her what she needed as a professional. And she learned this, partly because she realized she wasn't getting what she needed as an individual. Tune in to this great conversation all about how to understand the field of medicine and feel empowered to get your needs met within it. We cover a lot in this conversation including: How Emily went from conventional medical training to functional medicine (and why) Weight is seen in medical training as a risk factor and why it isn't as emotionally charged as it is in our culture as a whole How training in a culture of body positivity and inclusivity has impacted younger physicians How traditional conversations makes it almost impossible to address weight related concerns in an effective way Why many physicians opt out of the weight conversation entirely, and how that can do a big disservice What she recommends in terms of making sure root causes are not missed and having respectful conversations about weight I realized that what medicine could offer me personally, wasn't going to get me out of the way I felt. Dr. Emily Cordes, DO Ready to Stop Going it Alone? One of my biggest regrets in life is not seeking good therapy sooner. You deserve to feel truly guided on your relationship with food and your body. MindBodyHealth is an incredible practice led by my great friend and colleague Dr. Sapna Dosh. This wonderful group of psychologists and dietitians provide evidence-based therapy in person in Washington DC and Arlington VA, and via teletherapy in over 30 states across the United States. Go to MindBodyVA.com to set up your free consultation call and get matched with an excellent and totally vetted therapist today! Be sure to let them know the Motivation Made Easy podcast sent you. Your future self will thank you. Support Local Bookstores Near You! Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025? Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. They have raised over 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books! My recent favorite related to achieving a deeper level of healing is No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model. This book and model of therapy has been very helpful to me personally and I'm also using it with clients and seeing great results. So if you believe in supporting local businesses and want to support m blog and podcast, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on! The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link. Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship. Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).
The Truth about Binge Eating and Weight Loss Surgery
Episode 82. A common question I get from people considering weight loss surgery is "will bariatric surgery help with binge eating?", or "can I actually practice intuitive eating or a non-diet approach to eating after surgery"? or "How can I try to get rid of diet mentality if I have to follow a specific diet?" These are excellent questions and today you will get all my thoughts on these topics. Not interested in learning about weight loss surgery? Totally cool. However, you might want to stay tuned because a lot of this topic will still apply to you. The second question is actually relevant regardless of whether you have weight loss surgery, or, have another medical condition were a specific eating pattern is recommended (e.g., avoiding gluten for those with Celiac disease, minimizing dairy for those who have a degree of lactose intolerance, or reducing intake of animal protein for those who have heart disease or want to protect animal rights). What to Expect In This Episode The most common questions I get about bariatric (aka weight loss surgery) and intuitive eating What the research says about weight loss surgery and intuitive eating How autonomous motivation fits into all of this What you need to know if you or someone you love has had surgery or is considering it Ready to Break the Binge Eating Cycle for Good? Ready to stop avoiding and break the binge eating cycle for good? The first step is to disrupt the cycle. My free practical guide has 23 positive ideas for things to do instead of eating. Don't worry, you wont find the standard diet culture BS advice (take a walk, have some water!) Take the first step to finally stop binge eating and grab my free practical guide today! Grab my free guide to disrupt the cycle of emotional and binge eating today! Weight Loss Surgery & Intuitive Eating - Can They Be Friends? At first glance, these fields may seem like complete opposites. How on earth can you "reject the diet mentality" and still pursue a surgery that requires a specific diet and imposes long-term limitations (often) on what it's recommended that you eat, and the amount that feels comfortable to eat with your post-surgical stomach? I get the confusion. And frankly, this topic is controversial and not everyone will agree with me on this. That said, I definitely do think that you can learn or re-learn to be an intuitive eater before or after having bariatric surgery. In fact, our conversation just last episode with Amy Braden is living proof of this. To check on this, let's review the 10 principles of Intuitive Eating. Reject the diet mentality. Honor your hunger. Make peace with food - including unconditional permission to eat. Challenge the food police. Discover the satisfaction factor. Feel your fullness. Cope with your emotions with kindness. Respect your body. Movement - feel the difference. Honor your health - gentle nutrition. Easier to Swallow? No Pun Intended It seems to me that the principles of honoring hunger and fullness, and coping with your emotions with kindness are likely less controversial. This is consistent with principles of mindful eating and awareness, and in my experience, most people whether or not they have had surgery, are on board with these concepts. Reject the Diet Mentality Quote from Intuitive Eating website: Throw out the diet books and magazine articles that offer you the false hope of losing weight quickly, easily, and permanently. Get angry at diet culture that promotes weight loss and the lies that have led you to feel as if you were a failure every time a new diet stopped working and you gained back all of the weight. If you allow even one small hope to linger that a new and better diet or food plan might be lurking around the corner, it will prevent you from being free to rediscover Intuitive Eating. Although I've said before and I'll say it again I think you can reject th...
Pursuing Bariatric Surgery as an Intuitive Eater with Amy Braden
Episode 81. "My metabolism is damaged." This is a common concern I hear. And I get it. Chronic weight loss dieting does often have a very negative impact on our bodies and our metabolism. Ignoring hunger, going long periods of time without eating, eating foods because some "expert" told us it was good for us, often leads to stress, inflammation, mistrust of our bodies signals and ultimately mistrust of ourselves. And yet, today's guest is Amy Braden, would generously shares her story and reminds us that our body still loves us, and there still is hope. There is also more than one way to be an intuitive eater and develop self-trust. Amy Braden is a podcast listener who accepted my invitation to share her story. She said something early in the interview that I cannot get enough of. She was talking about how our bodies hold a lot of wisdom, especially when we learn to listen and appreciate them, versus try to control and shape them. And then Amy said: “And when you actually take care of them and nourish them, they will forgive an awful lot, and love you.” - Amy Braden Highlights of the Conversation: A great example of what self-advocacy looks like in medical and mental health settings How hard it is to get appropriate treatment for binge eating disorder What Amy wishes she'd have known about intuitive eating Why Amy is grateful that she waited to get bariatric surgery How discussions about weight and weight loss can coincide with discussions about intuitive eating and self-trust The role of meditation in her journey Ready to Break the Binge Eating Cycle for Good? Ready to stop avoiding and break the binge eating cycle for good? The first step is to disrupt the cycle. My free practical guide has 23 positive ideas for things to do instead of eating. Don't worry, you wont find the standard diet culture BS advice (take a walk, have some water!) Take the first step to finally stop binge eating and grab my free practical guide today! Grab my free guide to disrupt the cycle of emotional and binge eating today! Support Local Bookstores Near You! Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025? Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. They have raised over 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books! My recent favorite related to achieving a deeper level of healing is No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model. This book and model of therapy has been very helpful to me personally and I'm also using it with clients and seeing great results. So if you believe in supporting local businesses and want to support my blog and podcast, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on! The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link. Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship. Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).
The Surprising Hidden Reason For Your Binge Eating
Episode 80. What do you think is the reason for your binge eating or emotional eating? And when I say binge eating, what I mean is any eating you are doing where you feel even slightly out of control, guilty about it, feel like you "should" restrict certain foods, have certain food rules (even if they feel like they are "healthy" rules). Any and all of that is a form of disordered eating, and although it's very normalized, it does not need to be your reality. What to Expect in this Episode: My Iceberg Analogy for eating behavior (and why it works for almost any behavior) What types of things keep us stick in the binge eating cycle The most common mistakes that keep us stuck for years longer than we want to be Tangible steps to get yourself unstuck "I am binge eating because..." Most people when they come to work with me, or hear what I do have some sense of what they think might be causing their binge eating. They probably don't know for sure, but they have some guesses. Here are some of them: I just need to have more self control, more willpower (aka I'm weak) I am addicted to sweets or carbs (aka something is wrong with my brain, and therefore me) "No childhood sh*t, I just need some strategies." Have you seen Brene Brown's Ted Talk on the Power of Vulnerability? If not, it's time to become one of the 18 million views it's gotten at the time of this writing and recording. She said something that always makes me laugh: "No childhood sh*t, I just need some strategies." I can soooo relate to this. As a psychologist and a science minded person, I so badly wanted to be able to fix my emotional pain with books, learning, and strategies. All the Strategies in the World Won't Help If You Don't Address the Root Cause But guess what? All the best strategies in the world won't help if you don't get to the root of the issue. And as it turns out, most of our pain comes from childhood sh*t, or other early experiences. Although some of our pain may come from painful interactions as an adult. So while strategies may provide some Band-aid type relief, it's unlikely to solve the root of the issue. Examples of possible Band-aid fixes as it relates to our eating habits: Getting a new eating plan, meal prep strategy, reading a new book (e.g., Paleo, plant-based) Joining a new gym Eating to cover up our emotions or discomfort The Issue with Dieting The thing that is so confusing to so many, and was confusing to me, is that we see the surface behavior only. The "tip of the iceberg" if you will. I've had many people tell me lately that they are trying a new approach for their eating. The most common one lately is intermittent fasting. But the other common one is eating less gluten or carbohydrate heavy foods. But there are subtle things that I hear, that suggest to me their new plan is unlikely to work. Not because the plan is bad necessarily. I know a few people who do a lower gluten diet without any diet mentality at all, and they feel good. But I hear things like: "I really should be eating better, [and I'll work on it soon]" (diet mentality) "I can't lose weight because I continue to eat or drink [enter any food perceived as unhealthy here]" (self-blame and shame) "I just need to return to a more consistent schedule." (suggests to me that the eating plan they chose wont work for them long-term) "I've lost X amount of lbs so far." (indicates that they are focused on weight loss, versus internal motivators) When really, it's the stuff underneath the water's surface that's keeping us stuck. There's Nothing Wrong with You, and You Can Act More Skillfully People often also think that something is wrong with their character. Like something about them is defective. They also usually think that they need to just "control themselves" and "make a plan." Some of them might think there's some pain or traumatic expe...