3 Things I Do When I Want To Binge

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Have you ever convinced yourself that everyone else has their act together when it comes to their food choices except YOU?

Have you ever watched with envy as the skinny girl in the cafe effortlessly orders her fat-free mocha latè and low carb friand?

It all seems so effortless for HER, while the same choices for YOU would send you into a feeding frenzy worthy of an Academy Award.

Come closer, I’m about to let you in on a little secret…

Sure, she might look like she’s got it all together, with her Nike runners and her Lululemon workout gear. But what you DON’T see is the guilt she still feeling over bingeing on Churros earlier today and throwing them up in the dumpster behind the gym.

What you DON’T see is the pain in her eyes because she knows she will also do it again. And probably, later today.

When it comes to food, weight and body size TRUST ME… things are NEVER as they seem.

Not with you. Not with me. And not with the skinny mocha latè girl.

Even after working on this binge eating gig for 30 years, I STILL get tempted to put on my Nike’s and run to the nearest block of chocolate whenever life throws a little drama my way.

If I could wave my magic wand (where do you get one of those? Costco?) and make it all disappear believe me, I would. But not even David Copperfield himself can fix this one. This always has been and always will be an INSIDE job.

I’m certainly not going to sit here and pretend I have it all together. I definitely still have my moments. Some days it’s as simple as over-eating or skipping the gym, while other days, I pack my bags for Bingeville with no intention of returning.

But I do. And every time I’m a little wiser than I was before. So how do I avoid disaster? Check out the 3 things I do when I want to binge…

**1. It’s not the decisions you make when you’re inspired that matter. It’s the decisions you make when you’re not that count.**

Has trying to stuff your emotions down with chocolate cake ever made the problem go away? Well, has it?!

Emotions are only thoughts you give meaning to. They will pass. Both the good ones and the bad ones. The feeling of hopelessness from being trapped in a body you can’t stand, to the dirty dishes that look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa in the sink… sure, these circumstances can be frustrating, but with a simple decision to embrace change, they will pass.

Feelings are just a response to a thought in your head. Change your thoughts and you instantaneously change your feelings.

2. You can never get enough of what you don’t really want.

You don’t have to be a NASA scientist to know that eating a family size block of chocolate in the middle of the night is never a wise move. Naturally, that voice in your head will tell you it’s a marvellous idea! In fact, why not cover it with whipped cream too? FABULOUS!

Sadly, I can tell you from experience that approximately 4.5 seconds after the last bite of creamy goodness passes your lips, the inner critic steps in…

“How COULD you?”

“You’re such a loser”

“You’re so PATHETIC! You’ll NEVER lose weight!”

It’s time to beat that inner critic at its own game. How? Tune in to your own wisdom. The REAL question to ask here is not “why am I not trying harder?” but, “how is it SERVING ME not to?”

3. Stop trying to hold on to things that don’t deserve to stay

The first step to change is to stop believing your own B.S. You CAN change and you WILL change when you believe there is more for you to GAIN than you believe you will LOSE by changing.

Freedom around food is a state of mind. You can have it the moment you decide to have it. It’s not actually a “thing” that will suddenly arrive on the doorstep of your life. If you want to binge, you can absolutely do that. It’s something you DO, it’s not who you ARE. And when the last of the cookie crumbs have gone, spend ten minutes focusing on yourself. Do something beautiful, just for you.

Give yourself a bubble bath. Spend time in prayer. Nourish yourself. Go inward. What was it you REALLY wanted right before you turned to the food? Give that to yourself now. Bring yourself fully into the present moment and extract every morsel of pleasure (and yes, even pain) from that. Hiding from it behind another round of double fudge chocolate brownies won’t make it disappear.

See yourself though the eyes of compassion and stop trying to hold on to things that don’t deserve to stay.

And if you’re looking for a little help with your digestion and to steer you back on track, check out my brand spanking new baby…

Drink Yourself Slim!

It’s jam packed with delicious recipes, helpful hints and my top tips to have you waving a smug “bye bye” to sore stomach’s and skipping off into the sunset with a savvy smoothie plan of attack!

Now, I’d loooove to hear from you! what is your greatest challenge when it comes to emotional eating? What’s the ONE THING that absolutely drives you nuts with your eating? Join the conversation below and remember, people come here for inspiration and direction, so let’s support each other!

And remember, you’ll only bring good karma if you share this post with someone you love. Go on, share the love… you know you want to!