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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.