Amy has reached out to Marc David, Founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, in regards to her 9 year-old son, Xander, who has a complex, picky, and troublesome relationship with food. Marc explains the possible reasons for Xander's anxiety around controlling what he eats. Amy learns what it could look like to support her son, while not trying to fix him. In Marc's words, he is a sensitive, interesting soul, he is complex, and he is whole. He is not broken. In turn, Marc invites Amy into a new strategy of being curious with her son, in a way that will support him to manage and grow through his experience, as opposed to both of them being stuck in the spinning wheel of "What's for dinner?... I don't want that".

A Mother Helps Her Son with Food Concerns

Real people. Real breakthroughs. For more than three decades, Marc David has helped millions discover the true causes of their unwanted eating habits like overeating, binge eating, emotional eating and the inability to lose weight. In this unscripted show, Marc coaches real clients using his unique blend of psychology and nutrition. Whether you want to transform your relationship with food or learn how you can help others, there’s no better place than The Psychology of Eating Podcast, and there’s no better way than hearing the stories of real people.

Nutrition

Health & Fitness

Mental Health

Managing emotions with food, otherwise known as emotional eating, is something that humans have been doing for millenia. And the reason is simple: when we eat, we reliably feel better – no matter how fleeting those “feel-good” feelings may be.  While many people intuitively understand that emotions play a key role in our eating habits, it can often be a lot harder to understand the emotions themselves. The truth is, our inner emotional world is fantastically complex, and influences our relationship with food in so many diverse and fascinating ways.  Which brings us to guest coaching client Beverley, 70, whose deepest desire is to understand the “dark places” inside herself that drive her to food – and to finally bring healing to the challenging emotions she’s been feeling for over 50 years.  As Beverley shares with Marc David, she’s never really been able to understand her negative feelings, where they came from, or why she has them.  Beverley reflects that she’s had an “amazing life,” with so many blessings. She’s developed a fulfilling career as a theater director, helping young people develop their skills and confidence as an actor. She raised four incredible children of her own, and was, herself, born to a remarkable mother who always inspired and supported her.  And it’s this latter feature of Beverley’s life – her special bond with her mother – that is especially interesting. As Marc explores with Beverley, her love for her mother runs so deep, and a very real part of her – her Child Archetype, doesn’t seem to want to let go. Even though Beverley’s mom has long since passed away, a part of Beverley still wants to be her mother’s daughter.   Her uncanny way of staying connected with her mom is by continuing to engage in a behavior – emotional eating – that she knows her mom would have always encouraged and supported her to not judge herself for. By turning to food and being childlike when it comes to soothing her emotions with eating, Beverley has found a way to symbolically stay connected to her mother.  As Marc reflects, sometimes our “dark places” aren’t actually what they seem. They aren’t actually dark, or sinister, or even flawed. They’re just young parts of ourselves that hold onto a pattern out of fear of letting go of something – or someone – we love.  So be sure to tune into this powerful, wise, and heartfelt session that highlights the mother-daughter connection when it comes to food, and how we can continue to learn, grow and transform at any age in life. Episode highlights:  ✅ Why “going dark” with food isn’t always what it seems.  ✅ Key transformational tools to bring consciousness to your own unique relationship with food.  ✅ Why overcoming emotional eating often requires us to “graduate” from our parents house.  ✅ Learning to see yourself as equal to your parents – and why that matters when it comes to food. ✅ How to forgive yourself around food and emotional eating. ✅ And much more! --------------- Learn more about us at The Institute for the Psychology of Eating: https://psychologyofeating.com/  Ready to call a ceasefire in your battle with eating, and find peace and freedom with food? Learn more about our newest program, The Emotional Eating Breakthrough! https://learn.psychologyofeating.com/ Interested in becoming a certified coach in eating psychology? Then tune in to hear Marc talk about our Mind Body Eating Coach Certification Training, and download a copy of our School Catalog: https://psychologyofeating.com/info-kit/ Learn our powerful, cutting-edge approach, and discover how you can create a unique career helping others find peace and freedom with food. Follow us on social:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Psychologyofeating Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IPEfanpage Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatingpsychology/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/eatingpsych  #emotionaleating #emotionaleatingjourney #relationshipwithfood #wisdom #innerchild #childarchetype #selflovejourney #selfsoothing #bekindtoyourself #loveyourself #elder #holisticnutrition

Emotional Eating & The Mother-Daughter Connection – In Session with Marc David

When it comes to body weight, most of us are focused on one thing: losing it! But many people aren’t prepared for what happens after weight loss.  Any thoughts we may have about post-weight loss life are pretty dreamy. We imagine we’ll feel uber confident, accomplished, and ready to boldly move forward in life.  But all too often, that simply isn’t the case.  For many, the striving and struggle for weight loss ends up getting replaced by an equally unwelcome visitor: WEIGHT WORRY. That can look like constant fear that we’ll gain the weight back, or nagging anxieties that we really should lose another few pounds.  Our food worries continue, and the voices in our head never stop criticizing. We judge our body, we shame ourselves for having body fat, and we belittle ourselves for not having absolute control over food. While weight worry might fit into that box called a “1st world problem” – it can nevertheless be pretty debilitating.  So what do we do when losing weight doesn’t stop us from worrying about weight? Tune into this episode to find the answer. You’ll hear from guest coaching client, Armine, 51, who has dieted for most of her life – and recently lost weight after a gastric sleeve operation. Armine thought she’d feel happier, but instead is often consumed by intense anxiety that she’ll gain the weight back.  How can Armine shift into a new relationship with her body, where she’s not constantly worrying and fretting about her weight? As Marc David helps Armine see, it’s a question of how she finds peace with herself and her body. Through a powerful new approach focused on personal growth, embodiment, and self-compassion, Armine discovers how to reframe her lifelong struggles with weight – and forge a beautiful new path forward.  Some of the key episode highlights include: ✅ How to send the body the unmistakable message that it’s a safe and welcome place, and why that matters when it comes to weight worry. ✅ Using a favorite form of “embodiment” to quiet the mind. ✅ Let go of perfection through the power of the Queen archetype. ✅ A key breathing technique to shift energy out of the mind and into the body. This fascinating session demonstrates that weight loss by itself doesn’t guarantee inner peace and happiness. Freeing ourselves from weight worry ultimately comes down to living in joy – which is a daily practice we devote ourselves to, no matter how we look or what we weigh. --------------- Learn more about us at The Institute for the Psychology of Eating: https://psychologyofeating.com/  Ready to call a ceasefire in your battle with eating, and find peace and freedom with food? Learn more about our newest program, The Emotional Eating Breakthrough! https://learn.psychologyofeating.com/ Interested in becoming a certified coach in eating psychology? Then tune in to hear Marc talk about our Mind Body Eating Coach Certification Training, and download a copy of our School Catalog: https://psychologyofeating.com/info-kit/ Learn our powerful, cutting-edge approach, and discover how you can create a unique career helping others find peace and freedom with food. Follow us on social:  - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Psychologyofeating - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IPEfanpage - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatingpsychology/ - Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/eatingpsych #weight #weightworry #dieting #yoyodieting #weightlossjourney #selfawareness #personalgrowth #marcdavid #psychologyofeating #foodpsychology #positivepsychology

When Weight Loss Doesn’t Alleviate “Weight Worry” – In Session with Marc David

Night-time binge eating.  It’s a pastime that many people struggle with, and can feel truly insurmountable. But nightly binge eating doesn’t have to get the best of you.  The reality is, there’s a clear road to recovering our power and being in control with food – all that’s needed is a deeper understanding of why nighttime binge eating – otherwise known as “nighttime eating syndrome” – happens, and a wise framework for overcoming it. In this episode, we meet guest coaching client, Megan, who would like to finally break free from this challenging nighttime habit.  As a former fitness competitor, Megan spent many years on a low-calorie diet. Eating only 1,200 calories a day, and exercising extremely hard, Megan would find herself ravenous at night. And this would inevitably lead to giving into unwanted cravings – and heavy duty self-rejection. Years later, Megan is no longer competing, and isn’t so restrictive with her diet. She eats well, and takes care of her body. And yet, she hasn’t been able to kick her nightly binge eating … a habit that takes a full 2 hours every night snacking, munching, and roaming the kitchen for food. Disempowered and deflated, Megan feels like a failure with food. As Marc David helps Megan see – it’s understandable given her history that she’s having a hard time kicking her nightly binging. Bringing compassion and self-awareness to the table is the first step in transforming nighttime eating syndrome. The next step is identifying an effective approach that addresses the root problem. And that’s where things get really interesting in this episode! Marc offers Megan a soulful, unusual approach to healing binge eating that you won’t hear anywhere else. So, please be sure to tune into this powerful episode to discover this beautiful tool in overcoming binge eating! Marc gets to the heart of why we eat at night, and how to gently transform it without the fight or struggle.  Some of the key insights & practices you’ll learn: ✅ The concept of “conscious ritual” – and why it matters. ✅ Identifying nourishing nightly rituals that powerfully transform binge eating. ✅ The relationship between “fast eating” and nighttime cravings ✅ The counterintuitive need to stop fighting and criminalizing nighttime eating. ✅ Learning to trust pleasure & how to make friends with food. ✅ And much more… --------------- Learn more about us at The Institute for the Psychology of Eating: https://psychologyofeating.com/  Ready to call a ceasefire in your battle with eating, and find peace and freedom with food? Learn more about our newest program, The Emotional Eating Breakthrough! https://learn.psychologyofeating.com/ Interested in becoming a certified coach in eating psychology? Then tune in to hear Marc talk about our Mind Body Eating Coach Certification Training, and download a copy of our School Catalog: https://psychologyofeating.com/info-kit/ Learn our powerful, cutting-edge approach, and discover how you can create a unique career helping others find peace and freedom with food. Follow us on social:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Psychologyofeating Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IPEfanpage Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatingpsychology/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/eatingpsych  #nighttimeeatingsyndrome #bingeeating #nightlybingeeating #consciousritual #fasteating #emotionaleating #mindfuleating #sloweating #foodpsychology #marcdavid

Harnessing the Power of Conscious Ritual to Overcome Binge Eating – In Session with Marc David

Like so many of us, Cherie, age 56, wants to lose 20 pounds – but without the constant fight and struggle. Cherie has been battling these 20 pounds just about all her adult life – and she’s feeling ready for a new approach. Cherie’s kids are about to leave the house, and she’d like to focus on her life for the first time in many years. She dreams of letting go of her day job and taking on an exciting new career, and she knows that now’s the time to step into her power. Everything is falling into place for Cherie to take a big leap in life.  But her weight continues to weigh her down. In this week’s episode, Marc David coaches Cherie to finally have a breakthrough with her weight. And it’s all about focusing on this one weight loss secret: ➡️ Becoming a natural eater. You see, Cherie has been a rather *unnatural* eater. Since age 13 when she was a young gymnast, her life revolved around working out, looking trim, having very little body fat, and winning the approval of others. For young Cherie, food quickly became the enemy. Eat too much of it, and everyone will notice your extra body fat. Starve yourself, and you’re doing exactly what you need to do to keep being loved and successful. Unfortunately, Cherie has taken this same unnatural relationship with food that developed during childhood into her adult years. She has no idea what it’s like to truly enjoy food and not be on a diet. As their conversation unfolds, Cherie opens up to what being a natural eater might feel like, including: ✅ Making friends with food. ✅ Letting go of the inner bully that’s beating herself up around weight. ✅ Allowing herself to feel hungry, eat a meal, and enjoy it.  ✅ Stop looking at food like it’s going to become fat on her body. ✅ Give dieting a long vacation.  ✅ Listen to her body’s wisdom when it comes to food. As this episode explores, having an honest and sustainable approach to weight loss means that we need to look beyond dieting, calorie restriction, and self attack. Instead, finding a natural rhythm as an eater, finding nourishment in food, and discovering what our individual body needs is key. When we’ve been trying weight loss strategies for decades and they continue to fail us, it’s time for a new approach. Tune into this fascinating session and watch as Cherie realizes why her approach to weight loss hasn’t worked, and how she can have a whole new and inspiring weight loss journey.  --------------- Learn more about us at The Institute for the Psychology of Eating: https://psychologyofeating.com/  Ready to call a ceasefire in your battle with eating, and find peace and freedom with food? Learn more about our newest program, The Emotional Eating Breakthrough! https://learn.psychologyofeating.com/ Interested in becoming a certified coach in eating psychology? Then tune in to hear Marc talk about our Mind Body Eating Coach Certification Training, and download a copy of our School Catalog: https://psychologyofeating.com/info-kit/ Learn our powerful, cutting-edge approach, and discover how you can create a unique career helping others find peace and freedom with food. Follow us on social:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Psychologyofeating Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IPEfanpage Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatingpsychology/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/eatingpsych  #naturaleating #intuitiveeating #bodywisdom #stopdieting #antidiet #weightlossjourney #weightloss #marcdavid #psychologyofeating

Why Becoming a “Natural” Eater is Key to Weight Loss – In Session with Marc David

Raelene, 46, would love to lose about 40 kilos. And she’s had great success in the past: all she has to do is eliminate sugar, cut down on the carbs, watch her calories and portion sizing, and the weight will eventually come off.  But the problem is, she just can’t seem to stick to a diet plan for more than a few months.   A cooking teacher and mother of two, Raelene says she simply doesn’t have the discipline to stick with it. And after 15 years of off-and-on-again dieting, Raelene still hasn’t reached the promised land – and like so many of us, is pretty frustrated and confused about what to do.  This is clearly a conundrum.  She knows what she needs to do, but she just doesn’t have the discipline to do it.  In this episode, Marc David helps Raelene realize something important:  Diagnosing the cause of her weight challenges as a lack of self-discipline is misplaced. And we know that to be true, in part, because her many years of trying to simply muster more discipline hasn’t been working. Discipline by itself will never solve her weight loss problem.  The reality is, Raelene hasn’t been in the right conversation with herself, all because of an incorrect assessment she made about herself many years ago.  As you’ll hear in this episode, Marc helps Raelene refocus on the true heart of the matter:  ⇒ Understanding what’s truly driving her relationship with food (her eating psychology), and changing her core beliefs about food, weight, self-worth, and lovability.   So many of us focus on our weight from a place of judgment. But we deserve so much more than that. When we can bravely learn to step away from our harsh inner critic, and instead evoke compassion towards ourselves, we can discover what’s really behind our patterns with weight.   For Raelene, part of that is understanding the impact of what she learned in childhood about weight loss: she was a “good” girl only if she was slender. Fat girls would never be loved and accepted.   It’s no wonder that food became a source of anxiety, and the simple act of eating took on so much stress and pressure. If being overweight means being unlovable, then everything she eats must be just right, and her appetite must be in absolute control so she can finally receive love.  But the reality is, Raelene knows deep down inside that this is a battle she can never truly win. So a part of her rebels against dieting because her dieting is being driven from a place of low self worth. Eating to prove one’s self worth is unnatural, and it goes against our humanity and our dignity.  Marc helps Raelene see the beautiful truth that she is unconditionally loved by her kids, her husband, and the people who care about her the most. There is no one in her life who needs her to lose weight so she can be more lovable. Except for herself.   And it’s time to give herself some love when it comes to her body and her weight.  Episode highlights:   Eating psychology tools to help change unhelpful beliefs about food and body  How to take the pressure off of weight loss, while also setting ourselves up for weight loss success   How to shift out of dieting mentality   Discovering who you are as an eater, and why that matters when it comes to weight   How to quiet the unwanted inner conversation around food   And more…    ---------------  Learn more about us at The Institute for the Psychology of Eating: https://psychologyofeating.com/   Ready to call a ceasefire in your battle with eating, and find peace and freedom with food? Learn more about our newest program, The Emotional Eating Breakthrough! https://learn.psychologyofeating.com/  Interested in becoming a certified coach in eating psychology? Then tune in to hear Marc talk about our Mind Body Eating Coach Certification Training, and download a copy of our School Catalog: https://psychologyofeating.com/info-kit/ Learn our powerful, cutting-edge approach, and discover how you can create a unique career helping others find peace and freedom with food.  Follow us on social:  - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Psychologyofeating - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IPEfanpage - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatingpsychology/ - Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/eatingpsych  #weight #bodyimage #sellove #weightlossjourney #sustainableweightloss #foodandbody #eatingchallenges #emotionaleating #chronicdieting #yoyodieting #antidet

A Mother Helps Her Son with Food Concerns

Download our free app to listen on your phone