Binge Dieting

Who doesn't make excuses? From skipping the gym to overeating when we're full, we can eke out any and all excuses about why we can't stick to our health goals.

Most of the time, we do this subconsciously. In fact, the excuses come from little parts inside of us that have a need. They seem like excuses but in fact when we come up with an excuse it means a part of us is scared or trying to protect us in some way.

It takes conscious effort to break our habit of making excuses. We need to listen to the excuses with curiosity and compassion so we can get the excuses to change perhaps.

In this episode, I discuss why we become prone to making excuses. I also talk about getting rid of triggers that cause us to stray away from our diets. Lastly, I share a terrific tool that can help you reign in your tendency to make excuses and sabotage yourself from achieving your goals.

Before you tune in to the full episode, I want you to know about my class!

Join my virtual 10-week Class!

I love this class. It has SO much information and will give you exactly what you need to change your sabotaging or puzzling patterns. This transformative and in-depth class will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, and membership in a Facebook community. I am so confident that it will help you that I offer a money-back guarantee!

If you would prefer more individualized help, the link to my website and email is right here: [email protected] or visit my website.

This podcast episode will help you with these three things:

1. Understand more clearly why you might make excuses and self-sabotage.
2. Learn how to be compassionate with yourself.
3. Discover a tool that can bring you a step closer to your healthy eating goals.

Episode Highlights Why We Make Excuses and Self-Sabotage

We are all prone to making excuses and conceding to behaviors that we later regret. This vulnerability is what makes us human.

For example, we often convince ourselves that being "good all week" gives us a pass to stop caring and just eat. The stress and tension generated because you had to be good all week often creates a need to have a break.

With so much effort towards being good, your inner world will instinctively attempt to balance things out. You will have a thought, "just tonight, just one bite, etc." There's nothing wrong with eating. The problem is when eating is out of alignment with the needs of your body, when it's not a choice but a compulsion, or when it becomes overeating. By becoming aware of our excuse patterns with curiosity we can often stop and decide differently.

Avoiding Triggers

Everyone has different triggers and trigger foods that might take over or that might make you feel tense or overwhelmed. Triggers can create an internal tug of war. "Should I eat it or not? If I don't eat it, will I just obsess about it all day?" In this episode, Betsy talks about various trigger examples and how to handle them.

The Voice of Resistance

Steven Pressfield, the author of The War of Art, said this:

"Most of us have two lives: the life we live and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands resistance."

The voice of resistance becomes louder the closer you get to your goals. Betsy explains how this might apply to the eating and dieting world.

Self-Compassion and the Present Tense

When you have a goal in mind, you may be prone to overthinking what you did in the past and what you could have done differently.

It's easy to want to beat yourself up for not doing what you "should" have done. It's easy to get in a mental cycle of criticism when you overeat or eat too many desserts. The inner critic is always trying to help us, but it's not helpful. What is helpful is courageously flooding your mind with compassionate thoughts and going to forgiveness. We ALWAYS do what makes sense at the moment, and sometimes that's eating. We are innocent. When we overeat or make mistakes there's always a good reason.

It's incredibly helpful yet incredibly difficult to remember to take a deep breath and focus on the present moment. One foot in front of the other. One moment at a time.

Resisting the Voice of Resistance

While resistance can lead you to self-sabotage, it has no strength of its own. You can wield it as a tool to help navigate yourself. In this case, resistance can also be about aligning with your higher self and using it as a learning opportunity. When you find yourself making excuses, you should pay more attention because these excuses are, in itself, your call to action.

Getting Outside Help

Taking time with yourself through meditations and mindfulness can provide you with a clearer perspective of what you want. While becoming aware of your thoughts and learning from them is terrific, you may still need an outside observer to help you from time to time. You might want to consider getting help, especially if you've been stuck for a while now.

Burn Your Bridges

Dr. Marsha M. Linehan, a pioneer of dialectical behavior therapy, came up with the "burning your bridges" exercise.

It goes like this:

Imagine yourself on a shore, trying to get to an island on the other side using a bridge. Each wooden slat on your bridge is your excuse. The goal is to burn each wooden slat in your mind, looking at them one by one, to stop you from further thinking about these excuses. This exercise will help you realize that you are more powerful than you think.

5 Powerful Quotes from this Episode

"If your goal involves sacrifice of pleasure, then you're going to end up wanting to find an excuse."

"There's no such thing as bad food."

"When you find yourself making excuses, let these moments be your teachable moments."

"The good news is that resistance has no strength of its own. It is fueled only by fear and self-doubt. And resistance, in fact, is a great teacher and can become your tool for navigation."

"Take a deep breath and find the courage to forgive yourself. Take another deep breath, perhaps, and focus on compassion towards yourself, which is similar to forgiveness. Aren't you doing the best you can?"

Resources

• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
• The Burning Your Bridges Exercise from the DBT Skills Training Manual by Dr. Marsha M. Linehan

If you listened to the podcast and enjoyed it, please share and post a review!

Have any questions or want to schedule an appointment? You can email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

To making peace with eating,

Betsy

Do you often get stuck in the thought that you are so different and you don't fit in anywhere — at home, in school, or in the neighborhood? Is that feeling forcing you to be who you are not, affecting how and when you eat?

If yes, you are not alone because so many people are stuck in that thought too.

In this episode, I discuss how you can deal with the feeling of being an outsider and its effects on the way you eat. I also talk about how to reframe your thoughts to become more friendly to yourself.

Tune in to the full episode and learn more about how reframing works and how it will benefit you.

I am now offering a virtual 10-week CLASS!

The transformative class will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, and membership in a Facebook community. You can take this course at your own pace, so if you are very busy one week you can put it on hold. I am so confident that this class can help you that it comes with a money back guarantee! Enrollment is ongoing!

If you would prefer more individualized help, contact me so that we can schedule a private virtual session.

To sign up for the class or to get private help, you can send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Learn more about why you think you don't fit in.
2. Understand the term terminal uniqueness and how can you deal with it.
3. Learn how to reframe your thoughts so they are less threatening and more positive.

Resources

• Email me at [email protected] or visit my website if you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment.

Episode Highlights Feeling Like an Outsider Feeling and How to Deal with It

A lot of people have felt like an outsider their entire lives. They have grown in families where they felt like the black sheep or did not meet their parents' expectations. They have lived like they're on the outskirts in the neighborhood or at school — from the outside looking in.

If you think this way, you are flat out wrong because everything fits exactly as it fits. What makes you different may be what the people around you need.

So when these thoughts come to your mind, try to reframe your thoughts from "I'm an outsider" to "I fit perfectly." This works because you are learning how to be yourself and teaching others that it's okay to be a nonconformist.

Just as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

The Difference Between Fitting In and Belonging

Many of us suffer from this divide between our real selves and the version of ourselves we want others to see. As Rita Mae Brown puts it, "The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself."

Fitting in is akin to twisting ourselves into a pretzel to force people to hang out with us. Belonging, on the other hand, is presenting ourselves to the world to get accepted.

Terminal Uniqueness and Binge Eating

Terminal uniqueness is a term used in AA to refer to a form of denial. It is a feeling that what you are experiencing — alcoholism — is different from others in the group. So you should not be doing the same things they're doing, like sobering up. I have seen this a lot of times in my clients.

The thought goes like this: "I know that binge eating is bad for me and that I should stick to three solid meals a day and two snacks. Other people would probably not gain weight, but, me, I would gain weight."

Some would even defy science and believe that if they just eat 1000 calories a day, they will gain weight. And that's flat out untrue. This fear of gaining weight creates the illusion of difference, of not fitting in.

We All Fit In; Here's Why

We are all humans living on this planet together, experiencing hurt and suffering. And with the continuing development of the Internet, the world is getting smaller. We are beginning to understand that we may be physically different or geographically far from each other, but we are all the same on so many levels. We just need to shift our thinking and start realizing that we all fit into the big story of humanity.

How Reframing Helps with Terminal Uniqueness and Binge Eating

As you start to embrace what makes you unique and how you fit in, you will begin to understand that this thought of being different is such a common thing. Everybody thinks about it. So when you do, just feel it and let it go.

When you reframe your thoughts, you start to see things more clearly, which lightens your load, the empty feeling inside you. You begin to get rid of that unsettled need to starve yourself to be liked, only to overeat afterward.

How to Reframe Your Thoughts

Some of my clients often talk to themselves in a very demeaning way without realizing it. They dwell on what they don't like about themselves and how it makes them not fit in.

That is extremely exhausting. And getting rid of these thoughts takes reframing your thinking. Here's how you can do it.

1. Write your thoughts and reflect on them.
2. Then, look at how you can shift some words to make them more friendly.
3. Reframe these thoughts.

For example, if you feel lost, then reframe your thoughts into this: "Even when I don't know and I'm unclear, I can never feel lost because I'm a part of a whole." Or when you feel invisible, reframe that into, "I'm a powerful creator."

5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode

"Everything fits exactly as it fits."

"I fit perfectly, and I am here to learn how to be me."

"We need to just shift our thinking and realize we all fit into the big story of humanity."

"You must feel, feel, feel. But don't get stuck, stuck, stuck on, 'I'm different, I'm different, I'm different.' Feel, let it go, and then get into the fullness of who you are."

"I can never feel lost because I'm part of a whole."

If you listened to the podcast and enjoyed it, please share and post a review!

Have any questions or want to schedule an appointment? You can email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

To making peace with eating,

Betsy

Do you feel the need to eat when you're tired or in pain? Do you tell yourself, "Just for today, I won't eat healthy," and then cope with these feelings through unhealthy eating?

You're not alone. Many people use food and overeat to get temporary relief from their discomfort. However, eating healthy is not something you do only when it's convenient — it's a commitment.

In today's episode, I will talk about managing physical pain, illness, and discomfort while still maintaining the goal of weight loss or freedom from disordered eating. I will also give you two tools to help you be mindful even in a distressing situation.

Tune in to the full episode to learn more about eating healthily while dealing with pain and discomfort.

I am now offering a virtual 10-week CLASS!

The transformative class will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, and membership in a Facebook community. You can't take this class and not begin to understand the roots of your eating habits that you might be frustrated with.

Enrollment is ongoing! This is a perfect holiday gift for yourself or your loved one. Register now so that you don't miss out on all the content! I am confident you'll benefit tremendously from this course or 30-Day 100% Money-Back Guarantee.

If you would prefer more individualized help, contact me so that we can schedule a private virtual session.

To sign up for the class or to get private help, you can send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Why do we struggle to maintain healthy eating habits when we feel physical and emotional discomfort?
2. How can you practice mindfulness while dealing with stress or physical pain?
3. What tools can help you stick to your healthy eating goals amid physical pain, exhaustion, or discomfort?

Resources

• Mind-Body Training Company
• Dan Gilbert's TED Talks

Episode Highlights Mindful Eating While Dealing with Physical Pain

Keeping your eating goals while managing physical pain, illness, or discomfort is challenging. If you're having a hard time trying to stay focused when you're feeling awful, that's understandable. It's hard to break habits that you've had for many years.

However, a healthy diet can reduce the physical pain and discomfort you might be having. Therefore, mindfulness amid pain is vital as it contributes to your healing and overall health.

The 3 Layers to Painful or Uncomfortable Situations

According to the Mind-Body Training Company, pain or discomfort happens in three parts. It involves (1) the physical sensation, (2) your emotional reaction to it, and (3) the story you tell yourself about it.

When you're dealing with pain or discomfort, you tell yourself a million different stories. You might feel frustrated, regretful, and helpless. And you might continue eating unhealthily because you think you've already failed anyway.

However, remember that all of these are just stories. They are misleading and mostly based on fear.

The First Tool: Mindfulness

The Mind-Body Training Company tells us to use mindfulness to manage and reduce discomfort or pain. Here's how:

1. Accept the discomfort with a non-judgmental attitude.
2. Observe your reaction to the uncomfortable sensation or pain from a distance.
3. Contemplate your story. Separate the facts from the fear.
4. Identify the emotional reaction you're having. Put a name to it and accept it for what it is.
5. Locate the point of pain or discomfort in your body and zero in on your thoughts on this area.

Listen to the full episode for a more in-depth discussion of each step!

The Second Tool: Tracking Your Pain and Discomfort

One of the tools in managing your pain and eating habits is to find the pattern to your discomfort and physical pain.

Have you ever wondered why people are still shortsighted despite knowing the possible consequences of their actions? Why do we binge eat even though it makes us feel guilty? Why do we drink too much even though it can make us feel sick?

According to Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert, it's because humans underestimate the odds of their future pain and overestimate the value of current pleasures.

If you struggle with physical pain and discomfort due to chronic disorders, keeping track of your pain and discomfort may help you eat mindfully.

Creating a food diary (writing down what you eat, the time, and the hunger scale) can help you observe your eating habits. You can see how you respond to specific food triggers or if there was a very stressful situation that triggered your pain to flare up.

We can prevent pain if we are aware of its pattern. Some situations and stresses in life will trigger you to feel actual physical pain. But you have to remember that we are mind-body beings — we cannot separate our thoughts from our body's physical sensations.

Real-Life Miracles That I've Seen in My Practice

I have seen people who come to me for weight loss, hating how their bodies look. But through time, they have completely changed their lifestyle for the better. They're now planning, being patient with themselves, eating intuitively, tuning in to their hunger, and allowing themselves to eat freely. They don't have as many forbidden foods; instead, they opt to consume real, minimal-additive foods.

As they lose weight, the long-standing physical ailments they've been struggling with disappear. Once they start eating a diet rich in plant-based, colorful foods and replace all the convenience foods with real food, their bodies begin to heal. When you clean up your lifestyle, miracles can happen.

5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode

"There are a million different stories that we tell ourselves. But that's what we need to remember; it's a story. It's a thought, and it's a fear."

"All experiences in life come and go. Everything is temporary. We all forget that in the midst of a crisis, in the midst of pain."

"And here's the statement: As human beings, through much research, we learned that we underestimate the odds of our future pain. And we overestimate the value of our current pleasures."

"We are mind-body beings, we are not just a physical body, we are a process. You cannot separate your thoughts from the physical sensations — that is impossible."

"Once we're aware of the pattern, we can prevent it."

If you listened to the podcast and enjoyed it, please share and post a review!

Have any questions or want to schedule an appointment? You can email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

To making peace with eating,

Betsy

The Importance of Setting a Daily Intention

The first step in change can be the hardest. It's easy to lose focus, even when you think you've prepared enough for it. A daily intention is a great way to help your brain come back to the present tense and to your goals, especially when you're in the midst of a moment of stress and overwhelm.

In this episode, I discuss the art of managing your thoughts and setting an intention with your eating habits. I talk about the importance of staying in the present and focusing on the process of reaching your goals. Make sure to tune in to the episode to learn more about setting a daily intention effectively.

I am now offering a virtual 7-week CLASS!

The transformative class will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, membership in a Facebook community. It is packed with content. You can't take this class and not begin to understand the roots of your eating habits that you might be frustrated with.

Enrollment is ongoing! Register now, so you don't miss out on all the content!

If you would prefer more individualized help, contact me so we can schedule a private virtual session.

To sign up for the class or to get private help, you can send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full podcast episode:

1. Learn what the polar bear effect is and how you can address it.
2. Understand more about the art of effective intention setting.
3. Discover how you can continuously get back in touch with your daily intention when you're thrown off course.

Resources

• Harvard Health's OmniHeart Study
• The Four-Day Win by Martha Beck
• The White Bear Story by Daniel M. Wegner and David J. Schneider
• The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse by Debbie Ford

Episode Highlights Where Is Your Attention?

Setting a daily intention is about identifying where your attention is. Often, when we want to lose weight, we get stuck in the problem instead of focusing on the vision. However, there is an art to managing your thoughts.

When you constantly think about the food you want to avoid, you will likely end up obsessing over it. That is what draws you right into the kitchen and makes you struggle.

The Polar Bear Effect

Martha Beck talked about the "polar bear effect" study in her book, The Four-Day Win. It applies to anything we don't want.

The study found that under ideal conditions, we can suppress thoughts we want to suppress. However, when we're stressed, our cognitive load is very high. As a result, the change that we want to happen becomes the opposite of what the brain can do. The same thing happens when you obsess over the thought of losing weight — what you resist persists.

The Art of Setting an Intention

First, it is crucial to understand how to make an effective intention.

When you want something, detach your thinking from the outcome. Instead of focusing on the result, you must focus on the process, staying in the present tense minute by minute.

We tend to worry about what we should've done and what we should do in the future. However, keep in mind that the point of power in life is the present. You must let go of needing to see a lower number on the scale. You only need to be aware of the here and now in the present and get into the flow. It takes discipline to practice this skill.

What Is the Daily Intention?

The daily intention involves our thoughts, beliefs, and values in the here and now. A good daily intention is very much dependent on your specific struggle.

First, keep in mind that our emotions direct us. No one on the planet that I know doesn't eat emotionally. Recent research has shown that our feelings originate in our heart's energy, transmitting a signal to the brain.

Setting a Daily Intention

Now, let's set an intention.

First, ask yourself, "How do I want to feel today?" What is the feeling that you want to generate from it?

Write down one action statement on an index card. Start with the words, "I will…" or "I am…" Carry it with you, recite it every hour, and write it down on your phone's reminders.

Your daily intention must align with who you want to be and how you want to feel. When you focus on this the entire day, your practical food-related goals will not be such a struggle.

Debbie Ford talked about the concept of intention in her book, The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse. She says once you set your intention, you must ask yourself what you have to give up to ensure you fulfill that. You need to let go of the thought that's in the way of you being in alignment with your goal.

Being Aware of Your Daily Intention

Again, have a present-tense action statement for your daily intention. It can be as simple as, "I will love and accept myself as I am," or "I will honor my body today with healthy food."

However, keep in mind that you will inevitably get thrown off course all day long after setting this. So, your mission is to continually be aware of this daily intention to get back on track. Keep remembering that you have set an intention and that's who you will be today.

5 Powerful Quotes from this Episode

"The harder we try to stop our thoughts, the more we get them."

"Do not focus on the outcome; you must focus on the process."

"The point of power in life is the present tense. Stay there."

"Every single person on this planet is worthy, and every single solitary person on this planet has a purpose and a divine — in my mind anyway — a divine plan that they need to fulfill. They need to be themselves. They have a purpose, which is, 'Figure out what my purpose is and do it.'"

"Life will throw us off course all day long. And that's what happens, and that's okay. That's not even a problem. In fact, it's there perhaps to help us remember to get back in touch with our daily intention, which is peaceful, loving, forgiving, honoring ourselves."

If you listened to the podcast and enjoyed it, please share and post a review!

Have any questions or want to schedule an appointment? You can email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

To making peace with eating,

Betsy

As the holidays approach, it might be tempting to relax into the season with the attitude of eating in excess. It can be very easy to allow yourself extra bites of food or another piece of pie and to forget that you might feel overly full or uncomfortable later. In some cases, you might find it hard to refuse a relative who keeps filling up your plate or to eat moderately in the midst of a delicious holiday spread.

In this episode, I identify common "excuses" that parts of our mind use during the holidays to give ourselves permission to overeat. I also talk about how to incorporate intuitive and mindful eating during the holidays. Lastly, I share the Hawaiian prayer of ho'oponopono to help you manage potential stress that can arise from interactions with family and friends.

I am now offering a 10-week virtual class!

The class will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, membership in a Facebook community, and weekly private group sessions. This transformative class will teach you how to change your entire relationship with eating.

If you would prefer more individualized help, contact me so we can schedule a private virtual session.

To sign up for the class or to get private help, you can send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full podcast episode:

1. Identify excuses you may be using to justify mindless eating during the holidays.
2. Learn useful tools to help you on your journey of intuitive eating.
3. Discover the transformational ho'oponopono prayer.

Episode Highlights Common Holiday Excuses

As the holidays approach, most people come up with several excuses to justify overeating. One is that because it's the holidays you should be allowed to eat whatever you want! Another one that gets us into trouble is not wanting to appear rude when someone offers you food. A third is the excuse that eating what others eat could prevent them from noticing you or wondering if you're concerned about your weight.

Turning The Brain Off

Other common excuses include, "I need to eat this so I don't have to think about it anymore," or "It's there! Might as well eat!" or even, "It smelled good so I can eat it even though I'm full"

When you succumb to these thoughts without first checking in with your body, it's as if you're turning off your brain to nudges that might be there that would prefer attuned eating.

It's helpful to ask yourself, "what does my physical body need and want?"

Most people associate food with pleasure and celebration. After all, you're in the company of friends and family that you hardly see the rest of the year.

It's possible to have joy and fun without calories, alcohol, and sugar. Pleasure is always available to us. A few extra bites and sips each time you get in a celebratory mood can counteract the effort of months and weeks of trying to be mindful and intuitive.

Four Useful Tools

Honor your body. Know when you're hungry, but don't eat when you're too hungry — don't wait that long. While you eat, be mindful, eat slowly, and notice the urge to mentally check out. Eat things you really crave.

Identify your trigger foods. If the food you crave and tend to overdo is a trigger and binge food, make a plan to manage the impulse. Some people do best by keeping trigger foods out of the house, although for many this isn't possible.

When you feel yourself falling down the rabbit hole of obsessive worries about food, deciding to focus on other things can change everything. Your brain won't want to do this of course. Giving the brain a hard "no" and moving your attention to the conversation you're having or the background music or your breathing can be helpful. Focus on the solution, not the problem.

Ho'oponopono Prayer

It's easy to get out of touch with your heart space. The Hawaiian prayer of ho'oponopono can help you get out of your head and into that space of compassion and forgiveness. It's easy to remember and can transform your energy immediately. The prayer can be directed either at yourself or to others.

The prayer has four lines:

• I am sorry.
• Please forgive me.
• Thank you.
• I love you.

When you say "I am sorry," you are saying, "I am sorry because I did not understand things the way you are seeing them." This line asks you to be humble and have courage.

You can also direct this to yourself. Many people beat themselves up or say mean things about themselves in their mind. To say you are sorry to yourself it means you are sorry for not seeing the inherent good in you.

"Please forgive me," can be a plea to forgive yourself for believing that you should be perfect or that you should never be selfish or that you should have been able to see things from another's perspective.

"Thank you," connotes appreciation and accountability. It acknowledges that others and you have had to sacrifice and feel pain as a result of your behaviors. It's also a step toward accepting full responsibility for your actions.

"I love you," is the doorway to complete freedom. To love unconditionally is the key to happiness. You may have heard the expression, "resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. By finding a way to completely forgive ourselves and others, and to love them, and to love ourselves, we become free. We are the ones who suffer while carrying around our anger towards others or towards ourselves.

5 Powerful Quotes from this Episode

"So the goal, ultimately, is to honor you and your needs. And there's nothing wrong with being honest and saying, "I really am not hungry right now" or "I've had enough" or "No thank you" and change the subject and have a big smile and be done with it."

"What are the basics of mastering a perfect relationship with food? Be aware and notice what physical hunger feels like for you. And eat when you're hungry."

"There is no book out there that's going to fix you or your problem. It doesn't exist. It's your book. It's your story. It's your body. It's your patterns. It's your family. It's you. In a nutshell, it's your history. It's your belief system. It's all of it."

"'Thank you' acknowledges that you appreciate that others and also that you may have had to sacrifice or feel pain as a result of your behaviors. So thank you is another step towards accepting full responsibility for your actions."

"Resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. You're the one who took the poison. And when we are holding resentments towards other people for anything, anything at all, we are the ones who suffer."

If you listened to the podcast and enjoyed it, please share and post a review!

Have any questions or want to schedule an appointment or join my class? You can email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

To making peace with eating,

Betsy

Are you living your life with one foot on the brakes? So many of us (myself included) often find ourselves sabotaging our efforts to get what we want in life. When we do that it can lead to frustration, anger, and hopelessness. In today's episode, I talk about self-sabotage, empowerment, and how to stop living with one foot on the brakes so we can allow ourselves to have a happier and more fulfilled life.

I am now offering a 10-week virtual class where you will learn a specific process to change your particular self-sabotaging habits.

It will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, membership in a Facebook community, and is packed with content. You will have unlimited access to the material, so you can take the class at your own pace. Enrollment is ongoing. Give yourself the gift of this class so you can start now to manage the foods and the emotions that might derail your efforts during the holidays.

If you would prefer more individualized help, I also offer private virtual sessions. To sign up for the class or to get private help, you can send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website.

Here are three things you can learn from the full podcast episode:

1. How shame and past mistakes stop you from succeeding with your health goals.
2. How to use your "negative" qualities to your benefit.
3. How to better reach your health goals through your flaws.

Resources

• Debbie Ford website

Episode Highlights Living Life Too Small

Everybody can make their goals happen. The problem is that sometimes we don't know how to get there because parts inside of us take us over and sabotage our efforts. WIthout the tools to manage these parts, we can play small in life and we won't rise to our full potential. We fall into the endless cycle of living life with one foot on the accelerator but with the other foot on the brakes.

Debbie Ford: Accepting and Embracing Our Shadow Side

Debbie Ford, a renowned self-help leader, taught people how to identify the things holding them back. She came from a successful family but fell into drug addiction. Debbie ended up in rehab after rehab, but wasn't getting better. If that cycle continued, she knew she was going to die. Eventually, she hit on something she called her "shadow side."

Your shadow side holds the parts of your personality that you don't like or you're ashamed of. Debbie realized that these parts of herself were driving her from a very deep inner place. The more they drove her, the more it made her shrink. She couldn't live her life to the fullest.

Debbie learned she had come clean with herself. But there's more to it than that — you have to love it, embrace it, and use it. Otherwise, it will use you. My class teaches a protocol to help you do this very thing.

The Beach Ball Analogy

Debbie described living her life as if she was in a swimming pool. She would be in the pool of life, treading water and trying to keep herself afloat. Suddenly someone would come to the pool and throw her a beach ball. The beach ball represents something that she has to hide. Eventually many beach balls would be thrown her way. One ball represented her "bitchiness," another ball contained her shame over not feeling smart, another the shame over her belief that she was not good looking, and another that she was not very courageous and another that she was not very worthy.

In an effort to pretend that she was perfect, she would push the beach balls under the water. But keeping all these beach balls under water was exhausting. In fact, trying to keep those beach balls under the water was almost impossible, yet she would try to keep them submerged anyway. Most people go through life with not just one thing, but many things about themselves that they're embarrassed about. These things are held in our shadow side.

Because we all spend our lives trying to keep our shadows submerged we have so little energy left and we can't live our lives to the fullest. We're not available to help our friends and family because we're too busy being self-absorbed with our need to hide from who we are.

What's the point of living a life that limited?

Finding the Positive amid the Negative

This podcast is a call to action. Rise up. Start owning, laughing, accepting, and embracing your flaws instead of running from them. Betsy acknowledges that since many people CAN'T do this because the sabotaging parts inside are too powerful, the ideas in her podcast often won't be enough. Getting a private session or two, or taking her class, will be needed to break through.

In this podcast Betsy talks about Debbie Ford's idea that there is strength in our flaws. We all have something we feel embarrassed about, but instead of stressing about it, use it to your advantage. Find the positive in your negative qualities. Debbie turned her "bitchiness" into a trait of passion.

She took her flaw and worked with it. Her "bitchiness" became energy. All the energy she used to spend hiding from things was transformed into passion, self-love, and helping others accept themselves.

Use Your Shadow Side

Most people wake up every day with fears. That's the human ego. We all have it. Our mission in life is to recognize the human part of us that takes us back to fear, worry, and control.

Making peace with the things you feel ashamed of is a journey. It's an essential journey if you want a life of peace.

5 Powerful Quotes From This Episode

"Debbie Ford said no one on the face of the planet does not go through life without a shadow. We all have parts of us that we hate and we're embarrassed about. And most of us spend our lives trying to keep them out of view and keep them submerged in the pool of our lives. And most of us, in the end, at the end of the day, have so little energy left to just really truly be in our lives and live it to its fullest."

"What is the point of living a life that limited?"

"Own your stuff, stop running from it, laugh at it, accept it. But then you have to go further than accepting it — you have to embrace it."

"Once she recognized that there was a strength and there was a gift in the flaw, and if she could take that and work with it, she could turn everything around. And she could feel empowered and be free."

"Figure out how we can rise up and use these flaws — so to speak, our shadow side — to our advantage. Because if we don't, it will use us."

If you listened to the podcast and enjoyed it, please share and post a review!

Have any questions or want to schedule an appointment? You can email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

To making peace with eating,

Betsy

It's hard to talk about eating without tying it to ideas about nutrition, so it's helpful to understand what makes up the food we eat and how it affects our bodies. Different foods have different functions in the body. There is no one answer to the question, "What should I eat?" However, there are guidelines to help you balance it out.

In today's episode, I touch on the science of food. I talk about the different food groups and the general rule of thumb when eating. Tune in to the full episode to get the most valuable insights on the nitty-gritty of the food we eat.

I am now offering a virtual 7-week CLASS!

The class is geared toward behavior change. It is for people who struggle with maintaining a stress-free relationship with eating.

The class will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, membership in a Facebook community. Enrollment is ongoing! Register now so that you don't miss out on all the content!

If you would prefer more individualized help, contact me so we can schedule a private virtual session.

To sign up for the class or get private help, you can send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full podcast episode:

1. What is the primary goal of eating?
2. Learn about the nutritional qualities of the food you eat.
3. Discover the importance of keeping a low glycemic index.

Resources

• Comparison of weight-loss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates

Episode Highlights The Goal of Eating

Balanced, healthy eating correlates with stable blood sugar levels. When you control how you eat so that you don't starve yourself and then overeat in the next meal, the body's ability to self regulate many biological processes is maximized. Remember: your brain runs your body and relies on glucose or blood sugar to function. Keeping your blood sugar stable is crucial to health and also to decreasing disruptive food cravings.

Incorporating snacks between your meals can help regulate your blood sugar. A good snack would be something that includes protein and fiber. When eating, keep in mind that fun foods that aren't thought of as "healthy" can be worked into an eating program.

What Makes Up the Food We Eat

The macronutrients that our food contains are protein, carbohydrates, and fats. All foods in the world are either one of these or a combination of them.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are either simple or complex. Complex carbohydrates are generally better because they come packaged with other nutrients such as protein and fiber. Quinoa and brown rice are more complex than white rice and white flour, for example. Because the body was not designed to process excessive amounts of sugar, it can get confused and overreact when eating large amounts of sugar/refined flour/convenience foods. As a result, it can influence the process of the hormones involved in the body's response to knowing when to stop eating.

The Food Groups

The primary food groups include:

• Proteins. We can get proteins from both plants and animal products. Some diets may be low protein, like a vegetarian diet, or high protein, like the Keto or paleo diet. You need to investigate what works for you and what feels good in your body.
• Dairy. Dairy tends to contain large amounts of calcium and other important nutrients. It can be a wonderful source of protein. Still, some consider dairy to be harmful to the health of the body. The topic is controversial
• Fat. Fat serves many functions in the body, including the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals and the lining of all cell membranes. It helps us feel satiated and can prevent overeating.
• Grains. Grains such as wheat, rice, oats, and quinoa provide energy as well as a number of important B vitamins and minerals. Grains are carbohydrates that can provide a stabilizing effect on blood sugar.
• Vegetables. Vegetables are probably the master food group and the basis of a multitude of scientific research correlating them with reductions in disease risk. It is almost impossible to eat too many vegetables; they often come packaged with protein and they always have an abundance of healing phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
• Fruits. Fruits, like vegetables, are powerhouses of nutrition. They don't come packaged with protein but they do contain many of the same healing phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals as vegetables. It is beneficial to include several servings of fruit a day.

Comparison of Different "Diets"

Any "diet" comes with a diet mentality; if you are on a diet, part of you will want to resist it. Diets are naturally unsustainable, and in the long run, generally, create an unhealthy relationship with eating.

A 2009 study compared four popular weight-loss diets using similar calorie counts. They looked at the ratios of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. After two years, the conclusion was that all the diets were equally effective in losing or maintaining weight. The success was primarily attributed to matching the people to the right eating methods, not the percentage of the macronutrients. In the long run though, no diet correlated with lasting change.

Instead of getting stuck in details, it's more crucial to go back to the basics of eating intuitively.

Food Consumption Across History and Culture

Each culture has a food consumption system based on many factors. These factors dictate how they eat and include religion, social rules, their ecosystem, and more. Even today, there are hidden factors affecting your dietary choices.

Ways of Eating That Are Not Helpful

Science has red-flagged any way of eating that excludes entire food groups or has strict rules. Some people however do report feeling best on a strict diet plan, and can maintain this way of eating for years.

While this is not typical, it does work for some, and as long as the body receives all essential minerals and vitamins and there are no psychological impulses to rebel, these rigid programs can be effective. Since the great majority of people can't sustain these strict programs, though, intuitive eating and balanced eating is recommended. There is no exact answer to the question, "What should I eat?"

In general, scientific recommendations for optimal nutrition also includes a minimum of packaged, processed, refined foods.

The Glycemic Index

One key marker for problems with weight management is insulin resistance. When this happens insulin stops working correctly in the body, which causes other hormones to become impaired.

The glycemic index is the amount of glucose released into the blood after eating any carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are important for health and are found in grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Low-glycemic-index carbohydrates cause a slower rise of glucose and insulin in the blood, which is good for the body and are better metabolized than high glycemic-index foods. White rice and white potatoes and candy, for example, are high glycemic carbohydrates. Quinoa and legumes and broccoli are examples of carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index.

The Invitation

Consider making it your goal for the next couple of weeks to focus on eating vegetables and other low-glycemic-index foods. Balance meals with lean protein, such as fish or red meat, as well as fiber. This combination will keep you satisfied while also keeping your blood sugar regulated.

Keep in mind not to get stuck in specific food rules. Believing foods are forbidden will create fear and stress and can lead to resistance, food cravings, and overeating.

5 Powerful Quotes from this Episode

"No one can tell you the best way to eat; it's something that you have to know for you."

"We need to stop giving food power and labeling it good and bad."

"This is a matter of what works for you, what feels good in your body, what works in your lifestyle, what do you enjoy."

"So you might be wanting me to tell you exactly, "What do I eat? Tell me what to eat right now." And I can't do that because there is no answer to that."

"So relax, sit back, enjoy the journey. It's a wonderful journey; you learn about yourself. And along the way, the weight will start to come off, and you'll start to understand your habits, and you'll start to make little changes, and it's all going to fall into place, and it's going to be awesome."

If you listened to the podcast and enjoyed it, please share and post a review!

Have any questions or want to schedule an appointment? You can email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

To making peace with eating,

Betsy

Structuring Meals & Managing Intrusive Thoughts About Food

Many people are struggling with losing or maintaining weight. As eating becomes a coping mechanism, you might find yourself turning to food whenever stressed, sad, upset, tired, overwhelmed, angry, or bored. The truth is, you cannot satisfy your emotional hunger with eating because it is a different type of hunger. Even if you strictly follow a diet, you will soon return to your unhealthy eating patterns.

In this episode, I share my knowledge about structured meal plans and the nature of intrusive thoughts. I explain why dieting fails and why eating disorders are an addiction. Finally, I discuss how you can detach from your intrusive thoughts about food.

Tune in if you want to learn how you can stop eating mindlessly.

I am now offering a 10-week virtual class!

The class will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, membership in a Facebook community, and weekly private group sessions.

If you would prefer more individualized help, contact me so we can schedule a private virtual session.

To sign up for the class or to get private help, you can send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website.

Here are the three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. How do you add structure to your meals to recover from unhealthy eating patterns or behaviors?
2. How can you reboot your perspective about health and wellness?
3. How can you overcome challenges to become healthy?

Resources

• Dieting: A Dry Drunk by Becky Lou Jackson
• Follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Episode Highlights Why Dieting Fails

Many people live their lives on a yo-yo diet - going on a diet, and then leaving it. That's why diets will inevitably fail. They're unsustainable and you will eventually default to old behaviors. The dieting mentality is a thinking pattern that does not work.

Eating Disorder is an Addiction

There can be an addiction to a pattern of cravings showing up in your mind since the cravings are a way to distract from what might seem unmanageable or overwhelming in life. In a related way, there is an addiction to caving in to the craving and addiction to dieting. We can treat an eating disorder like an addiction and create a meal structure to manage it.

Focusing on Nutrition

Some people can eat intuitively all the time, listening to hunger and fullness and eating accordingly. Many people need to stay with structure before they learn to trust the body's cues. A gentle structure can help some people stay in balance. The structure you create should consider your specific nutritional needs and include 3 to 4 specific eating times a day. Treats and fun foods can be incorporated into this.

There is a biological sequence event happening which relates to insulin spikes, and this can cause cravings. Planning helps you manage these events. It's best to abstain from unplanned eating which can fuel obsessive thinking. Instead, the ideal approach will be learning how to practice intuitive eating in combination with specific planned meals. Intuitive eating is the practice of listening to your body.

Thoughts About Eating Disorders

If you have an eating disorder, it doesn't mean you are flawed as a person. Think of your compulsion with eating not as an addiction, but as a solution to a problem. The real problem is generally the fear of being overwhelmed by trying to manage your emotions.

Tips for Preparing a Meal

Have a structured amount of food each day and try to develop the ability to choose portion sizes that will keep you going until your next meal. In terms of food quality, you need to include protein, healthy fats, and fiber, with at least three food groups per meal. Refined carbohydrates can be triggering for some people, and allowing only a moderate amount of them at meals is ideal.

Becky Lou Jackson, the author of the book Dieting: A Dry Drunk, recommends that you have no snacks between meals, but I would say that you can have one snack per day if you are hungry.

Attachment to Weight Loss

You also need to understand how your brain might trick you. If you're attached to the idea of weight loss, it will create more internal stress, which can lead to food addiction. Emotion plays a pivotal role in food addiction, so learning how to be curious, mindful, and aware will be an essential skill to build.

The Thought Stream of Fear

You have a fear thought stream that will try to hold your attention. Acknowledge it, perhaps thank it for what it needs you to know, and then put up a boundary. Don't stay stuck in it! You are more than just your thoughts. In fact, your thoughts are frequently exaggerated, confused, and untrue remnants of your past.

Challenges of Meal Planning

You might experience some difficulties while trying to follow structured eating, and it can be tempting to return to unplanned eating. It can be hard to determine the difference between true physical hunger and emotional hunger. In a structured way of eating you will decide to wait until the next meal time even though there might be some hunger. The goal is to try to match quantities of food at each meal with physical hunger. A little bit of hunger can be beneficial because it gives your body a little bit of fasting glucose. In the case of two much hunger, you will want to have a protein-rich snack rather than waiting hours for the next meal, and use this as a learning opportunity for planning just the right amount of food that your body needs next time.

It might also be challenging to follow your meal plan when in social settings and the expectations people might have of you. You can work with this by planning ahead and taking social eating into account in your meal plan.

The Mental Storm

You may experience internal conflicts about food, but everything will pass, just like a storm. Gently detach yourself from the mental thought stream of fear. Your brain might try to distract you from your negative thoughts by using food. If you can detach yourself, you can always find your blue sky.

5 Powerful Quotes from this Episode

"So what we're talking about is we need to be abstinent from random eating and unplanned times. But, we really need to be abstinent from our disordered body image obsessive thinking."

"You have always just done the best you could. How could you not have? You only did what your brain told you to do, and you didn't ask for thoughts to be there."

"So, you don't want to set up yourself to fail. You want to put lots of nutritious foods and lots of proteins and everywhere you want to plan ahead. You want to pack and plan your meals and you want to put some time into this."

"So you have this thought that you didn't ask for, but there it is, you attach to it, because it matters. And in your attachment, you can't help but resist it because you don't want it [...] It is really important for you to realize these thoughts are not important. These thoughts are not important."

"There's nothing wrong with you. You're just a person in a storm. And, somewhere that blue sky is there. It's always there. It never leaves."

If you listened to the podcast and enjoyed it, please share and post a review!

Have any questions or want to schedule an appointment? You can email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

To making peace with eating,

Betsy

How to Use the Hunger Scale for Intuitive Eating

Wouldn't it be nice if you can give your body permission to eat without feeling guilty? Often, we rely on binge dieting strategies and beat ourselves up for the short-term numbers we see on the scale. But what will happen if we tune into our hunger scale long-term and eat to honor our body?

In this episode, I discuss two essential skills to gain control over your weight. I will also introduce strategies for tuning into the body's wisdom and tracking hunger numerically. Make sure to tune in to the full podcast to learn more about how you can teach your mind to change how it sees eating.

I am now offering a virtual 7-week CLASS!

The class will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, and membership in a Facebook community.

Enrollment is ongoing! Register now so you don't miss out on all the content!

If you would prefer more individualized help, contact me so we can schedule a private virtual session.

To sign up for the class or get private help, you can send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Discover the concept behind intuitive eating.
2. What does the hunger scale look like?
3. Learn how you can apply the gold standard of the hunger scale into your eating.

Resources

• Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
• The Tortoise and the Hare
• Weight Watchers
• MyFitnessPal
• The Self-Compassion Diet by Jean Fain

Episode Highlights The Concept of Intuitive Eating

The basis of intuitive eating is to learn to tune into the body and trust your own wisdom. As a result, you will make better food choices naturally and eventually attain a healthy body weight for you, not for others.

While diets work short-term, mounting fact-based studies prove that these can be detrimental in the long run. The mentality involved in dieting creates a mental block and self-sabotage in the bigger scheme of things.

Meanwhile, intuitive eating takes a little longer to be effective. It's not a quick fix, and it tends to be unstructured, which can be scary for a lot of people.

Intuitive Eating as an Art Form

Combining intuitive eating with structure means allowing life and food to work together while being aware that sometimes structure is helpful. Being able to walk this balance is an art form.

Many programs like Weight Watchers are educational in terms of food portions, calories, and food value. Calorie apps can also teach you a lot, but they can also be the root of the problem if you hate breaking the rules. However, it often does not hold up in the long term because of the "Today I'm on; tomorrow I'm off" mentality.

No one can sustain that for their entire life. You need to see eating as a way of honoring your body. It's easy to stay focused when eating intuitively because there are no rules to keep track of. Instead, you will develop a continuous mental script that focuses on what your body feels.

Introducing the Hunger Scale

The best way to stop your exhausting diet cycle is to get to the root of the problem. The hunger scale refers to physical—not emotional—hunger.

Emotional hunger happens more suddenly. In contrast, physical hunger usually happens more slowly over time. However, it's important to note that each person experiences physical hunger a little bit differently.

Generally, the hunger scale looks like this: the negative numbers signify hunger, zero is neutral, and the positive numbers indicate feeling full or satisfied.

The Negative Scale

Here's a better look at the negative scale.

• −10: You're so hungry you feel like you're going to die or pass out.
• −8: You're starving.
• −6: You're very hungry.
• −4: You're hungry.
• −2: You're feeling the first pangs of hunger.

The Positive Scale

Here's a better look at the positive scale.

• +10: You're so full that you're physically sick.
• +8: You're extremely full.
• +6: You're very full.
• +4: You're full.
• +2: You're satisfied.

Your Homework: How Hungry Am I?

Start recording the food you eat using a food diary or a phone app. Write down the food, the time, the portions of the food you're eating, and the number on the scale which reflects how hungry you are. It doesn't matter if you're still eating if you already feel stuffed. Here, you're just recording without any judgment.

After you finish eating, write a second number which reflects how satisfied or full you feel. Having a mental dialogue would help you fight off the resistance of food recording.

The Gold Standard

We're working toward a gold standard that is more or less a narrow range of −2 or +2. It means that you eat before you're hungry and you stop before you're full. Remember: eating when you're overly hungry pushes you to overeat or eat too fast. Stopping before you're full is the best way of honoring your body and managing your eating.

The Importance of Patience & Self-Compassion

Success in this journey means understanding that it is a journey. It is putting your foot in a gray area of thinking positive and forgiving thoughts. Keep in mind that self-talk is a massive source of sabotage.

You must develop self-love and forgiveness, understanding that you are doing the best you can do at any given moment. Remember: eating is not black and white. Hence, you must allow life into eating and its rhythm and flow to work together.

5 Powerful Quotes from this Episode

"You have to have a mentality of, 'This is the way I am going to eat to honor my body because what I'm eating right now feels good in my body.'"

"All those ads that you see that tell you you can lose lots of weight fast, that is not going to work in the big picture. It's a waste of time, energy, and money, and it feeds the mental cycle of feeling like a failure with dieting. That is absolutely at the crux of the problem."

"You must have patience. You must have self-love. You must let go of guilt. You must relax. You must be in the flow of, 'I'm doing the best I can.'"

"It's not good for your body or for you to be a binge dieter. Yet, in the moment, we act in the best way we know how. So ease up, please, on yourself."

"It's hard to develop the skill of allowing food intake and food cravings with life because the problem is life is about flow and rhythm and unpredictability."

If you listened to the podcast and enjoyed it, please share and post a review!

Have any questions or want to schedule an appointment? You can email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

To making peace with eating,

Betsy

This Tool Can Stop Your Food Cravings

Do you often find yourself binge eating? Are you having trouble following through with your goals? The good news is there are several ways to manage your food cravings and learn how to train your brain to stop the impulse to go into a binge eating moment.

In this episode, I discuss one great tool you can use to help stop the cravings and impulsive thoughts leading to a food binge. I also talk about the limitations of prescribed meal plans or diets and why it is typical that people will not be able to follow them. Tune in to the full episode and learn more about how to train your brain to change your relationship with the cravings and impulses.

I am now offering a virtual 7-week CLASS!

The class will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, membership in a Facebook community, and weekly private group sessions.

The class begins on October 2, and enrolling now will guarantee that you can participate in the private Zoom meetings with therapist Blair Thurston. Participants enrolling after the class starts will be able to access all the content but will miss out on group participation.

If you would prefer more individualized help, contact me so we can schedule a private virtual session.

To sign up for the class or to get private help, you can send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

1. Why is it challenging to follow meal plans?
2. What can you do when you start reverting to old binge eating habits?
3. How to use the Sedona Method to retrain your brain?

Resources

• The Sedona Method

Episode Highlights Why It Is Difficult to Follow a Meal Plan

Although we might want to follow a plan or a diet, we often can't stay with it because our mind's fears, habits, and impulses are too strong. It's not that we are lazy, rebellious, or won't follow the plan—we just can't do it until the mind becomes calmer.

Believing You Can Do Something Matters

When parts of you believe that you can't succeed, the brain will flood with emotions of defeat, helplessness, overwhelm, and shame. Rather than trying harder, this lack of belief will give you an excuse to succumb to a moment of weakness. The lack of belief will sometimes subconsciously try to prevent you from risking failure, and it might secretly have a mission of self-sabotage. Managing belief is a key piece of the puzzle for success.

Reverting to Old Habits Is Not a Catastrophe

If you notice that you are reverting to your old eating habits, stop and breathe. Instead of going into a period of sadness, anger, or regret, use this impulse as a sign pointing to what you must do.

Learning how to understand and connect with your fears is part of the journey of healing. Without facing your fears, these parts inside of you can't heal.

Things to Note if You Are in a Cycle of Self-Sabotaging Behavior

Depriving yourself of food may lead to overeating. But by connecting with our beliefs, we can tap into the energy of our subconscious, which drives us.

Addiction occurs when wanting something turns into needing something. It makes sense because it's a way to feel more in control and calm. The willingness to pause, reflect, and turn inward will allow the process of change.

Learning From the Experience of a Client

One of my clients wants to eat healthier. However, when she eats, she gets stuck in a loop of uncomfortable thoughts and emotions, which leads to overeating. The uncomfortable thoughts resulted from a memory of an experience that was stuck in the subconscious.

Sedona Method's Steps to Retraining Your Brain

Sedona Method is a simple 4-step process to train your brain to be present with emotions in a different way. The podcast will go into this tool in more depth.

• Stop and notice feelings.
• Focus on your instinct to resist them.
• Allow yourself to feel your emotions and impulses fully.
• After you let yourself feel them, ask yourself, "Now that I have felt it, can I let it go?"

Tips from the Sedona Method

One way to let feelings or cravings go is to imagine them as little pieces of thoughts breaking away and going into space. You may also think about dropping the emotions as if they were an item you are holding in your hand. Imagine the craving as a car accelerator that you can mentally direct to slow down.

The Brain as a Machine

The brain is like a machine, repeating what is comfortable and familiar. Addiction or extreme behaviors happen when parts of the brain get carried away with their efforts to help.

Flooding your brain with new ideas and willingly practicing new ways to respond to situations will create new neural pathways. The more you follow these new paths, the less your brain will revert to its old default patterning.

5 Powerful Quotes from this Episode

"You will change if you know how to change. And how to change almost always requires baby steps—you don't do it all at once; it's a slow process."

"I think it's helpful to remember that what you fear is what is going to lead you to a place of greater wisdom and abilities. So, what you fear is exactly what you need in order to stop avoiding whatever is going on with you."

"If you're stuck with overthinking and yo-yo dieting and disordered eating patterns, I'm convinced it's very, very difficult to get out of these cycles on your own. And getting outside guidance, perspective, and accountability makes a huge difference."

"At first, it might seem impossible. It might seem like you truly cannot change your compulsion to think about the same things… Rest assured, you can train your brain to shift. You can do this."

"Belief that you can do this is really important. And you know what? You can do anything. So never forget that."

If you listened to the podcast and enjoyed it, please share and post a review!

Have any questions or want to schedule an appointment? You can email me at [email protected] or visit my website.

To making peace with eating,

Betsy