I'm aware - now what?

If you've been listening to this podcast for a while, you know that I often talk about the importance of awareness and how it is the first and most important step to change. 

If this is your first time listening, please listen to episode 32, which talks about how the brain works. Its primary goal is to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and use as little energy as possible. In order to change your patterns you have to become aware of them first. 

Noticing our patterns, what we might be thinking in the moments before, during, and after eating, what we are feeling in our body, and the stories we tell ourselves about why we eat the way we do.

Some takeaways from this episode:

• Consider writing in a journal or a phone app your observations of the things you say to yourself. Notice them. Become aware of them. Write them down or say them out loud to somebody else. 
• Once you become aware, you can choose to do something different.
• It's crucial that you don't judge or shame yourself for what you are thinking, feeling, or doing. 

Want to know why you struggle with food and what to do next? Start watching The Binge Breakthrough Mini Series today.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could create peace with food?

In this episode, I talk about the four pillars of creating peace with food. This is important because the pillars become the foundation. If your goal is food freedom or being able to eat with ease, there are some components that have to be in place for this goal to be achieved and sustained.

Some takeaways from this episode:

• The four pillars of creating peace with food are clarity, connection, compassion, and confidence.
• You don't have to be perfect at all of these items.
• Imagine what might change if you improved even a little bit in each of these four areas.

Want to know why you struggle with food and what to do next? Start watching The Binge Breakthrough Mini Series today.

Have you ever wished someone would just tell you what to eat? Does it sometimes seem like if you could just find the perfect combination of foods and timing, all of your food struggles would just disappear? But then when someone does tell you what to eat you rebel? I have definitely been there. 

In this episode, I talk about this paradox and why it is important to listen to and trust yourself.

• I don't WANT to eat a bunch of food that makes me feel like crap, drains my energy, and takes me away from what is truly important in my life. When we say "I want to eat whatever I want" that is often more of a sign of rebellion. 
• But here is what I do think is a problem - it's seeking outside advice without turning inwards to see if it resonates with you. 
• The body is always communicating with you - the skill is learning how to tune in and respond accordingly.

If you want to hear a whole episode about the scale and weighing yourself, you can go back to Episode 19 (what about the scale?) and see what resonates for you. 

Figuring out what to eat can take experimentation and time but stay connected to what resonates with you rather than only seeking advice and guidance outside of yourself.

Want to know why you struggle with food and what to do next? Start watching The Binge Breakthrough Mini Series today.

In last week's episode, I talked about how the brain works to give you an understanding of the basics so that you can work with your natural wiring rather than fighting against it or thinking that something is wrong with you when your brain just does what human brains do. If you haven't had a chance to listen, I recommend you do, as these two episodes complement each other quite nicely.

This week we will expand on understanding the brain by diving into the power of questions. When your brain isn't in survival mode, it is basically like a computer, always working on finding answers for whatever it believes to be true.
Here are some takeaways from this episode:

• The brain will always look for the negative in a situation, which comes from its #1 job - survival. The brain is always scanning for threats, for what is wrong. If we don't direct our thinking and our attention, it's always going to focus on the faults, on the ways we aren't making progress.
• It’s very important to ask your brain very powerful questions because if you ask your brain a question, it will go to work to answer it. Your brain doesn't care if it's a useful question or whether it is helpful or harmful to you. It's like a computer - give it a question, and it will give you an answer.
• There is a very good reason why you binge, and you can use the power of questions to help you get out of shame and judgment and into curiosity and compassion so that you can understand yourself and your behavior.

I have created a download for you with all of these questions so you can have them for yourself when needed. You can get your list of powerful questions at www.janepilger.com/questions.

Want to know why you struggle with food and what to do next? Start watching The Binge Breakthrough Mini Series today.

In this episode, I discuss how to understand your brain. My goal is to give you a basic understanding of how the brain works.

Understanding how your brain works will help you learn how to make real changes in your eating habits and all areas of your life.

Here are some takeaways from this episode:

One of the primary functions of the brain is survival, and if it senses a threat in any way (real or perceived), it will always focus on survival, constantly scanning for danger.

If you've been on a lot of diets in the past (as many of us have), your brain may sense that your attempts to change or limit your food may result in starvation and will see this as a threat, which is why it is hard for you to change your eating habits.

There’s also the thinking part of the brain that we can use to our advantage to grow and evolve.

Want to know why you struggle with food and what to do next? Start watching The Binge Breakthrough Mini Series today.

Observing your thoughts is such an important part of the process of change. If you've been listening to the podcast for a while, you have heard me say many times that awareness is the first step of change, and “becoming the observer” is a good way to become aware. There is a lot that goes on inside your body that you aren’t aware of.

Here are some takeaways from this episode:

Having experiences where it feels like you are at the mercy of something outside of yourself that just compels you to eat, but you really aren't even sure of what is happening in your mind and body is normal. When this happens you are on autopilot. You are pretty much at the effect of whatever is going on, without even realizing it.

Notice your patterns. Start to get curious about what is happening in your body when you notice that compulsive desire to eat a lot of food in a short period of time. Analyze personal observations of your own thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

As you start to become more aware of what is happening to you in the moments of eating, it's important not to judge yourself. Remember, shame and judgment are the main reason why people binge and what will keep you stuck.

If you want to get answers to “Why do I binge?” and other key questions, take this quiz and get the answers and 3 steps you can take right away to begin to change. Thank you for listening to The Binge Breakthrough Podcast – your personal guide to breaking through the barriers that keep you stuck in the cycle of binge eating, compulsive overeating, or emotional eating.

Want to know why you struggle with food and what to do next? Start watching The Binge Breakthrough Mini Series today.

In this episode, we explore my story about why I chose to keep my secret eating habits hidden from my husband until after we were married.

Secret eating is a common struggle, and it's understandable to feel hesitant about sharing this part of yourself with someone else. If you've never discussed your secret eating with anyone before, I want to provide you with valuable insights to consider as you navigate the decision of whether or not to open up.

Throughout this episode, I aim to equip you with practical tools to facilitate the process of talking to your loved ones about your secret eating. Here are a few key takeaways:

1. Evaluate your reasons for sharing: It's crucial to identify whether your motivation to reveal your secret eating is strong and meaningful to you. Take the time to understand your own reasons and ensure that you genuinely resonate with them.
2. Choose your confidant wisely: Decide who you feel comfortable sharing your secret with and why you specifically want to confide in them. Selecting the right person can make a significant difference in your journey toward breaking free from shame and developing a fresh perspective on your eating habits.
3. The power of sharing: Several of my clients have experienced a profound shift in their relationship with food by openly discussing their binging struggles with loved ones. Sharing their experiences helped remove the weight of shame, enabling them to gain new insights and perspectives on their behavior.

Want to know why you struggle with food and what to do next? Start watching The Binge Breakthrough Mini Series today.

The topic of perfection for this week’s episode was inspired by my recent guest podcast interview on Side Gig School, where I spoke about how perfectionism showed up for me when I was first certified as a coach and wanted to start my business. Last year, I did a masterclass on how perfectionism perpetuates binge eating, and this topic resonated so much with my attendees, who struggled with their relationship with food. 

In this episode, I talk about perfection and the four steps on how to overcome perfectionism that perpetuates binge eating.

Here are a few takeaways from this episode:

• Perfectionists tend to achieve LESS and stress MORE than regular high achievers.
• Use the power of your BRAIN to notice and shift your default pattern of thinking.
• Perfectionism may be one key component keeping you stuck in the cycle of binging.

Want to know why you struggle with food and what to do next? Start watching The Binge Breakthrough Mini Series today.

This episode is inspired by a recent experience that I had while doing a half-marathon. In this episode, we will be expanding on what I talked about in Episode 24 about your identity as an eater. We talk about what happens when things get hard. 

On our journey through life, we are going to have obstacles and challenges. Things will not always go the way we want them to. So the question is - what do you do when that happens?

Here are a few takeaways from this episode:

• Thinking that we need everything to be in control is an attempt at protecting ourselves.
• There are many things we can't control - but one thing we can always control is our reaction to any circumstance. How we show up and who we are in the face of whatever happens in our lives.
• The way you think about your urges and the way you relate to them is everything. If you can shift one thing - see your urges as a challenge, as the opportunity for growth and new pathways.

Want to know why you struggle with food and what to do next? Start watching The Binge Breakthrough Mini Series today.

As I record this episode, it is my 22nd wedding anniversary. As I reflect on what this day means to me, I thought it would be a great way to introduce how to handle milestone dates or anniversaries.  Every year is full of milestone dates that have different meanings to each of us. For some people, looking at milestone dates and anniversaries can be very powerful and feel expansive, and for others it can be a very challenging time.

Here are a few takeaways from this episode:
Most of our pain and suffering come from a place of insufficiency. Thinking it's not good enough or you didn’t do enough.

You will know if you are in lack and insufficiency based on how it feels.

Decide ahead of time how you want to feel, and be intentional to create an experience from a place of sufficiency and enoughness.

Want to know why you struggle with food and what to do next? Start watching The Binge Breakthrough Mini Series today.