Binge Eating Breakthrough

Did you know there is a sweet spot when it comes to growth? That’s your growth edge (also known as the growing edge). It's that just-right place where the discomfort is there, but you are willing to experience it because you know what is waiting for you on the other side. 

Here are some takeaways from this episode:

The growth edge sits between letting the brain do what it’s always done (i.e. seeking pleasure and avoiding pain while using as little energy as possible) and setting very high, very unrealistic expectations for yourself, then getting frustrated when you don't do anything.

Discomfort is required for growth, and finding your edge is a matter of finding just the right amount of discomfort that will keep you in action. Each of us will have a different growth edge – and it will change based upon the area where you are trying to grow or improve. 

Be willing to experiment to find your edge. In the moments when you recognize you are there – when your brain thinks you can't or you just don't want to – ask yourself, “what can I do?” Listen for the answer and take action, whatever answer you get.

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

If “should” is a word you use to talk to yourself, this episode is for you. Many of us use “should” when we talk to ourselves. After listening to this episode, you can decide whether it’s a word you would like to continue to use or not.

Here are this episode’s takeaways:

Telling yourself you should be doing more or being more leaves you feeling like you aren't enough as you are.

Focus on accepting your experience rather than forcing yourself to have a different one – get curious about what it has to teach you. 

When we say we should do something, we are reinforcing the idea that we are not doing the thing we think we should be doing.

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

Have you ever wondered whether or not you would still binge if you paused before you started eating? If so, this episode is for you. Taking a pause is important because it allows for the logical brain to create an opportunity to respond versus react, which gives you a chance to consider your alternatives.

Some takeaways from this episode:

• We are not pausing so that we won't eat, we are pausing to give ourselves some time and space to consider what we want to do.
• It’s important to understand how change works. First, we catch ourselves after a binge, then towards the end, then in the middle, then before we go for the food.
• This journey is about coming back to yourself. Staying connected. Acknowledging that you can't fully disconnect - you will always come back to you and you will be dealing with the consequences, so let's stop pretending they don't exist.

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

If you are someone who has been on the binge-restrict pendulum for a while, with periods of what seems like success followed by periods of out-of-control moments with food, this episode is for you. I'm here to share my own experience with these approaches and why they didn't work for me and the challenges I see with many other people. I want you to be able to find that place where food feels easy and you are able to eat in a way that feels supportive and honoring to your body, mind, and spirit.

The problem with eliminating food groups is that it often gives a lot of power to that type of food. If you think that you can't control yourself once you start eating something, chances are you will prove that to be true.

When you are empowered, connected, and choosing what feels honoring and supportive, you won't need to disconnect from yourself with food.

In the last episode, I talked about the 4 pillars of creating peace with food: Clarity, Connection, Compassion, and Confidence. If your approach isn't cultivating these 4 pillars, chances are you are not on a path that will be sustainable in the long term.

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

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 Food Freedom 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 Food Freedom 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 Food Freedom 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 Food Freedom 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 Food Freedom 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 Food Freedom Mini Series today.