The holidays are coming, and if you struggle with food, you might already feel the anxiety building. 

In this episode, we explore why holiday gatherings are so challenging for people with complicated relationships with food - and what you can actually do about it. 

We're not talking about willpower strategies or strict rules. We're talking about a grounded, connected approach that helps you navigate food, family dynamics, and all the emotions that come with this season.

What You'll Discover:

• Why the "buckle down" and "screw it" approaches both backfire

• The real reasons holiday gatherings trigger food struggles (hint: it's not just about the cookies)

• Practical strategies for before, during, and after gatherings that help you stay connected to yourself

• How to handle family comments about your body, food, or life choices

If you've ever felt anxious about holiday gatherings, found yourself driving around after parties looking for food, or struggled with feeling out of control during this season, this episode will help you create a different experience this year.

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

Black-and-white thinking might be the single most powerful pattern keeping you stuck in cycles of binging and restriction. 

If you've ever thought "I already messed up, so I might as well keep going," this episode is for you. We explore how all-or-nothing thinking creates the binge-restrict cycle, why it's so common among high-achievers, and most importantly, how to start shifting into the gray area where actual peace with food lives.

What You'll Discover:

• Why "I've already blown it" thinking leads directly to binging

• How perfectionism and diet culture fuel black-and-white thinking

• The power of "good enough" as an alternative to perfect or failure

• Practical ways to introduce gray area thinking, especially during the holidays

If you're someone who struggles with an "on the wagon" or "off the wagon" mentality with food, this episode will help you understand why that framework doesn't work - and what to do instead.

Perfect timing for the holiday season when black-and-white thinking tends to intensify!

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

In this second part of our series on parts work, we get practical. You understand now that you have parts - but how do you actually work with them? This episode covers the critical missing piece: trust. 

Learn why your parts don't trust you yet, how the internal critic keeps you stuck, and practical questions you can ask to start building relationship with your parts. This is deep, root-cause work that addresses why you binge eat, not just what you eat.

What You'll Discover:

• The internal critic dynamic and why it keeps the binge cycle going

• Why your parts need to trust your Anchored Self before they'll change

• Practical questions to ask your parts 

• How to use "a part of me" language to create separation and awareness

If you've been trying to stop binge eating through willpower and control, this episode offers a completely different approach based on building internal trust and collaboration rather than fighting yourself.

Resources mentioned:

• The Binge Eating Breakthrough - includes additional questions for parts work and frameworks for understanding your relationship with food
• The Binge Eating Breakthrough Workbook - structured exercises and prompts for working with your parts
• Limited 1:1 coaching spots available starting December 2025 and into 2026 - Book a Breakthrough Call

Catch up on Part 1: Understanding the Part of You That Wants to Binge - where we explore what parts are and why the part that binges is trying to protect you

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

If you struggle with binge eating or emotional eating, you've probably felt like you're at war with yourself. One part desperately wants to eat while another part screams "no, don't do it!" 

This episode explains the psychology behind binge eating using parts work and Internal Family Systems (IFS) concepts. Learn why the part of you that binges is actually trying to protect you, not sabotage you - and why understanding this changes everything.

What You'll Discover:

• Why binge eating is a protective mechanism, not self-sabotage
• How to identify different parts and what triggers them
• The Anchored Self concept and why it matters for recovery
• Why trying to eliminate binge urges makes them stronger 

If you've tried willpower, diets, and restriction but still struggle with binge eating, this episode offers a completely different approach based on understanding your internal system rather than fighting it. 

Next week: Part 2 - How to Work With the Part of You That Wants to Binge, where we'll get into practical strategies, questions to ask your parts, and how to build trust with them.

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

Have you ever noticed that your comfort foods and your fear foods are often the same? 

In this episode, we explore the Safety Paradox - the confusing experience of seeking safety in food while simultaneously feeling unsafe with that very same food. Through nervous system science and practical strategies, you'll understand why this happens and how to work with it rather than against it.

What You'll Discover:

• Why your nervous system turns to food for safety and comfort

• How past food experiences create conflicting responses in your body

• Practical nervous system regulation techniques you can use anywhere

• The two-part approach to resolving the Safety Paradox

If you've ever felt torn between craving and fearing the same foods, this episode will help you understand that your responses make complete sense - and show you a path forward.

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

What to Do After a Binge (Without Spiraling Into Shame)

Learn the exact framework that transforms your most difficult moments with food into opportunities for growth. In this episode, we dive deep into the CALM Process - a step-by-step approach to responding to binges and out-of-control eating with curiosity instead of judgment. Stop the shame spiral and start creating real change.

What You'll Discover:

• The CALM Process: a 4-step framework for post-binge recovery

• Why shame and judgment prevent lasting change

• A real-world example of the process in action

• What to do when you're too deep in shame to access the framework

If you've ever had a binge and immediately spiraled into self-attack and promises to "do better tomorrow," this episode will give you a completely different way to respond - one that actually creates change instead of keeping you stuck.

Get the complete guide: Download the free 5-step plan for what to do after a binge at janepilger.com/after

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

Now that you understand binges are signals and you know the 8 primary reasons why they happen, it's time to get practical. In this episode, you'll learn how to become the scientist of your own experience and decode what YOUR specific signals mean. No more guessing - you'll have a clear toolkit for understanding your patterns.

What You'll Discover:

• The Scientist's Toolkit for observing your own patterns

• How to use The 3 Powerful Questions to gather data about your signals

• Common patterns to look for and what they might mean

• How to connect your personal patterns to the 8 reasons framework

If you're ready to stop feeling confused about your relationship with food and start understanding exactly what your body is trying to tell you, this episode will give you the tools to become your own expert.

 Catch up on previous episodes:

• Signals, Not Setbacks: What Binges Really Mean
• The 8 Reasons Why People Binge (and the Real Solutions)

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

Finally, understand why "just eat when hungry, stop when full" has never been enough. In this comprehensive episode, we explore the 8 primary reasons why people binge eat and the real solutions that address each root cause. This isn't about willpower or quick fixes - it's about understanding what's really happening underneath your struggles with food.

What You'll Discover:

• The 8 underlying reasons that drive binge eating

• Why shame and judgment act like a "50-pound weight" preventing real change

• How these reasons interconnect and reinforce each other

• Real solutions that address root causes, not just symptoms

If you've tried everything and still struggle with food, this episode will finally help you understand why - and what actually needs to change.

 Previous Episode:

• Signals, Not Setbacks: What Binges Really Mean

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 completely reframe what it means when you have an out-of-control moment with food. Instead of seeing binges as failures or proof that you're broken, discover why they're actually signals - lights on your dashboard telling you something needs attention underneath the surface.

What You'll Discover:

• Why shame and judgment keep you stuck in binge cycles

• The neuroscience behind curiosity vs. self-criticism

• How to use the "dashboard metaphor" to understand your signals

• A simple 3-question framework for responding to binges differently

If you've been caught in cycles of shame after eating episodes, this perspective shift could be the key to finally breaking free and building a peaceful relationship with food.

Just had a binge and wondering what to do? Get your easy-to-follow plan today. janepilger.com/after

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

If you've ever found yourself eating the same 'safe' foods day after day because everything else feels too risky, or you've avoided social events because you didn't trust yourself around the food, this episode is for you. 

We're diving deep into one of the most fundamental aspects of healing your relationship with food: learning to trust yourself again.

What You'll Discover:

• The concept of two-way trust - why your body needs to trust you just as much as you need to trust it

• Why restriction breaks trust and keeps you stuck in cycles of control and chaos

• Small, incremental steps you can take to begin rebuilding trust with your body

• How to start listening to your body's signals without the pressure to be perfect

 If you've been looking to everyone and everything outside yourself for food guidance, this episode will help you understand how to reconnect with your body's innate wisdom and rebuild the trust that restriction has damaged.

Check out the first episode of the hunger series: What Is Your Relationship With Hunger?

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