Escape Diet Prison by Anne-Sophie Reinhardt

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We live in a world where to be stressed is to be important. Everything goes faster and faster, we keep working, working, working, chasing, chasing, chasing elusive goals and never ever slowing down in order to just be.

Of course this constant stress has a big impact on the way we feel, which in turn influences the way we eat and relate to our body.

Dropping into a place of slowness and spaciousness is especially important when you struggle with binge eating, poor digestion, chronic dieting and body image issues. Slowing down will not only help you to get in touch with your body, it'll also turn you on to pleasure again and give you that clear mind you had before your eating issues took over your life.

On a physiologic level, stress turns off digestion and assimilation. It increases insulin and cortisol, which lowers calorie burning. This increase in the production of cortisol signals the body to de-sensitize itself to pleasure, which makes binge eating much likely to occur. I've written before that it's almost impossible to binge when you're not in a stress response.

When you slow down, on the other hand, maintenance and repair of body tissue, optimum digestion, assimilation and day in day out calorie burning of a meal happen naturally and effortlessly.

In other words, stress hurts the body, relaxation and pleasure heals it deeply.

In this episode of Escape Diet Prison, I share tips on the best ways to drop into the relaxation response, how stress manifests most often, what signals you have to watch out for and how you can use the power of slowing down to heal once and for all from your destructive relationship with calories, weight and your body.

Enjoy this episode of Escape Diet Prison and do share it if it helped or inspired you.

Love and light,

I’m in the zone: my stomach is empty, my mind is racing. I’m hungry, I’m starving. But I won’t eat. I’m stronger. I’m better. I win. This cycle of starving to bingeing has become all too familiar.

I’m in the zone: rice, ice-cream, fried chicken, toast with butter, cookies and on and on and on. I don’t taste a bite, I don’t feel a thing. All I know is I need more, want more and take more. I eat until I can’t breathe anymore, until I feel sick, ashamed, guilty, but not satisfied. I go to bed falling into a deep, heavy coma. I lost.

I wrote these words a few years ago when I was slightly relapsing into old behaviors and habits.

From Starving to Bingeing

Eating issues have shaped my life since I can remember. And I’m not alone. Most of us torture ourselves with self-created problems of eating, dieting, bingeing, starving, gaining and losing. Eating issues are there, constantly, ruining weddings, birthdays, Christmases and the magical moments of everyday life.

Surveys suggest that 3 out of 4 American women struggle with disordered eating. I believe the numbers are higher than that. We’ve all been through diets that only led to us obsessing over food and either being terribly unhappy or freakishly high.

By depriving ourselves of food, we create a deep and ravenous longing for everything that’s even remotely eatable. We create an issue with something that should be enjoyed, cherished and also, bloody easy.

We’re running in circles that slowly but effectively suffocate us. We’re chasing food and pushing it away. And all the while, we drive ourselves nuts.

How Can You Break the Cycle of Starving to Bingeing?

How can we come back to a place of sanity? How can we break the circle of starving only to over-indulge or bingeing only to starve?

It’s one of those questions that is super hard to answer and often seems elusive, doesn’t it?

There are the few who claim to have figured it out, only to fall right back on their cute little booty. There are the personalities who say they eat everything and clearly are underweight, presenting a twisted and sometimes deathly example for girls and women around the globe. And then there is the rest of us who struggle quietly every day trying to come to a place of peace of mind.

In this episode of Escape Diet Prison, I share tips helping you to begin your journey towards achieving your dream.

Surrender

If you get the urge to eat, then surrender to it. Don’t push it away, don’t let it go too far. If you crave a candy bar, then eat it. If you crave two, then do that. If you keep training your “I can eat what I want whenever I want it” muscle, you’ll soon stop craving everything all the time and you’ll begin to eat more balanced. Now, I know that doing this takes a lot of courage. After all, you don’t trust yourself or your body anymore, right? Walking into the unknown is frightening and most of us resist it for years or decades. But, just look at your reality right now. Are you having a balanced relationship with food or not? Have you tried every diet on this planet or not? Do you want to finally be free? Yes? Then, take a leap of faith and surrender.

Explore

When you’re in a phase of constant bingeing, try to dig deeper and explore what is going on beneath the surface. This is often painful, but revealing and refreshing at the same time. Sometimes changing things about your physical world can help you calm your inner storms.

I had to leave my husband to come back to myself. The relationship with him was literally drowning me and I needed to come up for air to let go of the starving-bingeing circle. Being at war with food doesn’t have to be the result of such a deep-rooted problem for you. Sometimes it’s just the daily stresses of your life that have you end up bingeing for hours.

Imagine

What would it feel like to be free of all your food-related thoughts? How would you live your life if you didn’t begin every week with a new weight loss program?

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It is my firm belief that you cannot escape diet prison if you don't get to know yourself, get to know your core, your wants, desires and more.

You can't stop a destructive behavior if you're not opening up space for healthy habits, healthy expressions of who you are.

So, in this episode of Escape Diet Prison, I share tips and strategies that'll help you get to a place of profound freedom, deep understanding of yourself and free up space for healing to happen.

It’s time to begin a relationship with yourself again that lasts a lifetime, supports you, loves you and heals you inside and out.

1. Change your living situation

Thomas Moore, who is a former monk and clinical psychologist, says that our outer world (the possessions we have, the way we choose to decorate our bedroom, the pictures we hang on the wall etc.) reflects the condition of our inner lives.

And I agree.

The more clutter I have, the less relaxed I feel. The lighter the colors of my furniture, the freer I feel. The bigger the windows in my home, the clearer my mind. It’s all connected.

So, take a look around your house and do a body check to see how you feel in your home. If you feel negative feelings, it’s time to change something. Now, I don’t suggest you go ahead, sell your home and move across the world. Although, if that’s what you truly desire, DO IT. But even just a few adjustments can make a big difference in the way you feel, and thus in your relationship with your beautiful self.

Set yourself a challenge, look for the room or corner in your home that you like the least and begin taking out one piece a day that you’d rather live without. You can then either leave that spot empty or replace it with an object, a painting, a scent that inspires you and feels like it represents your core.

Repeat this process for a week or until your space feels good to you again and see how your relationship with yourself evolves.

2. Do The Work on yourself

Never heard of The Work by Byron Katie? Then, it’s about time you learn about it, my love.

I’ve stumbled upon Byron Katie’s work two years ago as I was going through a big self-transformation and Byron’s process helped me tremendously. My initial separation from my husband paired with a new bout of anorexia unleashed a whole slew of painful thoughts and beliefs that made me want to dig deeper into my inner demons. Through The Work, I was able to create space around my thoughts and replace the charge they carried with a more benign way of looking at myself and my situation.

I know I’m not alone with my painful doubts and we all carry around hideous reminders of our supposed shortcoming that keep us up at night.

You know the Top 10 list of your own limiting beliefs, don’t you? Some of my clients’ favourites are:

I’m not good enough.

I’m not smart enough.

I need to do more.

I need to lose weight.

I should work out more. 

I should dress up more often for my husband.

I am a failure as a mom. 

I’m failing myself.

People judge me for my weight.

I should be happier.

And on and on and on goes our mind. Yet, Byron Katie reminds us that our thoughts are just a random running commentary that doesn’t have to be true. We can easily defuse the pain these thoughts create by asking the following questions:

Is it true?

Can you absolutely know that it’s true?

How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?

Who would you be without the thought?

Then, we can turn the thought around, and find at least three genuine, specific examples for each turnaround.

Turn the thought to the Opposite.

Turn the thought to the Other.

Turn the thought to the Self.

Sounds too complicated? It isn’t. Let’s look at an example.

People judge me for my weight.

Is it true? Yes.

Can you absolutely know that it’s true? No.

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We’ve all heard the calculation: Less food + more exercise = less weight.

We are still being bombarded with this "fact" all the time. Magazines show you the most effective exercises to burn as many calories in as little time as possible. "Experts" tell you what to eat in order to take in as little calories as possible. And trainers still tell their clients that if only they ate less and moved more, they'd finally lose that stubborn weight.

Well the truth is, that all of this is BS.

If "Less food + more exercise" worked, 99% of us would be thin.

The truth is that this calculation and this way of putting immense pressure on people is factually incorrect.

The truth is that we are not just a simple input/output calorie-burning machine.

The truth is that it takes way more than that to help a person lose weight.

There are a gazillion reasons why you might not be losing weight.

Your calorie burning capacity is affected by dozens of factors like stress, relaxation, thoughts, feelings, beliefs, the time of day you eat, meal frequency, pleasure you receive from a meal, your relationships to your own sexuality, spirituality, money, love, loved ones, macronutrient balance, water consumption, what drugs you take, birth control, quality of food, quality of fat in your diet, toxins, food allergies.

That’s why less food and more exercise alone are not enough.

Listen to this episode of Escape Diet Prison to hear my take on this outdates "scientific fact", what it does to the minds of people, how it's hurting our society and what you can do to leave this belief behind, build resiliency and truly take care of your body - without dieting your brains out.

Enjoy this episode of Escape Diet Prison and do share it if it helped or inspired you.

Love and light,

Are you ready to stop dieting, knowing that diets don't serve you any longer?

Have you been dieting for 10, 15, 30 years and are still feeling miserable in your skin?

Have you read this post and thought: “Well, that’s great, but how in the world can I finally stop dieting?”

In this episode of Escape Diet Prison, I’ll tell you exactly what you need to do to escape the guilt-shame-eating-restricting cycle that runs and ruins your life.

Make the Commitment to Stop Dieting

Living a life without diets - you have to really, really want it. If you don't, you'll relapse in no time. So, make the commitment to be done with diets once and for all. Proclaim that you're going to change and that you won't go back to dieting - no matter what happens.

You can even hold a beautiful ceremony celebrating the start of something new to come.

Setbacks happen, sure, but if you're truly committed, you can always get back up and start again. Remember that this is not a diet and there's no "hard work" or "gruelling workout" needed. This is about leaning in and giving in to your body's true signals. You can always go back to touching base with your vessel.

However, if you're not committed 100%, you'll give up because as much as I'd like to say that giving up dieting is easy, it isn't. You'll challenge yourself every day, you'll run up against fears and judgments and you'll likely get insecure every now and then. If that happens, go back to your sacred commitment and strengthen your heart.

Trust your Body

Believe it or not, your body will rejoice knowing that you're finally ready to stop making it suffer.

It'll need some time to recalibrate, but then it'll get back to balance. Give your body this time to readjust and rebalance and do not freak out.

You may end up eating to a point of feeling nauseous, you may end up gaining some weight, you may end up craving fatty and salty foods.

Chances are that you'll still restrict mentally even if you're eating all foods. That'll lead to more episodes of feeling out of control around food, which will lead to more restriction. That's where going back to your commitment comes in. Review it and see why you're taking this path.

Despite everything you've been told, your body's got this.

Challenge Yourself

When you notice that you're still restricting mentally and following certain rules, ask yourself why and what the fears are behind all of that. Challenge yourself over and over and over again.

You are venturing out into a new world and that does take courage and boldness. You can muster up the courage by constantly stretching yourself beyond your current beliefs.

Get the End Result Now

We usually diet because we want something: a better job, a husband, more self-esteem, a dress, etc.

We believe that we cannot have what we really, really, really want until we have a certain size. It's the same belief as not living life until you've made a million dollars. It's a little bit wild.

So, dig deep and ask yourself what you really, really, really want. What are your soul's desires? Your wildest dreams? Those that you haven't spoken to to anyone?

Write them down and then make them all come true. One after the other.

Go on a date - with the body you have NOW.

Book that paragliding session today.

Dance in the rain - just because it makes you happy.

Wear the dress of your dreams for work tomorrow.

Write that novel.

Apply for the job you believe you're not worthy of.

Put on that very red lipstick.

Do yoga teacher training.

Apply to be part of that art show.

Do what your heart wants you to do.

You'll see that the more fully you live, the less important your diets will be.

Work on your Beliefs

It's too hard to stop dieting.

Fat in food = fat on my body

Being "heavier" is unhealthy

Carbs are bad

If you host a number of unhealthy, limiting and painful beliefs about food and your body, it's time to question them and look at them fr...

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I am BACK with a brand-new podcast: Escape Diet Prison.

After more than 2 years of absence, I am so thrilled to be back behind the microphone.

In this episode, I share what's happened since I recorded my last podcast episode, what Escape Diet Prison is all about, why I am back behind the microphone and what the plans for this podcast are.

Escaping Diet Prison means the world to me and I am thrilled to be able to dedicate this podcast to us women who want to stop battling food and our bodies and who are ready to embrace the skin we're in. Because living a life of body acceptance enables us to live the life we've always wanted - instead of aiming to have the weight we've always wanted.

When you take charge of your life, your chances of being happy, feeling empowered, getting the man or finding a career you like are enormous. But when you're chasing the elusive goal of being as skinny as possible, the chances of getting what you want are slim (no pun intended).

This podcast is for you if you're ready to challenge yourself, deconstruct old beliefs, open yourself to new realities and take action to blow open the walls you've built around yourself.

This is a great time for us women: it's the time when we can finally claim our bodies as our own without shame, without blame, without guilt.

Enjoy Escape Diet Prison and do share it if it helped or inspired you.

Love and light,

Today, I am thrilled to share with you my interview with my friend Jenn Friedman.

Jenn  is a musician (singer/songwriter/piano-player), author, and Eating Disorder Recovery Advocate from Brooklyn, NY. She has shared her recovery message through discussion and performance at various schools and recovery events, and also makes weekly videos for the WeRFreEDomFighters YouTube recovery channel.

Jenn released her first book, "Eating Disorders on the Wire: Music and Metaphor as Pathways to Recovery," through H.T.F.K. Press in March 2014. She also released a full-length album, "On the Wire," on Personal Bias Records. The book and music can be enjoyed together or separately, but both explore the emotional journey of an eating disorder through metaphor.

While attending Purchase College, SUNY, Jenn studied Music Composition, learning from some of the best teachers is the industry. She later attended The New School’s “Creative Arts Therapy” Certification Program.

Jenn previously recorded two self-released albums of original music. She is overjoyed at the opportunity to spread the hope of recovery through her art.

We talk about life after recovery, practicing gratitude, music (obviously), self-love and being your own unique self.

Jenn shares her story from struggling with different eating disorders to coming ALIVE and thriving, releasing her first CD and a book and being an advocate for recovery.

And so much more!

You can connect with Jenn on her website JennFriedman.com.

If you would like to leave feedback, send it to [email protected] or simply leave a comment in the comment section below.

You can follow me on twitter: @theannesophie

Thanks For Subscribing To the Your Life Your Success Podcast:

Note: My podcasts are now also available on Stitcher!

If you like this podcast, why not share it with others?

New FREE Challenge

Dreading summer because you don’t like the skin you’re in? Join our FREE 10-Day Body-Confidence Makeover Challenge and start rocking your body like nobody’s business.

Forget about diets, cleanses and weight loss programs and instead focus on loving your body from the inside out!

Mara Glatzel works with brave women who are ready to reclaim their brilliance and cultivate unshakable self-worth.

Quite simply, she believes that is your birthright to show up in your life brilliantly and with unbridled joy. 

It is her job to teach you how. Her blog — Medicinal Marzipan — has inspired thousands of women to treat themselves with relentless compassion.

This work is steeping in the belief that when you love yourself and have your own back – anything is possible.

We talk about having your own back all of the time, brave love, being honest with yourself, reparenting and reconnecting to yourself.

Mara shares her story from unraveling to finding her path and  what she learned along the way.

We talk about things that light us up, mourning your old stuff and making sure that your choices are your own.

And so much more!

You can find her over at MaraGlatzel.com, or catch up with her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

If you would like to leave feedback, send it to [email protected] or simply leave a comment in the comment section below.

You can follow me on twitter: @theannesophie

Thanks For Subscribing To the Your Life Your Success Podcast:

Note: My podcasts are now also available on Stitcher!

If you like this podcast, why not share it with others?

Can you imagine having five platinum hits as songwriters in Brazil at the innocent age of 12?

Can you imagine growing up in the music business, traveling all over the US throughout your entire childhood?

Can you imagine growing up under the pressure of that industry?

I can't, but that's the childhood that my guest, Alexa Falk, lived.

Alexa Falk and her sister Natalee are in a country music duo called "FALK" and are currently serving as ambassadors for NEDA.

At just 23 years, Alexa Falk has already experienced the many ups and downs of being in the music industry. Starting out in country music at the ages of 8, her life seemed like a fairy tale, but on the inside, Alexa was broken.

Struggling with an eating disorder to control her emotions, Alexa almost lost her voice and her identity.

In this episode of Your Life Your Success, Alexa shares her journey and how she healed herself.

We talk about staying true to what you want and see as the right way for you, growing up in a Mormon community as one of the few non-Mormons, practicing joy, leading by example, deadly beauty and relearning how to live.

Alexa shares how gratitude and essential oils have helped her to start recovery from her eating disorder and what her role as a NEDA ambassador means to her.

Alexa also talks about freedom and what it means to hear and she shares how she integrates her music with her passion for wellness.

And so much more!

Check out these sites to find out more about Alexa and her music:

www.mydoterra.com/falk

www.facebook.com/falkfans

www.falk-music.com

If you would like to leave feedback, send it to [email protected] or simply leave a comment in the comment section below.

You can follow me on twitter: @theannesophie

Thanks For Subscribing To the Your Life Your Success Podcast:

Note: My podcasts are now also available on Stitcher!

If you like this podcast, why not share it with others?

Can you imagine being a little girl knowing things you absolutely can't know?

Can you imagine having been born with a gift nobody around you really understood?

Can you imagine the confusion, the fear and the isolation?

Robin Hallett of robinhallett.com experienced a childhood full of these confusing moments, learned to hide her "gift" of intuition and conformed to the norms of today's society.

Until one day, she found herself in Germany, where a stroke of fate reminded of who she really was.

I'm so excited to be joined by Robin on this episode of Your Life Your Success. Robin and I met through Jonathan Fields' Good Life Immersion Program in March of this year and have been close ever since.

She truly is one of my favorite people and she's taught me so much about the world that's invisible to our eyes, but so clear to our heart and soul.

Robin’s mission is to help people rock their lives like they really mean it. For the past 13 years, she’s been helping people all over the world to liberate obstacles and heal the wounds that bind.

Her approach is straight to the heart with kindness and compassion. Her friends call her a bad-ass truth teller but say she'll ride in on her unicorn and slay those inner demons with hugs. Robin believes we do not need to suffer in order to feel joy.

In this conversation, Robin and I talk about asking what we need to know, being deeply loved, wanted, cherished, no matter what we're going through or how we're feeling at the moment.

We go deep into being and keeping it real on the internet and what it means to open yourself up on the world wide web. We talk about the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur and how we can still feel great while we wait for the big things that we know will happen in the future.

Robin shares how she discovered her creative talent and why she believes that we don't ever have to suffer to feel joy.

Check out Robin's website http://www.robinhallett.com and join her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Robinhallettcom.

If you would like to leave feedback, send it to [email protected] or simply leave a comment in the comment section below.

You can follow me on twitter: @theannesophie

Thanks For Subscribing To the Your Life Your Success Podcast:

Note: My podcasts are now also available on Stitcher!

If you like this podcast, why not share it with others?