FOOD ADDICTION HOW TO STOP BINGE EATING

AND

CHELSEALover  of  chocolate  pudding,  neuroscience  and  psychology  geek,  author  of  Binge  Ea)ng  

Breakthrough

“Un$l  I  studied  the  brain,  I  took  my  thoughts  as  reality.  If  mybrain  was  calling  me  to  cave  in  and  eat  temp$ng  binge  foods,  I  assumed  I  couldn’t  resist  it.  It  sounds  ridiculous  to  me  now,  but  I  truly  believed,  for  the  longest  $me,  that  my  binge  ea$ng  was  inevitable,  handed  down  from  above,  totally  out  of  my  control.”  

–  Binge  Ea>ng  Breakthrough  eBook,  p.17  

If  I  asked  you  to  list  the  most  important  events  that  have  shaped  your  life  and  your  rela5onship  with  food,  how  would  you  respond?  

Have  you  ever  looked  at  what  led  you  to  your  current  state  of  rela5onship  with  food?  

Do  you  feel  you’d  like  to  change  some  things,  but  can’t  ever  seem  to  make  a  new  habit  s5ck?  Or  maybe  it  seems  like  you  can’t  resist  certain  foods,  no  ma@er  how  hard  you  try.  Or  perhaps  you’ve  always  felt  frustrated  with  ea5ng  and  don’t  remember  what  it  was  like  not  to  be.

Yet  you  got  to  where  you  are  now  somehow.  

If  you  were  asked  what  events  shaped  your  rela5onship  with  food  and  you  HAD  to  answer,  what  would  you  say?

THE  CRITICAL  POINTSre-­‐wri&ng  your  food  story

Was  it  when  your  dad  made  a  comment  about  the  4th  helping  of  dessert  you  had  when  you  were  4  years  old?

Was  it  one  of  the  class  clowns  in  4th  grade,  leaning  back  in  his  chair  during  class  and  calling  you  “fa9y”?  (This  was  one  of  my  mine.)

Was  it  month  aAer  month  of  rigorous  college  classes,  or  the  arrival  of  a  new  baby  with  a  demanding  schedule,  (leaving  no  Cme  to  prepare  food  or  work  out)?  

Is  it  frequent  travel  with  irregular  sleeping  pa9erns  and  airport  food  that  makes  it  hard  to  eat  healthy  on  the  road...leaving  you  starved  when  you  make  it  to  your  desCnaCon?

Was  it  moving  to  a  new  area,  ge=ng  out  of  your  rou&nes  and  losing  your  surrounding  social  network?

“Where are you putting all that food? You eat like a kid twice your size..”

“I have no time to sleep, much less make a salad or get in a workout...”

“My choices are fast food, nut mixes or candy. I have to catch my plane, I need something...ok, chocolate bar it is!”

“I don’t really know anyone in this new town. It’s easier to stay in and enjoy ice cream on the couch.”

“Haha, look at you, Fatty!”

These  events  add  up.  Whether  you’re  conscious  of  it  or  not,  your  brain  has  cra@ed  a  story  about  you  and  food.  

Right  or  wrong,  it  doesn’t  maCer.  You  have  a  story  about  who  you  are  in  rela&on  to  food  and  ea&ng,  and  it’s  a  story  you  probably  have  never  ques&oned  before.

Because  you  are  so  used  to  this  story,  it’s  built  into  a  belief  that  has  shaped  your  life  and  feels  like  reality.  

Even  if  you  are  aware  of  this,  it  can  sCll  be  really  hard  to  spot  what’s  your  story  (also  called  your  beliefs)  verses  what  is  reality.

Our  beliefs,  or  our  stories,  about  who  we  are  and  why  we  relate  to  food  the  way  we  do  seem  100%  real.  It’s  also  very  difficult  to  dis5nguish  what’s  actually  true  and  what’s  a  belief  without  having  someone  look  at  your  story  with  you.

2  INTERESTING  THINGS  ABOUT  OUR  BELIEFSno&cing  the  small  details

Interesting Thing #1.

By  nature,  we  are  designed  to  delete  details  in  order  to  focus  fully  in  the  moment  on  what  will  keep  us  safe.  If  we  actually  were  focusing  on  everything  around  us  in  the  moment  (the  sounds  outside,  the  blood  pumping  through  our  ears,  our  heartbeat,  the  itch  on  our  toe,  the  chilly  breeze,  the  homeless  guy  on  the  street,  etc.),  we’d  hit  overload  quickly.  We’d  be  way  less  effecCve.  So,  our  brains  tune  into  the  few  details  we  need  in  order  to  funcCon  and  reach  our  goals  moment  by  moment.  

However,  this  means  that  many  of  our  memories  or  accounts  of  events  in  our  life  recall  only  a  few  small  details  and  leave  out  all  the  rest.  Over  Cme,  our  memories  leave  out  more  and  more  details.

Interesting Thing #2

we’re deletion machines

What’s Really Real?

YOUR  FEELINGSYour  beliefs  directly  affect  your  feelings.  If  you  believe  something  is  “bad,”  you’ll  feel  nega$vely  towards  it.  If  you  believe  something  is  “good,”  you’ll  feel  posi$ve.

The  belief  is  the  origin  of  the  feeling.  The  way  you  feel  about  food  is  coming  from  the  belief(s)  you  have  about  it.

YOUR  BEHAVIORSYour  behaviors  are  the  result  of  your  beliefs  +  your  feelings.  Because  you  believe  something,  you  feel  a  certain  way  about  it.  Your  behaviors  are  the  result  of  the  way  you  feel  and  what  you  believe.

YOUR  THOUGHTSYour  beliefs  influence  the  thoughts  running  through  your  mind  every  day.  It’s  been  said  that  95%  of  the  thoughts  we  have  are  not  original-­‐-­‐-­‐they’re  the  repeated  thoughts  we  have  every  day.  Our  thoughts  are  derived  from  the  beliefs  we  have.  If  we  believe  something  is  bad,  we  think  nega$ve  thoughts  about  it.  If  we  believe  something  is  awesome,  we  think  posi$ve  thoughts.

YOUR  BELIEFS

=  BEHAVIORBELIEFS              THOUGHTS  +  FEELINGS

The  Magic  Equa4on

BELIEFS:  THE  GOOD,  THE  BAD  AND  THE  UGLY

Beliefs  are  a  func$on  of  our  brain  designed  to  keep  us  safe  and  navigate  the  world.  

For  example,  because  you  believe  the  sun  will  rise  and  you’ll  be  alive  tomorrow,  you  plan  accordingly.  Because  you  believe  you  have  civic  rights  in  your  country,  you  react  if  those  are  threatened.  

Because  they’re  so  deeply  ingrained,  we  don’t  think  twice  about  them.

But  some  beliefs  can  become  a  hinderance  when  they  stop  you  from  taking  ac$on  towards  your  goals.  Or  if  they  s$fle  you  when  you  wish  you  could  be  more  expressed.  Or  they  limit  you  when  you  have  the  poten$al  for  something  greater.

There’s  a  VERY  good  chance  that  the  perspec&ve  you  have  about  yourself  in  an  area  of  your  life  where  you  feel  stuck-­‐-­‐-­‐for  example,  with  food-­‐-­‐-­‐  isn’t  actually  true.  It’s  a  belief.  Or,  in  other  words,  a  “story”  you  have  about  yourself.

Your  story  can  be  empowering  or  disempowering.  If  it’s  disempowering,  it’s  coming  from  a  limi2ng  belief  you  have  about  yourself.

Your  story  is  YOURS-­‐-­‐-­‐meaning,  you  can  shape  your  story  however  you  choose  to....whenever  you  want  to.

So...what’s  this  have  to  do  with  eaCng?

You  can  shape  your  story  however  you  choose  to....whenever  you  want  to.

EXAMPLES  OF  LIMITING  BELIEFS  AROUND  FOOD

I  have  no  control.I  always  give  in.I  always  eat  too  much.I  can’t  be  around  sweets  without  losing  it.I  crave  bread.I  hate  exercise.I  don’t  like  vegetables.I  can’t  sNck  to  a  diet.I  never  succeed.

No  one  else  baOles  with  this  like  I  do.I  will  never  be  “normal”  with  food.I’m  a  loser.I’m  weak.I  will  never  get  it  right.I  will  always  have  to  diet.I  can’t  stop  binging.I  can’t  stop  craving  sugar.I’m  a  mess.

Think  about  a  person  you  know    that  has  your  “ideal”  relaConship  with  food.    It  could  be  a  

friend,  rela$ve  or  celebrity.  Someone  that  seems  to  enjoy  or  feel  at  ease  with  food  and  their  body  

the  way  you  would  like  to.  

What  kind  of  “story”  or  beliefs  do  you  imagine  this  person  has  about  eaCng?

What  do  they  probably  believe  about  themselves  and  food?  Or  general  wellness?  Or  physical  fitness?

FINDING  A  MODEL

Think  of  another  person  that  has  your  ideal  behavior  with  food.  How  do  you  imagine  they  feel  about  ea5ng?  How  do  they  behave  in  situa5ons  with  food  where  you  might  otherwise  feel  overwhelmed,  frustrated  or  anxious?  

What  beliefs  does  this  person  probably  have  that  makes  them  feel  that  way?  What  beliefs  do  they  have  that  make  them  behave  that  way?

Experiment  A.  Find  a  restaurant  that  aCracts  people  that  appear  to  eat  in  a  manner  you  would  like  to  emulate.  For  example,  maybe  there’s  a  new  smoothie  bar  that  serves  green  smoothies,  and  you  see  healthy,  happy-­‐looking  people  going  there.  Or  an  authen&c  family-­‐owned  Italian  restaurant  where  the  Italian  women  enjoy  bread  and  pasta  and  look  fit  and  trim.  

Go  to  the  restaurant  to  have  a  meal  while  you  casually  observe  the  people  around  you.  Make  up  stories  about  them  and  their  beliefs  about  food.  How  could  you  adjust  your  own  story  to  create  similar  behaviors? Experiment  B.  Before  ea&ng,  take  a  moment  

to  think  about  a  person  who  seems  to  have  a  great  rela&onship  with  food.  Close  your  eyes  and  imagine  what  they  think  about  when  they  sit  down  to  eat.  How  do  they  decide  what  to  eat  or  how  much  to  eat?  How  do  they  probably  feel  when  they’re  ea&ng?  

Step  into  their  shoes  and  imagine  yourself  ea&ng  as  they  would.  Then  open  your  eyes  and  prac&ce.

THE    MODELING  EXPERIMENTS

Changing  your  limi2ng  beliefs  doesn’t  happen  overnight.  But  one  way  to  get  leverage  is  to  experiment  with  different  beliefs  or  approaches  to  ea&ng.  When  you  do,  it’s  easier  to  see  where  you  want  to  make  changes.

=      BEHAVIOR

There’s  another  way  to  shiL  your  beliefs.  Because  we’ve  learned  that  beliefs  >  thoughts  +  feelings  =  behavior...so  it  goes  that  behavior  +  feelings  +  thoughts  can  be  used  to  shape  beliefs.

THOUGHTS  +          FEELINGSBELIEFS

THOUGHTS  +          FEELINGS BELIEFSBEHAVIOR    +

To  shi@  a  long-­‐held  limi&ng  belief,  become  conscious  of  your  thoughts  and  feelings  about  the  situa&on.  How  can  you  change  your  thoughts  and  feelings?  What  would  you  have  to  believe  in  order  to  do  so?

How  would  you  behave  differently  with  those  new  thoughts  and  feelings?  

For  example,  let’s  say  you  normally  feel  bored,  lonely  or  stressed  at  the  end  of  the  day  and  tend  to  eat  more  at  that  &me.  You’re  not  sure  what  the  belief  is  behind  it,  but  no  maCer  what  you  try,  you  always  fall  back  into  the  habit.  

Try  no&cing  the  thoughts  and  feelings  you  have  at  this  &me  in  the  evenings.  Experiment  with  changing  your  feelings  and  thoughts  by  doing  a  new  behavior  in  the  evenings.  Go  for  a  walk,  call  a  friend,  go  to  a  movie,  take  a  class,  visit  an  old  friend  for  instance.  The  shi@  in  behavior  will  cause  new  feelings  and  thoughts,  and  both  will  shape  the  beliefs  you  have  about  yourself.

BREAKTHROUGH BINGE EATING

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