Ep 128: Thoughts While Binge Eating

Hey! If you’ve been listening to this podcast for awhile then you’ve heard me talk a lot about the importance of your thoughts.

If you haven’t been listening for awhile and this is your first episode you’re listening to, welcome! Your thoughts matter.

It’s because your thoughts cause your feelings and your feelings drive your actions.

So all your actions begin with a thought.

If you want to know why you’re doing something, look into your thoughts and you’ll find your answer.

This is why what you’re thinking when you’re bingeing matters.

Your thoughts are creating a feeling that is driving you to continue to eat.

So when I ask you what you’re thinking when you’re bingeing, if you don’t know, you have some paying attention to start doing.

So many of you completely check out. You tell me you’re not thinking anything.

The thing is, you are thinking, you just aren’t aware of it.

It’s like when you’re driving. You may not think you’re thinking about driving but you are.

You’re thinking about everything you’re doing from moving the steering wheel just a little, pressing on the gas a little harder, and deciding when to turn.

You’re just noticing it because you’ve done it so many times that it doesn’t need to be consciously thought.

All those thoughts about driving have been designated to your subconscious. That’s where your habits live and the thoughts about things that you’re so good at that you don’t need to consciously think about anymore.

Those thoughts about driving are quiet and unnoticeable. Unless you take a moment to think them consciously.

It’s the same with your eating. They’re quiet and unnoticeable sometimes so you have to look for them.

The easiest way to look for them is to be aware of what you’re doing and ask yourself questions.

You have to have awareness of either your thoughts, feelings, or actions if you want to change any of them.

When you notice what you’re doing, you can stop ask, “Why am I doing this?” No saying, “I don’t know,” take a guess at an answer if you’re not sure. Look for how you’re feeling or what you’re thinking. Find an answer. It’s there, you have to look for it.

Now, once you find what you’re thinking while you’re bingeing, it’s most likely going to be a thought about food, something like, “It’s so good” or “I want more,” or a thought about yourself like, “I can’t stop” or “I shouldn’t be doing this,” or “I’m so disgusting.”

Those thoughts about the food that you’re thinking, those are creating desire for more food and that desire is driving you to eat more.

Those thoughts about yourself are making you feel bad about yourself, powerless, guilty, and you’ll probably keep eating to try and escape and numb those feelings. Or, maybe as a way of punishing yourself for eating.

Desire for food, feeling bad, guilty, or powerless are not going to drive you to stop eating they’re going to do the opposite.

You continue eating because of how you’re feeling and how you’re thinking whether or not you realize what you’re thinking or feeling.

Now, it’s not a secret what the outcome of bingeing is going to be for you. You know.

People ask me all the time, “If I know how it’s going to end, why do I keep doing it??”

Because you’re not thinking about it. Or if you are thinking about it, one thought comes up about how bad you’re going to feel and you dismiss it away and go back to thinking about how yummy the food is or negative things about yourself.

You have to stop thinking about how pleasurable it will be to continue eating and on purpose, start thinking about how not pleasurable it is going to be at the end of your binge.

You also have to make the decision to stop. “I shouldn’t be doing this” is not a decision. “Neither is, “I should stop” or “I want to stop.” Those are just ideas and suggestions about stopping.

“I am stopping,” and “I’m done” are decisions to stop. You’re not doing that if you’re continuing to eat past fullness.

If you want to stop you have to decide to stop.

It’s something you do eventually. You do it when the binge ends. Yes there may be no more food but you could find something else, make something, or go to the store for more. I’ve done all of those, it’s possible. But no, you decide to stop.

Decide sooner.

Think on purpose about what will happen if you continue eating.

And before any of that even happens, be aware of yourself. Be aware of your actions, your feelings, and your thoughts.

There’s always thoughts and feelings happening even if you aren’t aware of them.

Just because you’re not aware of them doesn’t mean they’re not happening.

If you want to choose to allow your discomfort and if you want to change how you’re thinking, figure out how you’re thinking now so you can switch it accordingly and figure out how you’re feeling so you can choose to allow it.

Stop zoning out and tune in.

Yes it’s going to be uncomfortable but it’s also going to be worth it.

Ignorance isn’t bliss. It’s frustrating. It’s better to know so you can do something about it.

Let’s start changing what you’re thinking when you’re bingeing and stop the binge before it gets out of hand.

Bye bye.