Every time you binge eat, you do it because you’re telling yourself lies.
You have no idea they’re lies at the time because they seem so true.
It’s not until you finish eating, and feel the wrath of the after-binge, that you realize the falsity of all the things you told yourself.
There are many many lies our brains create that push us to binge so it can be difficult to identify them.
I’m going to point out some examples of ones my clients, and I, have told ourselves and show you why they are indeed false.
I can’t stop eating.
Yes you can. No one is forcing you to eat. You are not physically out of control. Every bite you put into your mouth is a bite you’ve chosen to take. You can stop at any time, but you’re choosing to keep eating.
Binge eating is a way to let go/treat myself/have fun.
What you want to do here is look at the end result, not how you feel 1 minute in. Do you look back and think, “Man, that binge was so fun!” Doubtful. Or, “That was a great way to let go/treat myself!” I don’t think so. So no, binge eating is not a great way to do any of those.
There’s no point in fighting it, I’ll have to deal with this forever anyway.
No you won’t. There is a way out. I’ve found that way and so have many others. You may think your situation is different, but that’s just another lie. If you’re willing to put in the work to end this, you are absolutely capable of doing it.
I need to binge.
This is never true. You never need to binge. It may feel like you do, but you don’t. This feeling of need comes from you wanting to stop feeling how you’re feeling, immediately. The feeling you want to run from is either an emotion you don’t like or a sudden urging from your lower, primitive brain. Both of these you can feel without binge eating. Neither will harm you, they’ll just be uncomfortable. You don’t need to binge to make them go away, but you want to.
That wasn’t enough and I need to eat more.
If you’re eating when you’re not hungry, anything that you eat is more than enough. This is one of those you want to look at and ask, “enough what?” If it’s enough food to satisfy your hunger, then you’re good, you weren’t physically hungry to begin with. If it’s enough food to create a feeling you were looking to feel, such as pleasure, then that’s where the problem is. Did you not gain enough pleasure from what you just ate? Then maybe it wasn’t the right place to look for it.
If you continue to believe all of these, you’re going to keep binge eating.
You have to take the time to understand why they’re all false and recognize the truths about them instead. It can be difficult to do this on your own because they feel so true. Sometimes it’s easier for another person to recognize the lies that they are indeed lies.
This is why being coached is so powerful.
I’m not in your head. I don’t see any of these as true. I can help you see that too.
Time and time again I see my clients open up their mind to a new perspective, one they hadn’t even imagined before. Women who thought they would never be able to stop binge eating finally see that they can. Woman who knew that binge eating is never ever a good idea out of the moment, and now truly believe it even when they want to do it. Women who finally found the self-control they always had all along.
All it takes is a mindset shift, a new perspective, and the willingness to put in the work to make it happen.
First, you must begin with seeing all that you’re telling yourself. Look for the lies that make you feel defeated, or weak, or even excited to binge. Those ones are the ones you have to break down to find out whether they are true or not.
In the moment when you want to binge, they’ll feel true as hell so it’s important to do this work when you don’t feel like binge eating, when you’re in a clean emotional space, and then apply that work when it matters most – when your brain is urging you to binge.
Be as honest as possible with yourself. Lies hurt. The truth will set you free.
What lies do you tell yourself that make you want to binge? Share them with me!
