My Binge Eating Journey
Today, I’m a non-diet Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor, and Food Freedom Coach. I help folks overcome binge eating, overeating, and emotional eating. All so that they can find confidence in their own inner wisdom, increase their self-worth, and embody their most authentic selves.
But it didn’t always used to be like this. I too have been in the depths of struggling with my relationship with food. And in this post, I want to share more with you about how I stopped binge eating. Ready for a story that will (hopefully) inspire you? Let’s dive in!
Where it Started
To go way back to the start, I learned from an early age to feel insecure about my body. I always had chubby cheeks as a kid. And it seemed like everyone, including all the adults in my life, liked to poke fun at my cheeks. I was also one of the first to hit puberty amongst my friends. Which meant my body was changing before everyone else’s did. Layer on being in a dance environment with mirrors and routines and costumes. And we’ve got some base ingredients in a recipe for body image struggles.
As I continued to grow up, things just kept layering on. It was the time of obsessing over Pinterest fitspo, staring at all the thin bodies on Tumblr, and being engulfed in Kayla Itsine’s bikini body guide (BBG). I was a somewhat shy teen, and just wanted to fit in and be liked by others around me. Don’t we all?
All of these diet culture influences around me led me to believe the way I could feel confident, fit in, and be loved by others was to change the way my body was so that it was “perfect” just like the Victoria’s Secret angels.
^ My photos from when I was doing Kayla Itsine’s BBG workouts from home all the time + trying to eat so “clean.” I had NO idea at the time that I was so stuck in the diet mentality.
Things Continued to go Downhill
I talk more about the origins of my personal journey in episode 001 of the Intuitively You Podcast. Feel free to tune into that episode to hear more: My Story Repairing my Relationship with Food with Intuitive Eating.
In summary, I was:
- Trying all the diets + meal plans
- Relying on restriction + willpower
- Binge eating on fun foods
- Shaming myself and my body
- Forbidding certain foods
- Eating my emotions
- Feeling guilty about food choices
- Relying on external cues (i.e. tracking apps, scale, plans, etc.)
Most of all… I was playing small in my life because I felt like I didn’t deserve to embrace confidence, a bubbly personality, or anything else I so badly wanted until I achieved the body I thought I “needed” to get those things.
The funny part is, even when my body got to the smallest point it’s ever been at… I still didn’t feel any of those great qualities I thought a smaller body would bring me. It still wasn’t good enough.
How I Stopped Binge Eating
So how did I go from all of that struggle with food to where I am today, teaching others how to make this wonderful transformation to food freedom too? I’d love to paint this picture of my journey by highlighting two areas: First, what I stopped doing and second, what I started doing to overcome binge eating once and for all.
What I Stopped Doing to Overcome Binge Eating
- Dieting – I stopped participating in diets. No more meal plans, strict rules, or 21-day challenges. No more intermittent fasting. These things were all keeping me stuck in the diet-binge cycle. It was like being on a non-stop roller coaster.
- Tracking my Food – I let go of using MyFitnessPal or other macro/calorie tracking apps. I realized that these tools were making me more and more disconnected from my body.
- Looking at “Fitspo” or “Thinspo” – The Pinterest, the Tumblr, the magazines, whatever source of “fitspo/thinspo” it was, I tried my best to stop looking at those items. It was making me feel bad about my own body and like I needed to change something about myself. I was tired of always feeling like I wasn’t good enough.
- Labelling Food as Good or Bad – Viewing food as good or bad was making me feel like I was good or bad for eating it. The way we talk and think about food matters and really impacts our relationship with food!
- Doing Intense Workouts – I was in the diet mentality not just with food, but also with movement. I thought I had to do intense workouts to change my body or even make up for what I was eating. These behaviours were actually harmful for me and stopping be from reaching recovery.
What I Started Doing to Overcome Binge Eating
- Learning about Intuitive Eating – Intuitive Eating was the breath of fresh air I needed! It was so eye opening and empowering to learn that I wasn’t broken or flawed, it was diet culture that was flawed. Intuitive Eating showed me the way forward and that I truly could have a peaceful relationship with food. I worked on the 10 principles as I was feeling ready to dive into each.
- Respecting by Body – This is something that sadly felt really foreign to me. I was so used to punishing myself and my body for binge eating, that I didn’t know how to treat it kindly. A yoga instructor changed my perspective on this, and I put in the work to shift my body image and start treating my body with the respect it deserved.
- Eating Consistently – I thought I had to skip meals in order to eat as little as possible, or stay within my “fasting window.” Oh boy was I wrong. My urges to binge and overeat subsided a lot from just ensuring I was having substantial, consistent meals and snacks throughout the day. Of course not the only puzzle piece, but a big one!
- Working on my Mindset – I would argue this could be the biggest piece of the puzzle of how I stopped binge eating. Our mindset and beliefs about ourselves, our bodies, and food determines how we think, act, and feel. If we have negative beliefs about bodies and food, then that will show up in our reality. Realizing this and learning how to shift my mindset and beliefs was an absolutely game changer in my healing journey. (Psstt. therapy also majorly helps with this!)
- Honouring my Needs & Emotions – Learning to slow down and listen to what I truly needed whether that be physically, mentally, or emotionally. This helped me figure out and identify what my binge triggers were. Truly understanding what’s going on at the core, root cause level shows you the path towards overcoming it!
If You Can Relate
If you can relate to this journey of mine, whether it be fairly similar or somewhere along the lines of this, please know you’re not alone. So many of us struggle with these things in silence. You don’t need to struggle alone anymore.
If you’re looking for support on your journey – I’m here for you. I’ve been through this whole journey myself. And that means I’m so passionate about helping others find their version of food freedom too. Check out our intuitive eating coaching services to learn more about how we can support you.
One important thing final thing I want to mention here is that it’s an ongoing journey. There’s no “end” final destination when it comes to working with your body in an intuitive way. I’ve been “recovered” from binge eating and my struggles with food for years, and certain old beliefs still try to creep in. What’s important is that you build the tools and skills to know how to navigate any obstacles that may come your way!
I’m over here cheering for you my friend. Keep on going. You’ve got this!
Jenn is a non-diet Registered Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor that helps women overcome binge eating, overeating, and emotional eating so that they can embody their version of food freedom. Jenn is dedicated to helping guide her clients and community to leave all of the “shoulds” of diet culture in the past and find confidence in their own inner wisdom to guide their eating decisions, increase their self-worth, and embody their most authentic selves.
