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Emotional & Binge Eating Help

The Secret Emotional Payoff Of Binge Eating: The Real Reason Why You Might Be Holding On To Food

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The struggle is real. At least that’s what everyone says these days…

But when it comes to binge and emotional eating, that struggle you hear so much about might actually be more than real. It might be actually be something of a comfort.

Believe it or not, sometimes even painful patterns have certain perks. Sometimes there are unlikely emotional rewards for staying stuck and playing small. And more often than not, those rewards are well under the radar.

We all say that we want freedom with food and ease in our bodies. Sometimes people even take the time and learn the steps to heal themselves. But then at the end of the day, for some reason, they don’t take action. And opt for “business as usual” with binge eating.

So what does this mean? Is there a legit upside to staying in a painful trap when you have an escape route?

Here’s the thing. You’re human. We all are. And sometimes, humans get in their own way.

Limiting beliefs and fears can lead to self-sabotage, no matter how desperate you are to be free of a painful circumstance.

Why? Because sometimes even the most nightmarish situations have their rewards. And binge eating is no exception.

Believe it or not, there’s a secret emotional payoff to binge eating, one that you don’t hear too much about. And I’m shining a bright flashlight on this little-known truth for you today.

It’s time to take the blinders off and let go of the false sense of security that binge eating provides. There is a clearer path to happiness, and we’re going to take the first step today!

Let’s talk about the emotional perks that might be keeping you in a self-destructive cycle. We’ll dive into the limiting beliefs and unspoken payoffs that hold you hostage, and trade them in for the freedom that you truly crave by watching the video below!

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Your mind can play some crazy tricks on you, and limiting beliefs are among the sneakiest.

Over the years, I’ve found three recurring limiting beliefs that hold people in the throes of binge eating. These are beliefs that I’ve seen not only in my clients but also in myself, so I know them well.

Let’s look at the top three disempowering ideas, why they come up, and how they lead directly into the “benefits” of staying stuck.

Number One: Binge eating makes me feel safe. Sure, that sounds absurd. Why would destructive actions make anyone feel safe? Because even though binge eating can be scary, it might be a welcome distraction to something even more terrifying.

For example, let’s say you were devastated in a romantic relationship. The association becomes quickly kicks in: dating equals pain, so stay away from the search for love.  

What does that have to do with overindulgence with food?

Many women refuse to pursue romantic relationships when they’re feeling out of control with food. That is, no body confidence, no dating. So if you’re in a cycle of binge eating, you have a reason to say “no” a date or sign off of match.com.

See what’s happening here? Binge eating is actually “protecting” you from taking a chance and putting yourself out there. And just like that, a destructive pattern morphs into a safe haven.

Reason #2: Fear of what life would be like without binge eating. Binging might be destructive, but for many of us, at least it’s familiar. And we humans often take nearly any form of punishment over any kind of uncertainty.

After all, it’s easier to cling to an old identity (like “I’m a binge eater”) than it is to embrace a new possibility. Think about it for a moment. What if that binge-restrict-repeat cycle didn’t rule your life?

Maybe you’d find the courage to leave an unhealthy relationship. You might decide to quit that soul-sucking job and go after your dream. You just might feel confident enough to stand up for yourself in all areas of your life.

But as with any uncertainty, there’s a chance that you might fail. And all too often, the comfort zone wins out, no matter how detrimental that “comfort” actually is.

Reason #3: Lack of Self-Belief (AKA “Low Self-Efficacy”) Everyone tells you to “believe in yourself.” But no matter how often that gurus, teachers, and quote boxes share this message, far too many of us don’t believe we can make any dream come true.

We’re talking a serious case of low-self efficacy. That is, NOT believing in yourself, and not even bothering going for that dream.

How does this relate to binge eating?

Some of us harbor beliefs like, “I’m a food addict,” or “I’ll never be free of food. I’ll always have to fight my body.”

If you show up at the starting line convinced that you’ve already lost, you can imagine where that gets you. So if your repeated thoughts focus on how stuck you are, how much pain you’re in, and how hopeless it is, that self-fulfilling prophecy will do just that. Fulfill itself.

Now that we’ve covered the limiting beliefs that support the patterns, what about the results? Where does this alleged emotional payoff enter into the picture?

Let’s consider the positive reinforcements that accompany the limiting beliefs.

Number One: Binge eating frees you from facing your life. When I used to binge on the regular, I admit that there were a few ulterior motives. Binge eating was often the distraction that helped me avoid the big questions in my life.

I dove into food when I felt stressed, uncertain, or overwhelmed about anything. It was easier to go for a bag of chips when I felt scared, insecure, or lonely than it was to get to the heart of the matter.

So binge eating became a regular escape from my own life, a way of avoiding the real issues and answers.

Number Two: Binge eating feels exciting (and a little bit dangerous). This one might sound a little weird. But think about it–binge eating can give you a little adrenaline rush. It can make you feel like a rebel, providing a momentary thrill of a daring stunt.

After all, it’s “bad” for you. It feel a little dangerous, even. And provide just enough of a hit of excitement that you come back for more.

What’s the common denominator with both situations?

Both of these payoffs fill a need. They provide a substitute for connection, fulfillment, peace, excitement, or anything you might be missing in life.

In other words, sometimes binge eating fulfills a need that you might not know you have. And when it comes to needs, your mind, body, and emotions can often get to the desperate stage at the drop of a hat.

At that moment, the quick fix is often easier than the long-term solution. And one of the quickest fixes of all? Food, of course!

For example, if you’re feeling lonely and yearning for connection, sometimes it’s easier to reach for food than to ask what’s behind the emotional chaos.

But then that begs the question–does binge eating really fill the bill, or is it just a momentary distraction?

You might get a short-lived hit of dopamine from a round of binge eating. But those momentary highs usually last about 30 seconds or less. It shows up fast and departs as quickly as it came.

And just like that, you’re back to feeling as empty as you were before AND dealing with those nasty post-binge side effects.

With binge eating, the payoff is small for the price you pay. And there are multiple ways to ensure that your needs are met in a more lasting and loving way.

The key here is to determine if binge eating fills an emptiness in your life. It’s being brave enough to ask yourself what is really missing. And from there, choosing to fill those empty spaces with something more supportive than an endless bag of chips.

I know, these ideas might sound a little bit out there. Maybe even totally irrational. Your logical brain might be wondering if limiting beliefs and emotional payoffs are even a real thing.

Then again, you might be reading this, nodding your head, and knowing these mental and emotional sand-traps all too well. 

If you’re using binge eating to fulfill a multitude of gaps in your life, I get it. I’ve been there myself. And I want you to know that we at Beating Binge Eating have got your back!

We can help you uncover limiting beliefs, let them go for good, and recognize where you might be substituting binge eating for genuine fulfillment. And we can help you take the steps to free yourself from these traps for good!

Click the image below where I’ve got a special gift for you! We call them, “Craving Cards”, and they’re one of our most popular tools!

If you ever feel night time cravings, sugar cravings, the urge to just say “screw it I’m going to start my diet over tomorrow”, or like you need a little body confidence pick me up… 

Just grab a card, go through the prompts, and shift it instantly

Click the image above and let me know where to send them!

You’ll also get mini demo video training sessions for each card where I share how to use the cards and some of my best tips for food freedom forever!

With our Craving Cards and Demo Series… 

You’ll learn how to stop cravings in their tracks, feel confident, and get back your power, fast! 

Love,
Brittany

PS: Want the exact freedom and ease with our foods that myself and thousands of our clients get to experience?

In our Beating Binge Eating Blueprint (BBEB), I show you how to make this happen in just 8 weeks!

Many of our students have seen a DRASTIC difference in as little as a few days!

It’s our signature program, and up until recently, it was $3000 or more to join.

For now, you can get it as a part of our Food Freedom Collection for practically free by clicking the image below!

There is no catch…every resource I’ve created for food freedom and body confidence will land straight in your if you just click that image below and let me know where to send it!

When Gluten-Free Becomes An Obsession: 4 Ways To Manage Food Sensitivities Without Triggering Binge Eating

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You see it at nearly every grocery store these days. The shelves are filled with products claiming that they’re “gluten-free,” “dairy-free,” “wheat-free,” you name it.

People are understanding that food intolerances are a thing and what you eat can impact your health.

I work with numerous women with food intolerances, and it seems like they’re becoming a more common diagnosis all the time.

But sometimes, a diagnosis like sensitivity, allergy, or intolerance to a particular food takes on a life of its own. It can make you feel like you’ve been saddled with a weird condition based solely on a specific food that you can’t have.

Now, if you’ve been spending any time with me here on the blog, you’ve heard me say that harshly denying yourself ANY specific food usually doesn’t end well. (Even if you’re cutting it out for legit health reasons!)

If you’ve ever been told you have a food intolerance, you might’ve been prescribed an elimination diet. Cut out the offending food, problem solved. Seems logical enough, right?

But if you’ve ever been susceptible to binge eating, you also know where ironclad food regulations can lead. And it’s usually straight into the throes of that binge-restrict-repeat cycle.

Over the years, I’ve struggled with just about every food intolerance you can name, and all the nasty health conditions that go with them.

We’re talking adrenal fatigue, low thyroid, hormone imbalances, leaky gut–the whole nine yards.

(My body would pull all kinds of crazy stunts on me, like making me retain five to 10 pounds of water weight just for eating a piece of pizza.)

And in a desperate attempt to make it all go away, I was fighting my body with dieting, control, and restrictions. Which nearly always led to overeating and binges.

It was a seven-year rollercoaster ride that eventually sent my body into a massive breakdown.

And finally, I began my journey to heal my body and to be free with food.  

I learned that to transcend binge and emotional eating, I had to stop trying to control every bite I ate. But I also knew that certain foods naturally triggered an inflammatory response in my body.

But how could I avoid the foods that I knew my body would reject without making them so off limits that I wanted to binge on them? How could I manage what I ate without obsessing about what I couldn’t have?

I learned that there IS a way to sidestep the nasty effects of triggering foods without provoking that urge to binge. You can stay in your power with food while still honoring food intolerances.

Because let’s be real: so many women struggle with this wrinkle in their relationship with food. And it makes them feel like they’ve been hit with a double-whammy.

It’s like, you know that you need to stop fiercely regulating their food, yet your health seems to tie to to specific “food rules” that you can’t escape.

But you can step into your power with food for good, regardless of what sensitivities might exist for you. I made this happen, and I’m excited to be able to share the steps to freedom with you!

Now, before we jump in, a little disclaimer. I’m not a doctor, and I don’t know the particulars of your health situation. If you have severe food-related issues, by all means, listen to your healthcare practitioners.

And if you have a serious health condition like an autoimmune condition or celiac, remember to honor your body what it needs, first and foremost.

But at the same time, remember to listen to your intuition. Because at the end of the day, you are the authority on you.

So with that idea in mind, let me share what has worked for me as well as thousands of our clients here at Beating Binge Eating. And see if any of what I share might help you manage food intolerances while still claiming your power with food!

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Step 1: The process of “elimination” (Or, getting real about restriction). Let’s start with a little scenario. What often happens when someone learns that they have a gluten intolerance?

Just like that, bread becomes public enemy number one. They take all the bread out of their diet, put it on the NO list…and then what happens?

The first chance they get, the binge on bread. And usually regret it pretty fast…

So the first step is to be aware of the downside of strict dietary rules. When you forbid any food, for a good reason or not, your body might fly into a backhanded rebellion.

So let’s look at restriction from a different perspective. What if you focused on the big picture? What if it was about lowering your overall consumption of offending foods instead of pushing yourself to cut them out altogether?

Think of it this way: what’s harder on your body, a small amount of gluten now and then, or cutting out bread for an entire week only to binge on bread on the weekend?

Consider the difference between a small amount of the triggering food now and then versus an all-out binge, and think about what might be more supportive to your overall health.

Step 2: You are not your food sensitivity. Sometimes when you learn that you have a food sensitivity, it has a weird way of morphing into an identity.

Let’s say that you’ve learned that you can’t tolerate gluten. What happens if you proceed to walk through the world thinking, “I can never eat bread,” all the time?

You might start obsessing about being “gluten-free.” Which means you can never have bread, you have no other options, and life as you know it is over. You focus strictly on what you can’t have and create a sort of food-based martyrdom…

Kind of a dramatic example, I know! But what if you used that kind of diagnosis as an opportunity to shift your thoughts?

What if instead of making your life all about what you can’t eat, you considered all the fantastic and nourishing foods that you CAN have?

I suggest opening up to all the new possibilities and adding foods in rather than subtracting foods out. It’s the way to shift your focus to YES and what you get to have instead of fixating on the NO.

Step 3: Remember that one bite isn’t the end of the world (or a reason to binge)! Here’s the thing. Even if gluten is off the table for you, it doesn’t mean that it’s an “all or nothing” game. You can be relatively gluten free and still have a bite of cake from time to time.

It’s the way that you think about that cake that matters the most!

When you always so NO to anything, that thing becomes the focus. And when an all-or-nothing mentality rules you, the “all” part inevitably kicks in and leads you down the path to binging.

Your brain might get muddled with things like…

I can’t have the cake–I can’t stop thinking about the cake–I’m breaking down and eating the cake–I blew it because I ate the cake–I’m gonna keep eating the cake…

I think you see what I mean here

So remember, you can take a step back from the rules at any time. Stay in the present moment, connect with your body, and don’t make one bite a reason to throw in the towel!

Step 4: Remember that this is simply a phase in your journey. For many years, I fought my body in my desperation to feel free. I tried all of the elimination diets and did all the things–dairy free, gluten free, you name it, I probably tried it!

What’s impressive is that these days, I barely eat gluten, dairy, or the rest of it…but I also don’t spend much time thinking about the fact that I don’t eat them, either!

I find that I naturally choose foods that leave me feeling energized, alive, and nourished. That’s the most significant benefit I’ve discovered about letting go of absolute NO when it comes to food.

Here’s the best part of all: most of the food-related health conditions that used to hold me hostage have disappeared. No more adrenal fatigue, my thyroid is near normal again, and my weight is stable.

And my body didn’t heal itself because I ate “correctly.” It wasn’t because I didn’t let a single bite of gluten or dairy ever pass my lips, either.

It was because I healed my relationship with food, and stopped the binge and emotional eating that was stealing my power.

What I’ve learned over the years is that controlling your food–even if it’s for legit health reasons–is only going to backfire.

The secret is to create a free, loving, relaxed relationship with food. A relationship where you can have things in moderation, feel balanced, and back in control. Even if you’re managing a food intolerance along the way.

Because when you normalize your relationship with food, you start to naturally heal a lot of these conditions as your body restores balance. You can work with any food intolerances without letting them rule your life, too.

Sound too simple to be true?

If these all sound like nice ideas in theory but you’re not sure if they’d ever work for you, I have something special to share with you!

Click the image below where I’ve got a special gift for you! We call them, “Craving Cards”, and they’re one of our most popular tools!

If you ever feel night time cravings, sugar cravings, the urge to just say “screw it I’m going to start my diet over tomorrow”, or like you need a little body confidence pick me up… 

Just grab a card, go through the prompts, and shift it instantly!

Click the image above and let me know where to send them!

You’ll also get mini demo video training sessions for each card where I share how to use the cards and some of my best tips for food freedom forever!

With our Craving Cards and Demo Series… 

You’ll learn how to stop cravings in their tracks, feel confident, and get back your power, fast! 

Love,
Brittany

PS: Want the exact freedom and ease with our foods that myself and thousands of our clients get to experience?

In our Beating Binge Eating Blueprint (BBEB), I show you how to make this happen in just 8 weeks!

Many of our students have seen a DRASTIC difference in as little as a few days!

It’s our signature program, and up until recently, it was $3000 or more to join.

For now, you can get it as a part of our Food Freedom Collection for practically free by clicking the image below!

There is no catch…every resource I’ve created for food freedom and body confidence will land straight in your if you just click that image below and let me know where to send it!

Why “That Time Of The Month” Doesn’t Have To Stop You: 3 Ways To Handle PMS Cravings (Without Losing Control)

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I’m not gonna lie. My journey to peace with my body was quite the long one. My relationship with food took time to heal. And the journey wasn’t without that recurring pitfall that we all know too well…

Of course, I’m talking about “that time of the month.”

I’d have times when I’d be feeling in my power with food. I was feeling free and and alive within my body. And I was beginning to believe that this food freedom thing might actually be happening for me…

Then that week would come along, and all hell would break loose.

I’d become negative, grumpy, and tired. I’d want to eat everything in sight. I’d have these powerful cravings for forbidden foods. Cravings which often won out at the end of the day.

What was worse is that I would push as hard as I could NOT to feel the way I felt.

I’d drink coffee and hunker down. I’d do anything I could push through the exhaustion and the sluggishness. And it always led me to the same place.

But then I decided to be a lot more gentle with myself. I decided to stop resisting the negative emotions and look at how I was feeling, and without judgment.

What I realized was that by pushing against how I felt, I was perpetuating the most painful parts of the monthly cycle. And making things so much worse than they needed to be!

From my own experiences and through the women I’ve worked with at Beating Binge Eating, I’ve seen every angle of this PMS-based struggle….your hormones change at this time of the month and there’s an impact.

The most common thing I see is women fighting, resisting, and trying to push through the feelings that go along with the monthly cycle.. And of course, that includes the pesky little cravings!

How do you stay in your power, feel as balanced as possible, and make nourishing food choices without shaming yourself for wanting all the chocolate you can eat?

There are ways to work with even those kind of cravings without resorting to force, control, or restriction. (Because you know that this isn’t how we roll around here…)

I show you three ways to work with monthly cravings in a way that will leave you feeling balanced, nourished, and empowered instead of exhausted, sluggish, and defeated in the video below!

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Step #1: It Is What It Is: Accepting Where You Are. I’ve talked about the power of acceptance before, but when it comes to period-related stress, feeling into the struggle is truly the only way out.

And I’m not talking about waving the white flag and indulging in heavy emotions. All I’m saying is looking at the reality of being a woman with truth…and compassion.

Let’s be straight-up honest about it: during that week, your biology, physiology, and hormones are going through natural fluctuations. It’s only normal that you’re going feel a little bit off kilter…and it’s totally OK.

The more willing you are to be honest about how you feel (even if it’s not that great), the easier it will be to work with what you have. And find the solutions that will work for you.

I’m not saying that you have to indulge how miserable you might be feeling. After all, I’m all about upping your vibe, changing your inner state, and creating your reality.

It’s just that to make that internal shift possible, you need to accept where you are FIRST. Then take the steps toward where you want to BE.

And the only way to roll with the change is to support them rather than resist them.

So even though the monthly cycle might not be a picnic, don’t fight what’s happening. Honor yourself as a woman, a human being, and someone who deserves love, compassion, and support.

Which brings me to Step 2!

Step #2: Give yourself the support that you need during this time. Now is the time to stand up for yourself and give yourself a little bit of love. Maybe that means allowing yourself a little bit more rest, a little more downtime, or a little less stress at work and at home.

Now, I’m not saying shirk your responsibilities for five days every month. But it might be a good time to ask for a little extra support in your daily tasks. And perhaps plan ahead as best as you can to create space for a little less stress during this time.

Either way, at work and at home, take a little extra time to love, honor, and nourish yourself, however that might work within the constructs of your life.

Step #3: Know that cravings are going to happen (and work with them rather than fight them!) Here’s something that we all know well: PMS cravings are indeed a thing. That’s another reality to accept.

So what do you need to give your body so that you neither resist to these pangs nor do you let them run amok?

By listening to your body, asking it what it needs, and making present moment food choices.

This is a big deal every day, and it’s an even bigger one at this point on the calendar!

I tend to crave grounding meals during this time, which often translates into extra carbs (like potatoes!). I also feel the need for natural anti-inflammatory foods like greens and veggies. So I choose foods that are grounding, nourishing, as well as foods that detoxify and support my body.

I also know that I might have a pang for something (literally) a little bit sweeter, like chocolate. So that means having those foods on hand allowing myself to have them without judgment.

Sounds pretty crazy, I know…but stay with me on this one…

I’m not talking about “letting” yourself eat 20 candy bars just because it’s period time! But know that if you DO want a bite of something that you don’t normally, allowing yourself to enjoy it is going to support you in the long run!

It’s what you do the majority of the time that counts the most. And calling yourself out from craving a candy bar once in awhile will ultimately do more harm than good.

In fact, it’s what could potentially send you down a pathway of restriction, shaming, and maybe even trigger that urge to binge.

But if you allow yourself a little treat when you need it, not only will you satisfy that craving in the moment, but you’ll also cultivate that partnership with your body. The partnership that allows you to love, honor, and nourish yourself in EVERY moment.

Think of it. Making more allowances instead of enforcing more restrictions is ultimately the way to go. It might seem counterintuitive, but the more you allow yourself to have what you need, the more the pull toward those forbidden foods will diminish over time.

And when that happens, the survival mechanisms in your brain that respond to harshly enforced limits will be turned off. Which means less guilt, less shame, and fewer food-focused thoughts.

And think of it this way, too–a little bit of allowance will support you not only through PMS, but also every other day of the month!

Now, I know that the idea of allowance can be scary at first, especially if you’re used to the traditional diet rules. (It might even sound like opening Pandora’s box, especially if you’re feeling out of control with food…)

I remember when I first encountered the “allowance” concept. It was more than counterintuitive to me. It was terrifying. And I rejected it at every turn.

I was afraid to feel out of control. And you might be feeling that way right now, too. You want to be free of the guilt, blame, and forcing, but it just seems too scary.

That’s why today I’m sharing a special gift that will help take the fear out of allowance!

It’s going to help you break free of compulsive patterns with food, feel freer, and take your power back. With your food, your body, and your LIFE.

Click the image below where I’ve got a special gift for you! We call them, “Craving Cards”, and they’re one of our most popular tools!

If you ever feel night time cravings, sugar cravings, the urge to just say “screw it I’m going to start my diet over tomorrow”, or like you need a little body confidence pick me up… 

Just grab a card, go through the prompts, and shift it instantly!

Click the image above and let me know where to send them!

You’ll also get mini demo video training sessions for each card where I share how to use the cards and some of my best tips for food freedom forever!

With our Craving Cards and Demo Series… 

You’ll learn how to stop cravings in their tracks, feel confident, and get back your power, fast! 

Love,
Brittany

PS: Want the exact freedom and ease with our foods that myself and thousands of our clients get to experience?

In our Beating Binge Eating Blueprint (BBEB), I show you how to make this happen in just 8 weeks!

Many of our students have seen a DRASTIC difference in as little as a few days!

It’s our signature program, and up until recently, it was $3000 or more to join.

For now, you can get it as a part of our Food Freedom Collection for practically free by clicking the image below!

There is no catch…every resource I’ve created for food freedom and body confidence will land straight in your if you just click that image below and let me know where to send it!

6 Ways To Keep From Losing Control With Food (And Still Enjoying Every Bite!)

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Ever been on vacation felt all of your eating rules flying right out the window?

It’s that moment when you’re not in your natural habitat, and suddenly you feel like you have a license to eat everything in sight.

(Because hey, you’ll get “back on track” when you get home, right?)

Only when you do get home, you feel sluggish, exhausted, and guilty instead of refreshed, rested, and revived. Hardly the point of a vacation, is it?

I hear you. In fact, that’s one of the questions I get asked the most often–what happens when you’re on vacation and feel the pull to eat uncontrollably because the type of food available is different and well, just because you “can?”

For about seven years of my 12-year struggle with binge and emotional eating, I would almost dread vacations.

Instead of getting excited about an exotic location or much-needed time off, I’d be obsessing about “slimming down” so that I’d look good in the bikini and the dresses I planned to wear.

And when I got to my vacation destination, any hope I had of keeping control with food was dashed immediately.

I’d make up all the usual excuses, too. Things like “Oh, I’m on vacation,” or, “But I never get this kind of food…”

But after the feeding frenzy was over, I’d end up feeling bloated, sluggish, and heavy.

Even worse, I spent the rest of my time stuck in my head, obsessing about food. What I could eat, what I couldn’t eat…

In the end, I lost many precious moments because I couldn’t get out of my head. I was in such a brain fog from overeating and obsessing that I missed my own vacation.

Then one day just before a trip to Greece, I decided that enough was enough. I wanted this trip to be different.

I wanted to enjoy this vacation to the fullest, and without worry about what I was going to eat. But at the same time, I wanted to feel alive, energized, and empowered. Was it even possible to do both?

I decided that it was time to find out! So I made a deal with myself. Feeling good was the goal.

And when I got to Greece, a funny thing happened…

I had everything. The pita bread, the tzatziki, all of it. I savored every bite, and I never felt the least bit guilty. And even more interesting–I came back home weighing less than I did before the trip!

It was as though I accidentally discovered the secret to enjoying every moment of a vacation without the guilt or the food hangover!

How did I do it? That’s what I’m sharing with you today!

I’ve got six tips that I used on that vacation and that I currently use in everyday life. And I know they’ll help you embrace your entire vacation experience, including the food, without losing control (and hel you everyday for that matter)

Let’s get right into it HERE!

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Step #1: Make feeling good the top priority.  When you’re on vacation, how do you want to feel? Would you rather feel engaged in the experience, or would you prefer to be tired, sluggish, and exhausted?   

I bet that’s an easy answer!

When I made that trip to Greece, I decided that my top priority was to experience and enjoy every last bit of the trip–including the food–and feel energetic and fabulous in the process.

What did I do differently this time? I allowed myself to have anything I wanted to eat, but at the same time, I put my mental focus on feeling good.

That way not only did I get to experience the food that I wanted, but I also made conscious food choices that left me energized, nourished, and happy.

How did I make this step even more powerful? By putting Step #2 into action!

Step #2: Include at least one high vibe food item at every meal. Now, make no mistake–when I was in Greece, I partook of all the delicious Greek food without hesitation.

But I did something extra that made all the difference: I understood my body’s needs, and I made choices to support it along the way.

For example, I know that my body feels the most empowered when it has greens, vegetables, and light fruits. So at every meal, along with the local delicacies, I included the veggies, the fruits, and of course the Greek salad!

This trick made it a breeze to have a meal that was as nourishing as it was delicious.

Step #3: Be sure to eat enough! Just as it is all too easy to get lost in the chaos of your day-to-day life, when you’re on vacation, sometimes you’re just as much on the run.

Maybe you have so much planned that you skip breakfast or forget to have lunch. Then when dinner time rolls around, you’re running on empty, perhaps you have a few pre-dinner drinks, and then all hell breaks loose with food.

Some of us even plan it that way–to skimp on calories throughout the day so that it’s “acceptable” to indulge in that large evening meal.

But that kind of logic doesn’t accomplish the intended purpose.

When you don’t properly fuel your body throughout the day, vacation or not, starvation mode kicks in.

We’re talking constant obsessive thoughts about food. Eating on autopilot when you DO allow yourself to eat. Cravings for foods that you never “let” yourself have (which is an even bigger thing when you’re on vacation, right?).

But if you take care to eat adequately throughout the day, you feel more steady. More energized. And you won’t go into that end-of-the-day overeating frenzy because you don’t need to.

Step #4: Making present moment food choices. Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean disregarding the strategies that support you in your day-to-day life.  

For example, living in the present moment and honoring your body is just as crucial on holidays as it is every other day. In fact, in many ways, present moment living, especially when it comes to food choices, can make your vacation even more fulfilling!

Here’s what I mean by that…

Let’s say that you indulged in some “forbidden food” earlier in the day. You think to yourself, “Oh, well, I blew my diet anyway, might as well keep going …”

But what if you decided to make a food choice that would support you NOW rather than base it on what you ate for lunch?

Make every food choice based on how you want to feel in the moment, not in response to what you did yesterday. Don’t eat the cookies now because you ate cookies at lunchtime and you feel like you “blew it anyway.”

That brings up Step 5!

Step #5: Let yourself enjoy foods that you might not typically have! Let’s remember one thing–you’re on vacation, and you want to have an exceptional experience! And of course, food is part of that experience.

You don’t have to deny yourself that experience for fear of losing control.

It goes back to something I talk about a lot–letting go of controlling, forcing, and shaming your way into eating “right.” Which as we all know only backfires in the end.

So oddly enough, the key to not losing control is actually to let GO of control.

Here’s what I mean by that…

An amazing thing happens when you tell your brain and your body that you can have any food you want at any time. That mystical, forbidden pull to those foods diminishes, along with the power that those forbidden foods have over you.

Now, knowing that you can have any food at any time, when you come across a food that you don’t usually indulge in, ask yourself this present-moment question…

Do I want this right now?

Asking this simple question will realign you with your true self. You’ll be able to tell if you want something because it’s “not allowed,” or you genuinely wish to experience the pleasure of a special delicacy.

Keep yourself in each moment, ask the right questions, and take supportive action. It’ll leave you feeling balanced and content throughout your trip.

I know this one can feel particularly scary but for the women in our program this happens, if you want to learn how you can this a reality for yourself then go here.

Step #6: Remember the basics! It’s easy to forget the standbys when you’re in the whirlwind of a vacation. But make a point to remember two of the most necessary staples for a balanced life: sleep and water.

I know, hardly earth-shattering advice! But when you lack either sleep or hydration, it can trigger survival mode in the same way that lack of food can. Your body thinks it needs food, but all it requires is a big glass of water and a little more sleep.

Take care to prevent dehydration and exhaustion, and you’ll be a lot less likely to fall to erroneous food cravings (and overindulgences).

If you’re about to take a trip, use these tips to help you enjoy the full experience! They’ll help you stay in your power, feel amazing, and relish your vacation in every moment.

And the best news of all is that you can apply these simple steps to empower yourself when you get back home, too!

I know that these tips might sound easy enough, but sometimes implementing them is another story. That’s why I created a special gift for you…

Click the image below where I’ve got a special gift for you! We call them, “Craving Cards”, and they’re one of our most popular tools!

If you ever feel night time cravings, sugar cravings, the urge to just say “screw it I’m going to start my diet over tomorrow”, or like you need a little body confidence pick me up… 

Just grab a card, go through the prompts, and shift it instantly!

Click the image above and let me know where to send them!

You’ll also get mini demo video training sessions for each card where I share how to use the cards and some of my best tips for food freedom forever!

With our Craving Cards and Demo Series… 

You’ll learn how to stop cravings in their tracks, feel confident, and get back your power, fast! 

Love,
Brittany

PS: Want the exact freedom and ease with our foods that myself and thousands of our clients get to experience?

In our Beating Binge Eating Blueprint (BBEB), I show you how to make this happen in just 8 weeks!

Many of our students have seen a DRASTIC difference in as little as a few days!

It’s our signature program, and up until recently, it was $3000 or more to join.

For now, you can get it as a part of our Food Freedom Collection for practically free by clicking the image below!

There is no catch…every resource I’ve created for food freedom and body confidence will land straight in your if you just click that image below and let me know where to send it!

3 Simple Ways To Overcome Overeating: Is It An Occasional Indulgence Or A Compulsion To Binge

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No matter who you are, I bet you’ve had your moments with overeating. Even those of us who don’t necessarily identify with binge or emotional eating occasionally get hit by the scourge of the food consumption on autopilot….

There are parties and holidays with lots of celebratory food, and you just can’t resist. Maybe a stressful day at work sets off a slew of unconscious overindulgence with food.

Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with overeating once in awhile. When overeating on autopilot becomes a habitual pattern rather than an occasional occurrence that’s when things get a bit sticky.

But how do you decipher between a random case of overeating or a compulsive urge to binge?

When do you know it’s time to take a closer look at the drive behind the extra helpings?

Sometimes you just need to bring balance back to your plate. Other times you need to address the underlying causes that drive you to overeat on the regular.

Today I’m sharing the truth about overeating. What is considered “normal” and what might be cause for a bit of pause? I want to help you recognize the difference so that you can stop worrying and start living, and without fear of having an extra helping once in awhile!

Let’s talk about what drives overeating, and how to overcome it without shame, guilt, or control!

We’ll start with a couple of tips to help you reduce the chances of once-in-awhile overindulgence with food. Then, in the third tip, I’ll show you how to understand the differences between normal overeating and compulsive urges to binge.

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Tip #1: Use the power of pause and presence. It’s easy to go through the day on autopilot, especially when you live a jam-packed life. I see people who run themselves ragged throughout the day, grabbing what they can on the run. And usually ending up shoveling in a lot more than they planned to at every stop.

Then there are times when you’re at the end of a chaotic day and the stress hits you all at once. And then the cabinets come calling with the lure of the quick-fix.

Sound familiar? Happens to the best of us! Both of these are examples of everyday unconscious overeating.

Then there are the celebrations. Overeating at parties, holidays, or other moments when there is food around that isn’t normally there. How do special events push the momentary binge buttons in so many of us?

By making people say things like, “I don’t usually eat things like this,” or,  “I’m starting the diet next week so let me eat this now.”

I’m guessing that if you hang out with me here on the regular, you know where that mentality leads you. To dieting, restricting, and controlling. And away from freedom and ease with food.

So how do you get past the moments where you fall into overeating by either convenience or unconsciousness?

Simply slow down, pause, and be in the moment. Get out of your head and into your body, and make your food choices from a conscious place.

The more you make heart-centered eating choices, the less likely you’ll find yourself in an unintended binge situation.

Tip #2: Eating enough throughout the day. It might sound counterintuitive, but eating enough to can actually prevent you from eating too much!

When you’re not properly nourished throughout your day, it can trigger your brain’s survival instincts. That is, you activate the place in your brain that believes that starvation is imminent.

That means that you fixate on food, fall victim to cravings, and eat uncontrollably.

How do you head off those survival-based pangs? By making sure you’re adequately nourished in the first place.

If you apply the Tip #1 and become present in your body first, your mealtime experience will register with your brain. Your brain and body will understand that they’re being fed, cared for, and nourished properly.

When you make conscious food choices and nourish your body adequately, overeating is less likely of a last resort.

Now, here’s the most important tip of all: understanding what triggers overeating in the first place…

Tip #3: Recognizing the difference between normal overeating and compulsions to binge. There is occasionally having a second helping when you’re already full. Then there’s falling victim to an urge to have those second helpings all the time.

One is a mindless, automatic thing that happens without much pressure or regret. The other is has an automatic and compulsive pull to it.

How can you tell the difference?

Here are some of the clues that your overeating is a little less benign and a little more compulsive.  

When you tell yourself NO, you can’t forget what you’re forbidding. You’ll feel like once you see it, you have to have it.

Sometimes you’ll plot and plan secret binges. When you do give in to the craving, you’re eating on autopilot before you know it (grabbing one snack, then another, then another…)

So if your overeating feels like more than an impulsive habit than an incidental happening, there are ways to get back to your center and set yourself free.

A significant part of the process is understanding the physiology behind the brain patterns, and knowing what drives this compulsive overeating behavior.

But you don’t have to shame yourself into submission. You’re not wrong, nor are you broken.

You don’t have to control or fight those urges to binge, either. After all, more control leads to more chaos, which will only lead to more binging.

So if you feel like your overeating carries a painfully compulsive streak, I have a special gift that I know you’re going to love!

Click the image below where I’ve got a special gift for you! We call them, “Craving Cards”, and they’re one of our most popular tools!

If you ever feel night time cravings, sugar cravings, the urge to just say “screw it I’m going to start my diet over tomorrow”, or like you need a little body confidence pick me up… 

Just grab a card, go through the prompts, and shift it instantly!

Click the image above and let me know where to send them!

You’ll also get mini demo video training sessions for each card where I share how to use the cards and some of my best tips for food freedom forever!

With our Craving Cards and Demo Series… 

You’ll learn how to stop cravings in their tracks, feel confident, and get back your power, fast! 

Love,
Brittany

PS: Want the exact freedom and ease with our foods that myself and thousands of our clients get to experience?

In our Beating Binge Eating Blueprint (BBEB), I show you how to make this happen in just 8 weeks!

Many of our students have seen a DRASTIC difference in as little as a few days!

It’s our signature program, and up until recently, it was $3000 or more to join.

For now, you can get it as a part of our Food Freedom Collection for practically free by clicking the image below!

There is no catch…every resource I’ve created for food freedom and body confidence will land straight in your if you just click that image below and let me know where to send it!

Want To Stop Binge Eating For Good? 3 Things NOT To Do If You Want Food Freedom Forever

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Over the last several years, I’ve helped thousands of women break free from binge and emotional eating. Not only that, but I’ve also let go of my own struggle with that as well as weight and debilitating body image struggles.

I was in the trenches of the diet world for years. My life looked like on and off track eating, binge guilt restrict repeat, and hating and shaming myself the whole way through…I was miserable.

Then when I realized it was about more than food I went on a seemingly never ending quest to “fix” myself thinking that would fix my relationship with food. Therapy, personal development, hypnosis, working with the top fitness, nutrition, and life coaches and healers in the county…you name it. I made some progress but still felt stuck. This all went on for over 12 years.

Back then I searched endlessly for a way out of the struggle. What did I find? I found that there was a lot of experts with a lot of ideas.

Being an expert, though, doesn’t guarantee that your advice is the be-all-end-all solution.

In fact, some of the old-school wisdom that the gurus and teachers share does a lot more damage than repair.

Now, I’m not knocking these people as human beings. Nearly everyone in the space has great intentions, but a lot of what’s being taught, even in school is harmful and doesn’t look at the full picture.

In today’s video, I’m sharing the top 3 most outdated strategies that are touted to help with binge eating, the pitfalls of each one, and what to do instead to feel peaceful and free with food.

I bet some of these methods will sound familiar to you, and I’m sure that you’ve tried at least one of them at one point. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that any or all of them left you feeling stuck, broken, and frustrated. Maybe even stuck in that binge-restrict cycle longer than you need to be.

Don’t let what the world thinks is “right” keep you trapped in an unhealthy cycle with food for years!

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Number One: Focusing exclusively on therapy and emotional work. Now, don’t get me wrong. Therapy and emotional work are both worthwhile and valuable. And if you have a mental health condition, past traumas, emotional things you want support around, by all means, get the help that you need and do not let anything I share detour you from seeking professional help – please.

What I’m referring to here is when people miss the mark when and assume what emotional work and therapy alone can accomplish freedom from binge eating.

You see, contrary to what traditional therapy or eating disorder treatment says, you don’t have to heal every emotional wound or trauma to have a healthy relationship with food.

Take me, for example. When I stopped binge eating, my emotional life was far from perfect…

I was still trying to launch my business. I was couch-surfing while trying to get everything off the ground. In the emotional department, I was falling apart –  I had a lot of self doubt, I didn’t know how to be with or process my emotions – I was all over the place AND I still stopped binge eating.

True, I did a lot of the emotional work along the way. But sometimes, the deep work made me feel like I was on a wild goose chase to “fix myself.” As if I had to be perfectly healed before I could make any progress at all.

It sent me on this hunt for looking what was wrong with me when truthfully there was nothing wrong with me, I was just disconnected from my power and professionals telling me I was branded with a disorder or an addiction didn’t leave me feeling empowered – AT ALL.

But even without all of my emotional ducks in a row, I was still able to get on the road to freedom with food. Why was this possible for me?

Because while there is an emotional component to binge eating, and people can be driven to food when certain emotions arise, the primary cause is physiological.

In other words, you need to first break the pattern in your brain that causes you to binge and make sure your physiology invested in making you eat. And no amount of emotional work alone can do that.

So if you try to tackle the emotional work before taking on the physiological causes, it’s like putting the cart before the horse.

The truth is, life is going to get stressful, emotions are going to arise, you’re going to get triggered – true healing and peace isn’t about controlling the triggers and fixing yourself – it’s about releasing all the programming and patterning that drives you to eat in those moments and being resourced enough to stay centered and not need food when one of those moments (aka life) happens.

If you’re binge eating you’re not broken – you’re just disconnected from your power.

Number Two: Dieting, controlling, or restricting your foods. This is the one that we all know far too well, I’m sure! Restricting your portions, controlling what you eat, or abstaining from certain foods, mentally judging what you eat…is a recipe for disaster.

Trust me, I was on that path longer than I needed to be…

For years, I masked dieting as “healthy eating.” I ruthlessly judged what was good and bad to eat, and I restricted every bite I took (or tried to, anyway).

But if you restrict what you eat in the name of being “healthy”, it still constitutes control. If your intentions aren’t loving, nurturing, honoring place, even things like “clean eating” are restrictions.

You see, when you restrict your food options, that survival switch in your brain gets locked in the ON position. We call this the “binge switch.”

And when that switch is ON, it drives you to think about food, eat uncontrollably, and crave relentlessly the foods you’ve deemed “forbidden.”

In other words, it conditions you to have what I call “tunnel vision” with food. The more you try to control what you eat, the more out of control you feel.

So please know if you do feel out of control with your food – more attempted control is NOT the answer – it’s just making things worse.

Number Three: Intuitive Eating as The Be-All Solution. Now, this might surprise you. After all, you’ve probably heard me talk about intuitive eating and listening to your body as a beautiful and supportive practice.

And it’s true–I really DO believe in the power of intuitive eating and listening to your body! The problem comes in when you make intuitive eating and listening to your body the one and only tool in your arsenal.

When you put that kind of pressure on this practice, it turns from a supportive practice to just another set of stringent rules.

Here’s an example. If you decide to up and quit traditional dieting and replace it with intuitive eating, your intentions might be good.

But if you don’t address the underlying problem first–that is, breaking the pattern in your brain that causes binge eating–what usually happens next isn’t quite what you might’ve bargained for…

You let go of all the traditional diet rules and it may feel good for a day or so but oftentimes that can lead to a food free-for-all. Then the fear sets in, and you go back to your old patterns of restricting, controlling, and probably even shaming.

And after that, “intuitive eating” morphs into just another diet.

To make matters worse, the whole experience might leave you feeling as though something was fundamentally wrong with you. Which couldn’t be farther from the truth…

For one thing, intuitive eating and listening to your body relies a lot on recognizing your body’s hunger and fullness cues. And in reality, those cues don’t return to their natural state until you’ve broken out of survival mode – meaning it won’t work if that switch in your brain driving you to eat is still on.

Intuitive eating and listening to your body are both worthwhile and beautiful practices. I practice these techniques every day myself, and I believe in their power! But I encourage you to recognize that they are intended to be helpful tools, not the ultimate solution.

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So there you have it! The top 3 strategies to beat binge eating that ultimately set you back instead of move you forward. Some of them are good ideas being used ineffectively, while others do more harm than good at any point in the game.

But how do you take the steps that will set you free, for real this time?

The first step on the road to food freedom forever is breaking the link in the brain that drives you to binge eat in the first place. And from there, using the emotional and intuitive steps to support you as you complete your journey to peace and ease with your food.

Now, that’s a pretty big topic for a single post, so I have a special gift for you.

Click the image below where I’ve got a special gift for you! We call them, “Craving Cards”, and they’re one of our most popular tools!

If you ever feel night time cravings, sugar cravings, the urge to just say “screw it I’m going to start my diet over tomorrow”, or like you need a little body confidence pick me up… 

Just grab a card, go through the prompts, and shift it instantly!

Click the image above and let me know where to send them!

You’ll also get mini demo video training sessions for each card where I share how to use the cards and some of my best tips for food freedom forever!

With our Craving Cards and Demo Series… 

You’ll learn how to stop cravings in their tracks, feel confident, and get back your power, fast! 

Love,
Brittany

PS: Want the exact freedom and ease with our foods that myself and thousands of our clients get to experience?

In our Beating Binge Eating Blueprint (BBEB), I show you how to make this happen in just 8 weeks!

Many of our students have seen a DRASTIC difference in as little as a few days!

It’s our signature program, and up until recently, it was $3000 or more to join.

For now, you can get it as a part of our Food Freedom Collection for practically free by clicking the image below!

There is no catch…every resource I’ve created for food freedom and body confidence will land straight in your if you just click that image below and let me know where to send it!

 

Ready to feel in control of food and feel good about your body?

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