Weight Loss that Lasts

For a long time, my relationship with food mirrored my relationship with the gym.

Hitting the gym really hard was my way of making up for a binge the night before. The more I overate, the more I used punishing workouts to compensate.

Then, there was the flip side…

Eventually, years of binging and excessive workouts caught up with me. I ended up facing some serious health problems, up to and including hospitalization.

So naturally what do you think I did?

I saw working out as the enemy–and I stopped exercising altogether.

If this kind of extreme flipping on exercise has ever happened to you, stay with me!

Today I want to show you how to restore a happy relationship with your workouts. In this blogpost and video below, you’ll learn how to use exercise to support your mental, emotional, AND physical well-being–and without going to extremes.

Even when I struggled the most with food and fitness, I honestly did love working out. I loved the idea of getting stronger and the competitive nature of it all.

But, my strained relationship with food triggered some destructive habits at the gym.

Working out for health benefits and friendly competition gave way to working out as punishment for not being “enough.” It went from something I did to get stronger to penance for binge and overeating.

The long-term results were pretty brutal, too.

My adrenals were in overload. My thyroid was taxed. My hormone levels were all over the map. My kidneys were shot.

Then, several years ago, I had a family moment that made me question everything.

My grandfather had passed away, and my family had gathered for his memorial. At the time I was intensely preparing for a fitness competition.

Despite all that was going on with my family circumstances and even with being devastated, the thought of missing one of my workouts that was assigned by my coach was plaguing me.

I was in the middle of a long training walk that I managed to get in when it hit me. WHAT was I doing?

Here I was at an important family gathering for the death of my grandpa, not able to be present for my grandmother. I couldn’t get out of my own head long enough to be fully present to honor my grandfather’s memory.

ALL because I was freaking out over missing a workout! What the hell!

I feel terrible about it now. I’d like to tell you that was the moment that changed everything, but I needed a few of those to really give up my old unsupportive behavior.

I stayed in that dysfunctional fitness relationship for a good while after that because of fear and not knowing how to let go of it!

Changing habits is difficult BUT, it did plant a seed.

As I began healing my relationship with food, I promised myself one thing: I would no longer do that whole “working out to make up for my binges” thing.

So step by step, I broke free of that trap. I started to nurture and care for my body, and the healing began.

Along with that shift, though, something unexpected happened. I started seeing fitness as the enemy–and stopped working out altogether.

When I reached this breaking point, I did have a lot of health issues. My doctors advised me not to work out because my body couldn’t handle it. So there was that…

But in a way, the medical advice almost made my workout aversion even worse.

Full disclosure – at the beginning of my healing journey, a break from the intense workouts was exactly what I needed. But it led to a hostility toward fitness that became as obsessive as my need to work out.

Eventually, my gym hostility turned into a habit of not moving my body at all. Not exactly the healthiest alternative right?

Pounding yourself into the ground as punishment for binging is definitely a toxic behavior. But it’s not any better to completely ban movement from your life. You know what I mean?

Your body is meant to move. They say that a sedentary life is as hazardous to your health as smoking cigarettes.

So what did I do to restore healthy movement without letting toxic workout habits hook me again?

I had to shed those exercise fears. I needed to renew a healthy relationship with movement once again. Slowly but surely, I started to bring it back into my life.

First, I started by choosing the types of movement that honored how my body was feeling. But I also chose activities that gave me enough of a push to expand my comfort zone.

I had to first navigate and get out of the crazy-workout mentality. You know, those sayings that become mantras like “sweat is your fat cells crying.” I replaced it with the intention of honoring my body.

At the same time, I intended to push myself just enough to increase my endurance, strength, and energy.

I started small with daily walks. I started attending yoga and pilates classes for variety. I loved it.

Eventually, I got to the point where I was ready to work with a trainer and move my fitness to the next level.

The best news is that since I started moving again, I’ve reduced almost all of my PMS symptoms. Wohoooo!

My thyroid and energy levels have gotten better than they’ve been in over a decade. And I’m feeling energized and supported again.

So hear me out when I say this – move your body in a way that feels good, and also in a way that takes you out of your comfort zone enough for growth (slow and steady growth is ok, and so is saying “you know what I just want to have some fun and go move” without focussing on growth!)

Choose movements that will support rather than stress your body.

You don’t need a personal trainer or an elaborate plan to bring supportive movement into your life.

One thing I always tell our clients at Beating Binge Eating is to schedule in time for movement. Then when your time arrives, check-in with yourself.

Maybe what you need is a nice long walk or a yoga class. Or it might be something more intense like interval or resistance training. The point is to make your movement support you and help you feel amazing as you go through your day.

There will be some days when you’re in more of a push mode. Other days you’ll feel the need for a more chill workout. The key is to find a balance that will optimize your mental, emotional, and physical well being.

Now, if binge eating is a struggle for you, this part of the process might need a little more attunement.

You want to ensure that your workouts aren’t taxing your body to the point of survival mode. That could make binge triggers worse. So remember to fuel yourself properly, and give your body the nutritional support it needs before and after your workout.

Bottom line? Working out, movement, and food are designed to go hand in hand. They are there to help support you in living your best life.

So if your relationship with your food or the gym is blocking your happiness, take some new action.

Honor your body. Connect with yourself. Then, incorporate food and movement in a way that supports you in living your dream life.

The goal is to feel energized, alive, and happy in your body the majority of the time.

Movement and nourishment should be a part of your life that feels free and easy. It’s a beautiful way to set yourself up for an amazing and rewarding life!

So if you need any support in this area, we are here for you!

Click the link below and get instant access to our latest training! It will support you in your relationship with your food, movement, and body.

You’ll learn how to put these strategies into real-time action steps so that you can stop stressing and start living! Get that training HERE:

Once you’ve got the training, leave me a comment and let me know how this post landed with you! Have you ever pushed yourself to the extremes with working out, either going all-in or not at all?

Let me know the insights and a-has you got from this post. We would love to hear from you!

Believe me, I know what it’s like to struggle with food. I’m guessing you do too, and that is how you found my blog. If this is the case, welcome!

Now, if you’re here, I also bet you’ve had the same go-to to tactic to handle the stress of life that I had for over 12 years…

When the going gets tough, the tough hit the cabinet or the for several rounds of snacks!

It’s that familiar story for anyone who struggles with food (and even a lot of us who don’t).

STRESS eating. Emotional eating. Turning to food when life gets to be too much.

If high-flying emotions have ever driven you to eat, stay with me. I’ll show you a simple reset that’ll set you up to ditch stress eating once and for all! It’s a simple yet powerful technique that I recently learned from a self-development legend…

Let’s get to it now!

I bet that if you’re honest with yourself, you want more than to just stop stress and emotional eating.

Most of my readers (like you) are also into growth and self-development, looking for ways to be the best version of yourself. So give yourself credit–that’s an awesome thing!

Now, you’ve probably noticed that in the self-development community, “getting centered” is a common buzz phrase. Everyone talks about things like grounding yourself, connecting to yourself, and being present.

We love these techniques too here at Beating Binge Eating, and they’re part of what we teach (especially techniques to help you connect with your body!)

As powerful as centering is, there is another practice you don’t hear nearly as much about from all the gurus. It’s that thing that has to happen before being centered, grounded, or present is even possible.

It’s a step that we like to call RELEASE. And if you skip this step, it’s going to make “centering” a lot more difficult–and make that turning to food thing a lot harder to avoid!

So what is “release” all about?

It’s actually a simple idea, and that idea is this…

You need to LET GO of your negative emotions first. Literally release them from your body.

Let’s talk about the HOW of this practice now. And we’re going to do it with the help of a strategy I learned from the one and only Tony Robbins!

Last weekend I attended Tony Robbins’ virtual “Unleash the Power Within” seminar. I have to admit I wasn’t quite sure how powerful an online seminar would be…but he’s truly a master at what he does!

Turns out that not only did I play full-out, but I also discovered an awesomely empowering strategy. I learned an effective way to release my negative emotions. And in so doing, I created space for centering and grounding.

The coolest part of all was that this is done through a simple thing– the power of CHANGING YOUR STATE (aka: your body’s physiology).

A fancy way to say…move your body and as your body shifts your energy shifts too!

So how does it work? Here’s the short version…

We learned how your physiology determines the way that you approach the world and the way you experience life. The key to emotional release, then, comes from shifting your physical state.

Translation? Moving your body is step one to releasing the emotions that stress you out and hold you back!

So how did we learn to put this technique to use?

I don’t know exactly how everyone else in cyberspace did it. But I spent a lot of time jumping up and down in my living room. I pounded a lot of pillows. I screamed and shouted out loud.

Wouldn’t you know it, but when I was done it felt as though I’d literally ripped limiting beliefs out of my body!

The more you change your physical state, the easier it is to release those old emotions, beliefs, and habits that keep you stuck.

Here is how this relates to stopping a stress-induced emotional eat-a-ton…

If you expect to stop a binge in its tracks by being mindful, or being “present,” that’s fine. All these techniques are effective. But if you try to “center” when your body is clogged with heavy, toxic emotions, your success will be marginal at best.

The key is to clear the stressful and toxic emotions out of your body first. This will create the space for that grounding and centering practice.

Then you can actually get all the benefits of getting centered, present, and connected. That includes stopping a binge!

Here is a not-so-pretty but accurate metaphor…

Imagine eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks every day, day after day. Then suppose that you add in a few days of stressed-out eating, maybe even a binge or two on top of that. Now, let’s say that this pattern went on for days, and through it all, you never went to the bathroom.

You can imagine what would happen next. You’d feel clogged, sluggish, and uncomfortable, to say the least!

I know, it’s not the most pleasant thought. But let’s be real–if you don’t release the waste, it stays right where it is!

Now, think about this scenario…

Let’s say that your kids are getting on your last nerve. Or your boss is stressing you out. Maybe your partner is pushing all your buttons. Perhaps you had a triggering experience with a friend, a relative, or even on Social Media. Something might’ve happened that caused you trauma. Or brought up trauma from the past.

It could even be the stress of being on this planet in 2020. The discouraging news, the pandemic, the economy, the racial tensions–they’re all coming at us all, non-stop.

Whatever it is, any or all these things cause big-time stress. Emotions get high, and emotions are energy. This energy hits you, and it feels like it’s literally filling up your body with unhinged stress.

What happens when that stress gets into your body but has no way out?

Maybe you lash out at your partner for no reason. Or yell at your kids and end up feeling embarrassed. Maybe you rashly walk out of a job. Or you stay with a job you hate for years, silently stuffing more and more negative emotion.

These are also the moments you turn to food to make it all go away…and end up feeling far worse in the end!

Not only does stress eating not release your emotions, but it pushes them down even more. It leaves you with a serious case of “emotional constipation.” (not so pretty of a term but I bet you get the picture?!)

Think about it. You’re “clogged up” with all these negative emotions. They have nowhere to go, so they keep taking up more and more space. Then you take in more and more negativity, and with no way for it to escape.

You’re left with no room for positive emotion. There’s no space to connect with yourself.

Getting centered becomes a lot harder.

And stopping another emotional eating spree becomes a lot less likely.

BUT, if you release those toxic emotions first, getting centered becomes significantly easier. You create the space for connection and presence.

In other words, releasing those emotions first can help you stop a binge before it starts!

Now, let’s get practical about how to use this powerful technique.

If you’re feeling anxious and overwhelmed, before you attempt to go into a meditative happy place, stop. Take a moment to release those negative emotions by shifting your physical state.

It comes down to a simple concept: MOVE your body.

How do you make this happen? It’s really up to you!

Grab a pillow, put it in front of your face, and scream at the top of your lungs. Go to your car and make it a scream chamber. Punch a pillow. Put on your favorite song and have a dance party. Jump up and down, and MOVE. Whatever resonates with you!

As you move, let those emotions move through you–and RELEASE them.

Then, once you’ve got that energy out of your system, connect with yourself. And decide on that next best supportive action is for you in the moment.

This is how you set yourself up to slow down, be present, and connect with your body.

It’s the first step to actually being the best version of yourself!

So I’ve got an assignment for you! Here it is…

Set aside 5 minutes each day and do a proactive emotional release. Have it out and do what you gotta do.

Then, if you have a moment in your day when emotions get high, instead of reaching for a candy bar, PAUSE for a sec. Give yourself a chance to move, and release that emotion by changing your physical state.

This simple practice just might be a game-changer for you!

So go out and give this a try, then come back and let me know how it went for you. Leave me a comment below, and share your experience with this powerful technique!

Can’t wait to hear from you!

Love,

Brittany

PS: If cravings, urges to eat, or emotions are driving you to the cabinets, this free training should help! Check it out by clicking the picture below!

Here’s the truth: your journey to food freedom isn’t a one-step process… and also there’s no one method to magically change things overnight.

Trust me, I tried to find that quick fix for over 12+ years, and I can tell you that it doesn’t exist.

I struggled hard with binge and emotional eating, but I found my way back. And let me tell you that it did not happen overnight.

There are many potential roadblocks on your journey that you might not be paying attention to or may not even be aware of (and this could sideline you for a long time).

I’m not trying to discourage you but I just want you to know the truth, so you can avoid the same mistakes I made in my decade’s worth of journey.

Finding your way to freedom is especially tough if you’re on your own, with nothing but good ol’ Google or the ‘Gram for help.

But it doesn’t have to be that way! I’ve helped thousands of women kick binging to the curb for good. So I’m happy to share my discoveries with you and I promise you that breaking free from binging isn’t as complicated as you think it is.

If you are someone that’s struggling with emotional eating and trying to make peace with your body, this is your chance to let go of all the pressure you’ve been putting on yourself. Honestly, it’s not your fault and allow me to explain why.

Keep reading to learn the 4 most common red flags to look out for when you’re circling the internet for advice. I’ll also be sharing the most effective system to kick binge and emotional eating to the curb and hot to blow past them like a boss, once and for all! (Hint: It’s more than one quick fix strategy)

Roadblock #1: You’re using tools but not a system.

You’ll find experts everywhere on everything these days and beating binge & emotional eating is, of course, no exception.

A lot of coaches and experts out there tout their favorite tips and tricks as THE be-all, end-all solution. Do this or that just the way they tell you, and you’ll never binge again.

Really? It never worked for me ever!

This is the first most common mistake we all make: pinning all your hopes on a few random tools.

It took me literally 12 years to even start breaking free. Even at that 12 year mark it took about 5 more years to be as free as I am now. Back then, I thought that simply NOT binging was true freedom. I had no idea that stopping the physical act of binging alone wasn’t enough.

At the time I was cherry-picking the tools I was using. I got this tip from that guru, and that tip from another online influencer. They all sort of worked, at least for a while…orrr even worse, didn’t work at all.

Then I discovered that I was only getting random pieces to the puzzle, but no complete picture.

Have you ever watched a video about intuitive eating, and thought it was the answer for you?

Maybe then you tried it, and you thought you’d found a miracle solution. But sooner or later, the “new” wore off. The “intuitive” thing stopped working too. And before you knew it, you were scouring the cabinets, elbow-deep in a bag of chips again…

Sound familiar? I know I’ve been there and done that!

This doesn’t mean that intuitive eating doesn’t work. It means that intuitive eating is a tool, but it’s one you’re just not ready for yet or need to have a few other pieces in place for it to work.

Random stand-alone strategies won’t do it for you. You need a system in place. So stop relying on one-off tips alone.

Find a step-by-system plan that takes you from where you are to where you want to be. Clear steps in a logical sequence is the way to get you there a lot faster than just random jumps all over the map.

Roadblock #2: Fear or Lack of Results Taking You Back to Diet Mentality

Ever had a moment where you’re feeling in control with food, you’re making progress, and then you get on the scale and your heart sinks low?

Or maybe you’ve been “listening to your body” for a while and it’s going pretty well. But then you get hit by those binge urges again, you don’t know what to do, and you freak out.

What do you do in either case? It’s normal to get discouraged or maybe even scared. You have no idea what to do next because you’ve never been down this road before. So you go back to the old tried and true…restricting, controlling, or dare I say it: “Dieting” (At least you know what you’re getting on that track, right?)

Fear and uncertainty can stop you in your tracks. They can make you feel lost, confused, and longing for the familiar (even if it always failed you).

But here’s the thing. With any kind of change comes uncertainty and fear. That’s a given. (In fact, sometimes those uncertain feelings let you know that you’re on the right track!)

The key is to recognize the fear… is to hit the “pause” button, and not let it drag you back to your comfort zone. Then, take the next smallest doable step to move yourself forward.

Seek support you need to navigate through them. You owe it to yourself NOT to throw up your hands and quit when it gets uncomfortable. Trust that you’re on the right track and keep going.

Roadblock #3: Focusing on Emotions and Ignoring Physiology

Now, I’ll be the first to say that there are often a lot of emotions behind eating issues. So naturally, exploring your emotions and triggers is a POWERFUL part of the process.

Where I have a problem with things is when people read books, go to therapy, talk to a coach and the “expert” leads them there and totally ignores the most significant cause of it all: physiology.

Now, I’m not knocking therapy. Many skilled therapists help people heal emotional issues and traumas which I feel is beautiful work and needed for so many people.

BUT, with binge and emotional eating, healing your physiology is the FIRST step on the road to freedom. Here’s why:

Let’s say you’re working with a therapist. You’re talking about your emotional triggers, childhood traumas, and limiting beliefs. This deep inner work is beautiful and powerful. The only trouble is that in the midst of this therapy – you are still doing things with your food that are rooted in diet mentality or depriving you in some way…

That means that those urges to binge will persist. Your brain will keep setting off the alarm bells. For you to eat. Your cravings will still be out of control. Emotional healing doesn’t matter if your brain is still raging with binge triggers.

I’m not saying don’t do the deep work. But just don’t depend on emotional healing to do all the work for you!

Go for a system that includes physiological work, brain science, and emotional work. Only an all-encompassing system will break you free for good. (cough cough: we’ve got one of those 😉

Roadblock #4: The allure of diet culture.

Just when you’re getting closer to breaking free from binging, it pulls you back in and traps you again. It’s that thing that we at Beating Binge Eating call diet culture.

Our world is entrenched diet culture. It’s full of those constant messages that you’re not good enough. Messages telling you that you need to improve. Implications that you need is to follow this diet or that one, and only then will you be OK.

Then there are the subconscious diet culture messages telling you how you should look. One size should fit all. And if you don’t fit the mold, you don’t measure up, right? (When most of the time the pictures you see on Instagram hawking these messages aren’t even real!)

So you believe what you see, and you buy into whatever diet they’re selling. Then before you know it, you’re back in the diet-binge-guilt-repeat cycle. Exactly what you DON’T want.

No matter how free you feel, diet culture can still sneak in and find your vulnerable spots. Then it can lure you back into the cycle you’ve been trying so hard to break.

Try this for yourself:

Take your focus off of weight loss, and put it on healing your relationship with yourself. The goal is to feel vibrant, happy and alive. It’s about supporting your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Diets don’t do that. Don’t you agree!

Roadblock Recap: What to Watch Out For:

1) Not having all the pieces to the puzzle, or putting them in the wrong order.
2) Fear, confusion, and going back to the familiar when things get scary.
3) Going for the deep inner work but ignoring your body and brain science.
4) And of course, diet culture.

Don’t let these roadblocks take you off your path anymore.

If you want to jump off the self-sabotaging cycle and get on the pathway to food freedom, I’ve got a special gift for you!

Click the image below and you’ll get access to a FREE training (no opt-in required!)

You’ll get immediate access to our training, where you’ll learn how to use our system to set yourself up for freedom. Then at the end of the video, you’ll get an opportunity to book a call with one of our dedicated team members.

This breakthrough call will give you support, clarity, and the next steps on your journey. It’s an awesome opportunity to connect with us, get personalized feedback, and learn what you need to do next!

Now, I want to hear from you!

Have you ever tried to stop binging and hit one of these roadblocks?

Let me know which one sounds the most familiar, and how we can support you in breaking through it for good!