“I do so well during the week, but I lose all control on the weekends…”
Sound familiar?
It’s tempting to restrict or skip meals in an effort to counteract what you ate over the weekend, but doing so will only continue to fuel your food struggles, obsessive food thoughts, and make you feel out of control around food.
Bingeing or overeating is a natural and adaptive response to real or perceived physical or emotional deprivation.
Because our bodies have evolved to survive, they view restriction as threatening and as a result, often triggers us to eat and eat when we get around certain foods (hint: there’s a reason we don’t binge on carrots).
And the only way to break this cycle is to change it
Skipping breakfast or starting your day with a hardboiled egg, when what you really want is a piece of toast with peanut butter and banana, is like pulling back a bow and arrow; you can hold that tension for a little while, but eventually that arrow is going to fly hard and fast in the opposite direction- hello, weekends!
As long as you continue to do these types of things you set yourself up to repeat this cycle over and over.
That doesn’t mean force feeding yourself salads and raw almonds, but foods that actually satisfy you, feel good in your body, and don’t leave you thinking about when the next meal is.
Overtime, that tension in the bow will begin to loosen and you’ll start to feel more in control and confident around food, so that no matter what you eat, you’ll know that it doesn’t have to come at a cost.
“But that makes me so nervous… I feel like if I start eating, I won’t stop”
I know for some this can be terrifying. We’ve been so programmed to restrict and deny, which has lead to us feel completely out of control around food. Therefore, the thought of ALLOWING these foods into our lives feels damn near impossible, and I get it.
But hear this…
What you’re doing in an attempt to gain control, is the exact thing that’s making your feel OUT of control.
Why not try another way?
Any change comes with growing pains, discomfort, and fear. I was terrified, but it was one of the most transformational and liberating steps I’ve ever taken, and I want everyone to experience the same.
Not sure how to get started?
How about this…
Tomorrow, when you go to eat breakfast, I want you to pause, check in with your body and ask,
“What do I want to eat?”
Your default may be to only eat fruit when in your body you long for eggs and a piece of buttered toast or a warm bowl of oatmeal with some brown sugar and walnuts.
And here’s the challenge…. I want you to eat whatever it is you’re wanting and feel how much different that feels in your body.
You’ll likely notice all the different food rules, guilt, and discomfort that come up from years and years of listening to diet culture, and that’s okay, it’s a part of the process.
This time, however, I don’t want you to listen to them.
This is the first step in learning to reconnect with your body, break free from food rules, and begin making peace with food.
Warmly,
Lindsey