There can be a lot of pressure what trying to break free of the binge/restrict cycle
If you are working on your relationship with food specifically because you struggle with bingeing or feeling out of control with food then it might be pretty difficult to go into some situations that you have had really poor experiences in the past.
If you struggle with anxiousness or stress building pressure for your binges in anticipation of an event or during an event here is one strategy you can try to work on easing this anxiousness.
Do you have a time before you struggled with food? For some this might not be possible and if that is you, that is okay, but this strategy is not for you.
If you do remember a time before you felt anxious with situations revolving around food or maybe you know someone who has a “normal” relationship with food that you would love to have. Let’s draw on those experiences!
Really work to imagine the dream of what your relationship with food looks like. What does your relationship with food look like? How does it enhance your experiences? How does it make you feel? How is your life impacted?
I was discussing this with a client the other day here was the scenario:
She was stuck at home sick with her family for an extended period of time. Stress was heightened due to family drama and being stuck at home used to be a trigger for her to binge.
Her dad asked her if she would like to make cookies. She initially thought no because cookie dough was a food she commonly binged on. Then she reflected on an experience she had several time with friends in college eating cookie dough, making cookies and having a great time.
This imagery gave her motivation. That is how she wants her relationship with food to look again, that is her goal.
So she said yes to the opportunity feeling empowered by her past experiences proving to herself that this is possible for her.
She was able to have some cookie dough, work through reframing some negative thoughts and then allowed herself to enjoy a cookie without guilt.
Yes, reframing those negative thoughts were huge in helping her maintain a sense of control and be more able to be present when enjoying the cookie and cookie dough, but having this positive experience in her mind gave her hope that this can be reality for her.
This hope helped reduce the anxiousness that she was feeling that kept heightening the pressure to binge.
These experiences may be dimmed by some negative ones or some negative burying the positive. So take your time and even if it isn’t a perfect experience, what was one time you took a step in the right direction?
If you find that this is a helpful tool is helping relieve some of that anxiousness, work to make small positive experiences everyday with your relationship with food. Point out wins, write them down and review them often.
Build your confidence little by little. For example, if you find yourself triggered by X try and incorporate it into your life in a planned way that feels more in control. Go into the situation with full permission to eat and with the intention to be present when eating. If this becomes a positive experience or even a bit better than your last experience, use that to continue to practice and gain confidence.
Being aware of little wins is huge in recovering from binge eating because it can be so easy to be focused in on what’s still wrong instead of how far you’ve come. But you are working on it, you are doing great!
I works with clients one on one to create a plan to cultivate more and more positive experiences with all of their binge triggers to help gain confidence in their ability to achieve their goals. In the process we work on managing negative thoughts and beliefs around food and work on being more accepting of the body we have here and now.
If you are ready to take the next step in working on your relationship with food click the link below to learn more about private coaching
