Binge eating is such a touchy subject. No one wants to admit it or talk about it. It’s a taboo that most people prefer to avoid, unless you are Andie Mitchell – whose book It Was Me All Along: A Memoir is on fire right now. I met Andie in Hilton Head this year and could not have been more blown away by her kindness, charm or wit.
While Andie talks about one way people binge in a very unhealthy way and how she overcame it to lose 135 lbs, binging doesn’t just effect people who are overweight.
When a person with no food issues “binges” in a sitting, they know they over ate but don’t think of it as binging – they just say, “Oops. I ate too much.” i.e. when your boyfriend eats the whole bag of Cape Cod chips at the beach. When someone with an unhealthy relationship with food binges no matter if it is once or 7 times a week, they feel a profound amount of guilt. They hate themselves, they regret their actions and may either say “F- it! I might as well eat whatever for the rest of the day” or restrict themselves the rest of the day as punishment starting a vicious cycle.
It doesn’t have to be “bad” food either. Granola, trail mix, froyo, and nut butters are all considered healthy but many of us have gone overboard more than once. I know this because I’ve been there and you’ve told me.
I wanted you guys and myself to start 2015 with realistic and positive intentions. If some of the things I shared here resonate with your behavior, watch my newest video on how to stop binging in 2015. This is a no judgement zone. The tips are not cliché but refreshing, I think. They work for me and I think they will work for you. If you screw up, you know what? Who cares. Every day is an opportunity to start fresh.
The binging I talk about in my video is not the same kind Andie talks about in her memoir. I think there is a place for both but just because you are not overweight doesn’t mean you don’t struggle too.