I recently launched a new mini program, called Cake without Chaos to help smart, savvy, health conscious women start trusting themselves around food again.

Part of this work was to break down binge eating experiences and find the real reason why they were feeling so preoccupied with food all the time.

Binges are the symptom, not the problem

One very common conversation that was had throughout these calls was recognising what each of these women actually needed to take care of themselves and allow their needs to be met first.

What was also common, was that there was something lacking that they either consciously or unconsciously felt was missing.

The overeating and internal shame of constantly feeling like they were falling off the wagon were symptoms of something else going on, not the problem itself.

These women bravely searched for what was underneath the uncomfortable, uncontrollable, sometimes numbing-like nature of a binge.

My clients stopped believing that they were the problem, and that they needed to FIX themselves by having stronger willpower, more discipline, and more nutrition tips.

Instead, they started understanding that:

By letting go of the guilt and shame, I could make room for listening to my body and what I actually need!

- Leigh H

The first step I often take with clients, is to encourage them to get curious because;

Real, deep, lasting healing comes when we look at the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that binge eating has developed in response to...

— then, relearning how to take care of ourselves becomes more innate and deeply satisfying.

To help you identify what these 'Aha!' moments are all about, I've put together a summary of some of the most common and relatable scenarios to uncover what the binges can really mean.

A collection of common client scenarios looking at why we binge

My intention in creating this 'snapshot' is to indicate that we often see the problem from a top-down view, and never really see that there is another layer to uncover:

When you look at it in this way, perhaps you can see that binge eating is the symptom and not the problem itself.

Uncovering the next layer

Can you relate to some of the scenarios above?

Have you looked more deeply into what the root of this symptom really is? Do you have some ideas on what could be lacking?

We don’t always understand what’s caused our binges or have full scope of how to translate our binges because we might feel a lack of:

1. Self-awareness

(we can’t always see the forest from the trees!)

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then integrating this personal awareness by...

2. Practice body attunement

(like a muscle, this takes time to develop the ability to listen and respond to body cues)

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3. SELF-COMPASSION

(mind-body connection, personal power, & self-trust)

Work this out now. What's really going on for you?

I’ve put together a journalling tool to help you break down binge eating and uncover what’s actually going on. What’s the why behind this behaviour?

The intention here is to find out what your binge eating really means and to enable your growth mindset instead of writing it off as just not having enough willpower, or that you really just need to try harder!

If you think you would like further guidance venturing into the deeper layers of this work. My introductory program, Cake without Chaos gives you the tools, mindsets and practices to help you feel more calmer, natural and more relaxed around food.