Binge Dieting

Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about the work of Dr. John Sarno and explains how to use his method to cure certain physical ailments as well as cravings for sugar and carbohydrates. The podcast focuses on his transformative technique for healing back pain, migraine, IBS, chronic fatigue, and a host of other problems in the body. Betsy talks about his protocol and merges them with the healing techniques of IFS (inner family systems) therapy.

If you’re struggling with binge eating, you’ve thought at least once that recovery is not possible. You fall short of your goals, and you think that’s it. You can’t possibly reach the other side anymore because of this one slip-up.

But sometimes, your body has a mind of its own and may not act in a way that aligns with your goals. But once you free yourself of this obsessive thinking, you’ll discover that the hard days are part of the healing process and you need to trust it.

In this episode, I discuss how a lack of trust is one of the biggest blocks to success. I share tips on how to appreciate your food habits and restore your trust in your body and the recovery process.

Tune in to this episode if you want to learn how to challenge your thinking and live a happier, more hopeful life.

The transformative class will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, membership in a Facebook community. It is packed with content. You can’t take this class and not begin to understand the roots of your eating habits that you might be frustrated with. I am so confident that it will help you that I offer a money back guarantee!

If you would prefer more individualized help, contact me so we can schedule a private virtual session.

To sign up for the class or to get private help, you can send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website.

1. Discover how to listen to your body and commit to the journey of intuitive eating.
2. Learn how to stay in the present tense and be mindful.
3. Find out how to challenge fear-based thoughts.

Most people tend to be self-critical, mistakenly believing it’s the only way to achieve their goals. However, countless behavioral studies show that negative self-talk makes people less likely to meet their goals.

Learn to relax your “should haves” around eating – be it your list of safe and unsafe foods, a designated time to eat, or all the rules you think you should follow. Entertain the possibility that you might be wrong and calm down long enough to listen closely to your body.

When we talk about relaxing, it means trusting yourself around food and trying out some in your unsafe category in small quantities.

The trick is to be self-aware and stay present while eating. Give that cookie your full and undivided attention. Savor the flavors and the textures. Don’t go too far off into the future or use the cookie to disassociate from your body. Direct your thoughts to the present moment and the current experience of eating.

Once you’re done, slow down and appreciate the food. Over time, you can learn to trust yourself enough to sit around “scary” foods and eat normal-sized portions with no guilt.

One or two cookies aren’t enough to tip the scales, nor are there any magic foods that will make you fat or thin. When you obsessively follow the rules down to the tiniest detail, you’ll only end up being frustrated.

Sometimes, your body may not give you the outcome you expected due to various physiological factors at play. It’s impossible to know for sure how your body is going to react. Don’t spend too much time worrying about that number on the scale that you’re not available for all the other good things in life.

Understand that some things are outside your control. To demand certainty and not get it in return, can be quite stressful. Don’t give power to those numbers on the scale — embrace the uncertainty and don’t forget to relax into the process of life.

Sometimes, the problem is not the food itself but the fear of it. So, eat only when you’re physically hungry. Eat what your body is craving and stop once you’re satisfied. Remember: you can always have more later since eating is not a one-time thing.

If you’re not hungry, don’t eat your feelings. Allow yourself to feel the entire spectrum of emotions. No amount of numbing through food will satisfy your body when you repress what is supposed to be felt.

When you embark on this journey, know that it’s not instantaneous. It’s not as easy as snapping your fingers and being done with it.

Every once in a while, you may fall back into your bad habits. As long as you're going in the right direction, that's fine. There’s no need to punish yourself for that small, temporary weight gain. Along the process, you’re sure to gain more knowledge and freedom about yourself that can last a lifetime.

When you look at the peop...

Betsy Thurston MPH RD talks about the critical skill of loving yourself. She talks about certain clients and their struggles with motivation and their inability to find self worth. Various skills are discussed with practical suggestions on how to change into a happier person.

Just because you’re having a salad doesn’t mean that you’re eating less. Sometimes, an order of salad can have more calories than a burger; calories matter, and calorie counting is an essential tool in weight loss. Knowing about the calories in the food you eat and opting for lower calorie alternatives can make a big difference in your weight loss journey.

In this episode, I discuss why calories matter and the significant difference calories make in weight loss. I also share some calorie comparisons of some foods to show how choosing low-calorie alternatives can make a difference in weight in a year.

Tune in to the full episode to learn why calories matter and how you can cut on calories.

The transformative class will include pre-recorded videos, audio recordings, handouts, and membership in a Facebook community. You can’t take this class and not begin to understand the roots of your eating habits that you might be frustrated with. I am so confident that it will help you that I offer a money back guarantee!

If you would prefer more individualized help, contact me so we can schedule a private virtual session.

To sign up for the class or get private help, you can send me an email at [email protected] or visit my website.

1. Why is calorie counting important?
2. What can you do to decrease calorie intake?
3. How to enjoy lower-calorie foods?

• Lose It! by Charles Teague and Anahad O’Connor
• My Fitness Pal

One pound of body fat is equal to 3500 calories. To lose one pound, you need to take in less than 3500 calories than you use. The energy expenditure differs. It depends on your basal metabolic rate and how much energy you burn.

Genetics plays a role in calorie burn or weight loss. Some people are more efficient at holding calories and making food turn into fat compared to others — efficient fat savers. That’s a bad thing for people who don’t want a lot of weight, but that’s the way it is. It’s normal. Some people have blue eyes, others have brown, and others hold their calories more than others.

Food quality and hormones can influence the body’s response to food. Low-quality food can cause the brain to have a different reaction in the body and hold on to calories a little tighter. High-quality foods tend to be higher in fiber, less processed, less refined, less sugar, and more plant-based. Another relevant factor is gut health, which points to eating high-quality foods.

Stress hormones can change the brain and its reaction to metabolism. We are a mind-body-spirit entity. Calorie experiments in a laboratory are very different from how calories play out in a human body under stress, has poor gut health, or is eating low-quality food.

Calories matter, so calorie counting helps. However, strict calorie counting will backfire every time because it sets you up for rules-based thinking. It’s not a good option for people with eating disorders, binge eaters, and black-and-white thinkers.

You shouldn’t feel like you’re on a diet. Focus on honoring your body with the best quality foods on a cellular level. You should feel good and feel healthy. Calories should be considered when choosing foods, but they shouldn’t be the most important consideration.

A study shows that if you change the way you eat, you can change your brain’s sensitivity to healthy and unhealthy food. You can train your brain to look for high-quality, healthy food and change your food palate.

Find alternatives with lower calories. For example, you can switch from fat-free milk to almond milk, use non-fat mayonnaise instead of the regular one, or remove sugar from your coffee. Having more natural foods and fewer additives can decrease calories too.

You can make little changes that wouldn’t bother you that much. You can have two slices of cheddar cheese instead of four, or you can choose the lower-calorie sauce in McDonald’s. These can make a difference in a single year.

In the United States, one order is usually two or three servings. To ensure portion control and avoid eating the entire serving in one sitting, set aside half of the serving and put them in your freezer. T...

In session 5 of the Binge Dieting series Registered Dietitian and Integrative Nutritionist Betsy Thurston talks about how to recognize and manage the number one block to overcoming struggles with food, weight and eating.