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I binged… now what?

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I used to think I was the only one who struggled with binge eating. I felt ashamed and guilty for letting food consume my thoughts as much as it did. I thought I was disgusting because food controlled my happiness and my life.

When I began opening up about my history with binge eating disorder what I realized very quickly was I was not alone. In fact, there were far more people struggling in silence than I could have ever imagined.

A woman holding a sign that says I am Beautifully Broken

I know there are still so many who are struggling in silence.

You might not know where to turn and you are most likely too embarrassed to talk about it. I know I was.

But, the day I set this truth free I started becoming who I am today.

I am far braver now than I was when food controlled my every thought.

I am far kinder now, to myself and others, when I stopped criticizing the number on the scale.

I am at peace. And I want you to be, too.

A woman standing and looking onward

I am not a therapist or a doctor. But, I am a woman who has survived binge eating disorder. I am a woman who has gained 100 pounds in a year. I am also a woman who spent 2 years losing 100 pounds. And guess what? I was unhappy in both places.

In one I was uncomfortable in my body and the other I was uncomfortable in my mind. I felt like I couldn’t win.

Until one day I woke up, and realized what needed fixing wasn’t my body, but it was my mind. And that’s what I am going to share with you.

If you have asked yourself the question, “I binged… now what?” I am sharing 3 tips that will allow you to position yourself with kindness and grace towards your body.

1. Ask yourself what’s really bothering you?

Spoiler alert. It’s never about the food. I know you might think it is, but it’s just not.

When you are using food to cope, most likely there is something going on in or around you that you are trying to avoid. It can be a feeling, a person, an emotion, a thought, an event, etc.

But, I would almost guarantee you aren’t bingeing because you just think the cookies are so good and you can’t stop. I challenge you to ask yourself… What is really bothering me?

2. Practice gratitude and forgiveness.

This is hard. I get it. It was even hard to write because I remember when I was there, after a binge, and forgiveness was the last thing I was feeling.

But, forgiveness allows you to make peace with your body.

When you are at war with your body you will never be on the same team.

What I mean by that is when you are angry with yourself and your body you will always find fault. You will be extra hard on yourself. You’ll say unkind things and possibly do unkind things to yourself.

I challenge you to treat yourself as you would your best friend. I encourage you to learn how to forgive yourself. Move onward and don’t let yesterdays decisions ruin today.

Every day is a new day to begin again with the lessons and perspective from the days before.

3. Do not try to “fix” it.

This could mean a number of things but if you binged, take a deep breath. It will not ruin you. I promise you.

Now is not the time to sign up for the next diet or detox that you see in your Instagram feed. Now is the time to love on yourself like never before.

By trying to “fix” a binge by restriction you are just setting yourself up for the cycle to begin again.

Restriction leads to bingeing oftentimes. It’s because our bodies need fuel, and if we are restricting foods we are most likely not giving it the right amount of fuel.

It’s job is to take care of us… so it will find a way to get the food it needs.

Your life doesn’t have to be spent hating your body.

Your life doesn’t have to be spent dieting.

You can find peace.

It starts on the inside and it starts with a commitment to walk away from behaviors that are harmful to you.

I know it is possible to break free from the binge/restrict cycle because I’ve done it. It’s a process and there is no easy way to find peace… but this journey is worth it.

If you need help, you can visit the National Eating Disorder Association for resources.

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