One of the questions I hear most often is, "How do I prevent a binge?" Cravings are a topic that brings up a lot of anxiety for people, and understandably so. From experience, they've found that controlling cravings doesn't work - it creates … [Read more]
Tools to stop an oncoming binge
El Arroyo is a Mexican restaurant in the town where I live, Austin, Texas, and is known for its humorous signs. This one made me smile. When you’re bingeing (or bingeing and purging), you’re caught in a highly stressful state. Our higher … [Read more]
Befriending depression
I've had depressive and anxious tendencies for most of my adult life. It's something I've done my best to hide from others, as it creates feelings of deep shame, separation and loneliness in me. This past week, I couldn't hide. I was feeling … [Read more]
Making peace with depression
Life is so hard. How can we be anything but kind?" - Jack Kornfield I made a big, very public, embarrassing work mistake recently, and I felt like hiding out. Instead, this mistake became an opportunity to open up and share what had really been going … [Read more]
Finding compassion for your hunger
Do you judge yourself for being hungry? On my daughter's 10th birthday, I picked her up from school to take her out to lunch at the Chinese buffet. As we nibbled on moo goo gai pan, I looked up from my food and observed all the other people in the … [Read more]
Why Willpower Doesn’t Heal Overeating
When you're stuck in a pattern of overeating, it's easy to feel caught in self blame: to believe that the overeating is your fault or due to a lack of willpower. You may hear voices in your head that condemn, "you should know better." You may feel … [Read more]
That darn can of raisins: a February binge
I wrote this post in February of 2010, after writing my book Overcoming Sugar Addiction. When I first wrote my book in 2007, I thought my relationship with sugar was healed. I felt strong and empowered; resilient. A few years later, I was shocked and … [Read more]
Addicted to sugar? 4 things you need to heal
If you can't stop eating sugar or other simple carbs (like potato chips or bread) once you start, or if one bite of sugar makes you crave more, you may be sugar sensitive. According to Kathleen des Maisons, author of Potatoes not Prozac, and one of … [Read more]
Sugar addiction – 3 Stages of Healing
For much of my life, I was addicted to sugar. Sugar was my drug, mother, comfort, and refuge. It's how I escaped from anxiety, uncomfortable feelings, conflict, and fear. I've spent many years unraveling the many tangles - physical, emotional and … [Read more]
Weight loss movie to explore gift of overeating
Imagine problems with food as a valuable signal from your inner compass. Overeating binges (end overeating?) provide a powerful clue that your needs are not being met in positive, healthy ways. In that sense, addictive behaviors that we may rightly … [Read more]
Jealous of Pretty Women? Turn Your Envy into Inspiration
There can be a snide competition between women, where we allow other women to be beautiful .... to a point. Other women can be pretty, as long as they're not too pretty. A woman can be beautiful, but if she's also smart, organized, and a great mom? … [Read more]
How to Recover From a Food or Sugar Binge: 10 Steps to Feel Better
After you've binged on sugar or food, you may feel physically uncomfortable: bloated, overly full, gassy, or irritable. You may have a headache, feel a sugar buzz, feel wired, or sleepy. You may have strong sugar or salt cravings. Beyond how your … [Read more]