Diets don’t work.
Dana* was mentally exhausted as she dragged herself to bed.
“Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.”
The remnants of the binge had been cleaned up. Wrappers and cartons were in the trash. Her secret was safe for another day. The hours of mentally resisting her urge to eat had worn her down, and she eventually caved. Again.
“What is wrong with me?”
“Why can’t I control my eating? Why can’t I have more willpower?”
Collapsing into bed, Dana’s tears of despair started. Surely there was more to life than this constant battle with food? This constant feeling of disgust and shame tore at her soul.
“Well, I won’t eat a thing tomorrow, and I’ll just drink water. And I’ll exercise for an hour. That will restart my focus and get me back on track. I have got to take better care of myself and lose this weight.”
But that small voice in her head knew better. No matter how many restrictions and rules she placed on herself, the irresistible urge to eat her forbidden foods would once again dominate and control her actions.
Surely there is more to life than this?
Willpower won’t work.
“Is that red light ever going to turn green?”
The urge to eat was overwhelming. But for Laura*, the need to pretend she wasn’t in the middle of that double cheeseburger, fries, and soda was stronger.
She stared intently at the red light, willing it to turn green, so she could make a fast escape and continue eating. She was consumed with embarrassment if people caught her eating.
On some level, admitting she enjoyed her forbidden foods would somehow allow people to judge her – have power over her.
God forbid they would probably point a finger at my fat stomach and say: “Wow, look at her. She’s so weak. She obviously has no self-control.”
Even now as Laura ate, she could hardly wait to get home, so she could throw up this food.
She was convinced she just needed to try harder. Resist more. Find the diet she COULD stick to.
Without her knowing it, she was denying and depriving her starving soul.
Harsh personal judgments won’t work.
This is ridiculous. Pay attention to this lecture. Stop focusing on the donuts at the back of the room. Donuts are not on your “safe foods” to eat. I think I saw a chocolate-covered donut. One won’t hurt. But one won’t be enough. Face it, I’ll want two… three.
Who was Jim kidding? It’s not just donuts. Did he really need to eat the entire pizza for dinner last night?
Are you going to be a loser your whole life?
And on it goes.
Jim* decided more denials and stronger willpower were necessary. He decided to impose more diet restrictions and tighten the reigns of suffocating self-discipline. He truly knew no other way to get his out-of-control eating back in control.
He would deny his hunger if it killed him. To his distorted way of thinking, it made sense that he needed to be harder on himself, not kinder, gentler, and with more understanding to heal what was truly broken inside.
Jim was at war with his own body and felt helpless to stop.
It takes more than hoping.
It had been four weeks since Joyce’s* gastric bypass surgery, and she had been feeling confident in her decision. She felt very few side effects.
She was learning how to eat again and vigilantly watching her portions, thoroughly chewing her food, and sipping water regularly throughout the day.
Joyce was excited, and a little nervous, about how fast the weight was falling off. So, it took her by surprise when she spied the bag of Double Stuffed Oreos on her kitchen counter and the intense craving seemed to hit her out of the blue.
This can’t be happening. I thought I was beyond this. I cannot regain the weight again! I’ve been through too much.
The fear was palpable, and she felt like she was going to have a panic attack. She kept telling herself, “Those are for the kids. Those are for the kids.” She tried to push her fears aside, to ignore the turmoil inside hoping the craving would eventually go away.
She had a diet to stick to, a plan to follow. Surely that would be enough?
Food will not satisfy emotional hunger.
Is there a way out of this food and body nightmare?
Surely there is recovery from this self-imposed prison?
Yes, there is. Call me today for a free, no-pressure consultation
It’s time to get back on track – with help.
Counseling will help you learn to reinvent yourself to become stronger than the person you were before your disordered eating took hold.
You will learn how to integrate all the parts of your true self that go beyond just the size and shape of your body.
Counseling will teach you how to value all the parts of your true self, currently hidden behind your false self that is being controlled by diets and the culture we live in.
Your inner critic wants to silence you in shame. With counseling, you will learn how to silence the inner critic and replace it with a more compassionate and understanding voice that will motivate you to grow. To heal. To trust your body. To live!
Contact Nancy Peskin to Schedule an Appointment
Hi, I’m Nancy Peskin.
Are you able to relate to Dana’s, Laura’s, Jim’s, or Joyce’s scenarios?
What is your unique story to tell?
Have you thought about how you’re using food (bingeing, purging, and/or restricting) as an expression of emotional pain?
The path to recovering from disordered eating and body image issues is challenging, baffling, scary, demanding, fulfilling, liberating, and, frankly, so worth it! As with any new journey into unchartered waters, it helps to have a trained professional help you safely reach your destination.
I will be that for you.
You do not have to suffer silently.
It is possible to be free of food obsessions, dieting, bingeing, purging, and body image problems.
Imagine being able to eat guilt-free when you are hungry and stop when you are full. Imagine eating because you are craving a certain food and do so without guilt? Without beating yourself up.
Imagine eating your favorite comfort food, because you just feel like it – and you don’t worry about gaining weight, and you don’t beat yourself up for it.
It’s true. People without food issues eat for these reasons all the time. And they then get on with life.
This can be you, too. There is a way to live beyond diets. Beyond restricting. Beyond Food Fear.
I can show you how! Call me today: (713) 269-3972.
When I get honest, I admit that I am a bundle of paradoxes. I believe and I doubt, I hope, and I get discouraged. I love and I hate; I feel bad about feeling good, I feel guilty about not feeling guilty. I am trusting and suspicious. I am honest, and I still play games. Aristotle said I am a rational animal. I say I am an angel with an incredible capacity for beer.
-Brennan Manning