Binges Are Like Lights on the Dashboard
Food isn't the answer to "Why have I been eating so much all of a sudden?"
When many people binge or feel out of control around food, they immediately think that food is the problem.
If the food is the problem, then the solution must be to focus on the food: change what you are eating, when you are eating, how much you are eating, etc..
Focusing on food will never solve the problem, because the problem is rarely the food itself.
Think of the dashboard of a car. Your binges, or negative interactions with food, are like lights on the dashboard. They indicate that there is something going on under the hood.
The problem isn’t the lights. We can’t fix our issues by getting out the duct tape and covering up the dashboard to hide the lights.
The problem lies under the hood.
We need to look underneath with curiosity to see what is causing the lights to come on in the first place.
How Do I Look Under the Hood?
The first thing to know is what will prevent you from looking under the hood. Shame and judgment are very familiar feelings for people who struggle with binge eating. Shame sounds like, “I’m broken” or “there’s something wrong with me,” while judgment sounds like “I can’t believe I did it again” or “I’ll never figure this out.”
When you are ruled by shame and judgment about your eating behavior, it’s like a 50 pound weight is on the hood of your car – you won’t even be able to open the hood.
The key to overcoming these two feelings is curiosity. Notice when you are experiencing shame and judgment, and invite yourself to put those feelings on the shelf so you can put on your lab coat and become curious about what might be going on under the hood. Rather than beating yourself up and wondering, “How can I stop myself from eating so much?”, ask yourself, “Why have I been eating so much?” with an open mind.
If Food Isn’t the Problem, What Is?
I believe that all of our food challenges come from one (or more) of 8 reasons.
What are they?
For an overview of each of reason, check out the podcast episode below:
Here’s the good news. Each reason has a corresponding solution.
What are the solutions?
Here’s another podcast episode summarizing each solution:
If you want more in-depth explanations, there are 8 podcast episodes dedicated to each of the 8 solutions. Find previous episodes here.
How Do I Make the Lights Go Off?
When you are driving a car and lights come on your dashboard, it’s important to understand what those lights mean. Sometimes you know right away, and other times you may need to take it to an expert for help.
Here’s what we all know for sure – you can’t keep driving a car with warning lights illuminated indefinitely. At some point, the car may stop or break down. The lights don’t go away on their own.
The same is true for you. When you can get under the hood and determine what is causing the lights to come on, then you can address the problem directly so that the lights will go off and your behavior around food will naturally adjust.
Here’s another podcast episode that talks a bit more about this dashboard lights metaphor:
Not sure what is making your lights come on? Sometimes I know exactly how to make the lights on my car dashboard go away, but sometimes I need a mechanic. This is where talking to an expert can help.
There is no shame in needing a mechanic and there is no shame in needing support with your relationship with food.
If you’d like help understanding what is making your dashboard lights come on, schedule a conversation with me. I’m skilled in looking under the hood and letting you know what is happening and why.
Not ready for a personal chat, but want an even deeper dive into the 8 solutions to make your dashboard lights go off? Check out the Binge Breakthrough Blueprint to create your customized solution today.
Want more content like this delivered straight to your inbox each day? Subscribe now so you don’t miss anything.