Written by Jenn Hand, Holistic Nutritionist, Board Certified Health Coach, NBC-HWC When I was in the throes of dieting and bingeing, I remember sobbing in endless frustration and despair over not being able to stop eating. As I began to heal my food issues over the years, I stopped binge eating and want to share with you the way I got there. I was 26 and had just broken up with my boyfriend of almost four years. Although I knew it was for the best, I was still heartbroken. I'd been through years of healing on this journey but still couldn't resist the pull towards cookies and Reese's to soothe my aching heart. If you had told me then I'd one day be "done" bingeing, I wouldn't have believed you. But fast forward to today and here I am. If you're feeling stuck, frustrated, angry at yourself for not being able to "just stop eating", I get it. This path is mind numbingly frustrating at times, as it feels like it should be easy to do what we know we should: just stop eating. But if you're reading this, then there is a part of you that still believes, you CAN stop bingeing. Hold on to that quiet whisper inside--that is what kept me going when I had my darkest moments of wanting to give up.   I stopped binge eating. Here's how I did it.  If you prefer to listen at the podcast, do so here: 1. I Ate According to the Clock To Help Me Stabilize my Blood Sugar.   This might sound counterintuitive, as we're "supposed" to be in touch with hunger and fullness and eat according to that. The problem is that when we first start, we are so far from hearing our body's signals that don't know how. So I used the clock to guide me. (BTW--there is more on this in the first two chapters of my book: How to Be a Normal Eater) I began eating every 3 hours, like clockwork. It was terrifying. But it also felt good to have something to guide me--I wasn't left to my own whims of hunger/fullness. Every 3 hours, I would eat. My meals were small, as I was still in the diet mindset, but I worked to let my body normalize her rhythms. This is a crucial step, as it worked to stabilize my blood sugar after years of all over the place eating. I was fueling my body in a way that was steady and even throughout the day--I didn't go long hours without eating and I wasn't ravenous at the end of the day because I hadn't eaten much. Explore what works for you--is it every 3 hours? Are you more in touch with hunger to use that to guide you? Do you do well with 3 meals a day? Look at how to begin stabilizing your blood sugar by eating regularly and often (this gives you more balance mentally and emotionally, as well, so you can dive into the deeper reasons behind bingeing) 2. I Began Chipping Away at the Old Diet Tapes.   The amount of rules ingrained in my mind around food was astonishing. Carbs are bad I can't eat after 7 pm Sweets are off limits during the workweek I can only have oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast Cheese is fattening so don't eat it I have to eat a salad for lunch That was only the start of my list! I knew these were hindering my progress, because it only set me up for rebellion. The more rules I had, the more I ended up rebelling in a binge. So slowly, but surely, I chipped away at the rules. I began with easier ones and worked to expand them. For example: I had a "I shouldn't eat bread" hard rule. Carbs were easier for me than desserts (I binged more on dessert than carbs), so I began with that. I intentionally had a piece of bread with my salad 3x a week for lunch. That felt doable for me--scary ("uh oh, if I eat bread will I gain weight?!) but not so far outside my comfort zone, that it felt terrifying. I used self-talk and mindfulness to help me "allow" myself to eat the bread. And I was pleasantly surprised! I didn't spiral out of control and it didn't end up in a binge. I actually felt MORE satisfied with my salad when I ate a piece of whole wheat bread with it.   That satisfaction helped me not over