Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I won't let my body out be outwait everything that
I'm made done, won't spend my life trying to change.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'm learning to love who I am.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Aga, I'm strong, I feel free, I know every part
of me.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
And then we'll always out way if you feel it
with your hands and there She'll some love to the
vio Why get there?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Take you one day?
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Ana?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Did you and die?
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Out Way? Happy Saturday? Outweigh Amy here and Hi, it's Leanne.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
We're excited to be back together again. Leanne was doing
some What's God Got.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
To Do with It?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Outweigh collapse and that was really special series and this
series coming up for the next five weeks. It's from
a Q and a box that I put up and
you all submitted your questions and we sort of bunched
some of the questions together in different categories that were
sort of related, which thanks to everyone that replied to
(01:08):
the question box. I actually put it up on Instagram
with the picture of an old journal that I found
lean where I was clearly measuring different parts of my
body and it was very chaotic, like you could.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Even see the dates.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
It was very structured like it would be you know,
July nineteenth, and then July twenty first, and then be
like August eighth, and I would just have it sporadically
written throughout the journal. And I also had actual journal
thoughts in this journal too, but some pages, I guess
I would dedicate to what I weighed that day, what
my arms measured, my waist, my hips, and I sat
(01:43):
down with that for a little bit and had compassion
for that version of.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Me that alt the need to do that.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
And I did put a disclaimer when I posted it
that like, if you measure or weigh yourself and you
have goals for your health and your body, that in
itself is okay. And I'm not saying that anybody has
disordered behaviors if they're doing that with the right intentions.
My intentions were extremely disordered and unhealthy in.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Many more ways than just the journaling part.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
My thoughts were toxic, My behaviors were my actions.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
It had taken me over and it was really interesting.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
During my move, I just moved and came across that journal,
so that was something that I also took a moment
and celebrated my growth and how far I have come.
And I think our brains need that celebration, which I
think celebration may come up in some of these q
and a's, like the answer may be, when you make
a step of progress in the right direction, you make
(02:42):
time to celebrate that. Even if the tiniest, tiny, absolutely
celebrations are steps forward, you celebrate it actually in a
big way, don't downplay it at all. So Leanne, I'm
going to read the first bundle of questions that I pulled,
and then we can go into to answering them. The
questions we're going to cover, does disordered eating apply to
(03:03):
people who are eating out of habit, stress or depression?
How to stop comfort eating? And then someone typed in
the question box I was literally googling binge eating facilities
thirty minutes ago.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
Where do I start? It's taken over and that's what.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
I felt at a certain point in my life, have
been taken over. And so LeAnn, let's start with that
first question about it applying to people that might be
eating if they're stressed or depressed, because there is a difference.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
First and foremost, thank you so much for sending in
these questions, and you know, asking does disordered eating apply
to people who are eating out of.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Habit or stress or depression.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
So I think sometimes we do desire to put ourselves
in some sort of box or give ourselves a label
or a diagnosis, you know. And so what I'll say
is this, if acknowledging that disordered eating is something that
is happening to you is as helpful to give you
clarity to move forward, then keep that in mind too.
But if putting yourself in a box or labeling it
might cause a little bit more disorder or shame or whatever,
(03:57):
just keep that in mind too.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
That's the little disclaimer.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
But when it comes to eating out of habit or
stress or depression, so what's happening is our social emotional
brain is signaling alert, alert, like there's.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Something going on. There's a gap.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
I'm not getting what I need either, I'm like my
nervous system is stressed or I'm feeling you know, sad, lonely, bored, whatever, right,
And so what happens is and I'm using the word
you know, healthy in air quotes, but like a healthy
response would be like acknowledging the problem, acknowledging what's causing
the fire and putting the.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Fire out right.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
And so when we are sad, when we're stressed, when
we're lonely, when it's you know, a habit of needs,
bored and comfort that would technically be classified as a
disordered pattern because what's happening is you're not you're not
really putting the fire out, and then you fired and
wired your brain to think that sugar is the thing
that'll make it feel better when you're experiencing those things.
(04:48):
And so this example comes up a lot with my
clients is to create like a kind of a binary example.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
It's like if a little girl came up to and.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Was like, hey, hey, hey, I'm really stressed right now,
I'm really depressed.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
You wouldn't say, oh, here's a cookie.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Right.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
First of all, you'd hold space of like, oh my gosh,
that I'm so sorry, like I'm so sorry you're sad,
like acknowledging the sadness, right, And then you would probably
do some investigating what's causing you to feel sad, and
then you'd figure out how to get that little girl's
needs met emotionally in that moment, in an ideal and
healthy situation.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Right.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
So part of it is that when we fire and
wire a response that food will make us feel better
when we're whether it's just out of habit or stress
or depression. Technically, yes, that is a disordered habit, but
part of it is the disorder that's happening in your
emotional system is never really being a dress. It's just
getting kind of a temporary fix that anybody who's been
through that cycle, and you know, it's very understandable because
(05:40):
I think pretty much everyone.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Listening to this has.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
But anybody who's been through that cycle knows that actually,
when I'm stressed, food will not only not take that
stress away, but now it's adding a new level of
stress because now I have cognitive dissonance, or I have
shame or I have guilt about that stress or about
what I just ate or when I'm depressed. In our mind,
we think like food will make us feel better, because
that's what our brain has fired and wired to think
will make us feel better. But that's where it's kind
(06:04):
of an illusion, because in reality, when we're sad or depressed,
food not only does not take away that depression, but
it adds a new level of stress in our brains.
So the next question actually blends into this of like
how to stop comfort eating, and part of it is
like This isn't a one and done and every person
is so individualized, so it's hard to share without knowing
more about the situation. But the next question of how
(06:27):
to stop comfort eating is really kind of goes along
with the first question, which is it's a process that
you have to learn how to be emotionally available to
yourselves in those moments without using food. And that's a
process that takes time, and it's a little bit delicate
and complicated, but.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
It can also be different for everyone.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
But it's a process I believe has to happen for
us to actually overcome that habit.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I would like to just interject and then you can
share your thoughts and opinions on this. But for me personally,
there are times though that food does bring a lot
of comfort, right it's something special or nostalgic or meaningful,
or you know, my mother's cheesecake or my favorite Oreo
like whatever it is, or this meal my dad used
(07:10):
to make that I actually used to deny myself because
it was quote unquote bad, and now I allow it
and it gives me comfort because I think of my dad,
and so I think that I do want to differentiate,
not ma out and that's where you know, even with
that first question, I think there is a difference in
stress eating because sometimes I catch myself still doing that
(07:31):
and I have to say, hey, it's okay that you're
stressed and you're this food is actually maybe doing a
little something for me right now. But to your point Land,
it can then backfire when it goes to the next level,
and I think that's for me as a former binge eater,
I'm dancing with going to the next level, Like if
I dip my not water, but just because I overeat
(07:51):
or I eat nexcess now, I don't like throwing the
towel and think like, oh my gosh, did I just
have a binge? I think you know, since you mentioned earlier,
we don't know everybody individually, and we're all so different
that we do have to speak with such caution and
that if you're listen now, what's advice for somebody may
not be the exact perfect advice for you. And that's
(08:12):
why getting one on one care for you and being
able to share everything about what's going on in your
life and its entirety so you can unpack some stuff
is super crucial and important.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Outweighs just a tool to keep in your back pocket.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
But yeah, I just wanted to pipe that food can
be of comfort more you agree with me on this land,
I think that I want to make sure we're speaking
to that listener too. Yeah, still be comforting, but it's like,
at what point are you taking food to such a
level that now you're numbing out and you're not feeling
what you need to feel.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Absolutely, And that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Food can be fun, it can be pleasure, it can
be a source of connection, it can be comforting, all
of those things.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Anything can be.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
A tool or a weapon, right, And so I think
when it gets to that point where we literally don't
know how to cope with emotions or bring comfort to
ourselves without food, Food absolutely should be delicious and fun
and comforting and all those things. But when it is
our one source of comfort, I think that's when it
becomes a weapon.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Right, And what other things can you work into your life?
Like I'm picturing that little girl and you know, someone
just handing her cookie and being like it's all going
to be okay. But what if you hand that little
girl or that little boy and picture yourself as that
child and hand them a journal and a pin and
say write this down, let's process, or hand them a
little chair to like sit down next to you and
(09:30):
like pat them on the back and be there for them.
What else could we hand them that would be potentially
looks through more of the what's going on inside.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yeah, sometimes people just need to be heard and have
space held for them, and then they need a hug,
you know what I mean. So it doesn't even have
to be this like physical tangible thing. It can be
just like emotional support.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Which fun fact, I saw something that the AP put
out today about the Gotman Institute and research they'd put
out a while back, but again the AP was just
covering it. So it's back in the news cycle about
oxytocin the love hormone and it being released and that
if you want it released from a hug, you need
to hold the hug for twenty seconds or longer.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Okay, noted, I love I love John Gotman. I think
he's brilliant.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
But yeah, it's you bring it up, and that's beyond
the scope of this episode. But like what you just
said is so important too, because oftentimes what we're needing
in those moments is oxytocin is like comfort, feeling safe,
and that's where the food is just that dopamine hit.
And if we fired and wired that only food creates safety,
that's where it can be a problem.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Yeah, and so we're going to go into the next
question about someone binge eating facilities and where to start
when you feel like it's taken you over. And I
think with the comfort eating, the stress eating all that,
I remember being so confused, like am I a binge eater?
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I didn't know what that really meant.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
And this was late nineties, early two thousands when nobody
was talking about it, and then I a long time
trying to figure it out. And I feel like we
have a better understanding of what binge eating is and
hopefully there's not as much shame attached to it. Please know,
if you have been in any kind of binge restrict
purge cycle, you are not alone at all. So I
(11:17):
remember googling support groups that I could go sit in on,
like sitting in a circle like AA and Hi, I'm Amy,
I'm a binge eater.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
I felt addicted to food. It's all I thought about. So, yeah,
it can take you over.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
So whoever sent in that statement and then question where
to start is different for everybody, but I'm going to
defer to leanne on maybe a helpful place because it
could look different for so many people.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
The fact that you're googling binge eating facilities, I think
that's a great sign that you're realizing you can't do
it on your own, you know.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
And I think that's the first.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Thing kind of going with what Amy said, because again
I don't know your specific circumstances, but what I would say,
just generally speaking is when it comes to a beinge
eating disorder or you know, the self amine body image
that comes alongside it eating disorders themselves, I think there's
that tendency to think that there's something eternally broken or
wrong with us. And so first of just letting you know, like, no,
you just learned disordered habits, just like I learned, just
(12:13):
like Amy learned. It's something that your brain picked up
along the way. And it doesn't mean that you are
any less amazing and perfect and beautiful and intelligent. Ironically,
this is very common among highly intelligent people, right, So
it's not lack of anything on your part. But what
I will say is just acknowledging, like, hey, this is
something that I can't do on my own, and honestly,
you don't want to do on your own.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
And I think the fact that.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
You were, you know, googling binge eating facilities is a
great start. But what I would say is just you know,
getting that one on one support, that somebody that can
actually walk you through this, and the first step would
just be acknowledging, like, no, it's not bad.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
That I'm looking for support. This is a good thing.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Asking for help is not weakness, it is strength, and
it's what I need to actually get through this.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
And this book may not be for you, but it's
something that was life changing for me. And it's called
Brain over Binge. I've talked about it a lot here
on Outweigh, but if you have experienced binge eating, that
is a book that was such a game changer. I
do know people that that wasn't what they needed for
whatever they had going on. But for me, that was
(13:14):
my desperation. That was my hail Mary signed. I got
the book, I signed up for her course. I ordered everything,
like I remember everything about when I signed up for
that and all it's all I wanted to consume because
I was so exhausted and tired from my binge per
dirict lifestyle and I went all in. So that's a resource.
(13:38):
You can just google Catherine Hanson brainover binge. She has
a podcast, she has the workbooks, she has live Q
and a's that she does a lot of helpful things.
So maybe that is a place to start where if
you can't afford one on one care, you don't have.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Access to that.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
There are resources out there specifically for binge eating. And
that's that I can give a personal testimony to. I'm
sure there are other amazing things out there. And then
Leanne works with people one on one all the time,
and it's just going to look different for everybody. But
I just know that there's resources you can pay for,
and then there's also free resources until you can save
(14:16):
up and figure out what you need to do for yourself.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
But there is hope.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Like I'm someone I lived in such despair and I thought, well,
this is just the way I'm going to be the
rest of my life. And I am here to say
that you do not have to live that way, and
there is a life for you that is free. Like
the shackles can be removed when it comes to that
part of your life, and you will experience relationships differently,
you'll experience food differently, you'll experience i mean life.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Yeah, it'll spill over everywhere.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
So thank you for sending in those questions again.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
We'll be continuing the Q and A into next week
as well, so we'll see you then.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
Until then, Lean, Where can people find you?
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Absolutely, If you want to see my viewpoints on how
you can kind of turn off the part of your
brain that is obsessed with food and really heal your
way to freedom, you can check out my free masterclass
over at Stressless Eating dot com and then Leannelinton dot
com for all other things.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
So pre resource.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
I'd love to hear it, and we'll link all that
in the show notes so it's easy to find. I'm
at Radio Amy and we'll see you next Saturday.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Bye bye