Confessions of a Binge Eater

Have you ever put someone else's comfort ahead of your own, even when it means ignoring your own needs? I recently caught myself doing exactly that on an airplane, and it brought back a very embarrassing childhood memory! In this episode, I explore why emotional eaters tend to put everyone else first, how people-pleasing and neglecting our needs can fuel emotional eating, and how to recognize these patterns and finally choose ourselves. Plus, stick around for another cringey client confession involving binge eating and a rather unfortunate bathroom experience!

Have you ever wondered why you keep turning to food, even when you're not hungry or upset? I know I have! The truth is, emotional eating isn't just about eating when we're sad or stressed. Over time, food can become our comfort, reward, entertainment, escape, and even our companion. In this episode, I'm sharing the seven jobs we give food, why diets often fail to address our emotional dependence on it, and how we can start finding comfort and security without constantly reaching for food. Plus, stick around for a cringey confession from a fellow binge eater that might make you feel a little less alone!

What happens when the people you love most become the greatest source of stress in your life? Between my mother's Alzheimer's, a 93-year-old stepdad, and some challenging family dynamics, I've been navigating one of the most emotionally difficult chapters of my life. In this very personal episode, I get honest about the grief, frustration, and unexpected challenges of aging parents—and what this experience is teaching me about emotional eating, family relationships, and myself.

Have you ever noticed how much your self-worth depends on what other people think of you? I've been reflecting on this in my own life, and I want to share what I'm learning about feeling good enough, even when others don't approve of me. In this episode, we'll explore how old wounds, self-criticism, and emotional eating are connected, and how we can begin to recognize our own worth from within.

Have you ever said "I'm fine" when you were anything but fine? I've learned that passive-aggressive behavior often comes from fear of conflict, people-pleasing, and feelings we don't know how to express. In this episode, I share how these patterns can fuel emotional eating and binge eating, and how learning to speak our truth can help us heal our relationships and our relationship with food.

Ever notice how you start a diet with the best intentions, only to find yourself rebelling against your own rules? Why does that happen, even when you desperately want to lose weight? In this episode, I reveal the surprising reason emotional eaters and binge eaters struggle to stick to diets—and a little-known secret about cravings and food noise that could completely change the way you think about weight loss.    

What if the real reason you struggle with emotional eating isn't food at all, but your fear of uncomfortable feelings? In this eye-opening conversation with psychologist Dr. Joan, discover how shame, self-criticism, and emotional avoidance can fuel binge eating and relentless food noise—and how learning to feel your feelings can help you break the cycle. Why uncomfortable emotions trigger emotional eating How negative self-talk keeps you stuck The 90-second technique for handling difficult feelings without turning to food

What if you're still struggling with food not because of a lack of willpower, but because of what you believe about food, weight, and yourself? In this episode, we're exposing five common lies that can keep you stuck in food noise, emotional eating, and binge eating, including: Why trying harder isn't the answer. Why your favorite foods can feel impossible to resist. Why you may have been solving the wrong problem all along. If you're tired of fighting with food and wondering why nothing seems to work, this episode will help you see your struggle—and the way forward—differently.

The office can be a perfect storm for emotional eating and binge eating. Stress, boredom, difficult coworkers, deadlines, and exhaustion can leave you looking for relief—and then someone puts candy, donuts, or leftover birthday cake in the break room. Before you know it, you're having an exhausting debate in your head: "Should I have some? Maybe just one. I've been good today. I'll start over tomorrow." But what if the food isn't really what you need?

Do you find yourself reaching for food simply because you're bored? What feels like boredom eating may actually be emotional eating in disguise. In this episode, I explore why slowing down can make food noise louder, how uncomfortable feelings can trigger the urge to eat, and why boredom eating can sometimes lead to binge eating. As you learn how to uncover what's really underneath the cravings, you'll feel calmer and more in control around food—without needing to constantly distract yourself to keep from eating.