{"id":12986,"date":"2023-01-25T13:25:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T20:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amihungry.com\/?p=12986"},"modified":"2023-04-03T17:08:36","modified_gmt":"2023-04-04T00:08:36","slug":"inside-out-approach-to-binge-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amihungry.com\/inside-out-approach-to-binge-eating\/","title":{"rendered":"An Inside Out Approach to Binge Eating"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most people we work with who struggle with binge eating have tried countless diets in an attempt to regain control<\/a>. But diets are an Outside > In approach: An outside “expert” tells you when, what, and how much to eat. This often leads to obsession then feelings of deprivation, cravings, bingeing, and guilt! Am I Hungry? is an Inside Out approach to binge eating: We guide you to identify why<\/em> you want to eat in the first place then recognize and trust your inner wisdom to meet your true needs.<\/p>\n

Inside-Out<\/h2>\n

I love the Disney Pixar \u201cemotion picture,\u201d Inside Out<\/a> because it “gave voice” to the emotions we often experience but sometimes have difficulty identifying. Learning to notice the \u201cvoices\u201d in our heads is one of the essential steps for healing emotional eating and recovering from Binge Eating Disorder (BED). It is an inside-out approach to binge eating!<\/p>\n

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Disney Pixar Inside-Out characters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The movie Inside Out gave our emotions voices, personalities, and characteristics. We can do something similar to\u00a0 help us detach from the emotional drivers of binge eating enough to observe them more objectively with curiosity.<\/p>\n

This is one of the techniques we use in the small group therapy portion of the Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating for Binge Eating Program<\/a> and Mindful Eating for Binge Eating Retreat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let me set this up for you. In this excerpt from Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat for Binge Eating<\/a> (page 70), Dr. Kari Anderson and I write:<\/p>\n

Watching thoughts and choosing which ones to pay attention to is a powerful way to interrupt an automatic sequence of events. However, it can be challenging at first because people who struggle with binge eating may be in the habit of judging their thoughts, leading to an emotionally charged internal dialogue. It may seem like there\u2019s an angel sitting on one shoulder and a devil sitting on the other. They whisper in your ears like an old cartoon: good versus evil.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Insistent Binge Voice<\/h2>\n

During one of our Mindful Eating for Binge Eating therapy groups, participants are asked to give their Binge Voice, Restrictive Voice, and Self-Care Voice names, personalities, and a voice.<\/p>\n

We all had a good laugh when one retreat participant said her Binge Voice sounds like this very insistent character from Family Guy:<\/p>\n