Often I have found myself crying on the pantry floor after emotional eating zombie mode. You know, that mode where you are watching yourself scuffing everything you see, wanting to stop. “I just can’t get a grip what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I stop eating and stick to my eating plan”

Binges are caused by urges which are triggered by hunger, mostly brought on by skipping meals or calorie restrictions. Let’s look at what happens in the body when we restrict calories for a prolonged period of time.

When we deprive ourselves of food a hormone called Ghrelin (also know as the hunger hormone) is produced by the stomach. Ghrelin sends signals to the brain that it’s time to eat, once we have had a meal a hormone called Lepin (also known as the fullness hormone) is released by the fat cells, telling the brain and body to stop eating.

If hunger is ignored Ghrelin levels increase which means cravings go through the roof. When we finally have a meal we tend to overeat and generally don’t feel full, no matter how much we eat, hello uncontrollable food zombie!!! If we keep eating and don’t hear the fullness hormone we can become Lepin resistant, which means we never feel full , hence even more hunger as your brain thinks you are starving. No wonder most diets aren’t successful, 98% of people on a diet have gained back the weight within 5 years

Ghrelin stimulates neuropeptide Y which is produced mostly by the hypothalamus and it stimulates food intake with a preference to carbohydrates, hello sugar cravings!!

The combination of ghrelin and neuropeptide Y can lead to the “fuck it effect”, you know the “fuck it, I’ll eat anything and everything in my path” feeling? This kind of thought pattern very often leads to a binge, which leads to food zombie mode, thinking you have no control over food, hello food guilt, regret and feelings of shame.

What can we do about this?

The best way to avoid food zombie mode is to stop dieting and never go hungry! I know this can be scary and if diets are out of bound, then what is the answer? How do we control ourselves around food?

• Find foods that keep you energized and make you feel radiant.
• Eat mindfully and enjoy every bite.
• Don’t go hungry.

I know this transition can be scary but this is where I come in and I can help you make a plan to get control back around food and say goodbye to food zombie mode for good! I have designed a complimentary food Freedom planning session where we assess where you are being triggered when it comes to your binges, discover 3 tweaks that will allow to gain control back around food and discover one system that will allow you to beat the binge for good. Click here to apply