The taboo of binging & eating emotionally

You know these moments when you realize something, that you actually always knew, but it now somehow suddenly came to the forefront of your mind?

As a Health Coach for women who are struggling with a loss of control around food & emotional eating, I talk about our ways of eating all the time! Not only has it been (& still is) a big deal in my own life, I also feel this burning desire to scream across rooftops that WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD.

‘They NEVER shared it with anyone else before‘

More & more I realize how taboo this topic still is. Most of the women coming to me for coaching tell me that they NEVER shared it with anyone else before.

‘I have a lot of great friends, but I just can’t talk about it.’

‘I feel too embarrassed.’

‘They just wouldn’t understand.’

How is it that something so huge in our lives, when we are struggling with binging or emotional eating, is not something we talk to our loved ones about?

I remember in my journey also the shame I felt around my binging. I would make up a story or laugh it away, doing everything to avoid actually sharing my struggle. My habits made me feel dirty and wrong and I didn’t want others to connect the dots between these adjectives and me.

‘I would make up a story or laugh it away, doing everything to avoid actually sharing my struggle.’

Also, for a very long time, I simply didn’t know I had an issue. I never heard of the term Binge Eating disorder. I thought I didn’t have willpower. I thought I was weak. I kept looking for ways to restrict myself more, so I would finally get my act back together again. I eventually learned about it in my Ayurvedic studies and I understood..perhaps there was something else going on.

& this is the thing, you guys. When we don’t talk about these things, when we keep our hardship to ourselves, we also don’t give the permission to others to feel less alone or weird in their struggles. So many of us are suffering in silence, because of this taboo & it needs to stop. Yes, it is uncomfortable. Any time, when I eat emotionally and share it after, I feel the heat on my cheeks. But it always makes me feel better. And almost always, the person that I share with says: ‘Wauw...I know…Me too.’

What are your thoughts on sharing your issues around food? Do you have an easy time with it or does it feel complicated? Let’s discuss down below!

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