Ep 28 Using Mindfulness to Stay on the Rails After a Binge

In this episode we discuss what the mindful next step is when you go off the rails.

I have a lot of clients who tell me they went off the rails when they overate non-fuel foods at a meal. Most of them seem to make it mean they were “bad” and as long as they were bad, they might as well keep on keeping on with this mistreatment of themselves.

My clients don’t call it this, but that’s what I tell them they’re doing to themselves and that’s what I’m telling you too. With the eating tools I’ve taught you, it usually means you’ve fogged, by turning your back on yourself, or stormed by trying really hard not to feel what you’re feeling and seeing yourself doing this, but feeling powerless to stop.

Either way, this is going off the rails, not wanting to feel a feeling or just plain turning your back on yourself.

The best way to come back from “oblivion” is to change your black and white, all or nothing thinking and go “grey”.

If you’ve been using the tools I’ve been teaching, you’re becoming more aware or mindful of why you eat, and what your body is actually requiring. But as you start this awareness you will still fog and binge if that has been your style of eating before. You’re just becoming more aware and learning more about yourself. Promise yourself now what you will do if and when you fall off the rails.

Menopause is a great time to break old habits that aren’t working for you, and this would be one of them. One sure way to make it harder than ever to lose weight during menopause is to continue thinking you’re on or off the rails. That will definitely make losing weight a whole lot harder.

What if there were no rails to fall off? Just come back to your awareness and your body at each meal and use compassion every time. Wait until you’re hungry and eat a fuel meal. That’s it. Nothing more and nothing less. It’s just a meal.

Most of my clients think if they’re kind to themselves they will never lose weight. If you think you’re doing yourself a favor by going off the rails and party again, until you’re cut off again, you may stay off.

Instead, use kindness. “Well it’s just a meal,” no matter how big that meal may be. It’s just one time, it’s just a small part of the day, and you have the rest of the day to stay aware and treat yourself better.

Change your on and off again thinking and you will never think you went “off the rails” again.

Enjoy the show.

To get your free copy of the Thinner Peace in Menopause and Beyond Podcast Companion please go to https://drdebbutler.com/change. This will make it even easier to follow along with me on future podcasts.

If you like what I’m talking but think you need more guidance, I am offering a free consultation to my listeners to answer any questions you might have about anything I’ve talked about, such as keeping a food journal. Just go to https://drdebbutler.com/workwithme.

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