Welcome to The Perspective Shift! A weekly newsletter by Ryann Nicole designed to help you see food, your body, and healthy living in a whole new light.

Happy 4th of July %FIRSTNAME%! I have to tell you, holidays always make me reflect on my binge eating recovery journey.  There was a time when holidays filled with food and parties sent me into a panic 😰. I couldn’t imagine getting through a holiday without bingeing.

Every holiday, I’d think, “There’s no way I can make it through without bingeing.” And guess what? I’d go into the holiday with that thought 👉 binge, and then tell myself 🗣 “See! I knew you couldn’t do it.”

This cycle repeated every. single. holiday. 

(My birthday was always the worst – the absolute worst binge day for me.)

I got tired of this cycle. I didn’t want this to be the case anymore. So, I decided to prove myself wrong. I told myself that I was going to prove to that gremlin voice in my head that I could get through a holiday without binge eating 👏

The 4th of July in 2014 was the first time that happened in 7 years.  And that got me thinking…

Something For You To Think About

Here’s how behavior is formed:

Trigger: A thing or event that evokes a reaction
⬇️
Thought/Belief: Your interpretation of the trigger
⬇️​
Feeling: How that thought/belief makes you feel
⬇️​
Response: How that feeling influences your behavior
⬇️​
Result 

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Now, let’s put this into an example…

🎯 Trigger: It’s a holiday.

💭 Thought: “I can’t get through a holiday without bingeing.”

😠 Feeling: On edge, unsafe, irritated (because let’s get this holiday over with!)

🔁 Response: Resist, resist, resist the holiday food until the feeling is overwhelming and I think, “F-it, I’m the type of person who binges every holiday. GO GET THE FOOD!”

✔️ Result: The belief that “I’m the type of person who can’t go through a holiday without bingeing” is reinforced.

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But what if we changed the story?

🎯 Trigger: It’s a holiday.

💭 Initial Thought: “I can’t get through a holiday without bingeing.”

💭 New Thought: “I’m going to prove to myself that I CAN get through a holiday without bingeing.”

😌 Feeling: Calm, sane, empowered (because heck yeah, let’s show myself I can do this!)

🔁 Response: I choose to enjoy the holiday foods in moderation.

✔️ Result: The belief that “I can enjoy holidays without bingeing” is created.

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Is the problem that you can’t make it through the holiday without bingeing? Or is the problem that you tell yourself that, and subconsciously you’re trying to prove yourself right rather than wrong? 🧐

Get Honest and Reflect

What thoughts have power over me? What would I need to do to prove those thoughts wrong?

Challenge Yourself This Week

Identify one thing you feel you can’t do with food, and make it a mission to prove yourself wrong!

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When you’re finished reflecting on the above, consider sharing your thoughts in the free support group (or Circle if you’re a client of mine)!! This is completely optional but does hold you accountable and adds a powerful layer of connection and encouragement.

Use the template below to post in our group:

💌 JULY 4TH PERSPECTIVE SHIFT 💌

🧠 SOMETHING FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT: What did this make you think about? Write it here!

🖊 REFLECTIONS: What came up for you as you got honest and reflected?

🎯 CHALLENGING YOURSELF: What thought are you proving wrong?

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NEW THIS WEEK

Why Intuitive Eating Isn’t Working for You

Let’s clear it up, the problem isn’t you!! 

5 Common Intuitive Eating Mistakes You Are Probably Making 

Eeeek are you making these mistakes? If intuitive eating isn’t working – this is likely why! 

How To Keep Cookies In The House

If you can’t keep cookies in the house without eating the entire box, here’s what to work on!

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See ya next week!

xx, Ryann Nicole
Licensed Therapist (LPC), Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Certified Nutritionist

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