Do you suffer from the BBQ binge? Holiday weekends can sometimes be a trigger for our worst eating habits. Obsessing over food like many other addictive behaviors is just another way of numbing out and avoiding un-felt pain, blocked emotions, or a true experience of life.
Everyone faces their relationship to food in unique ways. Some people obsess over every calorie, whereas others have no boundaries whatsoever. Whether you overeat out of boredom or you don’t eat out of fear, there is a spiritual condition that needs to be addressed.
Admittedly, I still struggle with my relationship to food and in this vlog I share some of my tips for recovery. Feel free to share your experiences with me in the comments below. Outing your ego is the first step in the healing process.
OMG this is exactly what I needed to hear! I have been struggling with this behaviour for a while, and I feel that the forgiveness, finding your triggers, and separating yourself are tools I am going to use every day now! Thank you so much Gabby, you’re amazing!
you’re welcome. xoxo
We don’t celebrate 4th of July in Québec, Canada but we always have plenty of other reasons to celebrate with great food and delicious wine.
The most important thing in life for me is pleasure and I definitely find pleasure in cooking delicious meals for my fiance and my friends. Fortunatly: Crazy Sexy Kitchen and the amzing new vegetarian coobook byt London chef Yottan Ottenleghi enables me to be creative and healthy in my cooking.
The trick for me is to stay active
awesome!
Gabby, I am so glad you posted this video. I have a real problem about my weight- I like to stay in a certain range and if I am anywhere outside that range my day will be ruined. I typically live with a gluten free, and sugar free diet. Originally, I started this diet because I felt better, but now I feel like I only do it because it has helped me feel skinnier. I am constantly looking at myself in the mirror and finding areas on my body that I think look “fatter” then the day before. While I do not struggle with anorexia or bulimia, my obsessive patterns of constantly weighing myself have started to rule my life.
I am so happy you posted your video and I am looking forward to starting your course next week!
so glad you’ll be joining me this month! xo
Your honesty will help many. Wishing you well. Fear goodbye…faith hello!
🙂
Okay Gab, you’ve outdone yourself on this one…this may the best most authentic, helpful vlog you’ve ever done in your life! The world needs to see this. brb, sharing up a storm…
love you
big love to you little sister!
Beautiful Vlog, just watched as I am eating my dinner !! I have just spent a whole weekend with Marianne Williamson in London and am vibing so high. Blessings to you sister. Sat Nam x
sat nam to you!
Thank you for posting this… It’s good to know I’m not alone in my overeating .. I overeating every weekend and when I get in the scale Monday morning I’m disappointed in myself. I’ve been trying to lose weight for 6 years now and I can’t find that “perfect” diet or workout to do it. My habits stem from the way food was withheld from us until I had permission to eat desserts and from overeating during every Sunday at home lazy days ,tv watching and social events. I become not mindful of what I put in my mouth when alone and when out with my husband. It’s a struggle and It really makes me feel down. Thank you again for this, I hope to find how to deal with this and get to the root.
Rachel, I find that underneath the pattern is a deep-rooted emotion that isn’t being felt. The practice of feeling your feelings is one of the best ways to move through any type of addiction. I will address this in my finally full workshop. http://gabbyb.tv/finally-full-workshop And you may also want to check out Geneen Roth’s book Women Food and God.
Thank you!
Geneen Roth- YES, YES, YES!!! Her method totally helped to overcome the binge-eating/diet cycle when I was a teenager. I have so much gratitude for her books! thank you for your beautiful, honest vid Gabby. Love from London, X
YES. Thank you so much for this video. This is exactly what I needed to hear. I’m getting ready to head to my hometown to visit family, and I find myself feeling stressed out by food, because I find myself “jumping off the bandwagon.” I’m bookmarking this and taking notes. 🙂
Thank you for the beautiful and candid vlog Gabby! I so appreciate your vulnerability and how this is an ongoing process. I noticed a similar pressure building up as I approach food this summer since my relationship with food has changed since last summer. It’s def uncomfy & and yet I know when the tension & pressure is building up I’m receiving valuable info and I am being given an opportunity to take it to the next level. Then it’s on to the techniques to support myself, one of which is packing a bunch of delicious food that feels good to my body ahead of time when I head out for those beach days. So great to hear your awareness & lessons as I am a meditation teacher myself. Lots of love to you!
Did the same thing this weekend!
Healthy eating is not popular at my family gatherings. As a non meat eater, various types of potato salad (some with bacon) are the only options. It’s hard not to fall into the trap, especially when loved ones make comments about the way everyone else is eating, but that’s jus their way of dealing with their own eating issues and I took a moment at each gathering this weekend to pause and take note of that so that I didn’t have to take it on as my own problem.
Thanks Gabby!
xo
WOW… JUST what I needed this morning. I became an absolute animal in the last few weeks starting with visiting friends then the holiday then kept it going through the weekend. I have such a clean diet normally but I just threw it right out the window. Multiple cocktails, a half pan of corn bread, a half gallon of ice cream, cheese and tortilla chips. constantly. I fell into a deep dark place, felt so guilty. Thanks for this. I really needed it.
I so needed to hear this. Thank you for sharing! I found myself in a similar situation just yesterday, except I caved to the trigger. I haven’t stepped in a McDonalds in years – but the stress of a road trip home caused me to almost run into the fast food chain and order an ice cream. I’m looking forward to working more with you and learning how to acknowledge the triggers and control them instead of giving in. Thank you Gabby <3
i’m a health coach and a yoga teacher. i meditate…i’ve done your 42-day May Cause Miracles work and just finished reading Women Food and God ….and i am still struggling with overeating and sugar. i needed this reminder to forgive and to dig deeper into the triggers. i do it when i’ve left a particularly meaning conversation, class or coaching session. or when there’s a lot of food around and i don’t want to be the “good” one, making everyone else feel “bad” for indulging in their favorite foods. i’m also really tired of trying to figure food out. all of this is crazy, because before, when i had a corporate job, I thought the binging on M&M’s would go away when my world revolved more around helping others… it did go away for awhile, but now, it’s back and even more painful and frustrating. it’s making me not want to pursue this new path of coaching/teaching… it’s keeping me stuck, confused and tired. the good news is that i binge on dark chocolate, almond butter and coconut milk ice cream now. no more M&M’s 😉 baby steps, i guess. i’ll just keep forgiving, surrendering, and asking my ing for help. thank you for doing what you do.
you self-prescribed perfectly here. it’s a life-long journey getting to know God. take it easy and trust you’re being guided.
love g
Dear Gabby,
Thank you for this video, your courage & honesty. For me, the way you describe your relationship to food is the way I feel about money. When I’m going through stress in life, I often turn to spending money frantically to avoid dealing with the uncomfortable feelings of anxiety and loss of control. Walking into a shop to buy something, even if I don’t need it, somehow gives me the feeling that I’m in control. I can see now that I’ve been using money to avoid dealing with deeper issues and I don’t want to do this anymore. This behaviour has created havoc in my life at times and I’m ready and willing to change and receive all of the help I need to recover from my addiction to spending money.
That was a long response but somehow I feel more accountable by sharing that message. Even if it’s just being accountable and honest to myself. I pray for you Gabby, and for everyone (including myself) dealing with addiction of any form to be released from the chains of their addiction and find freedom in Love.
Always Love,
Beth
“I don’t run outside to avoid, I run outside to pray.” Thank you for sharing your humanness Gabby.
🙂
I’ve lost 80lbs by juicing and moderate exercise. What makes these changes sustainable is a transition in thinking and my emotional relationship with food. Juice fasting has really helped to shift my perspective and break additions to sugar and high fat foods. Detoxing the body is so important but if you don’t detox your mind too, it’s all too easy to fall back into old unhealthy patterns. I know that each juice I drink and each run I take is an investment in myself… it’s not easy but I’ve determined I’m worth it. Small changes over time resulted in 80lbs weight loss and running 2 half marathons! I couldn’t have done it without the mental shift. If you are interested you can see my before and after pic here. http://www.runningonjuice.com/about/
Gabby, thanks so much for the powerful work you are doing!
xo,
Angie
As always, you delivered the exact message I needed to hear today! Thank you for this very honest and beautiful video. Your willingness to share your truth continues to be an inspiration!
Thank you 🙂 (also it would make my week for you to reply to this comment! haha)
Hope your weekend was awesome 🙂
hi Jaime. lots of love to you! xo
🙂 have a beautiful week!
Thank you for your honesty Gabby its so refreshing and real:) Its so worth the work when you realise you have the choice to walk away from the plate! And incredibly empowering, well done 🙂
Hi Gabby, Thank you for this and for all you do. I have been doing MCM for three weeks now and have seen huge shifts in my life. I’ve been on the spiritual path for quite some time now and many teachers have helped me. But because I am a bit of a perfectionist, I would always beat myself up for not having the moments of sudden clarity or success that these teachers seem to have. You obviously have clarity and many blessings/success in your life, but your gift (at least to me) is being able to share them in a very human way and to admit that even spiritual teachers have a lifetime of stupid but beautiful human moments ahead of them. So thank you for always being able to admit that and walk alongside us in the journey. It has made me feel much less alone. Blessings to you!
Thank you for always being so authentic! It helps in so many ways…:)
Gabby your an amazing teacher and a bright light in the world we live in today. I find it refreshing that you have the willingness to look you fears head on and it inspires me to do the same. And mind you, it’s not always easy. My relationship with food is a little inverse. I love to eat good meals but I find that when I feel less at ease and anxious I tend to loose my appetite, so it’s also a challenge for me during those times. It’s the first time I’ve actually acknoledged this fact, right here right now. Thank you for creating a space that makes myself and others feel safe to talk about the things that come up while we experience awakening. We are all connected and its a wonderful thing. Keep going beauty, the world needs more courageous souls like you.
XOXO
Wonderful video. Just what I needed to see. I needed to be reminded that it’s “ok” to have a slip, that I can restart my process at any given moment.. and if I’m going to run.. I need to run to my higher power for a bit of peace… not a piece of food.. 🙂
You rock Gabby B! I love the way you turned your challenge into a miracle… So beautiful and candid of you. Thanks! Blessings xoxo
Really needed that – forgive and move on!
I am totally going to try this. Love the info. I find myself in this situation frequently and usually sit there continuing to eat(usually boredom) never thinking to just walk away. Thanks!
I love this Gabby, thank you. Family get togethers and visiting family are two of my triggers in relation to food and relationships. I am the healthy one in our families and I feel like the odd one out. I am also the only vegetarian. I feel pressured to fit in and I feel like people think I’m weird because I’m vegetarian and because I eat healthy organic food. When we get together with family I do eat food that isn’t organic, but I will not eat meat. I also find it difficult when there are lollies, chips etc. I find the temptation difficult. Gabby, just wondering, what did you say to excuse yourself from the kitchen? Thank you for your wonderful work and light. Much love, Julie xxoo
Wow!!! You have no idea on how impecable your timing is right now. Last night I said I wasn’t going to give in to temptation and eat to nourish my body not to give it food it doesn’t need. So, today I went to the food court with the intention to get a vege juice and I went straight for the indian food for a spicy curry with rice and my belly felt so full and sore from eating it. I immediately started to get depressed with myself, not being able to stick it out and not feeling good enough. I have put on weight too so I just feel like I will never reach my goals in weight loss because I keep overeating or eating the wrong foods.
So, thank you. I will definitely look into that online course ‘finally full’ I think the universe is giving me a sign that’s for sure!
THANK YOU XXXX
blessings to you!
This is brilliant!! i love it! thank you! I love are genuine you are! I think about food constantly- I was literally writing in my journal about my issues around food then i clicked on your vlog!! I live away from home so going back always seems to be my issue- because people like to make remarks ,in some strange way I think this makes me eat more?
Still trying to figure out how to overcome this! Il get there! But removing myself prior to eating to allow myself the time to really understand and connect will be such a great help!! Thanks so much for this!
Love Aisling, xoxox
you’re welcome:)
Awesome message, Gabby. Thank you!
For the longest time I would be worried at meal time because I was afraid of being judge about the quantity of food I would eat. It would turn into binging between meals to the point of being nauseous. I’m working things out but I’ll definitely be part of your workshop.
Thanks Gabby, I respect that you added “any addiction”, and not to remove yourself to avoid or out of fear, but to walk away conciously with a healing heart and mind, that awareness of what is healthy for you:)
Peace-out
Karena
The timing couldn’t have been better with this. I struggle with my body image, food & exercise. This week the Calgary Stampede is going on! And I go for the food! It’s so bad and yet oh so good. And I’m constantly having an argument inside my head over this! So being able to allow, sit, breathe and forgive and plan to start over is what I need to hear! I can be mindful of what I will choose & not over indulge!
Thank you for your vlog! Much love!
Hey Gabby,
Thanks for adding this vlog. Definitely something I struggle with constantly. And what better time to do it than July 4th weekend?
I have another addiction related issue that I’d love to hear you speak about sometime. I’m reading Spirit Junkie right now, and you talk a lot about your drug/alcohol addiction in the book.
I have also struggled with ditching the alcohol for good. Four years ago, I got out of a tumultuous, six-year relationship. For the year-and-a-half after, I turned to alcohol to numb the pain, to feel like I could be myself without worrying about what other people thought, to stop the constant fear running through my head. When I drank, I drank to black out. That time of my life was filled with moral hangovers.
Then I met someone who made me feel whole again. With him around, I didn’t need the alcohol to be myself. So, it fell away. Then, eight months later he died in Afghanistan. With him gone, I knew I had to find a way to create my own happiness. The year after his death was a time of serious change. I quit my job in public accounting, applied to go back to school for journalism, stopped drinking completely, started laying my mat on the hardwood floor of a local yoga studio every morning and, generally, just taking really good care of myself.
As time passed, I started to feel happy and whole again. A different type of happy than when Doug was around. In some ways, as difficult as it is to say, a better type of happy and whole because I was creating it for myself.
After the one-year anniversary of his death, I started falling back into similar patterns. Being in journalism school, the complete opposite of accounting, brought forward a ton of fears. Instead of hiding behind a big corporate name and a computer all day, I was now in a field where my name was below the headline of the article I was writing. I was putting myself out there in a way I hadn’t before, and it terrified me. So, I again, I turned to the alcohol to drown out my fears. I didn’t drink often, but when I drank, again, I drank to black out.
I’m in a place now where I know alcohol has nothing positive to add to my life. But I’ll get around friends who, like most 26-year-olds, go out to bars on the weekend and think drinking equals fun. (Can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to a bar, tell someone I don’t drink, and hear, “What? Are you allergic to fun?”).
I’m torn because I want to bond with my friends, I want to go out and have a good time. I tell myself, and them, before we go out that I won’t be drinking, but then I get there and everyone else has a beverage in their hand.
I feel like I have good intentions, and when I reach for alcohol, even a glass of wine, I’m incredibly aware of my motivations, but I’m just having a hard time kicking it for good. Sometimes it seems like if I rule out bars and booze, then I’ll have to leave behind most of my friendships, too.
Anyway, this is the longest post ever. Just something I feel like I’ve been struggling with. I’m ready to put it behind me. Just need a little guidance.
I’ll be at the Summer of Miracles event in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to finally seeing you in person. Thanks again for the post. <3
Thank you Gabby for this video. I can feel the love in your heart <3
Love your honesty! Also I make myself stop and focus on my stomach. Is my stomach hungry or do I just want to eat? Try it…it was quit enlightening when I started doing this. And you are right forgive yourself for falling off the wagon and get back on the next day! 🙂
Thank you SO MUCH for that! My eyes widened when I saw the title – I was like whoaaa someone caught me haha.
It’s helpful when you break it down in steps as to how to go about it.
Also, I want to thank you for being so genuine. It feels right listening to your guidance because you are so honest with your viewers.
Thanks Again! Namaste 🙂
Thanks Gabby and thanks for reminding me about Geneen Roth’s books. I’ve been struggling with food a lot lately.
I obsess about food all the time. What to eat, what not to eat, what to eat with what, how to eat it, how not to eat it…etc.
It’s pure craziness. So I really appreciated your video.
Hi, I am a psych registered nurse and also recovering food addiction and stimulant (caffeine/over the counter diet pills) addiction and I agree what you say. I hold groups and aspire to provide on a largee scale as you have, one day.
Another practice I suggest is journaling so that you remember what happened, what you did, how you felt. It’s great to know triggers. But I find in my own recovery it’s so easy to forget and we need constant reminders about it (especially in the beginning) until we create new healthy habit. I have a lot of other tips I do that help.
Would love to even work with you on this. If you are ever interested in collaboration email me at nurselaurendi@yahoo.com. The more help the better is how I feel. God bless you. Thanks for sharing.
OMG I was starving for this VLOG and devoured it up. Our connection with food is so primal and such an intimate relationship, so looking forward to your FINALLY FULL workshop! xo
I’m psyched about it too!
What an amazing positive video 🙂 Gabby I am so grateful that I discovered you and your vlogs and your books 🙂 You have truly changed my life. Thank you!!! <3
xoxo
I love you and your honesty Gabby! Keep shinning! XO
Great video and important topic!! I have been on my own journey with food and watched my own transformation occur. A big insight I had was that my relationship to food was reflecting my relationship to life. As I was restricting myself with food, I was restricting myself in life. As I began to enjoy food more, I began to enjoy life more. The only thing that was holding me back was myself. This was a slow journey of transformation for me. It required a lot of patience, trust and confidence over time. 🙂
I am Anorexic – I’ve been in Treatment. I’m below 80lbs. I stood at the doorstep of death a few short mths ago. I got the shock of my life when nothing would fit other than a med/lg in the girls section. For me I think – no, I know my triggers are feelings of fear, anxiety, inadequacy, & “undeserving.” I want to see myself how God sees me – I want to be what He wants me to be. I’m ready now. Thanks for sharing your story. I could write more on mine, but it would take up too much space.
bless you xoxo
It’s only been the last three years where I’ve found myself struggling with food. Thanks for your honesty! I can completely relate. Love your blogs, love your message, love you!
Love these spur of the moment vlogs! They always come at the right time for me too – thank you =) =)
Hello, Neat post. There’s an issue with your website in internet explorer, could test
this? IE still is the marketplaxe leader andd a good portion of
folks will leave out your magnificent writing because of
this problem.