Fix Your Relationship With Food

Summary

In this insightful podcast transcript, Brooke from Pennsylvania shares her struggle with disordered eating, transitioning from anorexia and bulimia to binge eating, especially at night. The hosts empathize with her journey and emphasize the importance of addressing the root cause through therapy. They suggest practical strategies like journaling and avoiding calorie counting while seeking professional help. The conversation highlights the complexity of eating disorders and the necessity of a holistic approach to healing.

Takeaways

• 🏋️‍♀️ Brooke started weight training in 2019 and followed a structured program from March 2022 to build strength and muscle.
• 🔄 Brooke has a history of disordered eating, including anorexia and bulimia during her teenage years, which transitioned into binge eating after the age of 16.
• 🌙 Brooke experiences an uncontrollable urge to eat, particularly sugary or carb-rich foods, during the night, which affects her sleep.
• 🤔 The hosts suggest that addressing the root cause of disordered eating is crucial, as it may manifest in different forms if not resolved.
• 👩‍⚕️ Brooke has sought therapy in the past but is currently struggling to find a therapist who can work with her insurance and is willing to address her specific issues.
• 🛑 The hosts recommend working with a therapist to understand and resolve the underlying issues rather than focusing solely on dietary restrictions or behaviors.
• 🚫 They advise against using temporary 'hacks' or strategies that may only mask the problem without addressing the root cause.
• 📝 One suggested strategy is to journal at night when the urge to eat arises, which may help in understanding and breaking the cycle of thoughts leading to binge eating.
• 🍎 The hosts propose a simplified approach to eating by focusing on consuming whole, natural foods without worrying about specific calorie counts or macronutrient ratios.
• 🧘‍♂️ Other potential strategies include meditation, prayer, or other mindful activities to replace the urge to eat at night.
• 🌟 Brooke's openness about her struggles and her willingness to seek help are highlighted as positive steps towards recovery and self-improvement.

Q & A

What is the main issue Brooke from Pennsylvania is facing?

Brooke is dealing with a history of disordered eating, including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating, and currently struggles with an uncontrollable urge to eat sugary or carb-rich foods in the middle of the night.

When did Brooke start focusing on building strength and muscle?

Brooke began focusing on building strength and muscle in March 2022.

What program is Brooke currently in the final week of?

Brooke is in the final week of phase two of MAPS (Massive Anabolic Phase System) anabolic.

What advice does the host suggest for Brooke to address her night eating syndrome?

The host suggests that Brooke should work with a therapist to address the root cause of her disordered eating, as this is likely to be more effective than trying to manage the symptoms alone.

Why is it important for Brooke to find a therapist who specializes in eating disorders or trauma?

Finding a specialist is important because they can help address the underlying issues causing Brooke's disordered eating, which is a more effective long-term solution than focusing on symptom management.

What are some temporary strategies suggested to help Brooke manage her night cravings?

Some temporary strategies include not keeping trigger foods in the house, structuring meals to include a higher fat and calorie intake before bed, and possibly adjusting her overall calorie intake to avoid extreme deficits.

What is the potential role of journaling in Brooke's situation?

Journaling can help Brooke by providing a way to process her thoughts and feelings when she experiences cravings, potentially interrupting the cycle of thinking that leads to night eating.

What is the host's advice regarding Brooke's focus on her diet?

The host advises Brooke to place less focus on her diet specifics like calories and macros, and instead focus on eating whole, natural foods without strict restrictions.

How does the host view the potential of therapy and alternative treatments like psilocybin for Brooke's situation?

The host is hopeful about the potential of therapy and mentions that alternative treatments like psilocybin, which are being used to address deep-seated issues, could be beneficial for Brooke in the future.

What is the importance of collaboration between trainers and therapists for clients with disordered eating?

Collaboration is important because trainers may not have the expertise to address the underlying psychological issues related to disordered eating, and working with a therapist can ensure a more holistic and effective approach to helping the client.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♀️ Struggling with Night-Time Binge Eating and Disordered Eating

The first paragraph introduces Brooke from Pennsylvania, who has a history of disordered eating since her teenage years, including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. She has recently developed a problem with uncontrollable urges to eat sugary or carb-rich foods in the middle of the night, which affects her sleep. Brooke seeks advice on building a healthy relationship with food and managing her night eating syndrome. The conversation hints at the complexity of disordered eating and the importance of addressing underlying issues rather than just the symptoms.

05:01

📝 Addressing the Root Cause of Disordered Eating

In the second paragraph, the discussion focuses on the importance of identifying and addressing the root cause of Brooke's disordered eating habits. It is suggested that temporary strategies like adjusting meal plans or removing triggers from the home might help, but the primary focus should be on finding a therapist to work through the deeper issues. The speakers emphasize that without resolving the underlying problems, the disordered eating may manifest in different ways, and they share some personal strategies that could be implemented while working on the root cause.

10:02

🌱 Transitioning to a Whole Foods Diet and Seeking Therapy

The third paragraph continues the conversation with advice for Brooke to simplify her approach to food by focusing on whole, natural foods without worrying about specific calorie counts or macronutrient ratios. The speakers encourage her to find a therapist, possibly one who specializes in trauma, as there is often a connection between unresolved emotional issues and disordered eating. They also discuss the potential benefits of alternative therapies like ketamine therapy and the importance of self-awareness and honesty in overcoming these challenges.

Keywords

💡Disordered eating

Disordered eating refers to a range of abnormal eating behaviors that do not meet the criteria for a specific eating disorder but can still have a significant impact on a person's physical and emotional health. In the video, Brooke discusses her history with anorexia and bulimia, and her current struggle with night eating syndrome, which is a form of disordered eating characterized by compulsive eating during the night.

💡Weight training

Weight training is a form of strength training that involves the use of resistance to muscle contraction, which can build muscle strength, endurance, and size. Brooke mentions that she began weight training in 2019, which was a part of her journey towards building strength and muscle mass.

💡Strength building

Strength building is the process of increasing physical strength through exercise and training. Brooke's focus on strength building from 2022 to 2023 was part of her fitness regimen, aiming to improve her physical capabilities and muscle development.

💡MAPS Anabolic

MAPS Anabolic is a program that Brooke is following, which is likely related to muscle growth and recovery. Although not explicitly defined in the script, it is mentioned as the final phase of her current fitness program, indicating a structured approach to her physical development.

💡Nutrition

Nutrition refers to the process of consuming and utilizing foods for growth, maintenance of health, and bodily functions. Brooke's question about nutrition is central to the video, as she seeks advice on developing a healthy relationship with food, which is a critical aspect of overcoming disordered eating.

💡Healthy relationship with food

A healthy relationship with food involves a balanced approach to eating without emotional distress or disordered behaviors. Brooke is seeking guidance on how to establish this, as her past and current struggles with disordered eating have affected her ability to have a normal relationship with food.

💡Night eating syndrome

Night eating syndrome is a condition characterized by a compulsion to eat at night, often with a preference for high-calorie foods. Brooke describes her experience with this syndrome, where she wakes up at night with an uncontrollable urge to eat, typically sugary or carb-rich foods.

💡Therapy

Therapy, in this context, refers to the psychological treatment provided by professionals to help individuals overcome mental health issues. Brooke has engaged in therapy in the past and is currently seeking a therapist to address the root cause of her disordered eating.

💡Root cause

The root cause is the underlying reason or primary source of a problem. In the video, the speakers suggest that addressing the root cause of Brooke's disordered eating is essential to prevent the issue from manifesting in other ways, emphasizing the importance of resolving the fundamental issues rather than just the symptoms.

💡Journaling

Journaling is the act of writing down one's thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It is suggested as a potential strategy for Brooke to deal with her night cravings by providing an alternative activity to eating and a way to process her emotions, as she is encouraged to journal when she wakes up with the urge to eat.

💡Maintenance

In the context of nutrition and fitness, maintenance refers to the state where a person's weight remains stable, neither gaining nor losing. The speakers discuss the possibility of Brooke shifting from a calorie deficit to a maintenance level of eating to reduce the stress on her body and mind while working on her eating issues.

Highlights

Brooke from Pennsylvania shares her journey with weight training and anabolic phase two of MAPS.

Brooke discusses her history of disordered eating, including anorexia and bulimia, starting from her teenage years.

The development of a new eating disorder symptom: uncontrollable night-time urges to eat sugary or carb-rich foods.

The importance of building a healthy relationship with food and overcoming past eating disorders.

A client's experience with night eating syndrome and the suggestion to work with a therapist.

The challenge of finding a therapist who accepts insurance and is willing to work on disordered eating.

The concept that disordered eating behaviors can manifest in different ways if the root issue isn't addressed.

Strategies for dealing with night-time cravings, such as structuring meal plans and considering calorie intake.

The recommendation to remove trigger foods from the home as a preventative measure.

The advice to eat a higher fat, higher calorie meal before bed to reduce night-time cravings.

The suggestion to consider whole, natural foods without focusing on calorie counting as a temporary strategy.

The idea of journaling at night to address the emotional aspect of disordered eating.

The potential benefits of ketamine therapy and its use in treating deep-seated issues related to disordered eating.

The encouragement for Brooke to continue being open about her struggles as a crucial step towards recovery.

The importance for trainers and coaches to align with therapists for cases involving disordered eating.

The advice for trainers to refrain from advising clients with disordered eating and instead work with therapists.

The potential for alternative therapies like psilocybin to be accepted and used in the future for treating trauma and disordered eating.

Transcripts

foreign

relationship issues watch this our first

caller is Brooke from Pennsylvania

hey Brooke how you doing how can we help

you

how are you guys doing good great

all right so I just want to thank you

guys so much for having me on the show

to ask you guys a question

um I'll get right into it with a little

bit of background of where I'm at

um I never really exercised regularly

until about 2019 I got into weight

training a little bit but I never really

had a proper program until March of 2022

at which point I just kind of got

focused on building strength and

focusing on building up some muscle and

I did that until January of 2023 and now

I am in the final week of phase two of

maps anabolic

um the main topic of my question today

actually has to do with nutrition and uh

having a healthy relationship with food

so I do have a history of disordered

eating

um when I was a young teenager around

like 14 15 I did deal with some anorexia

and a short period of some bulimic

behaviors

um and then once I was about 16 I never

really recovered from that or moved on

from it I just kind of moved into a

different form of disordered eating so

I've been kind of binge eating on and

off since I was about 16 but in the past

eight to 12 months I have developed

something very weird and basically I can

stick to a meal plan all day and do

perfect but I go to sleep at night and I

will wake up at some point during the

night with just an uncontrollable urge

to eat and it feels like I cannot go

back to sleep until I eat something

typically that is something and sugary

or some sort of carbs so I just really

want to get some advice on how to build

a healthy relationship with food since

I've never really had one so my question

here is have any of you ever worked with

a client that has had this type of

disordered eating and do you have any

advice for myself or anyone like me who

is dealing with this and just wants to

build a healthy relationship with food

yeah Brooke I had a client with a night

eating syndrome before too so okay so

have you worked with uh with a therapist

on any of this

I have in the past I have current I had

to switch and I have not been able to

find any therapists in my area that are

both accepted by my insurance and really

like willing to say okay I think I can

work with you on this okay because

that's that's been a struggle that's

where I'm gonna I'm gonna point you

because I I could give you structures

I could say to you

um set up your meal plan so that it

allows you to have

food in the middle of the night so it

works within your meal plan I could say

something like you know I've heard

people say that they put a lock uh you

know my client did on their cabinet you

know and and that in order for them to

get it they have to like do this process

which you know gives them pause type of

deal but the problem and and I want to

say this too before I go on none of us

are our therapists or experts in Eating

Disorders we've just trained a lot of

clients and still probably have dealt

with a few of these so if from my

experience working with clients and

working with my clients therapist this

is what I learned the most because I

would get a client with

some form of disordered eating and then

what I would do is I would ask them if

it was okay if I worked with their

therapist and then I would work with the

therapist to work with the client and

what I learned from that was that if

there's something that's unresolved

that this is going to manifest itself uh

in in 101 different ways so you'll stop

it from manifesting by I'm not going to

binge during the day anymore but then

what it does is it manifests into night

eating disorder or I'm going to stop you

know anorexia but then it turns into

bulimia or I'm going to stop uh you know

um I'm gonna create so much structure

but then it manifests as orthorexia so

there's something that's unresolved and

there's something at the root and if we

don't this is like taking painkillers to

stop a headache that's being caused by

you hitting your head against the wall

like we have to stop that the

painkillers May mask the pain

but if we don't solve the root issue

then what's going to happen is even if

you figure out a way to prevent yourself

from having disorder eating it may

manifest itself in some other disordered

something sometimes it turns into uh

it's not amazed yeah it will it could be

drug abuse it could be exercise

addiction it could be you know

promiscuity it could be like like so

many different ways so you have to

address the root issue and all of your

attempts at putting boundaries and walls

around this you'll find yourself

becoming more and more frustrated and

what may happen by by pushing this

further and further is it the the

manifestations may get worse and louder

okay so uh so my advice is this uh put

your efforts into finding someone

you can work with on figuring out the

root cause because until you do that

I mean you can figure out how to figure

out not to eat in the middle of the

night but it's going to come out in some

other different way it's probably what's

going to happen there's there's really

not too much to add to that because

Sal's right like at the end of the day

even if we gave you this incredible hack

that helped you out temporarily it will

manifest itself somewhere else some

other way and so absolutely uh getting

getting counseling through this is the

the number one Focus there are things I

think that you can potentially do during

that process because obviously it's not

like you go to one you know therapy

session and all sudden you're cured or

something right so there is stuff that

you strategies you do first of all I

would not keep these Foods in my house

like for me I like the ice cream

weakness and stuff like that like not

having them in my house is the first

step to to not allow myself to to do

things like that right right the other

one would be structure my diet to where

I'm eating like a you know higher fat

higher calorie meal like right before

bed because I ate less calories through

the day and so I'm I'm kind of helping

like hoping that I don't wake up with

some sort of craving by doing that so

that that could help too

um okay so you could structure it that

way you eat the same amount of calories

you put or another thing too is like I

don't know exactly what your deficit is

right now maybe you're at too large of a

deficit and so it's like you're cutting

weights maybe cut less calories or eat

closer to maintenance instead of

restricting so many calories so you're

not so hungry and then also you know

structure it in a way to where you know

the bulk of the calories is towards the

end of the day so you don't feel like

you're also really hungry at night so

those are some like temporary strategies

that I think you can do to potentially

help mitigate this while you're working

on the root cause but Sal's right at the

end of the day that uh even if we solve

this one issue for you it will it will

manifest itself somewhere else yeah I do

want to add this too Brooke um I'm very

hopeful for you for a couple different

reasons one uh the you're on a podcast

live telling us and you're very open and

you're 22 and you're doing this that is

huge very self-aware that is huge

because uh it it will it's almost

impossible to work or solve if the

person can't most people don't even

admit it to themselves let alone tell

other people and let alone put it out

there for other people uh to listen to

so you are you actually you're actually

beyond the hardest step so everything

from here is going to be positive you

just have to take those uh those next

steps here's one thing I'll say and you

could try this what I said earlier still

stands okay yeah but here's what I'm

going to say that you could try and it's

going to be painful and it's gonna suck

and it's probably going to result in

some sleepless nights uh initially

okay could you replace eating with

something else in the middle of the

night in other words you know a blanket

um piece of advice would be when you get

up in the middle of the night and you

have that crazy craving and you can't go

back to sleep unless you satisfy it

maybe you sit down and you and you

journal and you journal and journal and

journal and if you don't go back to

sleep so be it but you journal the

entire time now it's going to be painful

you're gonna have to deal with whatever

feelings come up and you're gonna have

to deal with the sleeplessness that is

probably going to come from that

initially

uh and that's just that's just one

example it could be journaling it could

be meditation it could be prayer

um it could be something mindful nothing

distracting so I wouldn't want you to

replace this with something that's

distracting like watching TV like

watching TV listening to music uh like

trying to just like okay I gotta

distract myself type of dealing cardio

or something

no you're feeling which sucks it sucks

I'm gonna be straight up with you yeah

so I like journaling a lot because what

journaling does is

it's a form of thinking that allows you

to take pause and end uh what are known

as as cycles of thinking so when we keep

thoughts in our head we tend to cycle

thoughts but when we write them down we

tend to complete thoughts and you'll

notice that you'll notice when you write

what you're feeling and thinking it's

more complete and it's and it's it's it

you tend to end that cycle of a thought

so it causes less anxiety it's just more

intensive and it forces you to look at

what's going on which is really really

really hard so maybe try that for now

but in the meantime I would say look for

someone that you could work with that is

a therapist that can help you and they

don't necessarily

um I I mean ideally it would be somebody

that is an expert on disordered eating

but right you could also just find a

trauma uh therapist so so if you're

having trouble finding someone with who

works with eating disorders that's

within your insurance network uh broaden

your search and look for people who work

with trauma because the skills there's a

lot of carry over there

absolutely yeah so in doing this

should I attempt to stay in a deficit or

do you think from experience would it be

more beneficial for me to move back

towards a maintenance and try to just

stay at maintenance until I get this

kind of under control here's what's

gonna happen bro the harder you focus

and look at your diet the worse this is

going to get right okay so I want you to

do less not more so uh calorie deficit

maintenance Surplus why don't we do this

instead let's make it easier

don't worry about maintenance don't

worry about deficit don't worry about

Surplus just give yourself this right

here I'm gonna need as much as I want

I'm just gonna eat whole Natural Foods

that's all that's the Only Rule you give

yourself if I want to eat I'm going to

eat as long as it's whole Natural Foods

I'll get a bowl of fruit I'll eat

bananas I'll eat some steak I'll eat

some chicken I'll eat a bowl of rice uh

but I like the sound of that so just do

that because what's going to happen is

if you place your focus on your calories

and macros and you start counting those

things even if it's maintenance

too much focus is going to make this

worse less Focus tends to make this a

little bit better

okay awesome I I really appreciate that

you guys it the journaling idea I did

begin journaling at the beginning of

this year but I never thought to do it

in the middle of the night when I wake

up I'm definitely gonna give that a go

maybe get some meditation or prayer go

um I really hope I see some some

improvements in that and I'm really

hoping I find a therapist that I can

work with soon and expect Brooke expect

it to suck so don't don't say don't

think your expectations should not be

all right tonight when I wake up I'm

gonna journal and I'm gonna feel so much

better your expectations should be I'm

in a journal it's gonna suck way worse

it's going to be really it's gonna suck

it's gonna be a whole shitty night of me

journaling and whatever so yeah so just

do that and then eventually it will get

better but expect it to suck

I can't okay I can do that absolutely

okay Brooke that's not all I got for you

guys I I really appreciate this that

really did give me some good insight

into how I can take some new approaches

to this yeah listen don't hang up yet

yeah yeah I think I know where Adam's

going yeah Brooke I'm gonna have Doug

put you in our private forms yeah yeah

why don't you let us let us let us

follow along yeah give us some follow-up

and it might help to have that kind of

support

absolutely I really really appreciate

that you guys thank you

all right thank you so much no problem

dare I say

do you see in the future that like I

just feel like this would be such a

great candidate for uh therapy and

psilocybin oh uh you talk about somebody

who's got like like deep like to just

face it and address trauma or issues

that are that are you know what they're

using right now for that like here in

California I don't know where she's at

if this is legal but you can actually do

ketamine therapy with therapists and

doctors so it's not it's like literally

uh with licensed professionals yeah and

clinical settings yeah and the results

that they're getting are phenomenal

phenomenal yes phenomenal I I mean I

really think didn't didn't another state

just decriminalize it again I thought I

just saw somebody do a post it's

starting to start starting to make its

way around right now as far as like I

think in the next five to ten years it's

going to become like a you know the way

like it was very taboo to even talk

about marijuana just 10 years ago I

think it'll be that widely accepted in

the next five to ten years yeah the

ketamine therapy is really cool I'm so

glad they do that in California you know

again I want to add you know just just

keep adding to this it's like you know I

dealt with body image issues for a long

time and I mean I still haven't they're

still there but the hardest part was me

just admitting to myself let alone

telling other people so at her age and

what she's saying too like that's such a

big that's such a big she made a big

step just yeah admitting that and being

honest about it with herself and I I I

think it's just survival too as a

trainer and a coach to align yourself

with with a therapist because there's

going to be so many examples like this

where just you know having somebody to

really counsel and talk them through a

lot of these things will you know spawn

such a a great result yes and because

this is the big one what you do as a

trainer and a coach for someone else uh

would be the wrong opposite thing that

you would do for someone like this yeah

like for someone else

write things down do the like you would

make someone like this worse so I I mean

just want to put an exclamation point on

that if you're a trainer coach align

yourself with therapists and you get

someone like this do not advise them you

you work with the therapist and the

therapist is going to advise you on how

to handle this and then you'll do a

great job

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