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Beyond Binge Eating

Kristina Dobyns

Discover the Beyond Binge Eating Podcast, your go-to resource for overcoming binge eating, compulsive eating, emotional eating, and food addiction. Hosted by Dr. Kristina, the podcast leverages her extensive expertise, including a doctorate in somatic psychology, a master's degree in exercise science, and her background as a professional athlete.

Kristina, who had crushing eating disorders for over 20 years, now channels her experience into helping others as an integrative recovery specialist. Episodes include insightful interviews, special co-hosts, and solo episodes. You'll explore cutting-edge research on binge eating, urges and cravings, and dopamine, and dive into topics like sugar addiction and abstinence, interoceptive awareness, nutrition for recovery, strength training for women, habit formation, somatic practices, neuralplasticity, and holistic approaches to recovery.

With practical tips and relentless positivity, the Beyond Binge Eating Podcast equips you with the knowledge and tools to finally break free from addictive eating patterns. You will learn new research, new practices, and be inspired and empowered, so that you can live a vibrant and healthy life—beyond binge eating.

For more, check out:
https://BeyondBingeEating.com

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#35
Thursday · 40 min
He Gained 20 Pounds in 24 Hours — Then Keto Ended His Binge Eating | Robert Sikes
In this episode, I sit down with Robert Sikes — also known as Keto Savage — a lifetime natural competitive bodybuilder, WNBF pro, the World's Leanest Man, formulator of the Keto Brick, and creator of the Savage System, a coaching program for competitors and everyday people that he runs alongside his wife Crystal. Robert came up on the traditional bro dieting playbook — six or seven meals a day, high carb, high protein — and it sent him into years of disordered eating. In 2014 he tore up the script and started experimenting with a strict, high-fat ketogenic approach to bodybuilding, building his own contest prep methodology from scratch. Here's what we cover in the episode: The bro dieting years — 115 pounds soaking wet in high school, refusing to wear a t-shirt for two years, then 6,000 calories a day of gas station food up to 230 pounds with no coach and no instruction The first competition, the crash prep he now says he did entirely wrong, and the post-show binge that became the catalyst for years of restricting, binging and purging How he found keto sideways — through John Kiefer's carb backloading, a protocol that all but sanctions binging at night — and the moment he realized he felt better during the half of the day with no carbohydrates in it Who really shows up for the Savage System: mostly not competitors, and how many people arrive at keto or carnivore by way of disordered eating without naming it as that Why, after more than 900 podcast episodes with top biohackers, doctors and researchers, he keeps landing on the least marketable answer there is — morning sun, real food, sleep, movement, and time with the people you love The protein ceiling nobody's talking about — what happens to his ketones, glucose, sleep and joints after 500 grams at a Brazilian steakhouse, and why he thinks protein has been given a halo The self-experiments: 18 cans of sardines a day for five days to debunk the viral sardine fast, what his bloodwork showed, and his answer to the sugar diet from the opposite metabolic direction More info about Dr. Kristina's upcoming carnivore wellness retreat: https://www.MeatandMovement.com Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ Keep in touch with Kristina: https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com Connect with Robert here: Website: ketosavage.com Coaching: ketobodybuilding.com Instagram: @ketosavage YouTube: @ketosavage X: @ketosavage Podcast: Savage Perspective Podcast Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:24 The bro dieting years 03:42 Eating big, and the crash prep 04:15 20 pounds in 24 hours 04:52 Years in the binge-purge loop 05:57 Restriction vs. structure 06:38 Finding keto through carb backloading 07:57 Why guilt is the real trigger 08:52 What keto did to his bodybuilding 10:08 What are you optimizing for 11:47 The Savage System 12:13 How many clients have food issues 14:49 Coming to keto through disordered eating 15:36 Are there good and bad foods 16:14 The pillars he coaches 17:56 900 episodes, and the basics 19:20 Where to start with body composition 21:26 Testing ketones 21:55 Fat vs. protein 23:24 What Robert eats in a day 24:02 Chasing higher ketones 27:06 Keto and metabolic psychiatry 28:10 Testing the protein floor 29:03 Can you eat too much protein 30:09 His protein heuristic 31:25 Self-experimentation 32:24 Going to the extremes 33:07 The sardine fast experiment 35:14 The sugar diet experiment 37:35 Training splits 38:47 Deadlifts and homesteading 39:46 Why he talks about this openly 40:35 Where to find Robert Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.
#35
Monday · 54 min
How to Stop Binge Eating: Why Abstinence Works Better Than Moderation | Ellen Bennett
In this episode, I sit down with Ellen Bennett — registered dietitian, addiction-informed practitioner, researcher, founder of the Liberate program, and food addict in recovery. Ellen has spent years training as a clinician, and finally conducting groundbreaking research that's challenging everything that the field of eating disorders has taught us about food, moderation, and recovery. Ellen brings something rare to this space: lived experience grounded in rigorous science. She didn't just survive food addiction — she spent years asking the medical establishment for evidence it even existed, and when they told her there was none, she went back to school, worked on her doctorate, and created that evidence herself. Here's what we cover in the episode: Ellen's childhood foundation — allergen restrictions that kept her safe, then the moment at age seven when processed foods became accessible, and how her body responded The progression of her food addiction through adolescence — constant mental preoccupation, hip surgery, weight gain, and the shame that followed her into adulthood Why commercial diet programs made everything worse — "moderation" meant nothing to her addicted brain, and no one asked why How she became a dietitian, and why asking doctors for evidence of food addiction changed her life trajectory The Liberate program: what it is, how it differs from traditional diet and eating disorder programs Her groundbreaking research findings — 46% reduction in food addiction severity, 44% reduction in binge eating symptoms, and what that means for the moderation vs. abstinence debate Why traditional eating disorder treatment got it backwards — and the story of a woman forced to prove she could eat in moderation to be discharged, who found relief through abstinence instead How abstinence-based approaches can actually reduce binge eating (contrary to everything the field of eating disorders warned us about) Meeting people where they are — why one-size-fits-all moderation doesn't work for everyone, and why informed choice matters Her future research plans — nutrient density studies, her dream retreat center for food addiction recovery, and getting Liberate into the NHS Why finding community matters when your family doesn't understand — and how the growing addiction-informed food community is making space for people walking this path Come to the Meat & Movement Retreat in Costa Rica! https://www.MeatandMovement.com Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ Keep in touch with Kristina: https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com Connect with Ellen: https://www.liberatetoday.org Timestamps: 00:00 | Intro & Guest Introduction 01:10 | Personal Story Begins 01:47 | Childhood: Allergen Restrictions & the Shift at Age 7 02:33 | Weight Gain Progression: A Stone Per Year 03:15 | Hip Surgery & First Diet Attempts 03:45 | The "Unlimited Chips" Diet Trap 04:21 | Low-Fat Diet Failures & Doctor Blame 05:00 | The Stealing Realization (HOOK) 05:17 | Orlistat Medication Side Effects 05:46 | Sugar-Free Chocolate Bus Story 18:00 | Asking for Evidence: The Turning Point 20:14 | What is Liberate Program 20:49 | How Liberate Differs: No Weight Talk, It's About Coping 29:09 | Research Results: 46% Reduction in Food Addiction 30:11 | Research Results: 44% Reduction in Binge Eating 30:56 | The Woman Forced to Prove Moderation 34:03 | Low-Carb Stabilizes Blood Sugar & Mood 37:50 | The Creation and Validation of CRAVED 42:30 | Food Addiction and Type II Diabetes 47:55 | Future Dreams: Retreat Center & NHS Integration 52:54 | How to Connect & Next Steps Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.
#35
August 6 · 5 min
Finding Your Own Path — There's No One Right Way to Recover
You've been told carbs are fine. Carbs are the problem. Eat intuitively. Track everything. Never restrict. Set firm boundaries. No wonder recovery feels impossible — the advice is contradictory, and everyone sounds sure they're right. But here's what the research actually shows: different brains respond differently to food. For some people, moderation works. For others, certain foods trigger loss of control, persistent cravings, and repeated relapse. So the real question isn't "what's the right diet?" It's "what works for my brain, my nervous system, my body?" This episode is about dropping the search for the perfect protocol and learning to pay attention to what actually helps you feel clear, grounded, and free. What You'll Learn: – Why there's no universal recovery template (and why that's actually good news) – How highly palatable foods hijack the brain's reward system – The difference between deprivation and clarity – How to use your own body's signals — energy, cravings, mental noise — as your compass – What it looks like when recovery starts giving your life back 📩 Want more recovery support in your inbox? Sign up for the Beyond Binge Eating newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ Timestamps 0:00 – The myth of the one right recovery plan 0:42 – Recovery is a process, not a formula 0:55 – Conflicting advice and the voices in your head 1:25 – How highly palatable foods activate the brain's reward system 1:56 – Finding what works: carbs, keto, plant-based, animal-based 2:21 – Sweeteners, dairy, and individual triggers 2:47 – Paying attention to your body's real signals 3:23 – When the noise around food starts to quiet 3:51 – Your recovery gives your life back 4:28 – Listen to your body — your path becomes clear
#35
August 3 · 58 min
From 35 Years of Dieting to The Accidental Carnivore — Cristie Explains How
In this episode, I sit down with Cristie from Meating Wellness — a fifth-grade teacher, certified health coach, and creator of the Meating Wellness YouTube channel and community. Cristie spent 35 years trapped in a binge-restrict cycle, trying every diet from her teenage years through age 47. Then in 2020, she accidentally discovered carnivore through a random Facebook group comment and one Doctor Berry video — and ended up documenting a transformation that changed not just her life, but her family's. Cristie brings a rare perspective to the carnivore conversation: she's not an early adopter who saw the future. She's an accidental experiment. A teacher who's watching metabolic dysfunction show up in 10-year-olds. A mom whose teenage son's behavior transformed in weeks on a meat-based diet. And someone honest enough to say she's still learning, still experimenting, and building a sustainable life — not a perfect one. Her story is about what it actually costs to break free from diet culture, and what becomes possible on the other side. Here's what we cover in the episode: Cristie's 35-year binge-restrict cycle — from teenage diet culture messaging ("fat makes you fat, thin is in") all the way through age 47 How she accidentally found carnivore in 2020 — a Facebook lurker who saw one comment about Doctor Berry and fell down the rabbit hole that changed everything The difference between knowing about keto and actually understanding it — and why lack of ideology sometimes works better than perfect knowledge Her journey from keto to carnivore to her current way of eating — and how the details were the real treatment What happened to her youngest son when she started cooking meat-based meals — behavioral transformation, self-directed hygiene, stability in weeks Her older son's zero interest in carnivore — and why she's at peace with modeling instead of pushing Building Meating Wellness as a private community and health coaching practice — asynchronous coaching for busy people The mindset shift that made it all sustainable Why the accidental path sometimes teaches you more than the planned one ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Come to the Meat & Movement Retreat in Costa Rica! https://www.MeatandMovement.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Keep in touch with Kristina: https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Cristie here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MeatingWellness Website: https://www.meatingwellness.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meatingwellness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meatingwellness ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating. 00:00 — Intro & Guest Introduction 00:01:14 — Cristie's Accidental Carnivore Story Hook 00:02:06 — The 35-Year Binge-Restrict Cycle (late 80s to age 47) 00:02:41 — Deciding on Keto (Age 47, 2020) 00:04:15 — The Facebook Group & Doctor Berry Discovery 00:04:39 — First YouTube Video That Changed Everything 00:10:00 — First Health Changes & Mental Shifts 00:30:00 — Deep Dive Into Carnivore Protocol & Experiments 00:45:00 — Family Dynamics & Oldest Son's Resistance 00:50:14 — Youngest Son's Behavioral Transformation (the highlight) 00:52:38 — What Youngest Son's Diet Looks Like Now 00:53:48 — Teaching Perspective on Kids' Metabolic Health 00:55:22 — Meating Wellness Community & Health Coaching Offer 00:56:44 — Asynchronous Coaching Model Explanation 00:57:00 — Closing & How to Connect
#35
July 30 · 52 min
She Reversed 100+ Health Issues With the Carnivore Diet | Charlene Anderson's 27-Year Journey
In this episode, I sit down with Charlene Anderson — carnivore coach, official Steak and Butter Gal-certified coach, retro model, and owner-designer of the Etsy shop Handmade Retro Top Shop. Charlene has been eating a carnivore diet since 1998 — decades before it had a name, a community, or a hashtag — and she's used it to fight over 100 health issues, the four biggest being Lyme disease, amenorrhea, degenerative disc disease, and trichotillomania, along with binging and purging. Charlene brings something rare to this space: nearly three decades of lived carnivore experience that began out of pure necessity, not trend. Her story starts almost at birth — weaned off breast milk at three months, reacting to every formula, then a childhood of recurring strep throat, constant antibiotics, asthma attacks, and allergy shots, all inside a family steeped in conventional medicine that never felt right to her. It's a story of what it actually costs to heal — financially, socially, and emotionally — and what a life rebuilt on the other side can look like. Here's what we cover in the episode: Charlene's childhood health foundation — formula reactions at three weeks old, a doctor grandfather with an overflowing medicine cabinet, preventative antibiotics every winter, and severe allergies to almost everything The day in second grade when trichotillomania began — pulling out every eyelash and eyebrow by the end of story time — and how it followed her through school, college, and working life for decades How she and her husband Joe finally landed on a way of eating that quieted her conditions — and what changed The real cost of healing: downsizing from a big house to a 360-square-foot condo, keeping one car, and being among the last to get a cell phone so they could afford to eat the way their bodies needed Losing family members who stood against their lifestyle — and why Charlene urges anyone without family support to find community among the many types of carnivore and animal-based groups How deconstructing clothes with zero sewing machine experience turned into a handmade retro clothing business — from first eBay listings to movie producers, calendar shoots, and professional models wearing her designs Why her Rosie the Riveter-style hair wraps became her signature product — something anyone of any age, size, or gender can wear Returning to roller skating after decades away — the wobbles, the falls, the weekly videos set to a song that matches the feel of the week, and the joy of losing all track of time ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Keep in touch with Kristina: https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com Connect with Charlene: Instagram: @charlene_anderson_andersen YouTube: @charlene_anderson Etsy: Handmade Retro Top Shop Timestamps: 00:00 – Find Your Carnivore Community 00:58 – Meet Charlene Anderson 02:23 – A Rough Start: Formula & Antibiotics 03:37 – Second Grade: Trichotillomania Begins 04:40 – Asthma, Allergies & Hated Shots 05:50 – Teen Years: Acne, Back Pain, Fatigue 07:04 – Summer Camps & a Tick Bite? 09:01 – College: Periods Stop, Darkness Sets In 09:58 – Chemicals, Stress & Meeting Joe 12:32 – The Meds That Triggered Binging 15:58 – Steak & Eggs: Old Hollywood's Secret 18:07 – Allergy Shots That Paralyzed Her 20:13 – The Lyme Disease Diagnosis 21:03 – Healing Hurts First 22:27 – Egg Yolks Bring Her Period Back 24:20 – Binging & Purging Before the Wedding 26:32 – August 1998: Going Full Carnivore 27:10 – Six Years to Find Ribeye 30:26 – Her Exact Protocol Today 34:42 – Meat Storage Secrets 37:38 – Meal Timing & Family Rhythm 39:35 – Losing Family, Finding Community 41:02 – Failures Are Trophies 43:55 – Building Handmade Retro Top Shop 49:22 – Roller Skating Joy 52:08 – Where to Find Charlene -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.
#33
July 27 · 27 min
Mindfulness, Movement & Eating Disorders: The ROADE Program with Dr. Mark Hardison
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Mark Hardison — occupational therapist, researcher, and co-developer of the ROADE Program — a community-based, mindfulness-driven intervention for individuals with disordered eating, funded by the American Occupational Therapy Foundation. With a background that bridges psychology, occupational therapy, and clinical research, Dr. Hardison brings a perspective rarely heard in eating disorder recovery spaces: that healing has to show up in the daily rhythms of your life, not just in the therapy room. Here's what we cover in the episode: What occupational therapy actually is — and why its focus on daily function makes it a natural fit for eating disorder recovery Why the sensory system plays a critical and often overlooked role in healing — and how occupational therapists are uniquely trained to work with it The ROADE Program — how it was built, what it involves, and what its early results are already showing Why mindfulness belongs in even the most physically-focused therapy settings — and how Dr. Hardison brought it into hand therapy before ever working in mental health How OT and mental health counseling complement rather than compete with each other — and what each brings to an interdisciplinary recovery team What it means to reclaim self-care as a healing occupation — something personal, sustainable, and genuinely yours If you've ever felt like something was missing from your recovery, struggled to translate therapy insights into daily life, or simply never considered what occupational therapy could offer in this context — this conversation will open a door you didn't know was there. Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ Contact Mark Hardison here: Mhardison@hpu.edu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 00:00 – Intro 00:26 – Meet Dr. Mark Hardison 01:44 – From Psychology Major to Occupational Therapist 02:57 – Bringing Mindfulness Into Hand Therapy 04:49 – How the ROADE Program Was Born 07:41 – Embodiment & the OT Framework 08:32 – Running Away From Emotion vs. Leaning In 09:37 – Inside a ROADE Program Session 12:23 – Why Start With Body Scan 14:45 – What Is Interoception & Why It Matters 15:51 – How Eating Disorders Disconnect You From Your Body 16:18 – Being in Your Body With Compassion 19:47 – What OT Brings to an Eating Disorder Team 21:42 – Reclaiming Self-Care as a Healing Occupation 22:10 – Sensory Integration: OT's Unique Edge 23:42 – ROADE Program Results So Far 25:00 – What's Next & How to Get Involved 26:49 – Where to Find Dr. Hardison Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.
#35
July 23 · 57 min
Hope, Food Addiction, And Her Mission For its Recognition | Dr. Jen Unwin
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jen Unwin — clinical psychologist, co-founder of Food Addiction Solutions, and part of the team that published the first-ever treatment study in the field of food addiction. Jen brings something rare to the recovery space: a 32-year NHS career, expertise in the science of hope in chronic illness, her own lifelong personal struggle with sugar addiction — one she couldn't see clearly until nearly 50, despite being an expert in human behavior. Her approach is rooted not in willpower but in understanding food addiction as a real, treatable condition — and in asking the solution-focused questions that rebuild hope from the ground up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ Keep in touch with Kristina: https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com Come to our keto-carnivore retreat! https://www.MeatandMovement.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 📚 CONNECT WITH DR. JEN UNWIN 🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/drjenunwin 📖 Fork in the Road (all proceeds support Food Addiction Solutions): https://amzn.eu/d/0c2sxYsp 🔬 Food Addiction Solutions (FAS) — support the campaign to get food addiction recognized: https://www.the-chc.org/FAS 📄 RESEARCH Toward Consensus: An International Expert Consensus Statement on Ultra-Processed Food Addiction (Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2025): https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1542905/full TRAINING Healthcare Professional Training https://www.the-chc.org/healthcare-professional-training#training-details 📅 UPCOMING EVENTS 🇵🇱 Low Carb & Food Addiction Conference — Poland, September 18–19, 2026 https://fundacjabraciarodzen.pl/products/international-advanced-training-programme?variant=56860764078458 The International Food Addiction Children’s Conference - Nov 14, 2026 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-international-food-addiction-childrens-conference-ifacc-2026-tickets-1991350856016?aff=oddtdtcreator ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 01:22 – Meet Dr. Jennifer Unwin 04:15 – A Career Built on Hope 06:01 – Psychology in Physical Health Settings 09:17 – Her Doctoral Study: Who Recovers Best? 11:01 – Hope as a Measurable Trait 13:30 – The 3 Components of Hope 14:42 – "What Are You Hoping For?" 16:12 – Solution-Focused Brief Therapy 17:01 – Asking "What's Already Working?" 18:12 – The 0-to-10 Scale 19:12 – "What Would a Four Look Like?" 20:39 – Correcting the Brain's Negative Drift 22:10 – Jennifer's Story: A Childhood Sweet Tooth 23:25 – Family Tragedy & Comfort Eating 24:45 – Overweight at School & Diet Culture 26:03 – Swinging Between Extremes 26:31 – The Shame of "Should Know Better" 26:50 – Discovering Low Carb at 48 27:52 – The Eureka Moment: Sugar Addiction 28:44 – Abstinence Is the Treatment 29:02 – Retiring from the NHS & Training with Bitten 31:04 – Drug-Free Diabetes Remission with David 32:26 – A Life Mission: Recognition 33:22 – Why Your Doctor Has Nowhere to Send You 34:36 – The Recent Wins, Explained 35:49 – The 2022 WHO Application 36:50 – The Four Reasons They Said No 38:10 – Building the Expert Consensus 39:05 – 37 of 40 Experts Agree 39:40 – Naming It: Ultra-Processed Food Use Disorder 41:03 – Distinct from Eating Disorders & Obesity 41:33 – Abstinence as the Mainstay of Treatment 42:15 – The Hammer-and-Nail Problem 42:56 – The First-Ever Treatment Study 44:39 – 62% in Remission at One Year 46:25 – The IFACC Conferences & Children's Event 47:36 – WHO Update: No News Is Good News 48:58 – How Dr. Jen Eats Today 50:44 – Glucose & Ketone Monitoring 52:28 – Raising Their Own Lamb 54:14 – Exercise, Knitting & the "Addict Brain" Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.
#35
July 20 · 1 hr 3 min
Binge Eating Is a Nervous System Response, Not a Willpower Problem | Stephanie Mara Fox
In this episode, I sit down with Stephanie Mara Fox — somatic nutritional counselor, mentor, PhD student, and the creator of Somatic Eating, a body-oriented, sensation-focused approach to healing the relationship with food. With a master's in somatic psychology and over a decade of practice, Stephanie has guided women coaches and wellness professionals around the world out of binge eating, emotional eating, chronic dieting, and body image struggles. She brings a perspective rarely voiced in recovery spaces: that binge eating was never really a food problem — it's a survival response, and the body, far from being the enemy, was always on your team, trying to do something on your behalf. Here's what we cover in the episode: Why the body communicates like a baby — through sensations, urges, and impulses rather than language — and what it means to keep showing up for it with curiosity instead of judgment Stephanie's path from severe digestive issues and an IBS diagnosis in her early 20s to discovering, in her somatic psychology master's, that the binge-restrict cycle was a trauma response her talk therapy could name but never shift Why binge eating doesn't have just one intention — sometimes it's there to numb and contain, but sometimes it's the body's way of mobilizing out of collapse, depression, and freeze The session that changed everything — lying on the floor, breathing into the ground — and the under-discussed truth that safety often has to come from outside us (co-regulation) before we can ever offer it to ourselves Why so many somatic tools from social media fail — they're all self-regulation — and how food itself often acts as a co-regulator the body genuinely relies on Why recovery isn't linear: how Stephanie's binge eating actually returned during her training, and why there was never one single "thing that worked" Why the goal at the start isn't to decrease binge eating but to increase embodiment — and how riding the edge of "unsafe but safe enough" slowly widens your window of tolerance How to slow a binge down to micro-moments — the hand on the fridge door, the feet on the floor — to land back in the body when everything wants to flee it Why sometimes you don't calm down, you match the energy — and how self-compassion after a binge ("I didn't do anything wrong") is what actually breaks the cycle Where to find Stephanie's work, her Somatic Eating approach, and her Satiated Podcast If you've ever felt at war with your body, tried every somatic tool only to end up at the kitchen anyway, or suspected that willpower was never the missing piece — this conversation is worth your time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ Connect with Stephanie here: https://www.stephaniemara.com https://www.somaticeating.com https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/ https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafox --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.
#35
July 16 · 34 min
Parallels between Recovery & a New Business | Julie Mann on Mindfulness, Neuroplasticity & New Paths
In this episode, I sit down with Julie Mann — certified life coach, founder of Julie Mann Coaching, and a retired 30-year New York City public school educator who spent 40+ years in her own struggle with binge eating and disordered eating before finding her way out. Julie brings something rare to the recovery space: the lived experience of someone who has been deep in the struggle, combined with the precision of a master teacher who knows exactly how to bring others with her. Her approach is rooted not in rules or restriction, but in mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and the slow, patient work of changing the brain. Here's what we cover in the episode: Why binge eating consumes 98% of your mental bandwidth — and what becomes possible when you finally stop spending it there Julie's turning point: losing her husband to cancer at 42, becoming a single mom overnight, and how profound grief cracked open a decade-long journey into mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and real healing How a simple hourly phone reminder to breathe became the foundation of everything she now teaches — and why the nervous system has to come first before any other tool can reach you How she brought mindfulness and positive neuroplasticity into NYC public school classrooms for immigrant students — and why teaching it to others accelerated her own recovery Why binge eating doesn't have just one cause — and why treating it as a willpower failure keeps people locked in shame instead of opening the door to actual change The difference between destructive discomfort (bingeing, scrolling, numbing) and productive discomfort — and why everything you want is on the other side of an urge, and everything you don't want is on the other side of a binge Why urges are opportunities to change your brain, not emergencies to survive — and how greeting them with curiosity instead of dread shifts everything "Tools, not rules" — why a flexible menu of strategies beats a rigid protocol every time, and how Julie's Rewire and Rise community puts that into daily practice The lessons she has practiced in launching her own business, and the parallels she has noticed between this and the journey of binge eating recovery. 00:00 – Opening 01:20 – Meet Julie Mann 01:41 – Her Story 04:11 – Losing Her Husband & Diving Deeper into Mindfulness 08:22 – Recovering & Becoming "The Brain Over Binge Coach" 09:39 – Building a New Business 11:15 – Meet "Murray": The Lower Brain That Fears Growth 12:36 – Productive Discomfort: Why Recovery & Business Feel the Same 14:19 – Self-Compassion & Turning Mistakes into Learning Moments 17:15 – Owning Your Choice: Internal Leadership in Recovery & Business 19:41 – Nervous System Regulation for Entrepreneurs & Recovery 21:18 – Why You Can't Heal (or Build a Business) Alone 23:14 – Connection as the Antidote to Isolation 25:44 – Moving Toward Something Real, Not Just Away From Pain 27:01 – Inside Rewire and Rise: Julie's New Coaching Program 30:15 – Productive Discomfort / Distress Tolerance 31:07 – The Two Paths: Destructive vs. Productive Discomfort 34:19 – Somatic Tools + Mindfulness Working Together 34:44 – Where to Find Julie Mann ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Keep in touch with Kristina: https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com More info about Dr. Kristina's upcoming carnivore wellness retreat: https://www.MeatandMovement.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Julie here: Main website: https://juliemanncoaching.com “I can do hard things” Free module: https://juliemanncoaching.myflodesk.com/bbejune26 Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.
#34
July 13 · 44 min
Your Body Never Meant You Any Harm: Body Forgiveness with Dr. Ann Saffi Biasetti
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ann Saffi Biasetti — transpersonal psychologist, somatic psychotherapist, certified yoga therapist, mindfulness teacher, and author of Befriending Your Body. Ann has spent more than 35 years in clinical practice walking people through disordered eating recovery, and her new book, Your Body Never Meant You Any Harm (releasing July 21), distills two decades of thinking into a framework that quietly challenges much of how the field still operates. She brings a perspective rarely voiced in eating disorder recovery spaces: that real healing doesn't happen when we think our way back into our bodies — it happens when we stop treating the body as something to be fixed or fought with, and start meeting it as the partner it was always trying to be. Here's what we cover in the episode: Ann's path from sensory-sensitive child to somatic clinician — and the high school yoga class that gave her, for the first time, a way to be in her body without judgment How an autoimmune diagnosis at 30 sent her back to the mat, and the moment she realized no therapy she'd ever done had taught her what one hour of practice had Why she let go of teaching active vinyasa classes after 17 years — and what real somatic healing requires that flow practices don't have time for The difference between mind forgiveness ("I did something wrong to my body") and body forgiveness ("neither of us asked for this") — and why that subtle shift reframes the entire recovery process The autoimmune diagnosis Ann received while writing this book, the shame of being "the expert" who was also unwell, and how self-compassion changed what she did with it How to separate the mind's reactivity (memory, prediction, self-criticism) from the body's actual sensation in the present moment — the skill almost no traditional therapy teaches directly Why self-compassion isn't a soft add-on to recovery — it's the load-bearing wall that keeps the critical mind from dragging you back into disconnection The "muddy water regrets" of chronic illness, and why the embodied path doesn't bypass grief — it makes room for it Where to find her work, her eight-week Befriending Your Body program, and the practitioner certification pathway that grew out of it If you've ever felt at war with your body, suspected that thinking harder about recovery wasn't the missing piece, or wondered why self-compassion keeps getting recommended in eating disorder spaces but rarely actually taught — this conversation is worth your time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ Connect with Ann Saffi Biasetti here: www.befriendingyourbodyprogram.com www.anembodiedlife.com https://www.shambhala.com/authors/a-f/ann-saffi-biasetti/your-body-never-meant-you-any-harm-9781645474418.html 00:00 – Opening 00:52 – Meet Dr. Ann Saffi Biasetti: 35 Years in Somatic Psychotherapy 04:19 – First Yoga Class at an All-Girls Catholic High School 06:20 – Autoimmune at 30 & the Yoga That Became Medicinal 08:10 – "No Therapy Ever Helped Me With That" 13:51 – From PhD Research to Befriending Your Body 15:20 – "You Don't Look Like a Yoga Teacher" 19:41 – Mind Forgiveness vs. Body Forgiveness 22:35 – "Your Body Never Asked for This Either" 26:12 – Eating Disorders & Chronic Pain: The Same Sense of Betrayal 32:52 – Autoimmune & Shame 38:13 – The Shift From Striving Mode to "I Got You" 43:49 – Why She Won't Chase Down a Prescriptive Diet 45:43 – New Book: Your Body Never Meant You Any Harm (July 21st) 46:00 – Where to Find Ann --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.
#35
July 9 · 4 min
The 3 C's of Food Addiction: Why You're Not Broken
Have you ever watched yourself do something you swore you wouldn't — like you were observing it from the outside? In today's video, we explore a simple framework that explains why eating, or any addictive behavior, can feel like it just takes over: the Three C's of Addiction. Rather than treating it as a willpower problem, this approach helps you understand what's actually happening — so the pattern stops feeling like a personal failing and starts looking like something that can change. The Three C's are craving, loss of control, and continuing despite negative consequences. What ties them together isn't weak discipline — it's automaticity. Over time, the brain shifts away from intentional choice and toward deeply learned habit, which is exactly why you're so often left asking, "Why did I just do that?" What You'll Learn in This Video: The Three C's of Addiction — craving, loss of control, and continuing despite consequences — and how to recognize them in yourself Why automaticity, not a lack of willpower, is the real hallmark of addiction Why "knowing better" doesn't break the pattern — and what actually does How self-compassion creates change, while self-criticism feeds the cycle How supporting your body and building awareness help you catch the pattern earlier If you've ever felt trapped in a cycle and wondered "Why can't I just stop?" — this video offers a compassionate, evidence-informed perspective on why you're not broken. You are not broken. You're running a well-learned pattern — and with awareness and the right support, that pattern can change. Please like, subscribe, and share this video with anyone who might benefit from it. Also, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter for more insights, tools, and support on your recovery journey! 0:00 – Intro 0:11 – The framework: the Three C's of Addiction 0:17 – The first C: craving or compulsion 0:31 – Why cravings show up in the body first 0:41 – The second C: loss of control 0:55 – Why it's not a willpower issue 1:01 – The third C: continuing despite negative consequences 1:19 – Where shame shows up 1:22 – It's not about knowledge — it's about patterning 1:26 – Automaticity: the hallmark of addiction 1:53 – Why it feels automatic: "why did I just do that?" 2:03 – The good news: patterns can change 2:06 – Start with self-compassion 2:23 – Supporting the physical body 2:35 – Sleep, blood sugar, and whole foods 2:56 – Building awareness 3:05 – Noticing the signals in your body 3:25 – Why noticing earlier helps interrupt the pattern 3:30 – You are not broken 3:50 – Outro ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#34
July 2 · 46 min
How the Carnivore Diet Healed My 9-Year Eating Disorder | Francis Gunn (Lady and Her Steak)
In this episode, I sit down with Frances Gunn — Australian carnivore lifestyle enthusiast and the voice behind Lady and Her Steak. Frances spent nine years inside an eating disorder that took her through anorexia, two hospital admissions, binge eating, purging, and alcohol-fueled cycles before she found a way of eating that, by her own account, quieted her hunger signals within a week and eventually restored a menstrual cycle she hadn't had in nearly a decade. She brings a perspective rarely voiced in eating disorder recovery spaces: that for some people, anorexia isn't really about thinness — it's downstream of an unaddressed sugar addiction that no one ever named. Here's what we cover in the episode: The boarding school food environment that lit the fuse — and why Frances believes her sugar addiction came long before her eating disorder ever had a name Why her hospital admissions made things worse, and her argument that refeeding protocols built around high-carbohydrate foods can reinforce the very addiction driving the disorder The binge–restrict–purge–alcohol cycle that followed treatment, and the Allan Carr book that finally helped her quit drinking without relying on willpower The Kelly Brogan-inspired mindset shift — moving from "I have a brain disease I can't influence" to "I am the one who has to heal this" How carnivore quieted her hunger signals within a week, restored her period after nine years, and changed her relationship with food in ways she didn't expect Why she thinks keto can become its own trap for people with food obsession — and how the lack of decisions on carnivore quietly hands back the mental space food used to occupy The full holistic stack around her healing: 8pm bedtimes, spring water, intentional social media use, and the people she chooses to surround herself with Where she'd tell someone with a sugar addiction to start — and why she believes the path looks different for everyone If you've ever felt like the standard recovery narrative didn't quite map onto your experience, suspected sugar might be playing a bigger role in your story than anyone's letting on, or just want to hear an honest recovery account told without the usual filters — this conversation is worth your time. 00:00 – "I Don't See How Anyone Heals on a High-Carb Diet" 00:52 – Meet Frances Gunn (Lady and Her Steak) 01:49 – Boarding School & Where the Sugar Addiction Started 03:34 – From Sugar Addiction Into Anorexia 04:19 – Two Hospital Admissions & Why She Came Out Worse 06:50 – Adding Alcohol Into the Mix 07:21 – Quitting Drinking With the Allan Carr Method 09:50 – Discovering Carnivore Through Her Mother 10:55 – Healing Hunger Signals & Feeling True Hunger Again 13:54 – The Refeeding Critique: "We Don't Give Alcoholics Alcohol" 19:15 – The First Week of Carnivore & What Changed 22:42 – What She Actually Eats Day to Day 25:36 – Keto vs. Carnivore: The Decision Fatigue Problem 33:59 – The Kelly Brogan Mindset Shift: From Victim to Author 37:24 – The 8 PM Bedtime & Protecting the Morning 39:19 – Spring Water, Clean Products & Curating Your Circle 41:40 – The Social Media Balance After Five Years Offline 43:58 – Where to Start if You Have a Sugar Addiction 45:27 – Closing & Where to Find Frances ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ Contact and follow Fances Gunn here: https://www.instagram.com/ladyandhersteak/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.
#35
June 25 · 6 min
Creating the World’s First Carnivore Wellness Retreat
If you've ever tried to go on a wellness retreat while eating carnivore, keto, low-carb, or paleo — you already know the problem. The food doesn't work for you. And that means the retreat doesn't work for you. In this episode, I share why I've been unable to find a retreat that supports both embodied movement practices and animal-based nutrition, and what I'm doing about it. What We’ll Discuss: • Why neither nutrition nor nervous system practices alone were enough for my recovery and stability • The very real (and very frustrating) retreat food problem for carnivores • What I'm creating — a yoga, movement, and wellness retreat designed for people who want steak AND the retreat experience • How you can weigh in and help shape what this retreat becomes If this resonates, I want to hear from you. Drop a comment, or reach out at info@MeatandMovement.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Keep in touch with Kristina: https://www.DrKristinaDobyns.com More info about the carnivore wellness retreat: https://www.MeatandMovement.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Introduction: nutrition vs. nervous system practices 0:24 – Why neither alone was enough 0:41 – What the combination of carnivore + somatic movement did for me 1:06 – The retreat food problem for carnivores 1:58 – Is there a steak on this property? (Spoiler: no) 2:40 – Fine. I'll build it. 2:44 – What the retreat will include 3:08 – The power of combining metabolic health + embodied practices 3:18 – Who this retreat is for 3:49 – How to share your dream retreat with me 4:25 – Like, comment, subscribe — and share with your carnivore bestie
#34
June 18 · 4 min
A Buddhist Approach to Overcoming Cravings and Addiction
Have you ever tried to fight a craving — and felt it get stronger the harder you pushed? In this episode, we explore what Buddhist psychology has understood for centuries and what it means for recovery from cravings and addiction. Rather than relying on willpower and resistance, Buddhist mindfulness offers a different path: one built on awareness, observation, and a deeper understanding of how the mind and body actually work. When we stop fighting cravings and start observing them, something unexpected happens. We begin to see that urges behave like waves — they rise, they peak, and they pass on their own. That shift in perspective can change everything. What You'll Learn in This Episode: What Buddhist psychology means by "attachment" and how it mirrors addiction How cravings show up as physical sensations in the body — not just thoughts How to use mindful observation to move through an urge without acting on it Why awareness — not willpower — is what widens the space between impulse and action Freedom doesn't come from fighting harder. It comes from learning to watch. Please like, subscribe, and share this episode with anyone who might benefit from it. And don't forget to sign up for the newsletter for more insights, tools, and support on your recovery journey. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 00:05 – Fighting cravings often makes them stronger 00:20 – Buddhist psychology: a different approach 00:31 – What "attachment" really means 00:49 – How addiction and attachment work the same way 01:03 – Cravings are physical sensations, not just thoughts 01:24 – Why resistance backfires 01:43 – The mindfulness alternative: observe instead of fight 01:56 – Cravings behave like waves 02:14 – What happens when you pause and watch 02:27 – What acceptance actually means 02:41 – How mindfulness regulates the nervous system 02:55 – Recovery is about presence, not just removing behavior 03:13 – The space between urge and action 03:16 – Outro ——— Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.comNewsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ ——— Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food:https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/
#35
June 11 · 6 min
Restriction or Liberation? Reframing Food Choices in Recovery
Have you ever hesitated in recovery because you were afraid of feeling restricted? In today's video, I explore one of the most common — and most misunderstood — fears in food addiction and binge eating recovery: the fear of restriction. Because here's the thing- diet culture has taught us that giving up certain foods means deprivation, punishment, and white-knuckling through cravings. But addiction recovery is something entirely different. And that distinction might change everything. What You'll Learn in This Video: • Why restriction in diet culture and restriction in addiction recovery are not the same thing • What we're actually giving up — and what those foods may be costing you • How the language you use with yourself ("I can't" vs. "I choose not to") shapes your entire recovery experience • Why letting go of certain foods might not be deprivation at all — it might be liberation If you've ever felt conflicted about removing certain foods from your life, or wondered whether you're being "too restrictive," this video is for you. Recovery isn't about following someone else's rules. It's about getting honest with yourself about what keeps you stuck — and choosing freedom over the cycle. Timestamps: 0:00 – The Fear of Restriction in Recovery 0:24 – Diet Culture vs. Addiction Recovery 0:45 – What Are Trigger Foods Costing You? 1:03 – Your Nervous System Is Unique 1:18 – Humans Thrive on Many Different Diets 2:54 – Is It Restriction or Liberation? 3:03 – What Addiction Actually Takes From You 3:18 – What Recovery Gives Back 3:52 – I Choose Not To vs. I Can't 4:01 – Honesty and Compassion in Your Recovery 4:32 – Are You Restricting or Liberating Yourself? 4:52 – The Perspective Shift That Changes Everything Please like, subscribe, and share this video with anyone who might benefit from it. Also, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter for more insights, tools, and support on your recovery journey! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/
#34
June 4 · 48 min
Food Addiction & the Perfectionism Trap: Self-Compassion Strategies with Brian Baumal
In this episode, I sit down with Brian Baumal — registered psychotherapist, owner of Aliva Psychotherapy in Toronto, and someone who has navigated his own recovery from exercise bulimia and binge eating disorder. With nearly 14 years of maintaining a 100-pound weight loss and decades of clinical experience, Brian brings a uniquely grounded perspective to one of the most undertalked challenges in food addiction recovery: perfectionism. Here's what we cover in the episode: The difference between perfectionism and toxic perfectionism — and why the distinction matters in recovery Why food addicts are especially prone to black-and-white thinking — and how it fuels the cycle of shame after a slip What the abstinence violation effect is and how to interrupt it before it spirals into full relapse How to build an abstinence plan that empowers rather than restricts — and why arbitrary food rules do more harm than good Why shame — not health — is usually the real driver behind wanting fast results, and how slowing down actually supports long-term healing What a non-perfectionistic, compassionate response to a slip looks like in real time The "sleeping dragon" reframe — and why it shifts the recovery conversation from powerlessness to conscious choice Why "good enough" is not a compromise in food addiction recovery — it may be the whole point If you've ever spiraled after a slip, struggled to hold structure without rigidity, or felt like your own inner critic was the biggest obstacle to your recovery, this conversation will give you a completely new framework for understanding perfectionism — and a more compassionate path forward. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ Follow and Contact Brian Baumal: https://alivapsychotherapy.com/our-team/brian-baumal/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating. 00:00 – Intro 00:53 – Meet Brian Baumal 02:11 – The Tension Between Structure & Being Human 04:10 – Brian's Personal Recovery Story 08:27 – Perfectionism vs. Toxic Perfectionism 09:53 – Why Beating Yourself Up Is the Worst Thing You Can Do 11:04 – Why Recovery Is Not About Weight 12:20 – How Brian Builds an Abstinence Plan 14:26 – The Wheel of Fortune Approach to Trigger Foods 18:01 – Monitoring Progress: Food Volume & Food Noise 21:00 – If I Ever Say No Almonds, Fire Me 22:49 – Using Slips as Data, Not Failure 24:26 – How Brian Addresses Shame in the Therapy Room 26:10 – Shame Is a Computer Virus 28:03 – Why You Really Want to Lose Weight Fast 29:31 – Trading Short Term Results for Long Term Freedom 32:42 – What a Non-Perfectionistic Response to a Slip Looks Like 33:27 – Why Brian Tells Clients Not to Stop Mid-Binge 34:22 – Reaching Out Is Already a Win 37:08 – Deconstructing the Slip: Gathering the Data 38:06 – How to Show Yourself Compassion After a Slip 40:47 – Why "Good Enough" Is a Foreign Concept in Food Addiction 42:20 – The Sleeping Dragon Reframe 45:00 – You Don't Have to White Knuckle It Alone 46:05 – Don't Let Shame Overwrite Your Code 46:47 – Where to Find Brian & Final Resources
#32
May 7 · 41 min
Why You Can’t Stop Eating Sugar — And How to Heal It for Good | Real Food Recovery Interview
In this episode, I sit down with Paige Alexander and Jamie Morgan Reno — authors of Real Food Recovery, and hosts of the Real Food Recovery podcast. Together, they’ve helped those struggling with food, sugar addiction, and binge eating through a holistic, shame-free, and compassionate approach. Here’s what we cover in the episode: • Why food and sugar addiction are so misunderstood — and why it’s not just about the food • How ultra-processed ingredients trigger addictive responses in the brain • The four foundational pillars of the Tree of Life framework: real food, sleep, movement, and spirituality • How nervous system regulation can dramatically reduce urges, binges, and compulsive eating • The role of shame in keeping people stuck — and why self-compassion is a recovery superpower • Why calmness is the opposite of bingeing, and how to cultivate it through daily practices • How to create a pause between the urge and the behavior, even if impulses feel automatic • What “inner family work” reveals about the emotional roots of cravings • How service, connection, and community deepen recovery and help reduce isolation If you’ve ever wondered why you keep returning to certain foods, why cravings feel overwhelming, or why “just try harder” has never worked, this episode will help you understand the emotional, biological, and spiritual layers beneath food addiction — and show you a path forward that actually feels healing. 00:00 – Intro 00:53 – Meet Paige & Jamie 01:43 – Why Sugar Addiction Is Overlooked 02:26 – Are Foods Addictive or Are We Reactive? 05:05 – The Tree of Life Framework 06:33 – Why Recovery Must Be Holistic 10:07 – Shame vs. Self-Compassion 13:12 – Inner Family Work & Emotional Roots 15:36 – Abstinence, Moderation & Personal Choice 18:44 – Calmness as the Opposite of Bingeing 21:00 – Tools to Create Calm 25:41 – The Power of the Pause 27:27 – How to Sit With Cravings 30:19 – Sleep as a Recovery Pillar 34:16 – Sleep Tools & Environmental Setup 36:51 – Service & Community in Recovery 40:04 – Final Takeaways ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ Follow and contact Jamie and Paige: https://www.realfoodrecovery4u.com/ Facebook: Real Food Recovery Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realfoodrecovery4u/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RealFoodRecovery --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.
#31
April 23 · 7 min
Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for Food Addiction: How to Handle Cravings Without Bingeing
In today’s video, we explore how Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) can transform the way you understand and respond to cravings in food addiction and binge eating recovery. Originally developed for addictive behaviors, this evidence-based approach offers powerful tools for preventing relapse — not through force or suppression, but through awareness and intentional responding. One of the biggest tensions in recovery is the question of acceptance vs. action. If you use sensory strategies like breathwork, grounding, movement, or temperature shifts to regulate your nervous system, are you avoiding the craving — or practicing skillful recovery? This video explores that question in depth. What You’ll Learn in This Video: • What Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention is and how it supports long-term recovery • How mindfulness interrupts automatic, reactive binge patterns • The difference between reacting to a craving and responding with awareness • The role of sensory regulation in managing urges • Why intention matters more than rigid “rules” about doing recovery the right way • How acceptance and action can work together in a flexible, sustainable process If you’ve ever felt confused about how to handle cravings — or wondered whether you’re “failing” when you use coping tools — this conversation will help you approach urges with more clarity and self-trust. Recovery is not about perfection. It’s about awareness, flexibility, and learning how to meet cravings with both presence and skill. Please like, subscribe, and share this video with anyone who might benefit from it. Also, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter for more insights, tools, and support on your recovery journey! 0:00 – Intro 0:27 – Years of researching cravings (and coming up short) 1:22 – Discovering Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) 2:12 – From substance use to binge eating: Why MBRP applies 2:33 – The tone of MBRP: Present-moment awareness and direct inquiry 2:59 – The research behind MBRP and relapse prevention 3:19 – The tension between acceptance and action 3:45 – Sensory strategies: Breathwork, movement, and nervous system regulation 4:09 – The big question: Is changing your state still “acceptance”? 4:23 – Dr. Sarah Bowen on intention and awareness 4:49 – The micro-pause: Choosing response over reactivity 5:11 – Moving beyond the binary of acceptance vs fixing 5:19 – An iterative model: Regulation + mindfulness working together 5:44 – Craving in Buddhism: Waves that rise and fall 6:06 – Where I stand now: Staying in the exploration 6:25 – Invitation to free consultation & upcoming group 6:48 – Like, subscribe & newsletter Please like, subscribe, and share this video with anyone who might benefit from it. Also, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter for more insights, tools, and support on your recovery journey! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#30
April 9 · 2 min
Why You Can’t Stop Chewing (The Nervous System Science Behind It)
Have you ever felt like you just couldn’t stop chewing even when you were already full? In today’s video, we explore the nervous system science behind persistent chewing and why it may have far less to do with willpower than you think. Drawing from neuroanatomy and the science of sensory regulation, I explain how your jaw muscles send powerful calming signals directly to your brainstem and why your body may rely on chewing as a way to self-soothe. Understanding this can reduce shame and open the door to new, supportive strategies that don’t revolve around more food. What You’ll Learn in This Video: • Why it can feel physically hard to stop chewing • The role of the jaw muscles (masseter) in nervous system regulation • How chewing provides direct proprioceptive input to the brainstem • Why this behavior may be about regulation, not hunger • Alternative ways to give your body calming sensory input If you’ve ever struggled with chewing, crunching, or snacking past fullness and wondered “Why can’t I stop?” This video offers a compassionate, science-based explanation. Your body isn’t broken. It’s communicating. 0:00 – Intro 0:24 – Why is it so hard to stop chewing? 0:31 – It’s not willpower: the nervous system explanation 0:37 – Jaw muscles (masseter) as powerful proprioceptors 0:45 – Direct signals to the brainstem (no spinal cord detour) 0:53 – How chewing regulates breathing, tone, and calm 1:00 – Maybe it’s not about food 1:06 – The role of proprioception in chewing 1:11 – “I’m trying to calm down”: what your body may be saying 1:14 – Finding alternative ways to regulate 1:20 – Examples: squeezing, wall push-ups, gym 1:29 – Your body isn’t broken — it’s communicating 1:36 – Viewer question: What can you do instead of chewing? 1:43 – Outro Please like, subscribe, and share this video with anyone who might benefit from it. Also, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter for more insights, tools, and support on your recovery journey! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.
#29
March 26 · 5 min
Dissociation and Binge Eating: Why You Lose Control During Urges (And How to Reconnect)
Have you ever set strong intentions to avoid a binge, only to later feel like your awareness disappeared or you went on autopilot? In today’s video, we explore dissociation and its connection to binge eating. Dissociation can feel like being in a fog, feeling disconnected from your body, or losing awareness during urges or binge episodes. Understanding this experience can help explain why recovery can sometimes feel confusing and why willpower alone often isn’t enough. What You’ll Learn in This Video: • What dissociation can feel like and how it shows up during binge eating • The research linking dissociation and eating disorders • Why awareness and intentions can suddenly disappear during urges • Why studying dissociation is challenging and still evolving in research • Emerging insights on grounding strategies that may help reconnect awareness If you’ve ever felt confused about why binge episodes can feel automatic or out of your control, this video is for you. Understanding dissociation can help reduce shame and support a more informed, compassionate recovery journey. Please like, subscribe, and share this video with anyone who might benefit from it. Also, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter for more insights, tools, and support on your recovery journey! 0:00 – Intro 0:18 – What dissociation can feel like (fog, disconnection, autopilot) 0:29 – Visual and sensory symptoms (tunnel vision, feeling unreal, spacing out) 0:48 – How dissociation impacted binge eating intentions 1:10 – Discovering dissociation through therapy and research 1:27 – The research linking dissociation and binge eating 1:47 – Competing theories: Does binge eating cause dissociation or vice versa? 2:01 – Dissociation as an episodic experience around binge episodes 2:20 – Why dissociation is difficult to study scientifically 2:40 – The relationship between mindfulness and dissociation 3:20 – New research: Dissociation as reduced sensory input to the brain 3:49 – Grounding and reconnecting to the present moment 4:00 – Pungent foods as a potential grounding strategy 4:23 – Examples of sensory grounding foods 4:35 – Important caution for binge eating recovery 4:45 – Alternative non-food sensory grounding strategies 5:53 – Please subscribe ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Beyond Binge Eating Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.com Newsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy.

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