Julia binged three times this week.
She was wondering why?
When she described her week to me,
It became clear.

She had no fun this week.
She was all about chores, errands, favours,
Shoulds and should haves.
A sick friend for dinner
Parents to take care of
A messy office that needs to be tidied
A fundraiser she promised to attend with a friend
Blogs and website copy to write.

Julia believes that adulthood is all about responsibility.
Sticking to your word.
Doing what needs to be done.
The right thing.
Or what you are asked to do.

She doesn’t think there is time to schedule some fun
Until all her chores are done.

I didn’t argue with her definition of what it means to be an adult.
I simply noticed that when she fills her weeks with all these obligations,
She makes time to binge a few times as well.
And, being perimenopausal, Julia’s binges result in more weight gain, which takes longer to lose.

That’s how it goes, my friend.
If we keep pushing ourselves until we feel depleted,
And we have learned to use food as a distraction and release,
Eventually we will try to refill ourselves with food our body doesn’t need.
If it’s not food, it’s going to be a cold, a meltdown, or a shopping spree.
Or, in my case, three seasons of Suits in one sitting. True story.

I told Julia she has two choices:
She can drive her car until it’s empty and gets stuck on the highway
or she can fill her tank regularly,
planning fun and relaxation alongside her tasks.

Option two is much less likely to lead to bingeing.
AND so much more enjoyable.

I think this is idea so crucial to weight loss that I devote an entire week to it in my 12 week Hunger Games class. I’m starting a new session at the end of April, and I’d love you to join. Email me to be put on the ‘first to know’ list and I’ll send you a copy of my worksheet “LOSE WEIGHT BY CREATING MORE PLEASURE AND JOY!”