It’s winter and since I grew up and live in the Northeast, we get snow!  I have fond memories of snowstorms growing up where we baked while cozy at home, therefore, the association of baking during snowstorms is natural.  Well, we got a snowstorm on Thursday and, SURPRISE, I wanted to bake.  Although I follow a food plan where I eat what I want in a mindful way (eating when hungry and stopping when full) and no food is taboo, I wanted to avoid the pitfall of a potential binge after the baking was done!  They tell me that awareness is the first step in heading off the urge so I was happy I identified the all too familiar feeling.

So, what did I do?  Well, I thought about stopping at the local grocery to buy ingredients for my favorite food, chocolate chip cookies, until I remembered the last time.   I ate some each day for days but didn’t binge on them, however, after the treats were gone, I really didn’t feel great about having eaten them.

I have found, after being in recovery for a year and a half, that I have delved deeper into mindful eating where I try to anticipate the way I may feel after eating.  Since I didn’t feel great the last time I indulged, I decided that I didn’t want to feel that way again. Proudly, I resisted the trip to the grocery this time!

I’m happy that this is 1 stepping stone closer to hitting my LifeStride!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’ve been thinking about New Year’s Resolutions and trying to decide if I think they’re good, bad or neutral.  Here’s what I’ve come up with:  I think most resolutions are unrealistic and are, therefore, broken resulting in feelings of failure.  In this case, I can do without them.

Maybe a better strategy is to resolve to do the things in life that make you feel good and happy…taking up a new hobby, identifying your passion, calling {insert name here} more or looking in the mirror and saying something nice to yourself.  This year, I don’t think it should involve weight or diets or exercise or any of the self-loathing that goes along with those types of resolutions.

So, I am choosing a resolution that will result in good things and not in negative feelings and that is to practice “living mindfully and in the moment” because, when it comes down to it, that is all we have.

Happy New Year and heart-felt wishes for the best ever 2014!!

Some of you may be wondering what “LifeStrides:  Stepping Stones to Wellness”  means.  Well, this is the name of the Treatment Center that will be opened in 2014 to treat people with binge-eating disorder, obesity and other issues related to unhealthy relationships with food, diets and weight.

Life strides forward are best made through stepping stones (small successes) that ultimately add up to create a better, more fulfilling life.

The mission of the Center is to free people from the self-inflicted torture of diets and exercise that don’t work and focus on strategies that WILL work to create healthy bodies, minds and souls.

Many people don’t know what a binge-eating disorder (BED) is despite it being more common than its better known cousins, anorexia and bulimia.  Here’s a good definition that I’ve pieced together during my research on the topic:

People with binge-eating disorder (BED) experience episodes of binge-eating during which they consume large quantities of food in a brief period over which they have no control.  Binge-eating is chronic and can lead to serious health complications, particularly severe obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (American Psychiatric Association). 

The causes of BED are not fully known or understood.  It is believed that it can be hereditary, stress related or caused by emotional trauma.

To date there is no cure for BED but lifetime recovery is possible with appropriate, ongoing treatment and lifestyle changes. 

Until next time….

Hello and Welcome to LifeStrides:  my binge-eating disorder blog!

This is my first official post and I’m really excited to share my experience recovering from my binge-eating disorder diagnosis and life-long struggle with my weight.  So much and so many have helped me through this and my hope is that I can help others out of the torture of obsessing about weight, diets and exercise to the exclusion of what’s really important….living life in a healthy, happy and meaningful way.

Stay tuned, I’ll post regularly and would love to see your comments and thoughts.  Until next time…