The new series of The Great British Bake Off kicked off recently and coincidentally triggered a conversation initiated by a number of my clients during their sessions. It began with ‘I watched bake off this week and……’
(Now for the sake of full disclosure, I want to add that a vast majority of my clients come to me for help with emotional eating, bingeing and overeating.)
So it got me thinking; what impact do entertainment based baking programmes such as Bake Off have on these very people who struggle with emotional eating? Is watching a programme about baking, really likely lead to a binge?
If emotional eating is something you struggle with, would you change the channel and never watch a baking programme again? If friends and family are watching, would you lock yourself away? Or would you indulge in the programme (and some cake) and then feel bad about it afterwards? Perhaps for you this wouldn’t be a cue to unhelpful eating behaviour at all.
On the surface this may look like a trivial dilemma to some, but for many women battling with their relationship with food, it could be a potential trigger they need support with.
So what did my clients do?
One of my clients, who has been working so hard on behaviour change, did watch the programme in the evening when historically a binge would have happened. She was overjoyed when telling me that she ate balanced meal and felt satiated and didn’t binge later in the evening. This was a great milestone for her. We have been working on regulating her blood sugar so that she is less likely to crave. Addressing her ‘all or nothing thoughts’, is also now beginning to pay off.
Another client decided that she would like to bake something to share with her flat mates and enjoy the programme with them. Here we discussed her mindset around this. For her, eating this piece of cake mindfully, slowly, chewing well and savouring its deliciousness was the way to go.
my advice to you
The answer is not clean cut. Firstly it depends where you are on your journey. Where that journey begins depends to some extent on the history of your relationship with food.
One thing I can tell you for sure is that food restriction does not work. This is far more likely to result in a binge at some point. The intense cravings may lead to one piece of cake consumed at great speed, in secret, mindlessly, perhaps standing up. You won’t have taken enjoyment from it, your stress response will have been triggered, and one piece will lead to two, three or more. It’s likely that automatic negative thoughts such as ‘I’ve blown it’, will prolong your ‘fight or flight’ response. Your digestive function will now be reduced affecting the way you metabolise your food i.e. how you burn your energy.
So you could try this; Watch Bake Off, then, if you would like a piece of cake, chose to have it, if you are able to eat it mindfully. Take some deep breaths, perhaps serve it on some lovely crockery, take very small mouthfuls, chew it well and savour the flavour. Finally, ensure the thoughts about yourself that follow are kind and compassionate.
If you are struggling to overcome emotional eating, binging or overeating, I want you to know you are not alone. I work with people just like you who need a new approach to gaining balance and moderation in their life. I will help you to take back control without feeling deprived or hungry.
I developed The Food Freedom Method online coaching programme, after working with hundreds of women who shared your pain. It looks at how, what and why you eat, incorporating nutritional therapy, coaching and the psychology of emotional eating.
My proven 8 step method will coach you through the process giving you all the tools you need to finally overcome the cycle of overeating and dieting. It will help you shed the layers of shame and guilt and be able to accept yourself. You will discover how to make sense of what your brain and body are going through, feel supported and empowered.
If you are ready to transform your life, join the waiting list to gain access to the special, one-time only launch price and find out more