Hiding Behind Binge Eating

It's true - as long as I had a more 'visible' problem I didn't have to see what was really going on! My binge eating and extra weight were merely serving as a distraction.

In a way it was hiding my emotional problems that I didn't know how to address. I was too busy obsessing about food (soothing) to find a solution or emotional outlet. In a way binge eating is a lot like the literary term "red herring". It just diverted my attention from thoughts and emotions that I didn't know how to resolve.

The key is to find that mental shift and to think in a positive way. It all depends on how you think and how you react to situations. You can either soothe and hide or solve and be free.

It may seem like a clear cut choice. We all want to be free of things that hold us down; at least on the conscious level. But there is that part of us... the part we don't always understand that wants to stay stuck. No matter how painful it is. That part of us that wants to dwell in the familiar zone. Just because we know how to exist there.

Binge eating is used as a way to hide. To avoid the problems that we think we're too weak to face.

The real fear came in when I thought about actually losing my weight. I felt scared that I wouldn't have that distraction. That I'd be left alone with my insecurities and nothing to cover them up with. The reason I felt this way is because I'd lost weight before and immediately put it back on. But that was only because I was using 'willpower' and avoiding solving my emotions. I did it white knuckled and determined to 'look good'.

When I finally realized that I was hiding behind food... I looked at my beliefs, thoughts, and emotions in my life. And I knew that was where I needed to make changes first. After that everything else slowly began to fall into place because my mind was ready.

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