How I changed my binge eating relationship with food and why willpower wasn’t the key

For years I was a binge eater, I called it my “sugar monster”.  Cookies, cake, chocolate and peanut butter…honestly it had excellent taste.  

There were clear triggers: low energy, a special occasion, feeling empty or what I now know as head hunger.  I tired everything to stop it – hypnotherapist, restriction, punishment, exercising it away like I could undo it with a sweaty sorry.  None of it worked.

I felt helpless and frustrated and I saw it as “who I was”.

Then last year it gradually shifted for me.

The pull factors that finally made it stick

It wasn’t willpower that did it, that had failed me plenty of times. What did work was discovering a set of meaningful, personal pulls – reasons that made binge eating foods that didn’t serve me slowly lose their grip.

Instead of trying to push the habit away, I started pulling health towards me.

Here’s what changed:

• I focused on meals that genuinely nourished me – prioritising protein and healthy fats
• I wanted steady energy throughout the day, not a dramatic mind and body cliff drop two hours later
• I wanted to show up calmer and more patient with my kids, instead of reacting from exhaustion after a glucose crash
• I reduced alcohol to special occasions to protect my energy and gut health
• I added supplements to support my gut, energy, and overall sense of vibrancy
• When cravings hit, I asked: “What am I really needing right now?”A hug? A nap? Movement?  Then I gave myself that instead (and sometimes I still had the food – and actually enjoyed it, without spiraling)

When I stopped fighting my body and started supporting it, something amazing happened. My mind and body recalibrated.  The binge eating faded – naturally.  And for the first time, I wasn’t scared of myself.

Your turn

If you’ve been trying to build a habit or let go of one that keeps slipping through your fingers, the answer isn’t more grit or white knuckling your way through it.

The real secret? Finding your pull – the meaningful, personal reasons that make the change feel worth it.

Take a moment to reflect: What positive outcome would make this habit feel irresistible to you?

If you want support uncovering your pull factors and building habits that actually stick (without relying on willpower alone), then please reach out to me https://www.bewelllivewell.co.nz/contact

I’d love to help x