The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

Cinco De Mayo and lot’s of other social events are on the horizon as Summer approaches and the weather gets nicer. And with that? Brings LOTS of binge triggers. Social events are one of the most common catalysts for binge eating episodes in my clients. The alcohol. The hyper-palatable foods. The “being off your routine”. But these are not the REASONS why you’re binge eating. It’s possible to be completely FREE from the urge to binge in these situations so you can actually enjoy yourself, be present and make fun memories. You can do this by addressing the ROOT cause. In this episode I cover WHY binge eating is happening in response to these triggers and 6 specific tips to help you enjoy upcoming social events feeling at peace and in control around food. JOIN US on Zoom for the FREE Binge Eating & Period Recovery Class (one slot on Thursday May 2nd and another on Friday May 3rd) Click here to learn more + sign up: bit.ly/ekfreeclass Message me on Instagram @elenakunickird Email me at elena@elenakunicki.com Submit a question for a future episode: https://forms.gle/YZoCWL3RiZHxYgBo8

“I’ve gained more weight in the first trimester than my doctor says I should…😬” “This body doesn’t feel like mine anymore” “I can barely even go for a walk without EXTREME fatigue, I feel so weak and lazy 😒” “I’m insanely hungry and I know you’re not supposed to ‘eat for two’, this can’t be okay” “I’m scared to be pregnant and gain weight even though I want a family 🙁” My pregnant or soon-to-be-pregnant ladies out there with a complicated relationship with food, your body and fitness…sound familiar?? This podcast episode is for you!! I am NOT in the market to become a mom anytime soon…so I thought I’d bring my friend and colleague Sara Vander Zwaag on to chat with you. Sara is a Holistic Health Coach who specializes in helping women be free from disordered eating and improve their physical and mental health without all the restriction and guilt. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Sara’s navigating nausea, body changes and fitness in pregnancy as a Holistic Health and Eating Disorders Coach Her top tips for coping with body image, hunger and craving changes and communicating with your doctor about weight during pregnancy If you’re interested in learning more from Sara, email her at sarasunflowerhealth@gmail.com or checkout her website, sunflowerhealthcoaching.com Follow her on Instagram @sara_sunflowerhealth Apply for her group coaching program: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-aOXT_qSPmM9Xy7LEfgv36bwjcfoJp-E_3eHK0K1gjM/viewform?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABptcBJ60KQoLboB3wdHtyPpXN7Ma9DWkUTMD5sgijMlccNoPZvBrdIaMehQ_aem_Ac2tPX9uTakPyud4Nq3IeVnHXhDNZ5SBA2L1hQZUDIsyeAMGVmNHCISzUyBy0K8M4w8&edit_requested=true PS: to download my (Elena here 😁) FREE Binge & Period Recovery Meal Plan…click here: bit.ly/bprmealplan

I’m getting annoyed with these posts talking about how weight loss medications like Ozempic are the solution to “food noise”... …with no mention of the fact that SO MANY WOMEN struggle with constant food thoughts and extreme cravings because of chronic dieting, a restrictive mindset around food, and under eating. I WAS ONE OF THEM. And have worked with hundreds of clients who’ve eliminated these nagging, obsessive thoughts about food through learning how to eat enough for THEIR unique needs and healing deeply held limiting beliefs around food and body image. So I decided to do a podcast episode on it. This episode is here to help you make an INFORMED CHOICE about whether or not to take these medications. No pressure or judgment either way. I try my best to put my biases at the door while helping you identify: How to know if your “food noise” is coming from under eating or a restrictive mindset around food How and why chronic dieting and fat loss phases cause constant food thoughts Health considerations when taking GLP-1 medications to reduce “food noise” or binge urges An alternate approach to addressing the ROOT cause of your “food noise” instead of taking GLP-1s Enjoy and feel free to DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird with any questions! Or send me an email at elena@elenakunicki.com FREE Binge & Period Recovery Meal Plan: bit.ly/bprmealplan 1:1 Coaching: bit.ly/coachingwithelena Citations: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4119845/#:~:text=Hence%20GLP%2D1%20therapy%20in,result%20of%20promoting%20weight%20loss. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12325-021-01710-0 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17928588/#:~:text=The%20current%20knowledge%20regarding%20regulation,molecular%20mechanisms%20involved%20are%20discussed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11972291/#:~:text=The%20mean%20fasted%20GLP%2D1,%3C%200.05%20in%20both%20cases).

🔊“We live in an environment that promotes obesity” 🥸“The food industry intentionally creates these foods so that you can’t stop eating them” 🍩“These foods are addicting…I just don’t have enough willpower to stop binging on them!” Anyone with a pulse in our society has heard these things over and over again. The solutions we’ve been offered up are to cut out these high-sugar, high-fat foods, be VERY careful around them and only allow ourselves on special occasions. But this doesn’t seem to be working very well. And for my clients who are Type-A, perfectionistic women who have achieved high levels of “health and fitness”... …but are behind the scenes feeling obsessed and/or out of control around food… …this messaging around processed foods like chips, sweets, and ice cream is only making their issues worse. In this episode I break down: ➡️How hyperpalatable foods impact our hunger cues and weight ➡️How our culture influences our relationship with these foods ➡️How to build a healthy relationship with these foods so you don’t overeat them but also don’t restrict them to the point of making yourself want them more Enjoy and feel free to DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird with any questions! Or send me an email at elena@elenakunicki.com FREE Binge & Period Recovery Meal Plan: bit.ly/bprmealplan 1:1 Coaching: bit.ly/coachingwithelena Set point theory study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK592402/#:~:text=The%20theory%20describes%20the%20compensatory,unless%20altered%20by%20specific%20conditions. This is not the study I was initially referencing but I wasn’t able to find it - this one is talking about similar things though!

I’ve gotten a few questions in my Instagram DMs lately about constant food thoughts and the mismatch when you feel PHYSICALLY satisfied but can’t stop thinking about and wanting chips, chocolate, cereal, peanut butter, etc. 😵‍💫 So this episode dives into MENTAL HUNGER and how to regulate it so you can become a NORMAL EATER. Ya know…someone who can just eat when they’re hungry, stop when full and move on with the damn day 👏. Listen in to learn: The difference between physical hunger and fullness and mental hunger and fullness (🤓nerding out on how this *actually* works in your body + how each of them feel) WHY mental hunger increases when you have a history of dieting, under eating, and overexercise How to decrease mental hunger and become a ✨normal eater✨ (aka your physical and mental hunger match up) We also talk about the 3 characteristics of normal, healthy eaters… …so you can see what to aspire to on your path to being FREE from binge eating, getting your period back without the pill and being healthy and fit without obsession 🎊. If you love the podcast - please leave a rating and review!! It helps me so much and I would really appreciate it. ➡️Click here to learn more + apply for 1:1 coaching: bit.ly/coachingwithelena ➡️Click here to get my FREE guide ✨How to Stop Binge Eating and Get Your Period Back✨: bit.ly/ekfreeguide ➡️Click here to submit a question for the next podcast: https://forms.gle/zyyc2MMksyeMHwjVA Follow me on Instagram @elenakunickird Email me: elena@elenakunicki.com

This is a super special episode because the dietitian who’s practice I WORKED WITH back in 2018 to heal MY binge eating, missing period and f*cked up relationship with food is interviewing ME on her podcast. Full circle moment. I share my story and what I learned from years of body image issues, losing weight and getting fit, living the “bodybuilder lifestyle” and spending 4 years feeling absolutely consumed and out of control with food. If you can relate to my story - this episode is going to educate and inspire you to move forward to a HEALTHY and FREE relationship with food, exercise and your body. We discuss: “How come all these other fit women can cut and bulk without binge eating or losing their periods?? What’s wrong with me??” Confusion when you lose your period but you’re not underweight and you think you eat enough and aren’t overexercising Reverse dieting and if it’s a valuable process to go through to help your binge eating and get your period back Weed use 🌱when you struggle with binge eating, anxiety around food, and a missing period …and SO MUCH more!! Learn more about Victoria and her practice here: @victoria_myers @nourishingmindsnutrition Nourishing Women Podcast nourishingmindsnutrition.com Get my FREE guide: How to Stop Binge Eating + Get Your Period Back, here: bit.ly/ekfreeguide Apply to work with me 1:1 - bit.ly/coachingwithelena Follow me on Instagram: @elenakunickird Submit a question to be answered on the podcast! https://forms.gle/tWMSohjBSkgYCtKU8

If you lost your period after losing weight, exercising more, or eating “cleaner” and you want to get your period back so you can be TRULY healthy…this one is gonna interest you. It’s always super exciting when my clients start seeing these signs because it’s an affirmation that they’re doing the RIGHT thing for their body’s by giving themselves more food, more rest and more permission to eat the foods they love and crave. 🥰 I hope learning these 7 signs helps you better understand your menstrual cycle and gives you progress measures to look for as you embark on your period recovery journey! I also answer this listener question on this episode: 👉“what if someone has a special diet like keto or low carb and does not mind not eating carbs and does not crave them so much. you say about eating carbs in recovery time (allowing myself everything) do i need to force myself to eat pasta or bread if i dont miss it?” If you loved this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review! It helps more people find the podcast 😻. PS: My group program NORMAL EATER is now open for enrollment. This is a 6 week experience where I’ll be guiding you + a group of maximum 9 other women through the process of FINALLY being free from binge eating, getting your period back without the pill, and finding peace and balance with food and exercise. ❗Enrollment closes on March 26th. Click here to learn more + fill out an application! *before March 26th, 2024 bit.ly/normaleater Click here to submit your questions to be answered on a future podcast episode! https://forms.gle/uQoFjEbEWBhv9F677 Episodes referenced in this podcast: Menstrual Cycle 101 #14 The Cause of your missing/irregular period & how to get it back

It’s SUPER common for my clients who struggle with constant food thoughts, binge eating, and missing periods to ALSO struggle with digestive issues. …then to be diagnosed with IBS in their Gastroenterologist’s office and handed a “Low FODMAP diet” sheet 🙄. If something similar happened to you - you’re gonna want to listen to this episode.. For someone who’s struggling with symptoms like food anxiety, urges to binge and missing periods…a VERY restrictive diet like Low FODMAP is often the exact OPPOSITE of what you need. The vast majority of people with disordered eating also struggle with digestive issues...because of the STRESS and MALNUTRITION that under eating, over exercising and restrictive food rules cause! The last thing you need in this situation is more restrictions. So in this episode, we’ll be covering: How disordered eating impacts digestion WHY the Low FODMAP diet is not recommended for those with disordered eating And what to do INSTEAD to heal your gut health Enjoy! Click here to join my FREE class March 14th or March 15th where I’ll be going over the 7 steps you need to to take to stop binge eating, get your period back and become TRULY healthy and fit: https://6c4aacdb6e461e386fe04ab2538fc20f.mykajabi.com/binge-freedom-period-recovery-call Click here to submit your questions to be answered on a future podcast episode! https://forms.gle/uQoFjEbEWBhv9F677

I’m doing a FREE class March 14th and March 15th called ✨Binge Freedom & Period Recovery: The 7 Steps to FINALLY be free from binge eating, get your period back without the pill and reach fitness and physique goals without obsession Click here to sign up: bit.ly/ekfreeclass Submit a question for me to answer on the podcast: https://forms.gle/1nbreb65vwbrD9Qv6 Follow me on Instagram @elenakunickird Follow me on Tiktok @elenakunickird

You’ve tried meditating, calling a friend, drinking some tea, shaking your body, setting a timer for 10 minutes, taking a walk…and basically every other strategy out there to NOT eat when the urge to binge hits. But once that little voice in your head says “f*ck it…let’s open the floodgates and eat everything we want.” all your best laid plans go out the window. You end up waking up the next day with that terrible sinking feeling as it sets in that you lost control and “ruined your progress” yet again. You’re not alone. So what DO you do when the urge to binge hits? In this episode I share the strategy that has allowed me + hundreds of my clients not only NOT binge in the moment but also be completely free from the urge to binge FOR GOOD. ✨Download my FREE guide: How to Stop Binge Eating + Get Your Period Back via this link: https://6c4aacdb6e461e386fe04ab2538fc20f.mykajabi.com/free-guide-how-to-stop-binge-eating-and-get-your-period-back-303aaa99-02cc-4423-8848-cb3f901ff4c3 ❤️Learn more + Apply for 1:1 Coaching via this link: https://6c4aacdb6e461e386fe04ab2538fc20f.mykajabi.com/1-1-coaching-program Submit questions for me to answer on a future episode: https://forms.gle/WtHJXSNn4M3jZs329 Follow me on social media for more guidance, mindset shifts, and support! Instagram @elenakunickird TikTok @elenakunickird Email me at elena@elenakunicki.com

If you started binge eating, lost your period and developed digestive issues after losing weight, getting “fit” and “eating healthy”...this episode is for you! The MAIN reason why the “everything in moderation” approach hasn’t completely freed you from the urge to binge? 👉You have something called EXTREME HUNGER - where your body and mind are requiring extra food to feel satisfied and refeed after years of undereating and overexercise. You’re expecting to jump from this very restrictive place to totally “balanced” with food, and that’s not how the human body works. You CAN get to a place where you NATURALLY crave all of your current “trigger” foods in “moderation”. You just have to restore balance to your hunger hormones, metabolism and relationship with food in order to get there! This episode will teach you how to do that. ✨Download my FREE guide: How to Stop Binge Eating + Get Your Period Back via this link: https://6c4aacdb6e461e386fe04ab2538fc20f.mykajabi.com/free-guide-how-to-stop-binge-eating-and-get-your-period-back-303aaa99-02cc-4423-8848-cb3f901ff4c3 ❤️Learn more + Apply for 1:1 Coaching via this link: https://6c4aacdb6e461e386fe04ab2538fc20f.mykajabi.com/1-1-coaching-program Submit questions for me to answer on a future episode: https://forms.gle/WtHJXSNn4M3jZs329 Follow me on social media for more guidance, mindset shifts, and support! Instagram @elenakunickird TikTok @elenakunickird Email me at elena@elenakunicki.com

The fear of weight gain is the number one thing holding most of my clients back from stopping binge eating for good, getting their periods back without the pill and finding peace and freedom in their relationships with food and fitness. In this episode we’re going to outline the 6 most common fears related to weight gain and I’m going to give MY take on each of them to help shift your mindset so you can take the steps you need to become TRULY healthy and fit. Book a free discovery call here: bit.ly/discoverycallwithelena Submit questions for me to answer on a future episode: https://forms.gle/WtHJXSNn4M3jZs329 Follow me on social media for more guidance, mindset shifts, and support! Instagram @elenakunickird Facebook - Elena Kunicki TikTok @elenakunickird Email me at elena@elenakunicki.com

Is intentionally trying to lose weight EVER sustainable without stopping binge eating and losing your period? Jeb Stuart Johnston (health coach and expert in emotional eating) and I discuss the topic in this episode! Find Jeb on Instagram @jebstuartjohnston or on his website https://www.foodonthemind.com/ Submit questions for me to answer on a future episode! https://forms.gle/WtHJXSNn4M3jZs329 Work with me 👇 linktr.ee/elenakunicki Follow me on social media for more guidance, mindset shifts, and support! Instagram @elenakunickird Facebook - Elena Kunicki TikTok @elenakunickird Email me at elena@elenakunicki.com

This is a suuuper exciting episode because I’m having the dietitian who helped me connect the dots back in 2018 on why I was binge eating, not getting my period and struggling with digestive issues. Victoria Myers is the owner of the virtual coaching practice, Nourishing Minds Nutrition, that specializes in disordered eating + period recovery. As a Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA) dietitian and period recovery specialist, Victoria's goal is to help you nourish your body to find peace, get your period back and restore your health + fertility. You can find Victoria on Instagram at @nourishingmindsnutrition and on her popular podcast, Nourishing Women Podcast, to learn more about period recovery, intuitive eating and wellness without obsession. Listen to her podcast: The Nourishing Womens Podcast Submit questions for me to answer on a future episode! https://forms.gle/WtHJXSNn4M3jZs329 Work with me 👇 linktr.ee/elenakunicki Follow me on social media for more guidance, mindset shifts, and support! Instagram @elenakunickird Facebook - Elena Kunicki TikTok @elenakunickird Email me at elena@elenakunicki.com

Kat Beck (@katbeck) is a multi-dimensional medicine guide who combines energy work and somatics to help women revolutionize their relationship with their body and embody the force of nature they were meant to be, so they can actually LIVE and not just “heal”. She shares her own story with body image, binge eating and bulimia and how she fully recovered. We chat about the role energy work and somatics can play in the healing process from disordered eating, and coming back to confidence and power in your own skin! Find her and her monthly membership, Embodied Mystics, on Instagram page: @katbeck Submit questions for the podcast! https://forms.gle/WtHJXSNn4M3jZs329 Work with me 👇 linktr.ee/elenakunicki Follow me on social media for more guidance, mindset shifts, and support! Instagram @elenakunickird Facebook - Elena Kunicki TikTok @elenakunickird Email me at elena@elenakunicki.com

Angelica Guadalupe (@purposelyangelica on Instagram) shares her story with anorexia, binge eating/overeating, depression and finally learning to accept her body and make peace with food. Her website is: purposelyangelica.com Submit questions for the podcast! https://forms.gle/WtHJXSNn4M3jZs329 Work with me 👇 linktr.ee/elenakunicki Follow me on social media for more guidance, mindset shifts, and support! Instagram @elenakunickird Facebook - Elena Kunicki TikTok @elenakunickird Email me at elena@elenakunicki.com

How do you know if you’re exercising because you like it or to change how your body looks? Is it safe to go “all in” with PCOS? I’m scared I want to be a dietitian who works with eating disorders. But I’ve had my own ED and I’m worried about being triggered How to deal with needing to take an exercise break during injuries? …All these questions answered in this episode! Submit a question to be answered on the podcast: https://forms.gle/WtHJXSNn4M3jZs329 Learn more about my group program Normal Eater (enrollment closes January 22nd)👇 linktr.ee/elenakunicki Follow me on social media for more guidance, mindset shifts, and support! Instagram @elenakunickird Facebook - Elena Kunicki TikTok @elenakunickird Email me at elena@elenakunicki.com

Caitlin shares her story with binge eating, bulimia, losing her period and recovering to find a healthy relationship with food, exercise and her body image. Submit a question to be answered on the podcast: https://forms.gle/WtHJXSNn4M3jZs329 Apply for my group program, Normal Eater 👇 linktr.ee/elenakunicki Follow me on social media for more guidance, mindset shifts, and support! Instagram @elenakunickird Facebook - Elena Kunicki TikTok @elenakunickird Email me at elena@elenakunicki.com

Submit pieces of content about binge eating, missing periods, body image, fitness, nutrition, etc. that you’d like me to review: https://forms.gle/WtHJXSNn4M3jZs329 Apply for my group program, Normal Eater 👇 linktr.ee/elenakunicki Follow me on social media for more guidance, mindset shifts, and support! Instagram @elenakunickird Facebook - Elena Kunicki TikTok @elenakunickird Email me at elena@elenakunicki.com

The advice to keep binge foods out of the house…why doesn’t it work for you?? What to do instead? In this episode! Apply for my group program, Normal Eater 👇 linktr.ee/elenakunicki Follow me on social media for more guidance, mindset shifts, and support! Instagram @elenakunickird Facebook - Elena Kunicki TikTok @elenakunickird Email me at elena@elenakunicki.com