How I stopped binge eating
Posted on February 13, 2022 by Stel Coombe-Heath, One of Thousands of Health and Fitness Coaches on Noomii.
I’m embarrassed to admit it, but for years I struggled with binge eating. I share my story in hope that I might help someone else out there.
Hi, my name is Stel and I’m the #1 authority in helping career women overcome binge and overeating using my signature Binge-free blueprint.
My mission is to inspire women all over the globe to remove the guilt and obsession they have around food and how their bodies look.
I have a vision of a future where women and young girls are no longer ashamed of their bodies.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked down on an empty box of cookies, bag of chips and (or both) feeling disgusted with myself, I would ask myself “what have I done? I will never have control over food”!!
It took me years to pluck up the courage to reach out and get help. Years of anguish, tears and beating myself up, after an emotional eating zombie episode!
One day when I hit rock bottom, I decided to reach out to a coach and I showed up for our appointment, I showed up for myself! That one moment of bravery set my recovery in motion and I will forever be grateful for myself for being brave and taking that first step!
I remember that day as clear as if it was yesterday.
Three years ago, on a Thursday night.
I’ve just finished almost everything in my pantry after bingeing on doughnuts, drive-through food, and emptied my pantry.
I was in tears. In fact, I was ugly crying on the floor, hugging my dog, and just wishing that I could be free of the hold food had on me.
I’ve been to many professionals and according to the statistical diagnostics there was no diagnosis for what I had, so for over 13 years, I struggled with a disordered relationship with food resulting in two eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and emotional eating.
There was no one out there to help me. I felt like a failure, I had a successful career, supporting friends, and a loving husband but I could not get a grip on my binge eating.
On this Thursday, I cried, as if my best friend has just died.
I felt helpless. I felt ashamed. I felt out of control.
And it was at that moment where I knew that I needed to help myself heal.
I started researching for ways that could work, I found information on rewiring your brain,
I applied with so many appointments but I didn’t show up I was too scared, eventually, I found a coach who specialised in eating disorder recovery. I learnt how to heal my relationship with food through rewiring my brain; I learnt how to become mindful of my emotions, and finally, I built new habits that no longer had me shackled to food or calories.3 months into my recovery, I realised I no longer reached for food when having a bad day, I could have some chocolate without finishing the entire block and at that moment, I knew I needed to help others out there struggling like me.
No one should ever have to have that kind of relationship with food, no one should suffer in shame or guilt for what their bodies look like. Unfortunately, society (a.k.a the diet industry) tells us we need to look a certain way to be “acceptable”, we need to judge ourselves and others for our food choices and we need to starve our bodies to get there.
As human beings, it’s not what life is about, we deserve to accept ourselves and others without feeling ashamed about our bodies.
That is why I do what I do. And that is why I’m now the number one authority in helping women stop binge and emotional eating.
It takes courage to make a change but once you take the first step so many opportunities unfold!
If this resonates with you, I urge you to reach out, if not to me then someone who will hold you in the highest version of yourself!
