BANISH THE BINGE by Anthony Noud

BANISH THE BINGE By Anthony Noud

Working full time as a nutrition and physique coach, I have pretty much heard all the excuses about not being able to stick to your diet, make your training sessions or just poor excuses for not reaching your body and lifestyle goals. With regards to food specifically, one of the most common, and most difficult to work through would have to be….. “I simply just LOVE food too much” or “I don’t think you understand Anthony, I have a MASSIVE sweet tooth” or the best yet, “It’s my comfort food!”  Today I would like to try and tackle the hot topic of comfort food,  being a  “foodie”, binge eating or emotional eating….call it what you like, but the best way I can describe it is being in a the position where  no matter how bad you want to stick to your diet and exercise, you just cant seem to stay on track for long enough (or regularly enough) to get you to your goal.

First and foremost, I am NOT a psychologist nor do I claim to be any kind of emotional transformational guru. I have, however, been an “emotional eater”, binge eater, and still am a self confessed “foodie”.  Hopefully some of you can relate to my experience, and the experience I have gained from working with hundreds of others and pick up on some of the lessons I learnt along the way.

The number of times I have sat down in a consultation with people who have broken down in tears and poured out truly heartfelt desires to me about how important their weightloss goals are tells me that its not that they don’t want it. In fact, its quite the opposite…most people REALLY want it! To the point that its something they obsess about DAILY! Constantly wishing to be slimmer, looking for the latest diet, diet food, diet pill, super food, low calorie snack or slimming clothing, all the while constantly judging the next person on the street and comparing their own bodies….I have NO DOUBT whatsoever that you really want that body that you will one day feel comfortable in.

Many of you may be doing more than just WISHING/HOPING for that day to come and actually be practicing good health, exercising regularly and also watching what you eat…..The only problem is that no matter how motivated you are on Monday morning, come Friday (or often sooner) you just cant seem to help yourself to that food you KNOW you shouldn’t be eating….

Whether it’s a work function, a social event, pressure from friends/partners/co-workers or simply because its Friday and you feel like you deserve a nice meal and a drink….you succumb to your minds will and then fast forward to Sunday night and you have been eating crap all weekend, feel disgusted with yourself and are now swearing black and blue that tomorrow its all gonna stop! It’s kind of strange because in many other areas of your life you have amazing will power, but when it comes to your diet you just cant seem to stay on track!!

The best way I have heard this explained was the way it was explained to me:

When you were a child and you started crying, what did your mother give you? Her breast, right? And then you got a little bit older and you cried you were given a bottle, and then a dummy, then in went your thumb until you were old enough to throw a tantrum in the shopping centre until ice cream was the prescribed remedy….Most of us can relate to this, or at least have seen it…so what was all of this teaching us? That from the earliest age we are taught that when I have a feeling I get given FOOD!

Have you ever noticed a baby sipping on a bottle of milk?? Picture it... it goes glug, glug glug, glug and their eyes start to roll back in their head and they relax and its like “ahhhhhh, all better now” – This is us being taught from BIRTH that food fixes our feelings!

Now this may not resonate for all of you, and that’s ok! But what about this scenario…

Then we start growing up and it’s the same old story, birthday party you get a cake, get a good report card and the family goes to sizzlers, win a game of weekend sport- get macca’s on the way home, lose a game of weekend sport- get macca’s on the way home… Now we might not be crying about it anymore but its still the same action…..good times, bad times, anytime…..we are still putting the dummy (ie; food)  in our mouths. Basically, from an extremely young age we are taught not to feel our feelings, but instead lets make everything better with food.

“But that’s not my problem!” I hear you say… “I only eat when I am bored! Or stressed at work” or “I am good all week and then lose it all on the weekends!” I am here to suggest something crazy… NONE of us in this country are overeating because we are hungry….and NOBODY ANYWHERE is fat because they are hungry.

What I am suggesting is that many (I would say more than 95% of people I know) are emotionally eating in some way. Emotional eating is a bit of a taboo subject and conjures images of someone locking themselves in the bathroom with a whole chocolate slice and crying while the slice is quickly digested… and yes, that would be considered emotional eating, but what I am getting at is a little more subtle, and brings us back to the dummy in the mouth thing I was on about…

In my personal case it was weird because I could be extremely strict and stick to my diet 100% all week long with no fuss, but come Friday night all bets were off, I’m talking proper bingeing on anything and everything from sweet, fried, baked, savoury, etc until I felt sick and literally couldn’t move. This would leave me feeling guilty, gross and with a strange sense of being powerless over my behavior… I knew well that I was gonna feel disgusting and regret it the next day but its kind of like I couldn’t help myself…The dummy had stopped working and I was stuck in a cycle of doing this regularly with my frustration growing rapidly.  Every time that feeling came up I couldn’t help it, I just had to eat.

Now, after quite a while of this continuing I realized that no matter how bad I wanted my goals, or how focused/disciplined I could be or how strong my intentions were, something had to give…

Why is it that we binge eat KNOWING full well that we will regret it afterwards yet still cant stop? It’s because we are ignoring our bodies needs (feelings) and instead trying to fix them with food! And put simply, the dummy isn’t working anymore!

I started actually paying attention to my body. Now this might sound weird, but instead of listnening to my head when it said “You should totally go out for dinner, you deserve it, its been a big week….go on! You deserve it, plus it will be amazing!” I actually STOPPED listening to this and paid attention to my BODY instead.

What I found was quite remarkable….When I stopped and paid attention to my body I realized that what was going on wasn’t hunger at all, in fact it had nothing to do with food. I was simply FEELING FEELINGS!

Whether it be stress, anxiety, fear, anger or in my case- fatigue after a big week at work, I started to notice that this impulsive desire to eat just so happened to come up whenever I felt uncomfortable feelings. What I perceived as hunger (which is what I had been trained to do) was actually my body telling me that I wasn’t giving it something it needed- in this case, REST!

What I needed to do rather than eat was to begin to support my body to feel these feelings…Now to some of you this might be common sense, but for me who was given a dummy from a young age this was all new to me.

So what I am suggesting here is pretty crazy, and only if you’re interested might you try it….but instead of listening to that voice in your head that says QUICK, get some food into you NOW!, simply FEEL THE FEELING in your body instead! This is supporting your body and teaching it that it doesn’t need food to fix anything because you are there to support it! (which is all it wanted in the first place).

In order to be able to support your body you will need to work out the stressors, triggers or feelings that are triggering you…you may not even know what these are, but my bet is that when they come up the best solution your mind comes up with is to mindlessly go to the fridge, shop, drawer or wherever else you get your comfort food fix.

A good way to do this is to keep a food and feelings diary, noting what you eat as you eat it, and also noting how you feel at that time. Now over a few days this might not make much sense, but keep at it for a month or so and I guarantee you will begin to see the bigger picture- noticing patterns and trends.

A good example is a PURE and LEAN coaching client I worked with recently. Although she was losing weight her results could have been better because in her own words  she “couldn’t stop eating sugar, its out of control!”. After chatting with her she was certain that it was just because she had a sweet tooth, lack of will power and ate when she was bored. I got her to keep a food and feelings diary and within about 10 days of her paying close attention to her body she realised some really interesting things: 9 times out of 10 when she would eat something that wasn’t on her plan it was either because she was feeling anxious about her work- constantly stressing that enough wasn’t being done, targets weren’t met and the associated stress would lead her to say “stuff it, give me some chocolate” OR the other time she would eat was when her partner wasn’t home or wouldn’t return a phone call/text message.

**note** these are the surface level signs, once she had looked more deeply into these by using the 5 why’s (or similar) (click here for info) She discovered that there were deeper underlying issues at hand, but that’s something we can cover in a future post.

So once you identify WHEN (and hopefully why) you are likely to binge eat, you can then begin to support your body during these times. This may be different for everyone and will depend on the reason/feeling you are experiencing but a good place to start is by acknowledging that you are actually having a feeling eg; “I know your stressed, you have had a big day, you don’t actually want to eat” and then asking your body what you actually feel like…. Some of the more common things that come up will be things like:

• Have a rest/power nap
• Take a leisurely walk
• Sleep in!
• Connect with a friend
• Have a massage/facial/haircut
• Exercise
• Meditate
• Read a book/watch a movie/listen to music
• Simply have some quiet time

It doesn’t matter what you do! As long as it is something that you enjoy and you are supporting (not forcing, or shaming) your body into doing! –This last bit is important! Perhaps write a list of 5 things that you can do, along with supportive affirmations you can use when you feel your triggers coming on.

Remember, most of us learnt the habit of eating when we feel something from way before we can even remember so don’t expect it to change overnight.

In my case, it took me around 12months to get a real handle on my emotional eating and apply these ideas with real success. In my personal experience, it was this particular work which has made the biggest difference to my life surrounding my food, diet and satisfaction with my body.  I no longer binge eat, or eat uncontrollably… that doesn’t mean that I don’t ever eat a bad thing (I certainly do!) But I no longer regret or feel guilty for anything I eat and this has brought an amazing sense of freedom to my life.

Since sharing and applying these principles with clients willing to learn I am now 100% certain that working WITH your body towards your goals, and feeling your feelings is the only way I have seen people stop binge/emotional eating for good… forcing, shaming and ignoring your bodies needs is futile and only makes the problem worse.

Supporting your body makes it possible to eat clean and LITERALLY LOVVEE IT! With practice this is the END of emotional eating and the beginning of living life totally free of all that food/body related stress….. where you eat right for your body because it is perfectly in line with your goals, brings you great joy and almost effortlessly, BRINGS YOU YOUR RESULTS!

If you would like any further information on this topic, have feedback or are interested in the nutrition coaching services we offer at PURE and LEAN you can contact me directly on anthony@pureandlean.com.au I would love to hear from you!

When is enough ever enough? By Anthony Noud

When is Enough ever enough? By Anthony Noud

Often times I find myself wanting more. More of what you ask? More of EVERYTHING!! I want to be leaner, I want to be faster, I want to lift heavier and more challenging weights, I want a faster car, nicer house and more free time to spend with loved ones. This flows into all areas of my life, from my training to my work and into my personal life. I like to achieve stuff and progress and constantly better myself. But when is enough really enough? And what am I looking to gain from all this "achievement"?

There is good reason I operate this way and I know for sure that I am not alone. Turn on a tv, pick up a magazine or listen to 9 out of 10 conversations in any coffee shop anywhere and it's the same old story- "If only I was skinnier" "if only I could lose this last little bit off my tummy" "if only I could come first for once" "if only I had that bum/ tummy/car/house/hairstyle/husband/legs/wife/job" THEN I WOULD BE HAPPY!

As a society we are told that it's the next thing we attain, earn, achieve or own that is going to make us happy, fulfilled or good enough. Now don't get me wrong, having goals is an essential part of health and fitness, and you won't achieve your dream body without them, but what happens when you reach a goal? Does it make you happy? Does it make you content? Does it give you that feeling you expected it would?

Let me explain, for those of you that don't know, I used to be overweight (in fact I was a real deal fatty)- if you're interested, I have shared some of my story here http://www.exquisitephysiques.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/from-fatty-to-physique-coach-part-of-my.html  Like everyone else I read magazines and watched tv and was under the impression that "if only I looked like that guy in the magazine" that I would be happy, and because then I would be winning at life and as such, I would  have a kickass marching band follow me around declaring me as a successful human.

I was sadly mistaken. My initial goal was to lose weight and "be happy with my body". I lost over 33kg. Although this was a MASSIVE achievement and had improved most areas of my life, I wasn't much more comfortable in my body. So I set my next goal, which was to have visible abs- surely then I'd be satisfied!? So I got abs, and yes there is no denying it- having abs is definitely cool and does feel amazing...but did it make me happy? No, straight away I was onto the next thing- less fat on my hips and legs, then striations in my back, delts and triceps......this went on until I was walking around at 6% bodyfat literally pinching myself regularly to ensure that I wasn't getting FAT!!

Everybody was telling me how great I looked and how far I had come but I couldn't see it. I focused on all the “problem areas”. I would literally get stopped on the street, at parties, or in the gym by complete strangers and get complimented on my physique and asked what I do and if I had tips for them on how to train certain body parts.

You think this would have me feeling pretty content and pleased with myself, at least satisfied that I had reached my initial goal of losing weight and getting ripped?? The simple fact was that I had become so caught up in ticking off my next goal, getting that little bit leaner, lifting that one kg heavier that I had completely lost sight of how far I had come.

I would punish myself in the gym, eat as strictly as possible (I mean super strict, like eat boiled chicken and boiled sweet potato with no sauce or flavoring on my birthday type of strict) and while my dedication certainly produced the result I was chasing, I would only feel fulfilled for short periods of time, like after attaining a personal best in a workout, or noticing new muscle growth etc. All other times (which was about 90% of the time) it felt like I was constantly in a battle to get to the next level, the next goal, the next achievement. I had an incredible body capable of great things yet I really wasn’t comfortable in it and definitely didn’t appreciate how lucky I was…I realized there must be more to life than this, I mean what happened to the idea I was fed that if I look a certain way that I would then be comfortable and happy in my body? And where was my bloody marching band?

I needed to put things into perspective. If I was constantly striving for the next goal and not stopping to appreciate my efforts then I would NEVER be fulfilled...no matter how much I achieved because it would always be a case of "what's next?". I also needed to realize that by achieving things or looking a certain way I was never going to gain value nor would these things make me happy.

One day when complaining in frustration that I wasn’t lean/strong/good enough (whatever the flavour of the day happened to be) a good friend and mentor of mine set me straight. He said "have a listen to yourself!! Only a few short years ago you were a fat f*@k that couldn't run to save himself and now you have the best body out of anyone I know and all you can do is complain about it!" this hit me like a tonne of bricks.

He then went on to explain to me about a philosophy he prescribed to which was to live life with an “attitude of gratitude”. The idea being that if I was to live my life being grateful for where I had come from, and genuinely accept the present moment- no matter what the circumstance- that I could make instant peace with my insatiable need to progress and maybe even learn to appreciate my journey thus far.

I went home and begrudgingly began to write up a “gratitude list”. At first I was skeptical and thought “as if this is gonna do anything, what a joke etc”….At first it was slow going but within minutes I had easily filled a page and the list kept growing until I was faced with a never ending list that made it glaringly obvious that not only was my life pretty damn amazing, but I had actually achieved a hell of a lot in quite a short time period and that really I had VERY LITTLE to complain about.

The main reason I bring this up is that I often come across clients who are constantly making real changes in their lives- dropping loads of bodyfat, smashing fitness and health goals, literally living in bodies that they only ever dreamed of previously, yet when I suggest that they should be really proud of their achievements I am often met with a long list of “yeah but’s”….. “yeah but ill be happy once I lose this last little bit” or “yeah but I’ll never have legs like sally” Yeah well I’m here to tell you that the saying is true- “everything that comes after the word “but” is bullsh*t!”

Don’t get me wrong, I am totally for setting goals (lofty goals even) and then doing your very damned best to achieve those goals. However, sometimes we must all take stock and remember that health, fitness and being comfortable in our bodies is a journey and not a destination.

Too often I see people realize that reaching the external or aesthetic physique/fitness goal doesn’t bring them the self-confidence, happiness or fulfillment they had expected. Many then feel disappointed and give up, often returning to being overweight and unhappier. Or, like in my case- set a bigger goal under the impression that this bigger, brighter goal will surely deliver its promise.

It wasn’t until I took the time to reflect on my journey that I realized that it wasn’t “having abs” or achieving that “next little bit” that would make me content or confident etc. Instead it was the self discipline, hard work and persistence it took to get there that made me that much stronger, confident and produced an unbeatable and lasting sense of achievement.

I can now honestly say that whether I am sitting at 5% or 15% bodyfat, I am truly comfortable with my body, and I cannot describe just how incredible that feeling is. I demand that it’s a feeling absolutely nobody should have to live without.

If you have a goal to lose 10kg/get a flat tummy or simply lose that last little bit then go out and MAKE THAT DREAM A REALITY!! Just make sure that you enjoy the process, support yourself through each step of the journey and on the day when you wake up and you have reached your goal take a moment to reflect on how far you have come, reward yourself for all of your hard work and then continue on your journey to living your best life in your ultimate body. 

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If you would like your own custom made nutrition plan guaranteed to reach your goals or are interested in my Physique coaching services please contact me on anthony@purehealthclubs.com.au

DONT MISS OUT! ON THIS DIET By Anthony Noud

 DONT MISS OUT! (on this diet) by Anthony Noud

Over the last little while I have had the privilege of working closely with clients in a “coaching” role- imparting my knowledge, support and occasional wisdom with regards to clients lifestyle and body goals.

Most people arrive as a big ball of flustered enthusiasm and are literally ready to change the world (well their world at least). This is great! It makes my job easier because when clients simply follow their plan- whether that be exercise or nutrition (or both)- they achieve their goals- the body of their dreams. If only it were that easy…

One of the more common emails I receive from clients read something like this: “Well, you see, I kinda had to- couldn’t get out of, was forced to, got tied up and may or may not have been force fed that piece of cake on the weekend” Plus Anthony “you don’t understand!- I really felt like I was missing out!!”

 I suppose what I am trying to say is, if you are getting physically restrained and forced to eat yummy treats, stop reading this now and either a) call the cops, or b) thank your lucky stars- depending on which way you look at it J Seriously though, if you are currently dieting or following a healthy eating plan and feel like you are “missing out” or fell deprived in some way, keep reading…

 First and foremost what is food to you? Is food a reward? Perhaps for a hard day at work? Maybe food is an outlet for stress? Or, is food a celebration? According to our society of course it is! You have probably been invited to 5 different events this week (birthdays, parties, functions) that are all centered around food and drink, the more special the occasion the fancier the food and drink. Does this make it ok to succumb to the norm though?

As a baby you used to cry, when you cried, what did your mother do? She gave you a bottle! When you weren’t hungry anymore she gave you a dummy. So long before you could talk or walk you had already learnt that the way to deal with stuff that came up for you is to eat stuff….yummy stuff.

So your 5 years old and you are celebrating your birthday, what is the must have for your party? A massively big super pimped up birthday cake, and when you left said party you got what? A LOLLY BAG! (this is great, I got rewarded with food…again!)  Now you are all grown up and instead of birthday parties at Sally’s place its “wine and cheese with the girls” or “coffee and cake” with Mum- because its our Friday afternoon ritual, its what we do to reward ourselves after a big week, that makes sense…right? What a great reason to celebrate! Lets all go and celebrate!! YAY FOR DIABETES AND YAY FOR BEING THE FATTEST, MOST MORBIDLY OBESE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD! YAY!!

An extreme view? Yes it is, but the point I am trying to get at is that while we cant escape societies ideas about food and celebration, we CAN change the way we view our food, and why we eat it! (Note: this same thinking applies to negative events in our lives exactly the same way as celebrating eg; rough day at work, relationship problems etc- eat a whole lot of junk or “drown your sorrows”.)

First and foremost food is ENERGY! No more and no less. We require food to ensure we have enough energy to get up and live out the day, combining certain amounts of different foods will ensure we do this effectively and efficiently. THAT’S IT! At the end of the day, that’s as complicated as our relationship with food needs to be. 

View your food as fuel, because that’s what it is- would you fill your car up with a fuel that you knew would result in it running terribly or breaking down? (of course not!)  So why do you do it to your body with food? And why the hell do you feel like you are “missing out” on this??

The reason the vast majority of us do this is because we have an emotional connection with our food- which sadly for many ends up being stronger than our real desires which are to be healthy and feel comfortable in our bodies. I’ll get into emotional eating in another blog but for now lets look at how to let go of that feeling of deprivation.

First and foremost, don’t view yourself as being on a “diet”- although it shouldn’t, societal influence suggests this word implies restriction and will automatically have you feeling deprived. As long as you are “dieting” and forcing your body to only eat certain foods you will feel restricted and deprived.

Instead, look at your healthy eating as a “lifestyle choice” a conscious decision to reach and then maintain whatever goal is important to you. Once you cross this mental line, you are no longer “dieting” in the regular sense, you are choosing to  eat clean simply because that is what you do, because you know the reward outweighs the temptation. I promise that when you reach this point it is truly empowering, and food is no longer restrictive.

·      Ask yourself, “Am I really missing out”? What exactly are you missing out on?

·      Use consequential thinking- “If I splurge now, will I really feel better?” “How will I feel afterwards? Or when I weigh myself in the morning?”

·      Is it really worth it?

·      Be sure to include a regular “treat” meal where you can enjoy your favourite unhealthy foods guilt free. Plan for, delay your gratification and look forward to these relaxed meals. Savour it and pay attention to your body afterwards. for more info on "cheat" or "treat" meals click here  http://www.exquisitephysiques.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too-by.html

Many people feel as though they cant be social anymore after starting a clean eating plan- and at first your friends may even poke fun at your attempt to change your lifestyle, when this happens stick to your plan, in time they will be humbled by your new body and discipline and ask you for help on their own journey! How many times have you sat around a restaurant table and heard the words “I wish I could be as good/strict as you, how do you do it?” (perhaps you have even said it yourself)

(for tips regarding eating out wirthout blowing out read my previous blog here) http://www.exquisitephysiques.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/dieting-while-out-of-routine-by-anthony.html)

Now this is going to sound harsh but WAKE UP TO YOURSELF! There is NOTHING you “cant” or are “not allowed” to eat! You could live on a diet of greasy pad thai, pork crackling and condensed milk if you like- nobody is stopping you and sadly global marketing encourages it. You have made the decision to eat clean and healthy foods because this is WHAT YOU WANT! Remember? If you forgot- Go on, go and eat the block of chocolate or get take away on the way home and see what happens…. you will feel rubbish afterwards for two reasons- a) because its unhealthy and your body doesn’t like it and b) because you are going against your own values and goals! You decided to be healthy because it is important to you!

The next time you feel like you are missing out when it comes to food, tell yourself “I CHOOSE not to eat XYZ because it is not in line with my goals” It may sound silly, but with time it will really work. Make the right choices one by one, each time you stick to your goals you get that little bit stronger (empowered) and it creates a domino effect.  Until the day comes where temptation arises and you say to yourself “you know what? I don’t want that chocolate bar” Or you no longer care about the people at work calling you a “health freak” simply because you have won the battle in your mind and are living in accordance with your true values.

Remember that you are the chooser, and it’s your choice as to whether or not you feel like you are missing out.  So when you are next out and that internal dialogue of “should I? Why cant I just indulge like everyone else?” comes up, make the choice to NOT “be like everyone else” and choose your health and happiness over a soon to be forgotten celebratory meal. What an amazing, freeing and totally incredible feeling.

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 If you have ANY feedback, comments or questions please do not hesitate to contact me anthony@purehealthclubs.com.au