Posts Tagged compulsive eating

The Solution to Nighttime Binging

Solution to Nighttime BingingFor this week’s article I am responding to a question from a reader, Anna, who, after reading last week’s article, Back to Basics, wanted some more specific information on how to overcome nighttime binging. “I get an overwhelming sense that I need to eat at bedtime.  It is almost like an obsession.  I have not figured out what thought is triggering this yet. (At other times of the day it seems easier to figure out the thoughts that precede such events.)  If I assume it is really hunger and decide to have something small, I am right into a binge and cannot stop with a reasonable amount. Any ideas?” (more…)

Posted in: 2010, CEDRIC Centre, Relationship with Others, Relationship with Self

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Back to the Basics of How to Overcome an Eating Disorder

How to Overcome an Eating DisorderFor this week’s article I thought a wee review (intro to you newcomers) of a basic principle on how to overcome an eating disorder would be in order. In my own healing journey, the more I was reminded of this basic premise, the faster things went and the easier life became. I see this phenomenon repeating with my individual clients as well, so here goes. Simply put, if you’re restricting, overeating, purging, hating your body (no matter whether you’re truly overweight or underweight), feeling depressed, feeling anxious, drinking often, taking drugs, numbing out regularly to the T.V., or spending money you don’t really have on stuff you don’t really need, you are using a coping strategy. (more…)

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Client Appreciation Letter

Here is a wonderfully inspirational letter from one of our clients. We worked together for just 3 ½ months. “Thank you so much for your incredible dedication in the past few months. You’ve been invaluable in helping me understand the process of overcoming food and body obsession and I will carry all these incredible tools and insights with me forever. If I could share any words with those who are considering engaging in a similar process, this is what I would like to say: (more…)

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Stay with Yourself

A topic that comes up often enough in my sessions with clients is that of not really believing or trusting the “reassuring” and “supportive” comments of the Drill Sgt. (your inner critic/champion). What I mean is that, once you’ve identified that your Drill Sgt. is criticizing you for something and have used one of the CEDRIC tools to figure out what he’s really on about, it is common early in this healing process to want to reframe his well-intentioned but poorly-communicated support into a strong, confident statement of absolute belief and trust in our ability to succeed. This actually backfires, believe it or not, and we end up feeling just as estranged from ourselves but now we believe we don’t even have a tool we can use to help because we tried it and it didn’t work! Not quite true. (more…)

Posted in: 2010, CEDRIC Centre, Relationship with Others, Relationship with Self

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CEDRIC’s Weekly Update for Week 27, 2010

Hello out there! We’ve had another fabulous week here at CEDRIC with book sales, workshop preparation, new clients beginning their process with us, other clients graduating, and as always, amazing sharing and transformation on our web-based program. And to top it all off, I just had my most favorite kind of session of all! It’s the session where, after a few short months, someone who was, for years, feeling completely controlled by food and loathing themselves 24/7 is now feeling happy, peaceful, light, free. They are no longer using food to cope. They are liking their body and enjoying exercise. They are also establishing stronger, more intimate connections with family and new friends, even potential boyfriends, after years of feeling unworthy, stupid, and completely unlovable. I love those closure sessions where there simply isn’t anything to report or work on. Everything on the giant mountain of unfinished business that used to be ever-present and create such chronic anxiety and the need to overeat/restrict/purge is now taken care of. Day-to-day events are met with confidence and self-trust. The future is perceived as, “Nothing to worry about – I know I’ll deal with whatever comes up when it comes up. I’m not going to sweat about the future. I’m just gonna kick back and enjoy life.” Oh Yeah!!! Freedom! And for this particular person, that complete about-face and solid sense of peace and trust took 4 months and a total of 14 counselling sessions (including today, which was really just a formality and tying up loose ends). That’s it, that’s all. That’s a very typical experience, too. I am so very excited when someone steps free completely from the food stress. It’s a whole new world and a whole new life. You’re free to be the best you can be in all ways. I am so very touched also, when clients are willing to share their thoughts and feelings about our work together. It is such a gift to me to know how this process just works. I invite you to explore just some of the wonderful feedback we’ve received this past week alone, from clients: • Thanks again Michelle, you have such a wonderful way of cutting through the bullshit and getting to the point. • I’m feeling so positive about everything right now. It feels so good to come out of the dark. • Thank you so much for the Cedric Centre, your compassion and friendship. Everything I am learning is such a gift. Words cannot describe it. And a little note I received about our daily centering exercises (these are a staple of our web-based program): • These are fantastic, Michelle – I look forward to them so much. And last, but so far from least, a letter from a client (not the one mentioned above) who just completed her work with me two weeks ago. We worked together for 3 ½ months. “Thank you so much for your incredible dedication in the past few months. You’ve been invaluable in helping me understand the process of overcoming food and body obsession and I will carry all these incredible tools and insights with me forever. If I could share any words with those who are considering engaging in a similar process, this is what I would like to say: You won’t regret it! If you’re anything like me, you’re here because things seem desperate, and yet, there is a voice inside you that is saying that another way is possible. You don’t have to live the rest of your life feeling anxious and unhappy around food and your body. You’re ready to make changes and to begin to focus on things that really matter to you. This process, like any other journey worth taking, will have ups and down, challenges and rewards. It also may seem to take forever to make progress, especially when compared with the “quick fix” of either a binge or crash diet. You will find, however, that in working with this gifted and dedicated team, momentum builds quickly and sooner than you think, you will be seeing things in a completely new and exciting light. Don’t despair, you’re in good hands! Trust in this process. It is sound, makes sense and will work if your commitment to yourself and to change is strong. Keep your commitment strong by staying rooted in your compassion. Self-criticism has gotten you this far, now it’s time to switch gears and to start nurturing the part of yourself that is kind and gentle. When you make mistakes, be gentle. When you have success, celebrate. When you ask questions, be kind. When you set goals, be generous. It is amazing to feel yourself softening into self-compassion and soon, you won’t want to live anywhere else. Congratulations! You’ve taken the first tiny but very important step in greatly improving the course of the rest of your life! I know that my work through this Centre has done exactly that for me and I couldn’t be happier about it!” Signed, S So there you have it!  Thank you, ladies and gents for your generosity in providing me with such amazing feedback. As always, my team and I are here if you want to reach out and get some questions answered or begin to receive support for yourself or someone you love. Have a great week, and enjoy this week’s free article! Love The CEDRIC Centre - Michelle Morand

Posted in: 2010, CEDRIC Centre, Relationship with Others, Relationship with Self, The CEDRIC Centre Weekly Update

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CEDRIC’s Weekly Update for Week 26, 2010

Well, I hope you’ve had a fantastic week. We’ve had an amazing response to our summer workshops! Our Phase I workshop is bursting at the seams and our Phase II event at the end of August is filling up nicely. These workshops are always fabulous events that lead to so much growth and change for participants. I can’t help but be excited for you! Our events in Kelowna are shaping up, too. I’ll be in Kelowna on Wednesday, August 18th to provide a full day training event for professionals and a 3-hour introductory educational workshop for the general public. Registration information will be posted on our web site as of next week but if you’d like info before then, just email me directly @ mmorand@cedriccentre.com. And in case you haven’t noticed, as of 2 weeks ago, CEDRIC officially has a podcast! Yay!! Every week there will be a download accessible through our blog directly or through iTunes. If you like, you can subscribe to it and get a notification of its posting each week. I encourage you to have a listen. The more ways we experience a new message, the more it sinks in, that’s why we have so many different ways for you to approach your work with us. Have a great week! Love The CEDRIC Centre - Michelle Morand

Posted in: 2010, CEDRIC Centre, Relationship with Others, Relationship with Self

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How to Be Okay With Taking Care of Yourself

Taking Care of YourselfLast week we had a great exchange on the web-based program. Actually, we have a lot of those. It’s always such an incredibly open, respectful environment for sharing and learning. But this one in particular mirrored a recent article in which I discussed how to be okay with and taking care of yourself when you know others are upset with you. So I thought I’d share an excerpt of our dialogue here to help you to truly step free of the self-compromise and self-judgement that keeps you using food to cope. The main story that was causing this individual such stress was this one: “I am telling myself that it is impossible to make a decision which is honouring to my values AND guaranteed not to hurt others. (To, me that seems true.)” My response was something like this: (more…)

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Setting Reasonable Goals

setting reasonable goalsI’ll bet you know something about goal setting. I’d actually be willing to bet that you’re very good at setting yourself goals each and every day about what you’ll eat, what you won’t eat, when, how much exercise you’ll do, how much sleep you’ll get, whose call you’ll return and how much you’ll get done at work or around the house. Chances are, you’re really skilled at setting goals. But…how often do you actually follow through with them? How often do you get to the end of your day feeling peaceful and relaxed that you achieved what you had asked of yourself that day? If, more often than not, you reflect on your day,  and hear the Drill Sgt.’s critical voice in your head pointing out your shortcomings, it’s a good indication that you did not achieve the goals you set for yourself that day. Same goes for those of you who wake up in the morning to the Drill Sgt. telling you what you will and won’t do that day to make up for what you did/didn’t do the day before. (more…)

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Afraid to Make Mistakes?

Afraid to Make MistakesEver feel afraid to make mistakes? You can’t expect yourself to do something perfectly the first time around. In fact, you won’t be perfect (i.e. never make mistakes) right out of the gate (or ever for that matter). If you expect that or believe that there are others who are able to do that, you will sabotage yourself and you will never move forward. If you carry the belief that you have to be perfect and that if you can’t be perfect and guarantee that you’ll not make a mistake you’re not even going to bother trying something, not only are you going to experience a very stifled and rigid existence but you’ll probably feel anxious and on the verge of a breakdown most of the time. That kind of thinking is supreme all-or-nothing thinking and it is what is keeping you stuck in all areas of your life, guaranteed. If you use food to cope, you likely had a primary caregiver or mentor in your life who did not allow mistakes, someone who shamed, blamed, criticized or judged you for not doing something perfectly – or rather the way they thought it should be done. (more…)

Posted in: 2010, CEDRIC Centre, Natural Eating 101, Relationship with Self

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CEDRIC’s Weekly Update for Week 23, 2010

CEDRIC Centre Weekly UpdateWelcome to the CEDRIC Centre’s blog. This is the best place online to make lasting and complete changes to your stressful relationship with food, as well as any other stressful circumstances whether in relation to your self-regard, your relationships or your career. Many would say that we are the experts in getting you from “I’m stuck” to unstuck. Our very simple, quick, and effective method for removing all the barriers to your success, while simultaneously teaching you new ways of approaching food and other stressors, works for every harmful coping strategy and for every age, male or female. So whether you overeat, restrict, purge, drink, procrastinate, get stuck in harmful or unsatisfying relationships, feel unfulfilled in your career, or struggle with family connections, our method will show you, simply and speedily, how to create the change you seek in all areas of your life. Don’t waste another day feeling stuck and stressed out. Regardless of what you may have tried in the past, I can guarantee you, you’ve never tried this because if you had, you wouldn’t still be seeking a solution. Guaranteed! CEDRIC’s Weekly Update Hello out there! It’s been a supremely busy week here at CEDRIC! Wow! We’ve had many new clients reaching out to us from different parts of the world (thank you Skype!) who are exploring the many different services we have to offer. It finally feels like my dream of a centre that provides a sense of community and connectedness for those who struggle with food and body frustration is coming true!! Last night I gave a presentation to a large group of counselling professionals in Victoria.  And I will be traveling to Kelowna and Calgary in the Summer (or early Fall) to present to professionals and to the general public there. We may even hold our very, very first 3-day transformative workshop in Kelowna and Calgary. There definitely seems to be a lot of interest, and I can appreciate it’s easier for me to travel to you than for all of you to travel to me!  If you’re interested in an event in your city, or if you live in Kelowna or Calgary and want to be kept informed of events, let me know. Clearly, people are getting interested in what we have to offer and with our individual counselling, our workshops, our book and other materials and now our new Web-Based program for complete recovery, we are finally able to offer what seems to be the perfect blend of counselling support, resources, peer connection (as much or as little as you like) and healing at a price that everyone can truly afford. Yay!!!!!!!! In case you didn’t read the article from last week, entitled “Review Time” I’ve included a piece of feedback I received from a reader about their experience of the article. Our blog and newsletter provide you with free tools every week so that you can start to better understand why you do what you do with food and what you can start to do to achieve complete freedom. Don’t buy into the old bogus story that certain professionals still push, and therefore, certain of your friends and family might still believe, that once you’ve got an eating disorder, you’ve got it for life. That is so untrue and I find it ridiculous and frustrating that people are told such things. It is akin to the old story that the world is flat, or that cigarettes are really good for you! It is so very common for people who work with us for just a few months to walk away with complete freedom – that lasts!  Sometimes a person’s process takes a bit longer, but never are they stuck with a stressful relationship with food for life. You see, most approaches to eating disorder treatment never actually help you to understand the underlying triggers, separate from food and body image, that you experience in your day-to-day world. You just can’t be truly successful in any lasting way with just a meal plan and some medication to level out your emotions. The problem isn’t solved, just masked over. And what will happen if for some reason you forget or want to stop following your meal plan? Have you learned to trust yourself around food and to eat when hungry and stop when full? Likely not. Complete and lasting recovery from any harmful relationship with food such as dieting, compulsive overeating, bulimia, and anorexia requires you to be able to trust yourself around food. And that’s really not that hard to do when you are able to understand why you developed that stressful connection in the first place and what you can do, now, in the present to attend to that underlying trigger in a way that truly demonstrates respect for you. So, if you’re on the sidelines wondering if, after all the other things you’ve tried, you could possibly be successful and truly free, the answer is a resounding YES!!! You just have to try something that actually works! And here we are! Here’s Judy’s feedback from last week’s article: “I love how you simplify this! I have spent my life in the all-or-nothing mode, and now I see how this thinking is affecting so many aspects of my life. I would have never identified it as having anything to do with my out-of-balance eating behaviours! Very enlightening. Practicing telling myself the truth is like whacking my way through dense underbrush one step at a time. The all-or-nothing way has become such a well worn pathway, and a hard one to leave behind. Thank you Michelle.” Thank you Judy!  I’m so glad that this clicked for you! Have a great week everyone. Love The CEDRIC Centre - Michelle Morand

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