Do you have a tendency to binge eat or overeat? You’re not alone! Millions of people – in America and around the world – struggle with their eating habits. It can be hard to understand why you make these eating choices, and moreover, difficult to change course. We spoke with Dr. Glenn Livingston about how he went from regularly binge eating to getting himself onto a healthier path. He shares how you can achieve your goal weight on our new podcast.
Watch our podcast with Dr. Glenn Livingston to learn why you’re binge eating… and how to learn new habits:
Dr. Glenn Livingston is a veteran psychologist and was the longtime CEO of a multi-million dollar consulting firm which has serviced several Fortune 500 clients in the food industry. Today, he is the author of the book Never Binge Again. After a personal journey out of obesity, Glenn spent decades researching the psychology behind overeating and binge eating. His unique way of approaching food choices has helped countless individuals to develop a normal, healthy weight, and a much more lighthearted relationship with food. He is not promoting a specific diet; rather, he is helping people understand and overcome what leads to overeating and avoid it!
Glenn is also a daily blogger with Psychology Today and has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, ABC, and many more.
We begin our conversation with what led Glenn to focus his research and career on weight loss and binge eating. Glenn dives into his own personal story, from when he would regularly exercise and thus ate a lot. However, as time passed, he was no longer working out, but his meals were as substantial as ever. A few events in his career, as well as an eye-opening conversation with his mother, led Glenn to a new understanding of his binge eating. This allowed him to make life-changing steps in his eating patterns. Glenn now helps others with their eating habits, both through his work as a psychologist and through his book.
So why do so many of us engage in overeating, stress eating, and binge eating? Glenn talks about the kinds of stressors that can lead to overeating, including events that happened in your childhood. Food is often about comfort, and when other things in your life cause stress or pain, it’s natural to turn to something soothing, like your favorite snacks and meals. For many, this results in emotional eating.
Glenn also touches on how the food industry makes it easier to make unhealthy food choices. Indeed, the way food is marketed and displayed sets us up for failure. Packaging is often misleading, making you think food is healthier than it is. Further, notice how the healthiest foods are often the most expensive. It’s hard to make healthy food choices, perhaps especially in the United States.
How we can we overcome personal struggles and food industry hurdles? Glenn’s method involves a “food plan.” Here, he explains what a food plan is and how to make it. As he advises, it’s best to start with simple and easily attainable rules. Once you’re able to successfully stick to that plan, you can add a second rule, and then a third. Eventually, you’ll have a solid plan that you can stick to long-term.
Of course, we all go off course from time to time. How can we recover when we deviate from the food plan or go on a binge? How do we re-motivate? Glenn offers his tips here, allowing you to get back on track with confidence and a positive outlook.
Do you want to change your binge eating ways? Listen to our podcast with Glenn to learn how to get started:
To learn more about Dr. Glenn Livingston and his book, Never Binge Again, visit his official website here. You can also follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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