Reclaim You- Halloween Candy and The Binge-Restrict Cycle
Episode 24: Halloween Candy & The Binge Restrict Cycle with Emily
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Join Sarah and Halloween enthusiast (and eating disorder therapist) Emily , tackle disordered eating and dieting, especially during the holiday season.
We unravel the enigma of sugar and talk about the concept of habituation, shedding light on how controlled access to certain foods might actually be the key to managing uncontrollable cravings.
If the holidays are a time of stress due to food, tune in as we dive into the importance of self-compassion and how to escape the binge-restrict cycle. Learn how to nourish your body the day after a binge without falling back into restriction.
We underline the powerful impact of leaning into professional help when you're able to understand the small steps towards habituation and addressing underlying fat phobia.
We'll also share tips and strategies to help you manage triggers related to disordered eating and dieting during this festive season.
Learn more about the role restriction plays in binge eating here
Thanks for listening to Reclaim You with Reclaim Therapy!
To learn more about Reclaim Therapy and how to work with a therapist on the team, head to www.reclaimtherapy.org.
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Sarah
Host
00:01
Hi there, welcome to Reclaim you, a podcast published by the Reclaim Therapy team. Join us as we share stories, tools and insights on how to reclaim you in the wake of trauma, disordered eating and body shame. Grab your coffee, tea or your favorite snack and get cozy, because we're about to dive in. Welcome back to Reclaim you. It is a week out, a little lesson a week out from Halloween. So Emily's back this week. Our Halloween loving person, I'm here for it.
00:35
I'm ready, yes yes, we're talking Halloween and Halloween candy and how to navigate the abundance of candy that we're all going to be walking into shortly.
Emily
Co-host
00:49
Yeah, it's a hard time of the year For sure. The holidays are. You know, halloween is just the start of the holidays, so this is definitely, I think, a big topic on a lot of people's minds.
Sarah
Host
01:02
Yeah, it's like the beginning of chaos in lots of ways, of the holidays, of the running of the food sets can be really scary. So, yeah, we're kicking it off.
Emily
Co-host
01:14
I'm ready. I got my pumpkin coffee here.
Sarah
Host
01:17
So good for you. You're brave drinking coffee in the afternoon, I know.
Emily
Co-host
01:24
Listen, I was driving around. It was nice out. I was like I just don't like drive up with the wind it's down and drink my pumpkin coffee from Duncan Sounds amazing.
Sarah
Host
01:34
Yeah, do you like Duncan pumpkin or Starbucks pumpkin better?
Emily
Co-host
01:38
Oh, it's a very hard question. It is. It's a very hard question. I like the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte Delicious, and I like their pumpkin cream cold brew, yes, but just the like standard Duncan pumpkin iced coffee. I don't know, that might be it, it just hits different. Got it like the first I was released.
Sarah
Host
02:06
Yeah, I did too this year. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I found that my Starbucks I can't order, because I always order ahead, because I feel like I'm always running behind for my life and so I always try to order it, and I can't order a head pumpkin. They don't have pumpkin on the list and so I have to like refer to my standard unless I'm gonna stand in line. So I've been doing toffee nut lately, which is just delicious as well, so that's also a good one.
02:31
Yeah, so Halloween candy has been out everywhere for I don't know, probably over a month at this point and yeah, I can feel really threatening to folks who are struggling with disordered eating or dieting cycles or an eating disorder, the kind of looming Reese's Halloween pumpkin heads in the background. It feels important to kind of dig into that and to maybe what drives it into how to handle all of the candy that's going to be coming into your life Definitely hard.
Emily
Co-host
03:03
It's definitely a fun time of year, but a definitely triggering time of year for sure. Yeah, I think it kind of thinking about just how much candy is around and then, especially like on Halloween itself, it's kind of this unique situation where if you celebrate and you hand candy out, it's you kind of buy it in bulk because it's sold in bulk and yeah, it's, it's this scary food that's in your home. So it definitely brings up a lot for for folks who celebrate.
Sarah
Host
03:40
Yeah, yeah, and I think of just like the basic, the basic probably overarching diet, culture, wellness culture, view on sugar the sugar is bad, that sugar is addictive, that sugar is the like, the issue. Sugar is the issue, right. And I think, from a different perspective for folks to consider is like maybe sugar isn't the issue, maybe it's something else.
Emily
Co-host
04:10
Maybe it's something else. I think that's a really important thing to talk about. Like let's think about is it sugar, or is sugar something that you don't let yourself have because of all these messages from diet culture? And then, when it's around, like not only is your body like ooh, I really want that, because I never get that, but that that fear and anxiety aspect can come into, like I don't want this in my house for longer than tonight. So, like, how am I going to get rid of it? And a lot of times, like those two things end up intermixing and we can end up in jing or overeating, and that feels really out of control, mm-hmm.
Sarah
Host
04:54
Yeah, yeah, the concept of habituation right is. I don't think folks talk about it a lot. Well, in the intuitive eating community, absolutely, habituation has spoken about a ton. But it feels really important to share a little bit about that of like, the more you have something, the easier it is to have something, the less urgency you feel around it. You know, and alongside of that is if you're struggling with disordered eating or diets, you're struggling with those things. You're likely undernourished, and if you're undernourished, there's a physiological drive to eat food. When something tastes good and you're hungry, it's this, you know, perfect opportunity for your body to be fed. It doesn't really matter what, it is right, your body just wants to be fed.
Emily
Co-host
05:40
Absolutely, and I that comes up a lot in you know, obviously the work that we do and there's always a reaction of pointing out, like you were saying, like the more that we allow ourselves to have something or have access to something, the likelihood that we're going to crave it in like that uncontrollable way is is going to go down. But I know, like just talking about that initially, like most people are like wait, wait, wait, wait, like oh no, no, no, no.
06:09
That makes zero sense. Like what are you talking about? But you're, I mean, what you said is exactly right. Like that's, that's the work there. Like we have to have those things available.
Sarah
Host
06:19
We have to be nourishing ourselves in order to really move past that, yeah, it's the basic binge or strict cycle that can feel so impossible to get out of. When you're caught in it it's so hard and it's so brave to find your way out. And then Halloween or Thanksgiving or Christmas or you know any holiday that you're celebrating, with all of the communal eating and the good food and things are, you know, in celebration and they're nostalgic. There's so much built up around it. There's so much emotion built up around it.
Emily
Co-host
06:52
Yeah, absolutely, and I'm thinking the holidays are really hard for a lot of people, so we're also then balancing being around family members that might be hard to be around, like trying to set boundaries with them, or grief, like all these really hard things that can come in, or, on the holidays, that food comforts, that. Yeah, you know, that's the way to deal with those really hard emotions.
Sarah
Host
07:16
Yeah, it makes sense right.
07:17
It totally makes sense. So what do you think? In preparing for Halloween next week, you may. So there's a couple of options here. Right, like you may have not gone out to buy Halloween candy yet because you're afraid to have the Halloween candy in your house. On the other hand, you may already have the Halloween candy in your house and you're feeling uncomfortable and kind of like like itchy about it. So let's go with. You're yet to get the Halloween candy. What are maybe some tips or ideas or pockets of just being curious about going out and doing that and preparing to have that amount of candy? That's likely not something you have on a daily basis in your home.
Emily
Co-host
08:02
I think if someone is at that point where it's like, okay, I want to engage, I'm going to get some trick or treaters, I want to celebrate, but they still haven't gotten candy yet. Like let's just get curious there. Like let's take it slow. Let's even just think about what would it be like to go get the candy, what kind of candy would you imagine getting? Like let's just take it very foundationally first, to try to sit with some of those uncomfortable feelings that might come up when you inevitably actually go get the candy, just to start to really be able to ground yourself in those moments of anxiety, maybe even just thinking about it before going and actually purchasing it, yeah.
Sarah
Host
08:46
So like feeling into it in a safer way, like an imagined way, and getting just familiar with what comes up around, what you anticipate to happen, Yep, baby steps.
Emily
Co-host
08:57
That way it's not like, okay, I'm going to go, I'm going to ignore all this anxiety and then inevitably, when I actually buy it, it's just going to hit me and feel even more overwhelming, totally Like, let's just take it slow and just imagine it and get used to those feelings and that like grounding yourself, like you said, that grounding yourself alongside of feeling that anxiety or trying to find some sets of regulation does feel so important.
Sarah
Host
09:26
So it's like I can experience the upheaval related to imagining this or preparing for this. I can also feel even just like glimmers of regulation and calm, maybe pockets of safety, and then you might go right back up into anxiety, but at least you're kind of like working with some.
Emily
Co-host
09:43
Yeah absolutely, and being able to come back to that moment of safety even if anxiety spikes, being very intentional there, like it's okay, like I got there before I can get there again, like I just have to myself for a map.
Sarah
Host
09:57
And then so let's go the other situation where you went to Sam's Club or Costco or BJs or whatever the target doesn't matter. You went to that place and you got the like big ass bag of candy and it's haunting you and you're finding yourself like elbow deep in the bag and then you're in a shame spiral and then you start restricting the next day because you need to get back on track. Where do we go with that?
Emily
Co-host
10:24
So I think even that, like mindfulness, is going to be important for all of this. Like if that cycle is happening, like let's get curious, like, why is that happening? Is that happening because Maybe you are restricting and your body's hungry? Is that happening because there is some kind of emotional need there that's not being met? Is it kind of a combination of everything? So I think that the first step is always getting curious about what is going on, so we can then take some steps forward to get to the root of what your body is trying to tell you.
Sarah
Host
11:03
And if it's restriction, that's the root of it. It just feels important that probably removing the candy is a more restriction which might propel you deeper into having the candy right.
Emily
Co-host
11:17
Absolutely so. I think with that, if it's more restrictive and your body's hungry, so you're reaching for the candy because your body is just trying to tell you, like, need more food, is there a way that we can add more? You know, we don't have to get rid of the candy. The candy is important. It is important to keep the candy there so that your body can also get used to that. But are there ways that we can add in more nutrition throughout the day to make sure that your body isn't like oh my God, I'm hungry, I need to just eat anything that I can right now?
Sarah
Host
11:53
And then Andy is good. It's delicious, right, he's really good.
Emily
Co-host
11:57
Absolutely.
Sarah
Host
11:58
And you know, of course, that it tastes really good, you're in a state of like primal hunger, or even just a hunger, plain old, regular hunger. Yeah, it's just going to do the job. It's going to happen.
Emily
Co-host
12:09
And I think sometimes, like, the question can come up of, well, why do I crave sugar? Why do I crave, you know, all the things that are normally demonized by diet culture? And I think it can be helpful sometimes to take a step back too and recognize, like, if your body is really in that hunger state, we're probably not going to crave like lettuce. Like your body is like I want something that's going to let you traditionally like pack as much of a punch right now as it can because I need it. So it's not because those foods are addictive, it's just because your body is like I need more right now. What's going to give me the most that it can Like what's going to help?
Sarah
Host
12:53
me to find it.
12:54
Because, at the end of the day, that's simply what your body is trying to do. It's just trying to survive. And then I think the other curiosity that just came into my mind too, is being curious about the fear of eating the candy. Right Of eating the candy, of eating even normally or regularly during the day, right, I think what we know, the common experience, is like saving up your calories until the end of the night and then like it's a wash. So being curious about that fear of weight gain, like Laura and I talked about last week, the fear of weight gain, fat phobia, diet culture, wellness, culture, healthism, all of these things that are in place that really propel people into the binge restrict cycle.
Emily
Co-host
13:41
Yeah, I think it's so important to keep those things in mind, especially when food is going to be maybe a little bit more front of mind. Just like what are those internalized messages, like what is coming up, just so we can be mindful of that and hopefully, in that process, feel a little bit more in control. This is something that was given to me by the diet culture obsessed world that we live in, not necessarily something that comes from me inherently.
Sarah
Host
14:18
Right, I didn't create these beliefs on my own, yeah.
Emily
Co-host
14:21
Yeah, sometimes we need to just acknowledge that.
Sarah
Host
14:24
It's like to expect it around Halloween, probably about the time this podcast comes out there's going to be a lot of fear around the candy and how to strategize with the candy and how to get rid of the candy and how to freeze the candy and how to do all of these things with the candy. The paradigm that is counter diet culture is like let's try to create some safety around the candy. It's going to look different for everyone. I don't think there's one answer, because there's nuance here that we couldn't get into all of the nuance on one podcast episode, but there's nuance in how to create safety around the candy. That's going to be different for everyone. While acknowledging that habituation is important, restriction is important, fat phobia is important, these things are probably going to repel you into a familiar cycle.
Emily
Co-host
15:13
I think another thing that comes to mind just with Halloween and really with any holiday, they are so food focused and, yes, that's important that we acknowledge that and plan for that. I think that it can also be helpful at the same time to try to take some focus away from that. It is also just another day. Yeah, totally, all of these things are available, and I think sometimes there is a pressure of, well, if all these things are available, I need to eat everything, because that's what I do. Like that habituation aspect of things. You don't.
15:49
Just because it's a holiday doesn't mean that you can't listen to your body. Yeah, yeah, sometimes I think, looking at it in that way, it's just another day. I can still listen to my body, I can have what I want. What are other things that I enjoy about this holiday? Like, is it with Halloween? Do I like dressing up? Do I like handing out the candy to other people and seeing the costumes? Do I like watching scary movies? Then we find other things about the day that bring us joy outside of just the food Fixation, fixation on the food.
Sarah
Host
16:23
Yeah, that's a really great point.
Emily
Co-host
16:24
Absolutely. It seems like it's become so focused on candy and then, obviously, with Thanksgiving and Christmas or on the corner food has become the major point and doesn't have to be.
Sarah
Host
16:39
It can be this connection Seeing the nostalgia of what Halloween used to be like as a kid, or Thanksgiving. If it's your favorite holiday, why else Really sinking into that? Something else that feels important is talking about if you do binge on candy. I think that's going to be a lot of people's realities. If you do binge on candy, how can you take care of yourself?
Emily
Co-host
17:04
on the other side, Self-compassion, I think, is the number one thing there, understanding all the reasons why it's a hard day. There is so much focus on food. It's this perfect storm of a lot of times of fear, food being in your home and maybe a bigger quantity than you're used to. Acknowledging the reasons it has nothing to do with you, it has nothing to do with self-control. You didn't do anything wrong. It's just a hard time. Then, making sure, on the other side of that, can we be mindful to not go right back into that cycle? Yes, a binge happened. We can acknowledge that. We can have our feelings about that, but do we have to restrict the next day? Can we just, the next day, give our body the fuel that it needs, regardless of if the binge happened?
Sarah
Host
17:58
or not Absolutely Finding. If you imagine the cycle of restricting and then life getting hard and then binging, and then guilt and shame, and then you're back to restriction, where along that cycle can you just wiggle yourself out of the cycle? I think you're right. A lot of times that is in self-compassion and acknowledging where you're suffering, how you're suffering, and showing up for yourself.
Emily
Co-host
18:24
Yes, absolutely, it's definitely easier said than done, I think, also with that self-compassion, taking that step to feed your body the next day is also very scary but very important to really break that cycle that you're taking care of yourself in a really big way.
18:44
Yes, it's something that comes back down to the self-compassion piece for all of it, regardless of what your reaction is if a binge did happen or if it feels too overwhelming to even get candy at all, or if it's like I got the candy and I need to throw it away if that feels like the safest avenue for you and kind of where you're at. All of those things can bring up feelings, can bring up judgments. Just really boiling that down to that self-compassion piece and meeting yourself where you're at yeah, it's all okay. Yeah, like it's all okay. We need to honor that and honor where we're at and, regardless of what happens, let's take a deep dive, like let's see what came out, what were the needs like, what were the factors that contributed to all that? You know, we can learn from all of that.
Sarah
Host
19:39
And while you're saying that, I was just thinking about this is why it feels so important to work with a dietician or a therapist, because I think the internet can only talk about so many nuances of binge restrict cycles and intuitive eating, right.
19:55
So I think a lot of people take this as a message of like go out and get the candy and like whatever you'll know. And, I think, to be able to pull back and to work with someone to say what feels safe, what's a baby step, what destabilizes me right, what makes me feel too anxious to even continue with recovery, and being able to process that with someone and come up with goals and, like I said, baby steps to move towards habituation, to move towards exiting binge restrict cycle and really, at its foundation, addressing the restriction, whether that's deprivation of food or emotional restriction or judgments against food, whatever it is it could be so many things or so many different types of restriction that feels probably most important and, of course, always questioning where that fat phobia is showing up and landing, acknowledging when it's there because you are a human in the world, yeah, absolutely.
Emily
Co-host
20:50
I think I like that you pointed out the baby steps, because I feel like that is a lot of times what you see on the internet and even saying things like in order to kind of get out of that cycle, we need to have access to all these foods that we are restricting for whatever reason. But that doesn't have to mean okay, like I'm going to go out and buy like every fear food that I have in mass quantities and like how it in my house, because you're right, like that does feel really overwhelming. And if you're working with a therapist and a dietitian, we can get creative and find ways and baby steps forward that are still working towards the same goal but aren't so zero to 100.
Sarah
Host
21:36
Yeah, like what's going to keep you engaged in the next step of your recovery from disorder dating. That's okay. It's totally okay.
Emily
Co-host
21:44
So, like with Halloween candy, like if the idea of going out and buying bags of candy is not where you're at, what if we went out and bought, like a candy bar, or break it down even smaller than that, like it doesn't have to be so overwhelming, if that's too much and you know like if you have kids or mass amounts of children coming to your house to go trick or treating, you may be faced with a lot of worry about like going off the rails and using air quotes.
Sarah
Host
22:15
you know, going off the rails or feeling out of control, and that's really understandable.
22:19
So I think the most important part is how can you feed yourself really regularly that day so there isn't this primal hunger shooting through your veins, you know? And how can you then do whatever you need to do to keep yourself feeling safe, feeling regulated, feeling secure, and all of those ways are okay. So, as we make our way through Halloween, we hope that it's a joyful day if you do choose for take, and that you can feel empowered to make decisions that feel good for you. And here we come, holiday season. Yeah, here we go right around the corner. It feels like a lot of conversations for future podcast episodes. Yes, absolutely Right, one holiday at a time. Yes, one holiday at a time. Let's get through Halloween first, get through October first.
Emily
Co-host
23:13
Any parting thoughts before we wrap up, I would just encourage everyone to, like you were saying, really tune into what they need that day, like let's make sure that we're fed well and the way that we need to be that day. But if you celebrate, just try to have fun, try to focus on the things that you love about the holiday outside of the food and just have a great spooky day.
Sarah
Host
23:42
Yeah, hit some haunted houses.
Emily
Co-host
23:44
Yeah, watch some scary movies. It's the best day of the year. It really is, in my opinion.
Sarah
Host
23:51
I think it's a wonderful day too. Yes, yeah, all right, everybody, we hope it's a good Halloween. We'll be back next week for another episode, so until then, take good care of yourself. Thank you so much for joining us on this episode of Reclaim you. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe, and check us out on YouTube at Reclaim you. If you're looking to start therapy for trauma, disordered eating or body image concerns, head over to our website at wwwreclaimtherapyorg to learn more about us and our work. We'll be back next week with another episode. Until then, take good care of yourself.
Reclaim therapy provides binge eating therapy in Horsham, PA, body image counseling and trauma therapy in Pennsylvania.
We are a group of body image and eating disorder therapists in Pennsylvania who provide specialized eating disorder treatment and therapy for binge eating, EMDR therapy and therapy for complex PTSD in Horsham, PA. We are passionate about helping people reclaim their lives from body shame, diet culture and trauma.
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