Ep 91- Mindset or Nutrition? What Works to Stop Binge Eating
November 6, 2025
You can eat all the “right” foods, balance your blood sugar, cut out sugar, track your calories, and still binge.
Or, you can work on your mindset — do the affirmations, read the books, journal for an hour a day and still end up standing in front of the pantry at night wondering what went wrong.
So… which one actually works to stop binge eating — mindset or nutrition?
The answer is both… but not in the way most people think. Let’s break it down.
I cover…
The key differences between a mindset-based approach and a nutrition-based approach to ending binge eating
Which approach you should focus on each one based on your journey with food
The 2 step framework I use to help people eat normally
The Mindset Approach
The mindset people tend to be therapists, psychologists, or mindset coaches. I lean toward this category myself, though I integrate both. The mindset approach looks at why we eat. If you’re journaling about “Why did I just eat that?” or exploring your past with food and emotions, that’s mindset work.
Mindset work goes deeper, but that doesn’t automatically make it better or mean it’s the only thing you need. If you’re repeating random affirmations from TikTok without believing them, they won’t stick. When you say “I’m a normal eater” but it doesn’t feel true, that’s your unconscious mind holding onto old beliefs about food and your body.
To change your thoughts, make sure they:
Feel a little better than your old ones, and
Are believable.
If you see yourself as a “binge eater,” jumping straight to “I’m a normal eater” is too far. Start smaller: “Sometimes I overeat, sometimes I eat the right amount.” Finding that middle-ground belief helps it stick.
When Therapy Alone Isn’t Enough
Therapy can be amazing, but many people come to me after years in therapy without changing their eating habits. That’s often because therapy focuses on the past, which matters, but doesn’t always address why you’re still binge eating today. You can understand your emotions, but if you don’t support your biology, your body will override your mindset every time. You can’t affirmation your way out of a blood sugar crash.
The Nutrition Approach
Nutrition is the biological side of binge eating. If you’re skipping meals, running on caffeine, or eating flavor-engineered foods, your body will drive you to binge. If you’ve done a lot of mindset work but still feel out of control around food, nutrition might be where to focus. Your body can’t regulate hunger if your blood sugar keeps crashing or your food is faking flavor without nutrients. When you start eating real food, food that’s honest about its flavor, your body learns to trust itself again.
Simple swaps can help:
Real honey instead of artificial sweeteners
Roasted potatoes instead of chips
Your cravings calm down, your body relaxes, and eating starts to feel normal.
So Which Matters More?
Both mindset and nutrition matter, but most people are missing the mindset piece. You can Google nutrition tips, but you can’t Google how to rewire your urges or heal your relationship with food.
In my Confident Eater program, I teach both:
Mindset: CBT, hypnosis, and visualization to change unconscious patterns around food.
Nutrition: A simple, science-based approach that shows you how, when, and what to eat to reduce cravings.
Putting It All Together: Two Simple Steps
1. Feed Your Body
Eat enough. Stop starving yourself or running on 900 calories. Eat regularly, eat real food, and give your body the nutrients it needs so it can trust you again.
2. Train Your Brain
Notice your urges. Sit with them without fighting or resisting. That’s how you retrain your survival system to feel safe without extra food.
When you do both, binge eating loses its power because you’re no longer fighting yourself.
If you want a structured way to do both together, that’s exactly what we do inside The Confident Eater Program. You’ll work with me one-on-one to stop binge eating, end food noise, and feel like a confident, normal eater again. Click here to book your complimentary consultation and see if we’re a good fit.