Brain over Binge: Why I Was Bulimic, Why Conventional Therapy Didn't Work, and How I Recovered for Good

This book has honestly changed my life - I haven't binged since I finished this book and fingers crossed I never will again! I read other reviews when I was thinking of buying this and they almost put me off - saying that the book could be summed up in 1 sentence and that all it was saying was "dont binge eat" and that its just down to willpower at the end of the day.All I can assume is these people just skimmed the book, or didnt understand what was being said for some reason. The book specifically says that binge eating is NOTHING to do with will power, that our will power is perfectly fine. Rather, the book is helpful because it helps you understand WHY we binge eat, and at the core of it, thats all the information we need to be able to stop.One thing I will say is I think potentially this book may be more helpful for people who binge eat as part of bulimia (which doesnt just mean that you vomit by the way, which is what I thought for a long time!) or developed binge eating following prolonged dieting or even anorexia, rather than those who have developed binge eating alongside general overeating. I'm not saying its not helpful for the latter as well, just maybe more useful for the former.At the end of the day though, all I can say is BUY THIS BOOK. I've bought plenty of others including the Binge Code and Overcoming Binge Eating and this is the only one which has helped me. All the other self-help books seem to over complicate what is at its core quite a simple issue - i know it might not seem like it right now but I promise it is! Hope you can find the help that I found in this book!

This is basically a diary of someones eating and binging habits and one day simply decided to stop binging.It is chapter after chapter of her listing what she ate during her binges and the events surrounding them (nearly 400 pages of this). So, if you want something that you can relate to, maybe this will be of use, however, there is nothing that provides real tangible techniques to stop binging.She discounts years of therapy as not working, but somehow, suddenly stops binging. There is no consideration given to the fact that maybe this did contribute to stopping.The blanket statement that eating disorders are not connected to emotional issues, life changes or trauma is quite dangerous. That may be the case for this person, but certainly not true for everyone. And it is interesting that a lot of the binge episodes she talks about are in fact at the time of significant events.The book is in desperate need of an edit, it is ramblings doesn’t quote any of the sources, has no scientific evidence and doesn’t really provide any techniques or conclusion.I’ve never question other reviews but am at a total loss to the amount of positive reviews.

Overall, I liked what was presented in this book, however I think there are a few things that could be dangerous or damaging for certain people. I'm a Registered Dietitian (using a functional holistic approach) and I'm also in grad school getting my Masters in Counseling. So you could say I AM one of those practitioners that this author rags on. New science on the brain has led to a lot of new ways of thinking in the field of addiction and recovery, however the brain science she describes is what influenced the new labeling of substance abuse as a DISEASE versus a CHOICE. This is opposite to what she's arguing in this book. Because addicting substances and behaviors get programmed into the pleasure/reward centers of the brain (survival loops), we are driven to these things in a way that feels as if it's outside our control. This is the basic premise behind the disease model of addiction. I think her approach is concerning, not because it can't work, but because it aggressively discounts other means of treatment. Some individuals do not have the cognitive means to simply separate their "human" brain from their "animal" brain. Perhaps it's that easy for some, but if you're not one of them, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you.I will agree that some individuals suffering with binge eating do not have any significant trauma to work through, but what she fails to mention is that A LOT of people with eating disorders DO. I went back to school for counseling due to how many of my clients were disclosing sexual trauma, food insecurity challenges, physical abuse, domestic violence, and the like when they were coming to me (a dietitian) for help with their food and eating challenges. I think the author's approach can certainly be helpful, but would work better as a supplement to nutrition counseling and therapy, as opposed to blatantly disregarding all other approaches to treatment. For the individuals out there who don't have any significant trauma and their binge eating is simply tied to their years of restriction and/or chronic dieting, then perhaps this approach could work on its own. I just feel like this books disregard for the individuals who are working through trauma is a bit concerning. The author almost makes it seem foolish that you would have to work on yourself for years in order to heal your food challenges, however the reality is that for some individuals with severe trauma, PTSD, or other mental health challenges, this is in fact the case. AND IT'S OK.Please read this with a grain of salt, and like anything else, take what works for you and toss what doesn't. THERE IS NO ONE PATH TO HEALING AND RECOVERY. Everyone heals their relationship to food differently, and there is no wrong way. The only difference between the people who heal and the people who don't, is that those who heal stay persistently dedicated to their own process of growth and recovery. Never give up on yourself and your journey. And recognize that there's often a message or life lesson in our challenges and suffering. We're born out of our suffering, and its often here to teach us something. You're not fundamentally flawed, or broken. Just dealing with life in the best way you know how. Sending lots of love and caring thoughts to those suffering under the burden of eating challenges. There is a path to recovery for you, just keep on keeping on.

This book really has changed my life. A whole new perspective and approach to overcoming binge eating. I listened to the audiobook a couple of months ago and it really resonated with me, and I kept going back to listen to parts again for inspiration, but the book is also useful to have to take notes and for easy reference. It's a no-nonsense, practical and quite brilliant book - I'm only a couple of months in but I feel like this has provided a route to change that I had never found before.

Seriously helped me, after years of therapy the message was just very different and helped me shed the last few pounds . I was 215 pounds and now I'm 150 and feeling amazing