Compulsive Overeating Diary is not a show about a weight loss solution. It’s an exploration of how food issues can mirror life issues. Its shared stories help us discover how changes in mindset, as well as intentional behavior, can impact our lives not just our sizes. Based on real experience, raw and truthful, Laurie Weaver gives you an intimate look inside her lifelong battle with compulsive eating and binge eating disorder as she slowly learns the principles of intuitive eating. Diets and binges, blame and hope, huge and rapid body weight fluctuations, peace and acceptance, guilt and rage. Laurie invites you to share her day to day journey toward better health and self-acceptance, bumps and all. She hopes to be a companion to others who struggle with, and to those who wish to learn more about compulsive overeating. .
About Laurie Weaver
- Laurie is a fellow traveler, not a doctor, psychologist, dietician or trained expert in eating disorders.
- Laurie has 50 years of experience living with compulsive eating and has a gift for truthful storytelling that offers encouragement.
Current Release Schedule
- Podcast episode: Varies
- Blog post:Varies
- Subscribe to Posts Via Email in the blue widget at the right or end of this page to be informed when new content is released. It is also the easiest way to comment.
Laurie’s Mission Statement
To Live a Life Free from the Fear of Food, Where I enjoy Food and Where I Build Authentic Relationships vs. Using Compulsive Eating behaviors to push people away. Where I express my thoughts and feelings under compulsive eating, rather than heading for the chips!
In all I do with my blog, my podcast, public and private communications around the topic of food issues, I wish to:
- Be brave and truthful in what my experience is and has been with compulsive and binge eating for over 50 years.
- Share any insights I may gain for myself as I work on the issues under my own eating and food issue journey.
- Be a companion to others who also travel this road and accept their companionship.
- Be open-minded and respectful of all companions, their opinions, and their experience while remaining true to myself.
- Generate communities where all brave companions feel free to feel how they feel and to say so in safety and respect.
- Make it clear I am just a fellow traveler. I am not a Dr., psychologist, dietician, or trained expert in eating disorders, nor do I have a program or eating plan to follow.
- I’m here to learn, express, and share. I have no authority, no answers. I do have experience living with compulsive eating, and its effects, compassion, empathy and a gift for storytelling.
Cover art for the Compulsive Overeating Diary Podcast. This is Laurie’s first selfie – and it was by accident.
Compulsive Overeating Diary | Living with Binge Eating Disorder and Learning Intuitive Eating
Read Laurie’s Weight Story – her background and experience that led to Compulsive Overeating Diary.
Read more about Laurie’s bike accident and how her first podcast, Daily Adventure Tales, came to be.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by, please feel free to add your thoughts or feelings below.
Until next time, Take Care, Because I REALLY Care,
Laurie
Hi there, I am Shirl and got right through to being 36 years old before I started having weight problems. I had twins you see and my weight shot up. Its been like a yo yo ever since ans the kids are 20 years old now!
Like most people I have lost and gained weight. But in recent years have seen that weight gain is in fact more of an emotional problem than anything else.. I am an emotional eater. Cant stop. Its a drug. I long to get over it once and for all. But I have no idea how. Slimming World etc are not the answer……..
Hi Shirl, Welcome! I agree with your point. We can all lose weight by SW, WW, counting calories etc. But until we can come to some peace within ourselves, if we deal with compulsive eating, the food will win out eventually. That’s how I started this experiment at 55 after over 50 years of compulsive eating and binge eating. So far, it’s really helping me, and others say it is helping them too, just to know we are not alone. It’s not about the diet, but the heart. If I never lose another pound, but I can feel fearless about food and feel able to express myself, that is my victory. However, I do find that the better I do those last two, the easier it is to eat less without it being such a burden. Please listen to some episodes and let me know what you think. Take care, because I truly care about you.
Hi Laurie, Thats the thing. Im not at peace with myself. Ive not got peace of mind. Too many un-answered questions, regrets and sadness about my past. I know I should let it all go but if it were that easy, there would be no need for psychologists and psychiatrists etc.
Its true. We can all lose some or a bit of weight with SW etc. I did. But then something happened that resulted in all insecurities and self doubt coming to the surface. And to stop feeling this way I started overeating again. It was a bit like someone who has stopped smoking. They think they will have just one or two cigarettes but then they are soon back to chain smoking again. Well I thought I would have some cake to take away my negative painful feelings. And Ive since then been into full blown emotional eating that I cant stop! So yes the food always wins eventually.
It was s great idea of yours to start your experiment and Im glad its helping you. Yes wonderful to know we are not alone.
I listened to episodes 22 and 23. I listened when I was in bed last night. You put across some good points that I agreed with.
Re sending a voice message I will do one when nobody is home ok.
Best Wishes
Shirl
Hi there Shirl, I’m sorry you have such pain and regrets. Most of us do who deal with compulsive or addictive issues. However, try to be gentle with yourself and don’t let past regret stop you from living life now. If food is what you need to feel good today, then at least tell yourself, “I’m going to have this food”. You are choosing what you do, we all are. It’s not bad or good, it’s just how we cope. If our coping is making us sad too, then we can at least try to find new ways to express our pain or to feel joy in ourselves. That’s what you did for me with your crocuses. It gave me a way to feel happy besides chocolate. I felt very excited to go on a flower hunt! I wasn’t “not eating” like when I’m dieting, nor exercising to burn 200 calories. That day, I was having fun and feeling pleasure without food, and letting myself notice. I was also burning probably about 200-300 calories walking around the gardens, but I didn’t think of it. Feeling content, excited, having burnt off some stress by walking, it was easier to eat healthily. I also have any food I want IF I really want that food. It isn’t always rosy, but I am starting to feel more peaceful and less hard on myself. Peace and love to you, my new companion! Laurie
Hi Laurie,
I just discovered you podcasts yesterday and really relate to your struggles. Thank you for putting your experience out there for others to listen to. Because of what I heard from you yesterday I am allowing myself to start fresh today with no guilt for my previous binges and when I feel a desire to binge I will pause and take some time to think about what I am really feeling at that moment. It’s a start. Don’t worry about the podcast in week 4 when you were whining, we all do that here and there. Actually it was good to hear what a pitty pot mood sounds like as I will try and restrain myself from doing that again:) Glad you are posting the good, the bad and the ugly as listeners will learn and grow from it all. Thanks for your effort and honesty!
-Sharon
Hi Sharon! Welcome, I’m so glad you found the podcast and our little home on the web here. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I laugh with happiness now at the infamous “pathetic episode”, episode 4, because that was the one that triggered such compassion for me, that listeners started to post and communicate. It’s been 3 months now since that time, and I’ve found out so much about myself in this process. I’ve lost some physical weight, (about 16 lbs.) but the emotional weight that I’m been taking off is tenfold. It sounds like your plan is great to just move on. Because one thing I’ve discovered is we binge to protect ourselves from something. It is a way the compulsive mind distracts us from some pain or discomfort – so to be mad at ourselves doesn’t help, at least not for me. My main process is that I allow myself to eat whatever I want to, no restricting of food groups, types, junk, nothing. I try to eat only food I love and not to add calories that are just ok. It has taken some time, but I’m actually starting to crave more fruits and veggies. I also try to check in, as you mention, to see what my feelings are at the time of eating. This is still 50-50 with me that I can identity the feeling pre-food, but it’s getting better all of the time. And, as you say, sometimes it leads to a natural choice to do something different. Let us know if you ever need some support, and feel free to post here, call the bravery hotline, add your story to the “Who are the brave companions” page, join our forum on spark people, or just post smilies on Facebook. Thanks again for taking the time and care to comment, I so appreciate it!
Hello Laurie,
This may seem odd, but I am 25 years old. A working professional. I guess it doesn’t matter what my weight is. But I have the same issue – and before I see a therapist about all this – I wanted to see if I could seek help. I hope to explore this issue with you as well. “It” has been happening the past three days. I feel hopeless. I don’t know what it is. I thought it was body image issues. Then my friend told me to think of it as achieving self-control, or practicing healthy eating habits instead. And for a while that worked. But I started binging again. And now I am here, knowing this has been happening for 2 years now, and fearing it will always happen. It could be so many things. I only wish I knew what the solution to my binge eating was.
Hi Derek, Welcome. I know how confusing compulsive bingeing can feel. I’m not qualified as an eating disorders therapist, but I can offer empathy. From my own experience and the stories of the other brave companions, I think bingeing can be a distraction from things we don’t want to feel or deal with. Bingeing can also be a physical reaction to having restricted our calories. It can also be a way to feel release of pressures, and “cutting loose”. Many of us are also very perfectionistic and hard on ourselves. Everybody is a bit different as to the causes. If you can find a therapist, I would recommend it, at least for awhile. It is not usually about self-control. We control ourselves very tightly usually and that may also be part of the triggers. Alen Standish just had a quest on his show, Andrew Walen, who wrote a book about men and binge eating. The book isMan Up to Eating Disorders
by Andrew Walen. The show notes for that episode and Alen’s site where you can listen to the show is here. Andrew has been through it and is an eating disorders therapist, so perhaps these resources might give you some insight and comfort. Please feel free to write your thoughts here and participate as much as you would like. We care.
Hello Laurie. I found your podcast this past week. I have been listening to it driving home at night from work. At this very moment, I am struggling to not going downstairs and gobble down a cupcake. This is my first day of trying intermittent fasting (again). I’ve just spent a few minutes trying to find a way to work around my new commitment. Instead, I remembered what you said in ep 8 or 9 or 12, to see what would happen in a month. If I eat that cupcake, I’ll have to start over again, then again. and again. So I’m 93% sure I’m not going to eat the cupcake after writing to you. but I guess that’s better than 0% sure I’m not. Thanks for saving me a little bit tonight. I’m listening to your podcast from the beginning, so I don’t know if I’m talking to 2014 Laurie, or 2021 Laurie, but thanks Laurie.