There is something that affects so many women in their 40s and 50s, yet we tend to suffer in total silence: emotional eating. We often carry deep shame around our eating habits and falsely believe we are the only ones struggling. 

In this episode, I welcome emotional eating expert Tricia Nelson. Tricia is the creator of the Heal Your Hunger system, host of the Confessions of a Binge Eater podcast, and her TEDx talk on "garbage eating" has over a million views. We dive deep into why smart, capable midlife women feel out of control around food, why restrictive diets are a trap, and how to finally heal the underlying stress and emotions driving your hunger. 

What You’ll Learn:

✔ The Three Drivers of Unhealthy Eating: How buried emotions, the addiction to being "busy," and ingrained habits trigger the compulsion to eat

✔ The Restriction Trap: Why going on strict diets or using intermittent fasting to stay out of the kitchen usually backfires and leads to bingeing

✔ The Real Root of the Problem: Why overweight is a symptom of overeating, and overeating is ultimately a symptom of "what's eating me". 

Episode Chapters:

• 00:00 - Suffering in silence with emotional eating
• 05:20 - Is food really self-care?
• 10:39 - The three main drivers of the compulsion to eat
• 16:17 - Using food to numb out the discomfort of idle time
• 19:11 - The trap of restriction and the emotional eating spectrum
• 23:44 - The deep shame of "garbage eating"
• 31:43 - Why overweight is just a symptom
• 37:44 - Stop blaming yourself for diets that failed

Links & Resources:

• The Emotional Eating Quiz (https://healyourhunger.com/)
• Tricia's Book: Heal Your Hunger: Seven Simple Steps to End Emotional Eating (https://cherylpfischer.com/read)
• Tricia's Podcast: Confessions of a Binge Eater (https://healyourhunger.com/tricias-podcast/)
• Tricia's Instagram: @tricianelson_ (https://www.instagram.com/TriciaNelson_)
• Cheryl's Midlife Recharge: cherylpfischer.com/coaching (https://cherylpfischer.com/coaching)
• Episode 81 (https://www.mindyourmidlifepodcast.com/82-how-to-love-your-menopause-body-without-giving-up-on-your-health/) : How to Love Your Menopause Body

Why This Episode Matters

By stripping away the secrecy and addressing the emotions driving the hunger, you can completely change your relationship with food and your body. 

Take a little bit better care of yourself in midlife.

Find the GreenSynergy Elixir and Energy Fizz duo at cherylpfischer.com/greens (https://cherylpfischer.com/greens) . Grab your water bottle, add these, and enjoy!

Support the show (https://coff.ee/mindyourmidlife)

🌸 Liked this episode? Share it with fellow Gen X women navigating hormone balance, an empty nest, and/or self-confidence!

🫶 Love this show? Leave a review to help more women over 50 find us.

💡Want menopause advice, mindset shifts, or support with midlife transformation?

• Find out more about the Midlife Recharge at cherylpfischer.com/recharge (https://cherylpfischer.com/recharge)

Let’s talk health after 50, self-talk, and redefining aging for women — without the “midlife crisis” narrative. Every week I'm adding new success strategies for midlife women.

Connect with Cheryl: Instagram (https://instagram.com/cherylpfischer) | LinkedIn (https://linkedin.com/company/mindyourmidlifepodcast) | Website (https://cherylpfischer.com)

---------------

💡If you are a brand or business wanting to reach an audience of women in their 40s and 50s who are focused on health, success, and taking care of themselves and others well in this stage of life, consider sponsoring Mind Your Midlife podcast.  More information here. (https://cherylpfischer.com/mymsponsorinfo)