ShapelyGirl Fitness is all about getting fit and healthy. Our platform is to help women of all shapes and sizes to feel and look good. As part of the package at the fitness center we not only offer fitness classes, cardio, strength training and personal training we also offer 2 WEIGHT LOSS SUPPORT GROUPS WEEKLY. I believe that the EMOTIONAL STATE of women is so very important and that food issues need to be addressed so that women are armed with the mental skills in order to make better choices in their lives in order to get fit and healthy. To address the nutrition and food issues that a lot of women have I run two WEIGHT LOSS SUPPORT GROUPS that center on emotional eating, food issues, healthy eating, body image or any other topic that revolves around food. Last night the topic of binge eating was center stage. One of the girls in the group was not sure what “binge eating” actually was so I wanted to address this issue, as women of all shapes and sizes (not just overweight or obese women) seem to find this a problem. Binge eating is one of the biggest problems as to why women cannot only lose weight but keep it off in the first place. Binge eating is pretty simple to explain in theory but very complex as to how women deal with it in their everyday lives. The easiest way to describe Binge eating is this; OUT OF CONTROLLED eating and usually eating massive amounts of fats, sugar, refined sugars and processed foods all at one time. Once this behavior starts it is an addiction that is hard to stop until the eater usually becomes physically sick from the food. Binge eating is beyond what the body needs and what the mind can deal with. While sometimes we have good intentions to eat healthy and not overdo it, some feeling or emotion comes up and we get side-tracked. It is then that the urge to eat takes over and we overeat to the point of being uncomfortable, lethargic, and eat way past being full. This is a full binge that has taken over the person and disaster is right around the corner. Usually, the binge eater hides this behavior from those around them, even to the point of isolating themselves from family and friends. Shame, guilt and self-loathing are a result of binge eating most of the time. We begin to turn that behavior inward and the pain of hating ourselves begins, until we swear it will never happen again. I grew up as a very overweight kid and became an obese teen and adult. I lived that life for many years; years of desperation to stop and become normal and lose weight, however it was not until I began to understand the reasons that I binged that I was able to look at this that I began to stop DIETING and HATING MYSELF. Once I truly understood this I was able to stop when the urge came upon me as it still does sometimes today and realize that I did not have to give into this behavior. If you are bingeing, overeating, gorging, call it what you want, you need to stop and take better care of you. You will never get your weight under control until you do, because IF YOUR FOOD IS OUT OF CONTROL, SO IS YOUR LIFE. Debra