The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

If you’re struggling with disordered eating as well as period problems - I’ve got some information to help you.

My clients are women who have a history of dieting, losing weight and undergoing a “fitness journey”, after which they start struggling with missing or irregular periods as well as binge eating or constant food thoughts.

Many of them spend months-years trying to figure out WHY their period is irregular, getting little-to-no answers from their doctors other than:

“You probably have PCOS”

“You’re just super fit! It’s normal for fit women to lose their periods”

“We’ll just get you on the pill to regulate your cycle”

If you can relate - you’re probably like me and the women I work with; you want to know WTF is going on in your body and get to the ROOT CAUSE so you can be optimally healthy!

Well in this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing how you can do that.

SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE TO FIND THE SUGGESTED LAB WORK IN DETAIL.

Above all though, I want you to know that you don’t need ANY of this testing to start the process of healing your relationship with food.

Regardless of what’s going on with your hormones, you need to stop restricting food, stop dieting and learn how to listen to your body's hunger and satisfaction cues so you can become truly healthy with a good relationship with food.

Hope you enjoy the episode! Sending love!

Contact me:

Email at elena@elenakunicki.com

DM me on Instagram at elenakunickird

Learn more about my 1:1 coaching, group program and free resources here: bit.ly/elenakwebsite

Resources from this episode:

• Stress and high prolactin levels - https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/hyperprolactinemia#:~:text=In%20women%2C%20physical%20or%20psychological,lead%20to%20elevated%20prolactin%20levels.

• Women diagnosed with an eating disorder were at higher subsequent risk of developing autoimmune diseases - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-a-new-home/201909/the-relationship-between-autoimmune-and-eating-disorders

• Diagnosis of HA https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7418467/

• Diagnosis of PCOS https://advancedfertility.com/infertility-testing/pcos-fertility-testing/#:~:text=Diagnosing%20PCOS%20with%20FSH%20and%20LH%20Hormone%20Levels&text=Normally%20this%20ratio%20is%20about,%2C%20or%20even%203%3A1.

• Low Vitamin D and eating disorders in adolescents - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25130505/

• Sam Abbot - @pcos.nutritionist (see her podcast episode here)

SEE RECOMMENDED LAB WORK BELOW 👇

1. Bloodwork:

Standard Blood Work (this is what you typically get at your yearly check up)

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

Basic Metabolic Panel

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel

Lipid Panel - cholesterol can be elevated due to restriction

Blood glucose and Hba1c

Full sex hormone panel

Estradiol - low/normal in HA, normal to high in PCOS

Testosterone (total) - low/normal in HA, high in PCOS (all the androgens)

Testosterone (free)

Adrostenedione 

Progesterone

Prolactin - can be elevated due to stress, pituitary tumor

DHEAS - can be elevated due to stress in HA

LH - typically less than or the same as FSH in HA, greater than FSH in PCOS

FSH

SHBG - low can be a sign of PCOS

Full thyroid panel

TSH - can be high in both HA and PCOS

Total T4 - can be low in HA and PCOS

Total T3 - can be low in HA and PCOS

Free T4

Free T3

Reverse T3

anti-TPO

Anti-thyroglobulin antibodies

Nutrients

B12 - all of these levels can be low in PCOS and HA and worsen symptoms, or can be depleted by the pill

Folate

Iron

Ferritin

Vitamin D - protect bone health

Zinc - digestive health

Lab work/assessment

2. Transvaginal ultrasound (rule out structural abnormalities, look at cysts on the ovaries)

*Cysts on the ovaries can be present with both HA and PCOS

3. Detailed review of your history and current reality with food, exercise and weight loss (with red flags being currently trying to lose weight, history of any weight loss, exercising a lot) - MOST IMPORTANT

**This podcast does not diagnose or treat any medical conditions. Speak with your doctor about this information and before taking any action around your medical care.

My clients often struggle with listening to and TRUSTING their hunger cues.

After years of dieting and controlling their weight, they’re more used to following external food rules than their bodies.

This not only leads to things like missing periods, digestive issues, food obsession and binge eating…

…it also leads them to ask the question “am I REALLY hungry? Or am I just bored?”

😵‍💫When they’re sitting at their desk working and can’t stop thinking about the pre-prepped asian chicken and rice they made for lunch (despite not feeling physical hunger pangs yet)

😴 When they have a relaxing day and have to constantly resist the temptation to eat, whereas on their busy days that voice feels more quiet.

If this is you, read on. 👇

You see, “boredom eating” is FAR more likely to happen when you have a history of restricting food.

Under eating and rigid food rules make us hungrier, with more cravings 😬.

It increases the pleasure and comfort we get from eating which makes us more likely to reach for the ice cream carton when emotional 🍨.

The solution?

Is not to “try not to eat” 🙄.

(As if that ever worked long term anyways)

Instead, I have 3 tips for you: 

1️⃣ ALLOW yourself to eat when bored

Listening to your desires for food will allow your body to get the calories it needs + eliminate the scarcity mindset. This will eventually lead your hunger and cravings to decrease and your urge to eat emotionally to go away.

2️⃣ Follow the “regular eating” principle

3 meals, 3 snacks, with all 3 macronutrients in them (starchy carbs 🥖, fats 🥑 and protein 🍳) evenly spaced throughout the day.

OR - eating with your hunger cues throughout the day, INCLUDING mental hunger (the desire to eat) and stopping eating when you are truly satisfied (not just physically full)

3️⃣ Address other common causes of boredom eating such as ADHD and lack of pleasure/fulfillment in life

…but address these in ADDITION to stopping food restriction, not in replacement because you are afraid of weight gain. 

That’s even more of a sign that restriction is likely the main root cause of your “boredom eating” and the true work you need to do to find freedom and peace with food  ❤️.

I explain all of this in more detail on this episode 🎤!

Hope you love it.

If you want to contact me with any questions:

Email at elena@elenakunicki.com

DM me on Instagram at elenakunickird

Learn more about my 1:1 coaching, group program and free resources here: bit.ly/elenakwebsite

Get the Binge Eating & Period Recovery Meal Plan: bit.ly/bprmealplan

Resources for this episode:

• Untamed by Glennon Doyle

• Troubleshooting Unconditional Permission to Eat

• Becca King’s episode (@adhd.nutritionist on Instagram)  

In this week’s episode we have a past client, Lauren, on to share her story struggling for 6 years with binge eating and anxiety around food and ultimately recovering from these struggles.

We cover topics like:

• Transitioning away from being an athlete, gaining weight and then starting her fitness/weight loss journey

• Lauren’s “Vegan and cardio bunny phase 🐰🥕” when her binge eating first started

• How the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted her relationship with food and binge eating

• Getting into Bodybuilding 💪, macro tracking and her binge eating hitting its worst point

• How Lauren ultimately stopped binge eating and found a peaceful relationship with food

• The hardest parts of disordered eating recovery and how she got through the fear of weight gain and body image struggles

This will be a super inspiring, relatable and motivating episode to help bring you closer to TRUE health and fitness…

…which includes a peaceful relationship with food.

Interested in working with me?

Click here to learn more about your options for getting support.

DM me on Instagram with any feedback on the podcast or questions @elenakunickird 

Or email me at elena@elenakunicki.com

Answering more of your questions in today’s podcast episode!

1. How do you know your set point weight, when you have been dieting since you were four years old?
2. What do you think of estrogen and progesterone pills to get your period?
3. What about eating 3,000 calories everyday, normal BMI, no working out and no bingeing for two months, but still no period after missing for the past 5 years, why?
4. I’m constantly hungry, I need bigger portions to fulfill me physically and mentally have a bigger appetite. How long does the big appetite last and why is it happening?

Previous episodes discussed in this episode:

• Episode 63: Getting your period AND your peace with food back
• Episode 32: Period Recovery with Elyse Lawry, PT
• Episode 31: Figuring out why your period is missing with Cynthia Donovan, RD

If you have any questions you want answered on this podcast, you can always send me a DM and I will answer them in a future episode! 

And if you are tired of being stuck in this never ending cycle of feeling in control around food and your physique goals and then binging yet again…

If you are ready to finally find peace with food, your body and exercise so you can be TRULY healthy and reach fitness goals in a way that doesn’t sacrifice your life and happiness…

You can apply for coaching by clicking here!

Or, send me a DM on IG and we can have a no-pressure chat about if this is a good fit for you!

This week's podcast guest is a colleague of mine, Lindsey Lusson.  Lindsey is a registered dietitian who developed a passion for helping women recover their periods, get pregnant naturally, and find freedom with food and exercise through her own recovery journey.  

Lindsey runs her own virtual private practice, and you can find out more about her and how she can help you by visiting her Instagram account @food.freedom.fertility.

In this episode, Lindsey and I talk about:

• Lindsey’s 13 year journey with disordered eating and period loss.
• What drove her to start her period recovery.
• The differences between mental & physical recovery.
• How Lindsey worked through her own healing & what she helps her clients with in their own recovery.
• How eating behaviors & over exercising can impact fertility.
• The benefits of fertility for health for women even if you don’t want to get pregnant
• + MORE

Resources talked about in this episode:

• No Period. Now What?: A Guide to Regaining Your Cycles and Improving Your Fertility by Dr. Nicola J Rinaldi (Author), Stephanie G Buckler Esq. (Author), Lisa Sanfilippo Waddell (Author)

And if you are tired of being stuck in this never ending cycle of feeling in control around food and your physique goals and then binging yet again…

If you are ready to finally find peace with food, your body and exercise so you can be TRULY healthy and reach fitness goals in a way that doesn’t sacrifice your life and happiness…

You can apply for 1:1 coaching by clicking here!

Or, send me a DM on IG and we can have a no-pressure chat about if this is a good fit for you!

In this episode I answer more questions submitted via Instagram! Such as:

• Advice for someone who is struggling with accepting stretch marks after gaining weight in recovery?
• What do you suggest as the first step to overcome being stuck in binge eating and weight loss cycles?  
• Any tips or suggestions after coming off the pill?
• Why is reverse dieting not ideal to get the menstrual cycle back?
• Is there ever a situation where you can recover without an exercise break?
• + MORE

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Calm app
• @binge.nutritionist - Marissa Kai Miluk, MS, RDN | Binge Eating & Body Image Dietitian

If you have any questions you want answered on this podcast, you can always send me a DM and I will answer them in a future episode! 

And if you are tired of being stuck in this never ending cycle of feeling in control around food and your physique goals and then binging yet again…

If you are ready to finally find peace with food, your body and exercise so you can be TRULY healthy and reach fitness goals in a way that doesn’t sacrifice your life and happiness…

I have one spot currently open for 1:1 coaching. You can apply for 1:1 coaching by clicking here!

Or, send me a DM on IG and we can have a no-pressure chat about if this is a good fit for you!

In this week’s episode, I speak with Becca, a registered dietitian who also has ADHD. She loves getting to help others who also struggle with ADHD, stop binge eating and find food freedom. Learn more about Becca and how you can work with her at @adhd.nutritionist on Instagram.

I talk to Becca about:

• Her story with dieting and disordered eating
• How medication side effects impacted binge eating and binge recovery
• How unmanaged ADHD symptoms contribute to binge eating
• The tips Becca uses to be more in touch with her body’s cues throughout the day.
• ADHD and diet misconceptions.
• How Becca helps her clients have a more mindful experience with their food.
• Assisting clients with their eating patterns who take stimulating medications that suppress hunger cues.
• What Becca recommends for those struggling with binge eating, or with their relationship with food and suspect they have ADHD.
• + MORE

And if you are tired of being stuck in this never ending cycle of feeling in control around food and your physique goals and then binging yet again…

If you are ready to finally find peace with food, your body and exercise so you can be TRULY healthy and reach fitness goals in a way that doesn’t sacrifice your life and happiness…

You can apply for 1:1 coaching by clicking here!

Or, send me a DM on IG and we can have a no-pressure chat about if this is a good fit for you!

This week's Q&A covers all things food, fat loss, binge eating, your relationship to food and exercise, missing periods and getting your period back.    

In this episode, I'll answer these questions:

• Losing fat in a way that’s healthy and sustainable and then transitioning back to a maintenance phase.
• Science behind salt cravings during HA (hypothalamic amenorrhea)/ missing period recovery.
• To recover from binge eating and a history of undereating, should we just go “all in” to start eating more or slowly increase calories?
• Do you think it’s possible to diet in a healthy way after recovery?
• Recovered my period, but now have a 52 day cycle for the past 6 months, what does that mean?
• If I want more food even after a full dinner and snacks, I assume I haven't eaten enough during the day.  Is that accurate?
• + MORE

If you have any questions you want answered on this podcast, you can always send me a DM and I will answer them in a future episode! 

And if you are tired of being stuck in this never ending cycle of feeling in control around food and your physique goals and then binging yet again…

If you are ready to finally find peace with food, your body and exercise so you can be TRULY healthy and reach fitness goals in a way that doesn’t sacrifice your life and happiness…

I currently have 3 spots open for 1:1 coaching - you can fill out an application if you are interested in working together by clicking here!

Or, send me a DM on IG and we can have a no-pressure chat about if this is a good fit for you!

In this week’s episode, I speak with Olivia Geraci, a past client who has been through HA recovery and now helps active women build stronger relationships with food and their bodies. You can find more from Liv on Instagram @liftedwithliv_

In this episode, Liv and I talk about:

• The difference between physique-based goals and other fitness and nutrition goals.
• The risks and drawbacks to focusing solely on physique, fat loss, or muscle gain.
• How to set your intentions in a healthy way for physique goals.
• Noticing the red flags of an unhealthy mindset while pursuing your goals and what to do.
• Making decisions that are in line with what you want out of life without sacrificing yourself.
• Keeping your mental and physical health a priority when pursuing physique and other fitness and nutrition goals.
• + MORE

And if you are tired of being stuck in this never ending cycle of feeling in control around food and your physique goals and then binging yet again…

If you are ready to finally find peace with food, your body and exercise so you can be TRULY healthy and reach fitness goals in a way that doesn’t sacrifice your life and happiness…

You can apply for 1:1 coaching, listen to my latest podcast episode, and learn more about my training - Overcoming the Urge to Binge - by clicking here!

Or, send me a DM on IG and we can have a no-pressure chat about if this is a good fit for you!

In this episode, I will be interviewing one of my amazing past clients, Lilli!  

Her story will take you through her struggles with body image, binge eating, and missing periods, how she finally reached out for support, and what ultimately allowed her to stop binge eating, get her period back and find peace with food and her body.

Join us as we discuss:

• When her food and body image issues started.
• Realizing she was still restricting when she didn’t think she was anymore.
• The nitty gritty details of what she learned in my program that allowed her to stop binge eating.
• How she dealt with the fear of judgment from others on what she ate and her weight.
• The specific tools that helped her feel confident and happy at her body’s natural, healthy weight.
• How she coped with and found acceptance with weight gain.
• + MORE

Resources talked about in this episode:

• “How to be an imperfectionist” by Stephen Guise 

And if you are tired of being stuck in this never ending cycle of feeling in control around food and your physique goals and then binging yet again…

If you are ready to finally find peace with food, your body and exercise so you can be TRULY healthy and reach fitness goals in a way that doesn’t sacrifice your life and happiness…

You can apply for 1:1 coaching, listen to my latest podcast episode, and learn more about my training - Overcoming the Urge to Binge - by clicking here!

Or, send me a DM on IG and we can have a no-pressure chat about if this is a good fit for you!