In this episode, we welcome back Jane Pilger to explore the nervous system, shame, and the internal "parts" that drive our behaviors. While many believe binge eating stems from a lack of discipline, Jane explains that it is actually a nervous system response designed for protection. When we feel unsafe or overwhelmed, our bodies often turn to food as a way to regulate energy and numb difficult feelings.

Jane breaks down the concept of the "Safety Paradox," where we seek safety in food even though it ultimately makes us feel unsafe. We also discuss Internal Family Systems (IFS) and how to distinguish between our "protector" parts and our "young" parts. By shifting from judgment to compassionate curiosity, we can begin to understand the protective role these behaviors play and learn to lead our internal parts with the wisdom of a "kindergarten teacher".

We covered:

The Nervous System & Safety: How the body constantly scans for danger (neuroception) and uses food to regulate excess energy from the "fight or flight" response.
The Binge Feedback Loop: Understanding how we bounce between high-energy anxiety and low-energy collapse, using food to manage the transition.
Shame as a Driver: How shame fuels the binge cycle by keeping the nervous system in a state of threat, which leads to more eating for relief.
Parts Work (IFS): Identifying "Protector" parts that try to shield "Young" parts from pain, rejection, or trauma.
The Safety Paradox: Why we turn to food for comfort even when we know it causes distress.
Practical Strategies:

Asking "How does this make sense?" to replace judgment with understanding.
Creating a "Moments that Matter" list to track small victories.
Using the "Kindergarten Teacher" analogy to guide internal parts with patience rather than criticism.

More about Jane:

Jane helps women understand why they binge eat and how to stop. She guides women who have been struggling, often for decades, to find the missing link to go from fighting with their bodies to working with them.

Whether someone is a binge eater, doesn't trust themselves with certain foods, or just doesn't understand why they behave the way they do sometimes, she's got them. She teaches her clients how to understand their behavior, how to develop trust with themselves and how to cultivate the safety that they need to navigate life. Her approach is rooted in the science of the brain and body, trauma informed, and filled with compassion.

Connect with Jane:

Website: www.janepilger.com
Instagram and Facebook: @janepilgercoaching
Substack: janepilger.substack.com

💬 If this episode spoke to you, drop a comment and share what resonated or shifted for you.Ready to take the next step?Download the FREE handout, “5 Things Shame Resilient People Do Every Day” to begin building safety and trust with yourself.Book a free 25-minute discovery call to explore coaching or program options that support healing beyond survival mode.★ Subscribe to my YouTube channel★ Sign up for my email list: https://adversityrising.com/email-list★ Listen to my Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AouludJr7EweOkMIN9s42?si=d8cdfcb925ce4c9c Take the Next Step.★ Download the FREE handout, "5 Things Shame Resilient People do Every Day" and start making those daily shifts to break that shame cycle that's keeping you stuck in that negative headspace. www.adversityrising.com/become-shame-resilient ★ Book a free 25-minute discovery call to discuss different program options and find the support best fits your needs. https://calendly.com/adversityrising/discovery-call★ Are you a people pleaser? Ruminator? Over-extender? Sign up for the next round of Liberated Living and implement the radical 3 practice — Radical Acceptance, Radical Responsibility & Radical Authorship: https://adversityrising.com/liberated-living### SHOUT-OUTS:★ All video editing done by my wonderful husband, Jordan Wackett. Check him out at @jordanwackett.