I’ve received multiple emails from readers sharing what triggers their self-criticism. Self-criticism can be one of the most MASSIVE obstacles to tackle, because it underlies everything. What you’re telling yourself will determine the way you feel, the behaviors and actions you take and the words you say to others. Your “invisible scripts” shape your experience of your world. They are the paintbrushes on your life canvas (ok, that was slightly cheesy, but you get the point). For a FREE video course to help overcome binge eating and overeating, visit http://www.bingeeatingbreakthrough.com.

1. How to Handle
Your Nasty Self-Criticism
www.bingeeatingbreakthough.com

2. Self-criticism can be one of
the most MASSIVE
obstacles to tackle, because
it underlies everything.

3. What you're telling yourself will determine
the way you feel, the behaviors and
actions you take and the words you say
to others. Your "invisible scripts" shape
your experience of your world.
They are the paintbrushes on your life
canvas (ok, that was slightly cheesy, but
you get the point)

4. The sneaky thing with these
invisible scripts is that they
are...well, invisible.
Generally, you don't notice them.
They run around in the background
of your mind all day long, and occur
to you like they're real.

5. Your invisible scripts sound like an
observation of reality, but they're
actually a biased judgment coming
from a part of you that wants to keep
you behaving in the same way you
always have

6. The next 2 slides show recent
comments from readers about their self-
criticism or invisible scripts. I've bolded
the invisible scripts for emphasis.
These are the things that these readers
are telling themselves and believing
that it's reality.

7. “If I have one lick of something that I feel is a “bad
food” I start to feel I have failed and throw in the
towel. I know logically I cannot be perfect, but I
use that inability to let a binge take over. It makes
no sense.“
“I teach Pilates and actually TRAIN people around
health and fitness…and then I can’t even control
myself! I come home and somehow start eating,
then get so mad at myself for being a weak
failure. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.“

8. “Its like ever since I moved to the US and started
having kids, I lost touch with myself or something.
I don’t have much time to myself and when the kids
finally go to bed I just want to eat. I know that it’s a
bad habit but I can’t stop doing it.“
“I will be good for a week and eat healthy and then
I just lose it and say hell with it and hate myself.
I know better but it doesn’t matter when I am alone
and have a weak moment. It would be nice to have
one piece of chocolate or something but I can’t do
that. Once I start, I don’t stop.”

9. Most of the time, a part of you knows
that what you're telling yourself probably
isn't ACTUALLY true, but you believe it
anyway.
Which makes total sense if part of you is
really used to beating yourself up.

10. Naturally, that part is going to be looking for
ways to be right that you're not good enough, a
failure, or whatever it is that you tell yourself
when you're being critical. So when you eat
something that one part of you has judged to be
"bad", the other part of you will rejoice in victory
because it's RIGHT that you always throw in the
towel.
The trick is to notice when that part of you is
looking to be right.

11. When you hear these negative thoughts
running in your head, take note.
Observe what's happening.
You don't need to stop the thoughts
(or feel doubly bad that you are allowing
the negative thoughts to override
everything). Just notice them.

12. You can appreciate that it's coming from a part of
your ego or your "animal brain" that's just doing
its job. As your ego or your "animal brain", it's #1
priority is to protect you.
It's trying to keep you in the same patterns
because those are trusted, reliable patterns
you've lived most of your life. It doesn't want you
to do something radically different, like enjoy the
pleasure of the food for what it is and NOT beat
yourself up over it.

13. Our minds are funny things.

14. When you notice this part of you, you can see it
for what it is. You don't have to react to it unless
you choose to. If you choose to react to it as you
normally would, you're making a conscious
decision.
This puts you in the driver's seat because you're
making a choice rather than reacting on autopilot.

15. This is very similar to when you have
urges to eat when you aren't physically
hungry, or to overeat. The urges are
being driven by this same part, the
"animal" brain, that's trying to protect
you by comforting you, nurturing and
feeding you because---for whatever
reason---it feels triggered.

16. A habitual response to these urges, just like the
invisible scripts, is to react and do what you've
done before. Whether its beating yourself up,
calling yourself a failure or eating the entire box
of ice cream.
The hard thing to do with cravings or urges to
eat is to notice the impulse to react and choose
to let it run its course without taking action.

17. Likewise, the hard thing to do with nasty self-
criticism is to notice it, choose to recognize where
it's coming from, thank it for trying to protect you
and then let it pass on by.
It's hard because, in the moment, it feels SO REAL.
And when you're that triggered, if you're like me,
you don't want to let it pass. You want to be bitchy,
nasty and down on yourself because you think you
deserve it.

18. So here's a challenge for you this week:
See if you can find the "invisible script" or voice telling
you that you're failing (or you're weak, or ugly, or
whatever your word weapon of choice is). You don't
have to take it seriously. You can just listen to it like you
would listen to a little yippy dog at your ankles. You
know it's there, but you don't have to engage with it
unless you choose to.
Notice how often you hear it.
Notice what you're doing when you hear it

19. See if you can zoom out for a moment
when you hear it. If this is your "animal
brain" telling you this message in order to
keep you behaving in a certain way and
feeling bad about yourself, it's not real.
It's a triggered, programmed impulse.
Congratulate yourself on being able to
recognize it.

20. Congratulating yourself in the face of nasty self-
criticism is the opposite of what you will feel
compelled to do. But you've got the winning
hand: you can't transform it until you can see it.
When you can see it for what it is, it will lose
steam. The more you notice the criticism and
choose to not indulge it, the easier it will be to let
it pass and put your attention elsewhere.
Can you spot your scripts?

21. Congratulating yourself in the face of nasty self-
criticism is the opposite of what you will feel
compelled to do. But you've got the winning
hand: you can't transform it until you can see it.
When you can see it for what it is, it will lose
steam. The more you notice the criticism and
choose to not indulge it, the easier it will be to let
it pass and put your attention elsewhere.
Can you spot your scripts?

22. For free binge eating breakthrough
course and further support, visit
www.bingeeatingbreakthrough.com