The Plus One Theory

Episode 34: Breaking the Binge Cycle: How One Pause Changes Everything

• Pam Dwyer • Season 1 • Episode 34

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The truth about binging isn't about willpower or discipline but understanding the pain beneath the pattern and learning to pause before acting on urges.

• The Plus One Theory is about finishing stronger than you started
• Binge behaviors aren't weakness – they're pain responses
• The power is in the pause – delaying rather than fighting the binge
• Five steps of Delay the Binge: pause, support, structure, insight, and helping others
• Maintenance requires devotion, not just discipline
• Simple tools like the two-column journal help identify triggers
• Setting a 60-second timer can interrupt the binge cycle
• True healing comes from asking "why the pain" not "why the binge"

Join me for an upcoming Seger Circle support group on Tuesday, August 5th from 6-7 PM Central Time. Get the Zoom link by joining my email list at PamDwyerSpeaker.com and follow me on social media at @PamDwyerSpeaker


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Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome to the Plus One Theory Podcast. I'm your host, pam Dwyer, and you are going to love this episode because today I'm going to tell you the truth about binging that no one talks about. Not just food, not just cravings, but the real reason. You keep going back to the patterns you swore you'd break. This episode could change everything, because once you understand the power of one pause, you'll never look at the binge the same way again. The power of one pause you'll never look at the binge the same way again. Quick disclaimer this podcast is not therapy. It's real talk from lived experience.

Speaker 1:

If you're struggling with an eating disorder or serious mental health concern, please reach out to a qualified professional because you're worth the help. And if you're new here, welcome. Let me tell you what the plus one theory is really about. It's simple. You don't have to be perfect. You just have to finish stronger than you started. That's it. Whether it's your health, your healing, your relationships or your calling, this mindset helps you turn pain into purpose. One small step at a time. That's the plus one theory, and today's episode, this, is one of those steps. So hey, you're not broken, you're just tired of holding it all together. You've done the diets, you've tried the willpower thing, you've counted, tracked, weighed and restarted, and still the cravings come, the urges hit and the guilt follows. But here's the truth that pattern isn't weakness, it's pain. And your brain has learned to soothe the pain with habits habits that feel good for a second or two and wreck you right after. Here's what no one told you you don't have to fight the binge, you just have to delay it. That's where the power is in the pause. Because that pause, that's where the power is in the pause, because that pause, that's the moment you shift the pattern. That's when you stop asking why do I keep doing this? And start asking what's really hurting right now. You take a breath, you name the urge, you delay just one minute, then maybe another. That's how Delay the Binge works. It's not a diet, it's not a shame spiral. It's a rescue plan, a new pattern, a new story, a new you.

Speaker 1:

Inside the program, you'll learn five simple, powerful steps. The first and most important one is the pause. You learn to recognize the urge before it takes over. And number two is the support. You don't need more strength, you need a safe team to surround you while you're discovering this about yourself, while you're becoming, you need accountability. Step number three is structure. Very important here. Use tools like journals and planning, not to punish but to protect you. And step four is the insight the insight to education, which leads to motivation. Learn why you do what you do. And step number five is the plus one Heal forward by helping someone else.

Speaker 1:

That's where purpose lives. You're not here to survive, you're here to heal, to maintain and to thrive. That's not discipline, that's devotion. Devotion means choosing yourself, even when no one's watching. And when you do it, you'll finish stronger than you started. That's the plus one way.

Speaker 1:

Let me ask you something have you ever told yourself I'll start fresh tomorrow, only to find yourself stuck in the same cycle the very next night? You make the plan, you set the intention and then the urge hits and suddenly it's like you're on autopilot, grabbing snacks, scrolling your phone, pouring a drink, whatever it is that helps you escape just for a moment. But here's the truth most people miss. You're not broken, you're not lazy, and it's not about willpower. You're just trying to quiet the pain, the noise in your heart. That's what Delay, the Binge, is here to help you see, because you don't need another restriction plan, you don't need someone yelling, just try harder from the sidelines. What you need is devotion, not discipline, not punishment, not guilt, devotion to becoming the version of you that's been buried under the pain. Delay the binge exists to do what the diet plans won't. It slows that cycle down just long enough for you to ask why the pain, not why the binge. And when you get curious about the pain, that's where healing begins. That's the magic.

Speaker 1:

This isn't a quick fix. It's not a detox. It's a new mindset, a new pattern, a new habit, and you build it one delay at a time. And here's something else nobody's telling you. If you're using bariatric surgery, glp-1s or other tools to lose weight, great, use those tools, but don't skip the inner work in the process, because those tools don't teach you how to maintain.

Speaker 1:

Maintenance is where most people fall apart, because they never learned why they reached for food in the first place. Delay the binge helps you uncover the why, so you can take back your power without shame. And when you learn to delay, not deny, you discover something else. You're not just trying to lose weight, you're trying to find yourself again. Most people avoid maintenance because losing weight in the first place is hard right, but maintaining it. That's a whole different game. And here's what no one prepares you for.

Speaker 1:

Maintenance isn't a finish line. It's not a one-time goal you hit. It's a daily devotion. You see people talk about discipline like it's the secret sauce. But let's be honest. Discipline fades when life gets hard, when you're tired, when you're stressed, when you feel alone. Loneliness is a big one. That's where devotion comes in Not the grind, not the hustle, but a sacred, quiet commitment to who you're becoming. Maintenance is built in those little moments. Those little moments like when you choose to reflect instead of react, or when you catch yourself mid-pattern and you pause, or when you write it down, even when you'd rather forget it happened. And yes, I'm going to challenge you to go old school here.

Speaker 1:

Grab a pencil and a paper, split the page into two columns. On the right side, you write what you plan to eat today Snacks, desserts, the whole thing and on the left, you write what you actually ate that day. And here's the magic part. You don't stop there. You write down why you strayed from the plan. Why did you grab that extra handful of chips? Why did dinner turn into a late night graze? You're not judging yourself. You're just getting curious, because until you know why you veered off track, you can't create a strategy that keeps you on it.

Speaker 1:

This isn't about tracking to restrict yourself. It's about reconnecting with yourself. And if you're struggling, here's a tool I use myself. So when I want to eat something I know is unhealthy and not good for me you know it doesn't serve me I set a timer. I literally have a timer that I put on the counter and I set it for 60 seconds. And during that minute I scroll through my old photos of myself when I was at my heaviest, my unhealthiest, and it's not to shame myself never that but to remember how far I've come, to feel the fight I've already survived. And if I still want it after the timer, well, I set it again. Sometimes I still eat it, but most of the time I've shifted, I've interrupted the cycle, and that's the power of maintenance.

Speaker 1:

You learn to pause, you learn to pivot, you learn to stay devoted even when it's hard, because devotion to yourself, that's what makes the progress last, that's how you change your story, that's how you build a new pattern and that's how you heal. Because here's the truth. You don't have to fix everything, you just have to delay it long enough to remember who you are. Delay the binge is more than a phrase. It's a framework, a practice, a lifeline, and I'm teaching it in workshops, in online webinars and in real conversations with real people just like you, who are ready to stop hiding and start healing. If you're tired of bouncing between shame and willpower, this is your invitation to pause. This is where the healing begins one delay at a time. Here's what I want you to hear before we go. You didn't come this far just to lose the weight. You came this far to find yourself.

Speaker 1:

Maintenance isn't just about keeping weight off. It's about rediscovering who you are underneath the patterns, the pain, the pressure to be perfect, because when the scale stops moving, the real work starts the work of sustaining what you fought for, the work of staying devoted to the new version of you, not with discipline that punishes, but with devotion that protects. When you devote yourself to healing, you learn how to motivate through education, how to pause through pain and how to move forward with grace instead of guilt. You don't need to hustle to keep up. You need tools to stay grounded. That's what Delay the Binge gives you A two-column journal to see your truth in ink, a disruption menu to build your lifeline list, a support circle that walks beside you and a mindset that finishes stronger. This program wasn't built to make you better. It was built to help you. Remember you were never broken. Every mountain you've faced prepared you for the one you're climbing now, and when you get to the top, when the air is thin and the view is breathtaking, I want you to stand there knowing you didn't shortcut the journey. You earned every single step and if you want support on that journey, if delay the binge feels like your next step, I'd love for you to walk with us.

Speaker 1:

I'm also sharing more at the upcoming Seeger Circle support group Tuesday, august 5th, from 6 to 7 Central Time and that's in the evening. By the way, that's PM. I'll be speaking on maintenance, devotion and small shifts that create big wins. It's online and you're invited. You can get the Zoom link by joining my email list at pamedwirespeakercom. Let me send you support, not spam, just wisdom, tools and truth. And don't forget, follow me on all my socials. Pam Dwyer Speaker. Like, subscribe, follow. You know the drill. You want to make a difference with just one more. Then be someone's plus one today. Encourage them, help them finish stronger, because your past doesn't define you. It prepares you to finish stronger than you started. Thanks for listening.