You are listening to the Take a Break Podcast with Rachel Hart, episode 149.

Whether you want to drink less or stop drinking, this podcast will help you change the habit from the inside out.

We're challenging conventional wisdom about why people drink and why it can be hard to resist temptation.

No labels, no judgment, just practical tools to take control of your desire and stop worrying about your drinking.

Now here's your host, Rachel Hart.

Hello friends, we are going to talk about something I call the binge and restrict cycle today.

And I think it's kind of fitting to be talking about it now because if you are listening live,

it is almost Thanksgiving here in the United States.

And at least for me, growing up Thanksgiving meant that I was going to eat a lot.

I was going to eat a lot of food, a lot of turkey, a lot of stuffing, a lot of mashed potatoes.

And most importantly, I was going to eat a lot of pie.

My mom used to make a lot of them and I would have a slice of each.

I will tell you that Thanksgiving is in many ways for a lot of people, the start of a season of

indulgence and that runs through December right until the new year.

And that season of indulgence is a time when we're always saying, oh come on, it's not a big deal.

It's the holidays, who cares? I'm going to rain myself in once the new year is here.

I want you to think about how many times during this period, maybe it's not Thanksgiving,

maybe it's another holiday for you, but how many times during this kind of season of indulgence,

you have finished a meal in a food coma. I did this all the time feeling like I could barely get

up from the couch except to eat more leftovers. And I will tell you, I honestly did not think that

it was possible to go through Thanksgiving to have a Thanksgiving meal where I didn't end it

feeling uncomfortably full. And I remember the first time that I did that and it really,

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