You're doing well. Then one evening it all goes, and you eat far more than you ever meant to.
Binge eating isn't the same as a weight problem, and another diet won't fix it.
This page explains the two things that keep binge eating going, and how I help you deal with both.
“Everything feels so easy and I have stopped fighting with myself.”
– Jennifer
Clem Kelleher, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychologist (MSc Psychology). In person in Limerick, or online wherever you are.
If two or three of those are familiar, keep reading.
Part of it is pure habit. You eat at that time, on that day, in that place, often the same foods, because that's what you do. Your mind runs it automatically, the same way you don't have to think about how to drive.
The other part is what food does for you. It lets you switch off, stop thinking about the day and get through the evening. Because it works for a while, your mind keeps reaching for it, whether it's been a stressful day or just a boring one.
When your eating routine is good, you're cruising along in your lane. Then a crosswind hits: a stressful day, a row, a long evening with nothing to do. It pushes you off course, and before you know it you're back at the fridge.
Most approaches only work on the driving. To stop binge eating, you also need to stay steady when the wind hits. Some people are knocked off course far more easily than others, and that's normal.
This is the main difference between binge eating and a straightforward weight problem. With weight loss, changing the routine is most of the work. With binge eating, your response to stress or boredom matters just as much.
We work on both parts.
First, we change the routine: the times, places and foods your mind has linked together, so the evening no longer runs on autopilot.
Second, we make you steadier when stress or boredom hits, so a bad day doesn't automatically end with a binge.
Both of these live in the automatic part of your mind, which is where hypnosis works. I combine it with the psychology I trained in (MSc Psychology), and I've worked as a professional hypnotherapist since 2010.
You won't have to dig into your past or talk about your feelings for hours. We focus on what you eat, when you eat it, and what sets it off.
“Half a stone in 4 weeks and it doesn't feel like I'm doing anything that I don't want to do. I haven't touched anything sweet and my portion sizes have got a lot smaller. Everything feels so easy and I have stopped fighting with myself.”
– Jennifer
“Update is that I still haven't touched chocolate. 4 months now and it's just like you told me, that I just don't want any more … I have so much energy, I feel great and I walk nearly every day … Best thing to ever happen to me.”
– Mary in Tipperary
Individual results vary.
The Eating Control Program, €100 per session
Each session is a reset:
Session 1 · Reset 1. Changes how you see food, and how you see yourself, from the very first session.
Session 2 · Reset 2. Builds on the first, so the new way of eating starts to feel normal instead of an effort.
Session 3 · Reset 3. Keeps you steady around other people: family, friends, and the “just have one” at every party.
Start with one session. If you feel the difference, I'd encourage you to do all three, ideally within three weeks.
The Comfort Eating Solution™
Best if you want to work to your own daily routine and achieve sustainable, long-term change. It is designed to be your last weight loss program.
I'm Clem Kelleher, a clinical hypnotherapist and psychologist based in Corbally, Limerick. I hold an MSc in Psychology from the University of Derby. I'm a certified member of the National Guild of Hypnotists, a Graduate Member of the Psychological Society of Ireland and a Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society.
I've worked as a professional hypnotherapist since 2010. I also created The Comfort Eating Solution, an online program for people who want control around food.
Overeating is having a bit more than you need. Binge eating is eating a large amount in a short time and feeling you can't stop. Most people I see for it eat well most of the time and lose control at particular times, usually in the evening.
No, a big part of it is habit, and that's where we start. The stress or boredom part often only shows up clearly once the routine changes. When it does, we deal with it then.
No. Plenty of people who binge eat are a normal weight. The aim is control around food. If you also want to lose weight, that usually follows.
Binge eating covers a wide range. For some people it's temporary: a stressful spell, a worry, or a stretch of boredom when they slip into a habit. For others it has been going on for years. Either way, it is mostly routine and habit, and that is what most of this page is about.
Binge eating disorder is a recognised mental health condition, described in the DSM-5, the manual psychiatrists use for diagnosis. It means losing control and eating a large amount at least once a week for three months or more, with real distress about it. That can include eating until uncomfortably full, eating alone out of embarrassment, and feeling disgusted or guilty afterwards.
In my experience, when binge eating reaches that point, the habit is still there, but the bigger job the eating is doing is helping the person cope with emotional stress. That needs a different approach.
I work with a lot of people with binge eating disorder, and I can help. If this sounds like you, message me and we'll put together a treatment plan that suits you.
Yes. Hypnosis is a state of focused attention, a bit like being absorbed in a film. You hear everything, you remember it, and you can stop at any point.
Yes. Online and in-person sessions work the same way, wherever you are. The Comfort Eating Solution is fully online.
There are two ways to achieve what you want. See both and pick the one that suits you.
Not sure which suits you? Message me on WhatsApp and I'll reply myself.
Related: Weight loss
