Episode
Food Addiction & the Perfectionism Trap: Self-Compassion Strategies with Brian Baumal
- Podcast
- Beyond Binge Eating
- Published
- Jun 4, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2919
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- http://www.BeyondBingeEating.com
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Summary
In this episode, I sit down with Brian Baumal — registered psychotherapist, owner of Aliva Psychotherapy in Toronto, and someone who has navigated his own recovery from exercise bulimia and binge eating disorder. With nearly 14 years of maintaining a 100-pound weight loss and decades of clinical experience, Brian brings a uniquely grounded perspective to one of the most undertalked challenges in food addiction recovery: perfectionism. Here's what we cover in the episode: The difference between perfectionism and toxic perfectionism — and why the distinction matters in recovery Why food addicts are especially prone to black-and-white thinking — and how it fuels the cycle of shame after a slip What the abstinence violation effect is and how to interrupt it before it spirals into full relapse How to build an abstinence plan that empowers rather than restricts — and why arbitrary food rules do more harm than good Why shame — not health — is usually the real driver behind wanting fast results, and how slowing down actually supports long-term healing What a non-perfectionistic, compassionate response to a slip looks like in real time The "sleeping dragon" reframe — and why it shifts the recovery conversation from powerlessness to conscious choice Why "good enough" is not a compromise in food addiction recovery — it may be the whole point If you've ever spiraled after a slip, struggled to hold structure without rigidity, or felt like your own inner critic was the biggest obstacle to your recovery, this conversation will give you a completely new framework for understanding perfectionism — and a more compassionate path forward. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------…