# Food Addiction & the Perfectionism Trap: Self-Compassion Strategies with Brian Baumal

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-binge-eating-7099183/food-addiction-the-perfectionism-trap-self-compassion-strategies-with-brian-baumal
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-binge-eating-7099183/food-addiction-the-perfectionism-trap-self-compassion-strategies-with-brian-baumal.md
Podcast: [Beyond Binge Eating](https://stenobird.com/podcast/beyond-binge-eating-7099183)
Published: 2026-06-04T19:00:00+00:00
Episode link: http://www.BeyondBingeEating.com
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/f1684135-d4c2-4e76-9670-09a8188a72a5.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/beyond-binge-eating-7099183/episodes/food-addiction-the-perfectionism-trap-self-compassion-strategies-with-brian-baumal
Duration seconds: 2919

## Resource

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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------…

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