Can’t Stop Eating? (The Real Reason)

In this deeply personal episode, I share the real story behind my journey into health and fitness — and it’s not what you’d expect.What started as a love for science…turned into an obsession with finding the perfect way to eat… and eventually revealed something much deeper: The problem was never the food.The Identity Shift That Started It AllBefore the degrees… before the certifications… before the business… there was a moment that changed everything.As a teenager, I was a high-performing athlete — someone who identified with strength, movement, and pushing limits.Then, in an instant, everything shifted.A traumatic accident left me with severe spinal damage, multiple surgeries, and a life-altering message: “You’ll never play sports again.”And just like that, my identity was stripped away.The Power of Action Before CertaintyWith no roadmap, no formal training, and no expectations… I started by simply copying what others were doing.And within months:I came off pain medicationBecame pain-freeStarted running againReconnected with a version of myself I thought I had lost foreverThat moment didn’t just change her body — it changed her entire life trajectory.I left my master’s program in McGill University…and fully stepped into the world of health, fitness, and human behavior.The Diet Cycle That No One Talks AboutIn my search for the “perfect” way to eat, I tried it all:Calorie countingLow-fat dietingAtkins DietPaleo DietKetogenic DietZone DietVeganismEvery approach had science behind it. Every approach claimed to be the way.And yet… The more I followed the rules, the more disconnected I became.The Breaking PointIt didn’t look like failure from the outside.But internally, something was unraveling.I structured “cheat meals” turned into:Entire weekendsThen full weeksOf feeling completely out of control around foodUntil one moment made it impossible to ignore:Sitting there… after my third bowl of oats… in physical pain… unable to stop eating…I asked myself: “Is something actually wrong with me?”This Was Never About WillpowerDespite having:Years of educationProfessional experienceDeep knowledge of nutritionI couldn’t “control” my behavior.And that’s when the truth became clear:This isn’t about discipline. This isn’t about knowledge. This is about the nervous system.From Food Control to Nervous System ProtectionThrough years of restriction and labeling food as “good” or “bad,” my body had shifted into a state of Sympathetic Nervous System activation — what I now calls:Protection ModeWhere the body:Fears scarcitySeeks safety through foodDrives overeating as a survival responseWhat felt like “self-sabotage”… was actually self-protection.The Birth of a New ApproachThis is where everything changed.Instead of asking: “What should I eat?”I started asking: “What’s driving the behavior?”And from that question…Make Peace With Food was born.Struggling with unwanted eating behavior? Download my free guide, Calm the Craving: 7 Steps to Break Emotional and Binge Eating, and finally end the cycle of out-of-control eating: www.sherryshaban.comWork With Sherry Shaban:Book your FREE 30-minute Food Freedom Call and start your journey to lasting change! www.sherryshabanfitness.com/clarityListen & SubscribeCatch more episodes at www.makepeacewithfood.com/podcast or subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube so you never miss an episode!Connect & Go DeeperJoin our Facebook Community: www.myfoodfreedomlifestyle.comWork with Sherry: www.sherryshaban.com/transformExplore more resources: www.makepeacewithfood.comShare Your TakeawayTag us on Instagram (@makepeacewithfoodofficial), Facebook (@MakePeaceWithFoodOfficial), TikTok (@sherryshaban), or LinkedIn (sherryshaban) and share your biggest insight from this episode!