Case Study: How Sally stopped emotional eating and found freedom from IBS
- Clare Bellini
- Nov 2
- 3 min read
When Sally first came to see me, she didn’t mince her words:
“This has to work ... nothing else has! ”
In her early 50s, juggling a demanding job, a husband, and two teenagers, she felt like she’d tried everything, even the ZOE plan, but nothing had stuck.
Despite knowing what healthy eating should look like, she was stuck in a cycle of stress eating, sugar cravings, and exhaustion.Her mornings started with that “hungover” feeling (despite not drinking), breakfast was often skipped, and by mid-afternoon, the chocolate and sweet snacks always crept in.
On top of that, she had IBS, ear problems, and just felt “off”. Like many women, the weight had slowly crept on since her late 30s, and she was worried about her long-term health and quality of life with her family.
Where we began
In our Discovery Call I’d explained that we wouldn’t start with weight loss. We were going to build strong foundations first, balancing blood sugar, stabilising energy, and transforming her relationship with food.
After all, eating less hadn’t worked before.
We rebuilt her meals around the right balance of protein, healthy fats, fibre, and slow-release carbs, helping her stay full for 5–6 hours, cut cravings, and naturally reduce snacking. She noticed how her energy and focus improved once her blood sugar was stable.
Changing her relationship with food
Sally’s real challenge wasn’t what she ate …… it was why.
She wasn’t eating out of hunger, but because of stress, habit, and fatigue.
Together, we used tools to help her tune into true physical hunger and used food diaries to track what she ate and how she felt, noticing the emotional triggers behind eating.
Sally learned how to:
Tune into her hunger and fullness cues
Eat until satisfied, not stuffed
Notice when she was reaching for food to soothe emotions
Practise self-compassion instead of guilt or “starting over tomorrow”
For the first time in years, she felt in control around food.
Breaking the family food rut
Another big breakthrough came from tackling the family dinner rut. Sally was cooking the same meals week after week, and when she was tired, it was easy to reach for quick fixes.
We created a flexible two-week plan the whole family enjoyed, adding more variety, batch cooking, and a few clever swaps. Dinners became less stressful and more nourishing.
The results after 12 weeks
By the end of the 12-week package, the change was remarkable:
No chocolate or sweet snacks for two weeks (unthinkable before!)
Balanced meals that kept her satisfied and steady
IBS and reflux symptoms gone
Morning energy back, no more “hungover” feeling
Clothes fitting more comfortably
A calmer, healthier relationship with food
But the biggest win?
Sally no longer felt trapped in that diet–binge–guilt cycle. She finally had a way of eating that worked for her body, her family, and her busy life.
What made it work
The most significant part of Sally’s success came from our weekly accountability coaching calls. Each week, I checked in to make sure she felt supported, helped her troubleshoot challenges, and adjusted strategies as she progressed.
Alongside the structured support, we used simple tools to help her change her relationship with food so she could continue to make confident, intuitive choices long after working together.
In Sally’s words:
“Clare is an excellent nutritionist. She really helped balance and optimise my food intake for health and weight loss. She’s extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and makes you feel at ease in all of her sessions. Would highly recommend her.”
Does this sounds like you…
If you’re tired of diets, stuck in a loop of emotional eating, or worried about your long-term health, it’s time to try a different approach.
My one-to-one nutritional therapy programmes combine science-based nutrition, mindset coaching, psychological tools to change your relationship with food and accountability so you can finally break free from old habits and feel like yourself again.
👉 Book a free 20 minute chat today, and see how I could support you.
