How to Break the Binge-Restrict Cycle and Enjoy Food Every Day
There is a big misconception in society when it comes to binging.
Many people think they binge on certain foods because they’re addicted to them or have no willpower.
What happens is that you crave those foods because you restrict them. They are like the forbidden fruit.
It doesn’t mean that you have no willpower. You make them desirable when you think of those foods as treats.
So let’s understand the binge-restrict cycle and how you can break it.
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Binge-Restrict Cycle - What Does It Mean?
The binge-restrict cycle is a behavior in which you restrict yourself from having a certain food or foods because you can't stop once you start.
After restricting yourself for a while (it can be a different time for everyone), you surrender. Then, you binge eat it until you feel bad and restrict it… Again.
I think you understand why it’s called a cycle - there’s no end as long as the approach is the same.
Stages of the Binge-Restrict Cycle
There are four stages of the cycle:
Shame
It all starts with shame. You are ashamed of how your body looks, how your last diet failed again, how you can’t stay away from pizza, and so on.
You feel so ashamed of yourself. So, you’ve decided: this time it will be different.
You will be strong and resist the temptation of eating food X.
Restrict
After giving yourself a little pep talk, you’re ready to live without food X for good.
You ban this food from your meals and will do everything you can to stay away from it.
Intense cravings
You’re going strong. You haven’t eaten food X for a few hours, days, weeks, maybe even months.
But then, one day, you saw that food in the store, a friend eating it, or just thought about it.
And now you want it.
You try to pep talk yourself and stay strong. You try to resist the cravings.
You convince yourself that this time will be different. You will have just a little bit.
Life is all about balance, right?
Binge and overeating
You finally enjoy food X. And it got better than you remember.
You might have a little extra. Maybe a little more.
You already feel full, but it tastes so good.
And then you realize you’ve finished the whole bag/ pack/ box/ etc.
After that, you go back to shame - and that’s how the never-ending cycle is formed.
What Does Diet Culture Claim?
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are a lot of misconceptions about this topic.
Diet culture would often claim that you binge because you’re addicted to certain foods - that’s why you have no control being around them.
Another claim is that you have no willpower. You have to work to become stronger.
And when you read or hear those statements, you feel even more ashamed. You start beating yourself up, thinking you’re weak.
I’m here to tell you that in most cases, the reason why you’re binging is different.
It is because in your mind you ban those foods. This makes them look irresistible.
You think of them the same way Eve was looking at the apple in Eden. It is forbidden fruit, and you have to taste it.
Signs of Binge Eating
So how would you know if you’re binge-eating?
Here are the most common behaviors:
Feeling out of control around certain foods;
Can’t stop eating even when you realize you’re full, so you overeat;
Stressing around when to eat a certain food;
Thinking you need an allowance to eat a certain food;
Feeling guilty after eating a certain food.
One of the most common behavior of the binge-restrict cycle is to feel out of control around certain foods.
How to Quit the Binge-Restrict Cycle?
#1 Stop restricting.
This is the first step you need to take to break the cycle.
When you know that all foods are allowed, the mentality of the forbidden fruit is gone.
You will be surprised to realize that once the ice cream is on the green list, you don’t want it that bad.
Allow yourself to eat any food you want.
#2 Understand how different foods nourish your body.
Understanding how different foods make your body feel is crucial. By this, I mean how it really feels, not what society claims.
For example, you might find that gluten doesn’t bloat you even though so many gurus claim that’s the main reason you should stop eating it.
If you feel okay or even thrive after eating gluten, that’s great. It means it’s food that’s good for your body and soul.
That’s why there’re no universal rules around food. There’s no one-size-fits-all. Every body is different and responds differently to foods.
Give yourself a chance to understand your body's needs and start nourishing it properly.
#3 Take notes of your hunger cues.
After understanding how different foods make your body feel, tune into your hunger cues.
Understand when you’re starving and when stuffed. Also, note all the moods in between.
An easy practice is to use a scale of 1 (starving) to 10 (stuffed) and understand how you feel in the moment.
It takes time and practice to tune into your hunger cues, but once you master it, it’s a priceless tool.
Quick note: stop punishing yourself when you make mistakes.
You’re not supposed to figure out everything on your first try. Give yourself time for some trial and error.
Then, analyze the data and learn what you’ve done good and what you can do better next time.
You’ve got this, so don’t give up.
#4 Make peace with food.
Stop perceiving food as an enemy or a treat.
Food is the fuel that your body needs to thrive. Food is the fuel you need to live your best life.
Food is not the enemy. Every food can be a part of a well-balanced diet.
Ice cream and pizza don’t exist to make you miserable and feel out of control.
There’s a lot of mindset shift when it comes to changing behaviors around food.
On a piece of paper, write down what food means for you right now. Be honest, no judging.
At the bottom, write what you should change about your perceptions and what’s a better way to look at food. Read this note every day.
Also, feel free to change your current perceptions once they change. It’s a simple reminder of what you want to achieve.
Please, don’t skip this step, even if it feels intimidating.
Being honest with yourself helps you take action and shift those perceptions.
#5 Eat regularly.
Another factor of binging is because you haven’t eaten all day. You come back from work and realize you’re starving.
You start eating dinner, then a pint of ice cream and a bag of chips. Then you feel guilty.
In today’s busy world, eating is not a top priority. But it should be.
Make time for your meals no matter how busy you are. Try to eat at least 3 times a day.
Wake up 5-10 minutes earlier so you can have breakfast.
Meal prep your lunch from the night before.
If you don’t feel like cooking after a long workday, ask your partner to cook, order takeout or go out for a delicious dinner. There are always options.
Having a routine around food helps you stop feeling like you can eat three meals at once.
Also, if you’ve caught yourself binging again, don’t punish yourself by skipping a meal. Keep on with your day, schedule, and meals.
Analyze what made you binge and how you can improve next time.
#6 Eat slowly and mindfully.
Eating slowly is a practice that will help you tune even more into your hunger cues.
It helps your mind understand when you’re full. You can stop without overeating and feeling guilty about it.
Like any other habit, it will take some time until you’re used to it, especially if you’re a fast eater.
A great practice is to take a breath after every bite. It helps you stop and think for a moment.
#7 Limit distractions when eating.
While you’re eating, it’s good to limit all the distractions like watching TV or scrolling through social media.
There are some diets and gurus out there that do recommend to even limiting social interactions during meals.
I am not here for this. One of the purposes of food is to be social.
After living through a pandemic, we’ve been limiting our social interactions for a while.
Social interactions during meals may also help you eat slower (take a look at tip #6).
However, when it comes to watching TV or social media, it’s best if you try to limit them during your meals. Those practices distract you from your primary focus - eating your food.
Limiting distractions while eating can help you understand when you’re full and stop before overeating.
While you’re so into the new season of your favorite Netflix show, you stop thinking about food and how full you are.
Before you know it, you may realize that you’ve overeaten and start beating yourself up again.
#8 Set up a supportive environment
Setting up a supportive environment might be just what’s keeping you away from sustainable change.
If there are certain types of food you don’t feel in control around, stop buying them.
On the counter, leave foods that your body and you love.
If you have a partner, ask them for support.
When you explain why this is important, I’m sure they will be glad to help you. They might also benefit from the change.
For example, ask them to turn off any distractions during dinner. This way, you can focus on your food and spend more quality time together.
When you want to change something in your eating habits, it’s great to build a supportive environment.
It feels so much easier to pick a better choice.
#9 Analyze what triggers you to enter the binge-restrict cycle.
When you realize you’re binging or restricting yourself from certain foods, analyze this behavior.
What are the triggers?
When does it happen?
What do you think about the current moment?
Why do you think you restrict yourself from food?
Being aware of your behavior is a crucial step to breaking the cycle.
Try analyzing everything around you that triggers you. It’s a good practice to write everything.
Once you realize the reasons for this behavior, try to minimize the triggers. Also, focus on doing the mindset work.
#10 Accept and love your body in every size.
One of the main reasons to enter the binge-restrict cycle in the first place is to lose weight.
A crucial part of a successful weight loss is a mindset shift.
You can’t tell yourself every day that you hate your body.
Positive inner self-talk has more benefits for your mental and physical health and change than a negative one.
Start accepting your body and loving it in every size.
Because your body is incredible.
It gives you the ability to move, breathe, and live. Start appreciating this today. Even when you want to change the way your body looks, it still serves you pretty well.
Express gratitude for the body, change, and life you have.
Appreciate every moment and stop judging yourself.
Life is a journey. It has its adventures and its seasons.
It’s okay to fall for some behavior, and you don’t have to blame yourself.
Realizing that something needs to change is so crucial.
Be grateful for those experiences and work towards better, not perfect.
#11 Shift your mindset.
After you understand how different foods nourish your body (#2), the first step to quitting the circle is to shift your mindset.
Stop perceiving food as a reward, or a treat, or seeing some food choices as bad.
I won’t lie to you, it’s a bumpy road, but you can do it.
There’s no bad or good foods. There’s food that fuels and nourishes your mind and your body.
As a kid, you haven’t perceived food as something that will make you fat. You looked at it as the fuel that charges you for more playtime.
You stopped eating when you’re full because you’ve understood your hunger cues.
You’ve already been there, already done this.
And if you need any help, check out my 1:1 nutrition guidance. I will be with you along the way, giving you my full support and answering your questions, so there’s no space for doubts.
How Does Restriction Affect You, And Why Is It Bad for You?
Restriction makes any kind of food look irresistible. It gets into your mind, and you start thinking about food as bad or that you have to deserve it.
The restriction is also the reason you binge.
You make certain foods look like the forbidden fruit in your head. Of course, you’ll want them more.
You need food to survive. I can’t put it more straightforward.
Your nutrition choices and how you think about food impact your overall health.
When you are stressing about not eating a certain food or when will it be the next time to have it, you’re causing much more damage to yourself than if you just ate it.
By restricting food, you’re harming your physical and mental health.
Why Do Diets Support the Binge-Restrict Cycle, and How to Break It with Sustainable Eating Habits?
In most cases, diets are the reason you start restricting your food and feeling out of control around it.
Maybe you wanted to drop a few pounds. You saw that commercial, an easy and fast way to lose weight, and decided to sign up.
The diet told you to cut carbs, gluten, and dairy, eat some foods only on cheat days, not eat after 5 pm, etc.
To stop restricting yourself, you need to quit dieting.
Diets are a common reason to start the binge-restrict cycle.
Understand how your body responds to certain nutrients, how it feels, and what nourishes it.
Then, build healthy habits around your lifestyle and preferences.
Look for a sustainable solution that works for you every day in every situation.
Don’t try to be perfect. You can’t predict everything, and you don’t need to.
When you understand what your body needs and how to provide it, you'll even stop thinking about food as anything different but a fuel.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to recover/ break the binge-restrict cycle?
It depends on you how long this process is going to take.
Realize that this cycle harms you more than it helps you;
Understand how food nourishes your body and how it responds to different foods;
Do the mindset shift;
Start building the eating habits that will work for you every day, in every situation.
The sooner you start doing those steps, the sooner you’ll quit the cycle.
Will fasting help you break the binge-restrict cycle?
I would not recommend fasting as it again comes with its rules.
Fasting tells you when to eat.
This means that after a certain time window, food is not allowed.
If you’re still trying to quit the binge-restrict cycle, this might trigger your mind and make you want food more after this particular hour.
If you’ve already built some sustainable habits and, are curious about fasting, go for it.
Just be sure you’re already in control of your food choices. This way, you won't enter the cycle again.
Should you follow a diet to prevent binging?
As I mentioned above, I would not recommend you to follow a diet.
You should understand how food nourishes your body, not restricting it again.
Every diet comes with a set of rules - to eat more of food X but less or none of food Y, to restrict eating after a certain time, etc.
Find the “rules” that work for your body daily.
That’s how you’ll build sustainability, understand that every food has a place in your diet, and finally quit the cycle.
No, You’re Not Weak.
Stop beating yourself up for being weak because you can’t resist a slice of pizza or a piece of chocolate.
The problem is not your willpower.
The problem is that someone told you to avoid the pizza or the chocolate. Someone made those foods look like a treat or something you can’t have.
Pizza, chocolate, ice cream, greens, apples, bacon, and eggs are all great foods when they are part of a well-balanced diet that works for you daily.
Every food can be a part of a well-balanced diet that you enjoy daily.
Try to shift your mindset and perceive food as the fuel your body and mind need to thrive and help you live your best life.
If you need any additional help with creating a healthier and happier lifestyle, check my 1:1 nutrition coaching.
You will get the guidance you’re missing to achieve your goals and improve your overall quality of life.
I hope this article motivated you to keep on going with your wellness journey with more confidence.
Also, let me know about your nutrition and wellness struggles in the comments below or fill out my survey. Once I know what bothers you, I will end it.
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