The Dieting and Binge Eating Cycle
Binge eating is complex, and recovery is not as simple as just stopping the binge eating.
Dr. Christopher G. Fairburn describes binge eating as having “a circular element…that can make today’s effect tomorrow’s cause.” In other words, the very things we do in response to binge eating contributes to the cycle continuing.
And perhaps the clearest example of this is dieting.
Many people who binge eat are also dieting or restricting their food intake. This can feel counterintuitive, because it goes against so many of the assumptions we have about binge eating. But understanding the relationship between restriction and binge eating is an incredibly important part of understanding how to break the cycle.
Is dieting a cause or effect of binge eating?
Here is where the circular nature of binge eating becomes clear. Dieting can be both the cause and the effect of binge eating. Many individuals who struggle with binge eating began by dieting. And many who overeat or binge eat then attempt to compensate by dieting, which in turn sets the stage for the next binge episode.
What is abundantly clear is that dieting and overcoming binge eating cannot coexist. I want to be clear, because I get asked this all the time: if you want to overcome binge eating, and ensure that you don’t relapse back into a cycle of binge eating regardless of what eating disorder(s) you struggle with, you cannot go on a diet.
This remains true regardless of your body type. Individuals often think that if they perceive themselves to be overweight, or if they are not categorized as underweight, this does not apply to them, but it does. No matter your size and shape, what your doctor has told you about your weight, you cannot diet and recover from binge eating. AND dieting actually does not correlate to health or positive health outcomes. Instead, we can work on becoming more healthy and supporting our health outcomes without dieting.
Dieting and restriction is one of the main physiological factors that makes people vulnerable to binge eating. (Note I said physiological, as with any eating disorder, there will be both physiological and psychological contributing factors). Because of this, it is imperative to reduce and ultimately eliminate all dieting and restrictive tendencies in order to overcome binge eating and recover from binge eating disorder. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: restriction always leads to a binge.
Types of dieting:
As moving away from dieting and food restriction is the goal when wanting to overcome binge eating, I wanted to breakdown the various kinds of dieting individuals may engage in so that we are clear on what we need to be shifting away from with our food behaviors to stop the dieting and binge eating cycle.
Strict Food Avoidance:
If someone is engaging in full food avoidance, they will typically eat little to no food outside of their binges. This is more commonly seen in individuals with bulimia and binge-purge type anorexia, and less commonly seen in those with binge eating disorder.
Caloric Restriction:
Individuals engaging in caloric restriction as a form of dieting aim to keep their food intake below a target calorie limit. The amount of calories chosen is almost always below what is actually needed to function optimally and be well.
Specific Food Avoidance:
Many who diet and restrict their food, will have a list of “no” foods, “fear” foods, or off limit foods for a variety of reasons.
Some avoid foods they fear are not “clean” like in the case of those with orthorexia. Some are fearful and avoidant of certain macronutrients (carbs, fats or proteins). Some avoid foods with more than a certain number of ingredients. Some avoid foods above a certain amount of grams of sugar. And some will put labels on themselves, like dairy free or grain free, etc.
There are a wide range of food avoidances for an even wider range of reasons, and all of which fall into the category of dieting by means of food avoidance. What is interesting is that many (if not all) individuals I work with in eating disorder recovery are significantly more likely to binge on the foods they restrict and avoid than the foods they allow.
The psychological effects of dieting:
Preoccupation with food:
I have two children. We had a special dinner planned for Friday night, so when I grocery shopped on Thursday, I grabbed some ice cream for dessert.
The moment they knew they couldn’t have the ice cream until the next day, they became completely fixated on it. Suddenly, it seemed like all they could think about was the ice cream, even though before I bought it, they hadn’t been thinking about ice cream at all.
Sound familiar?
Anyone who has ever dieted will likely recognize this experience. When we begin restricting certain foods, or simply restricting the amount of food we eat, we often begin thinking about food much more.
What can I eat? When can I eat again? Can I have that? How much can I have?
Food starts taking up more and more mental space. This is what I often refer to as “food noise.”
The more we restrict our food, both in quantity and variety, the more preoccupied with food we can become. Instead of thinking about food less, which is often what people hope will happen when they start dieting, we can actually end up thinking about it significantly more.
That preoccupation can become incredibly consuming, making it harder to stay present and focus on the other parts of our lives.
Perceived failure:
Another psychological effect of dieting is the sense of failure that can happen when we don’t meet the strict and rigid food rules we have set for ourselves.
Maybe you planned to avoid sugar and then ate a cookie. Maybe you told yourself you wouldn’t eat after dinner and then had a snack. Or perhaps you planned to eat a certain amount of food and ended up eating more.
Suddenly, it can feel like you have “ruined it.”
This is where all-or-nothing thinking can take over. If you already broke the rule, you might as well keep eating. If the diet is already ruined today, you might as well start again tomorrow, or Monday, or next month.
That feeling of having failed can become a trigger for binge eating. The binge then reinforces the belief that you need more control around food, which leads to another round of dieting and restriction.
And the cycle continues.
There are, of course, many factors that contribute to binge eating beyond dieting and restriction. Eating disorders and disordered eating patterns are complex, and there is no singular cause or experience that applies to everyone.
That said, this article felt important to write because I cannot tell you how many individuals I have worked with over my years in practice who have worked incredibly hard to overcome binge eating, only to find themselves falling back into dieting and restriction.
It makes sense. We are constantly surrounded by messages telling us to eat less, cut out certain foods, lose weight, or have more “control” around food. But when you are trying to recover from binge eating, returning to restriction can pull you right back into the cycle you have worked so hard to get out of.
Overcoming binge eating is not about becoming better at controlling food. Sometimes, an incredibly important part of recovery is learning to let go of that control.
If you’re struggling with binge eating and feel stuck in the cycle of dieting, restriction, and binge eating, my Binge Eating Recovery Program was created specifically to help you break that cycle.
Together, we’ll work on understanding what is driving your binge eating, moving away from restriction and food rules, and building a more peaceful and trusting relationship with food.