Diets Cause Binge Eating
Diets cause binge eating
In fact, binge eating is a very normal response to dieting.
First, let’s define “diet”. The technical definition is: the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats. But when I talk about diet, I’m referring to the four-letter kind of D-I-E-T…the one with the word DIE in it. I define a diet as: any plan of eating that takes away your autonomy to listen to your body and choose what, when, and how much to eat.
And that’s exactly what crash diets do: they tell you what, when, and how much to eat. A diet tells you to completely disregard your body’s individual needs, desires, and hunger levels.
Someone once told me that “for every diet you go on, there is an equal and opposite binge”. The more extreme the restriction, the more epic the binge that follows.
Truer words may never have been spoken. I can remember my very first binge. It occurred at the age of 18…right after my first-ever attempt to lose weight by going on a strict, low-calorie diet.
I binged and dieted for another 20+ years after that first binge. And I always believed that the solution to my binge behavior was to tighten the reins even further. Create more rules. Be more strict with myself. But that only led me to binge even more.
I adhered to strict Paleo for 2 years…followed by 2 years of binge eating. I intermittent fasted…and binged during my “feeding windows”. I tried Keto…followed by the most epic sugar and carb binges of my life. Whole 30…followed by Cookie Dough 30.
I thought the binges were my fault. I believed I lacked willpower. I thought my personality must be flawed. I believed I was “addicted” to food (insert eye roll). The weight loss never lasted. But the self-loathing and loss of confidence in myself certainly did. After all, every time I dieted and failed, I proved to myself over and over again that I was uncontrollable around food.
It’s human nature to want what you can’t have.
Why do diets cause binge eating?
Our bodies are incredibly smart. We don’t give them enough credit. For 300,000 years of human history, our bodies were tasked with keeping us alive during times of scarcity. So, what did we do during times of plenty? We binged! Our bodies are beautifully designed to keep us alive in the event of a famine.
From the body’s point of view, a diet is no different from a famine. Your body is trying to save your life…by forcing you to seek and eat food!
When food is restricted, a few very important biological events occur:
Metabolism slows down. In an effort to save your life, your body conserves. Eat 800 calories per day, and very soon your body will adjust and only burn 800 calories per day. This slowdown in metabolism also causes you to become tired and lethargic. Your body is trying desperately to keep you from moving in an effort to conserve calories.
The body produces less leptin. Leptin is the “satiety hormone”. It helps you feel full and satisfied.
The body produces more ghrelin. Ghrelin is the hormone that causes you to feel hungry.
In laymen’s terms that means you become ravenously hungry, but won’t be satisfied by a normal amount of food. Diets cause ramped-up hunger, which causes out-of-control eating. And since metabolism is often suppressed, our body is primed to regain weight very quickly. This is why people who lose weight often regain it, plus a few extra pounds.
THEREFORE BINGE EATING IS A COMPLETELY NORMAL AND APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO PHYSICAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL RESTRICTION OF FOOD.
(Read that statement again! I had to put it in bold and all caps to highlight the importance. 😉 )
For me, the reason for the binges (and the solution) was so simple: I was hungry. Starving. I needed to let myself eat.
Restriction, dieting, and food plans were the cause of EVERY ONE of my binges. I needed LESS restriction. Not more. So, I took a chance and made a commitment to one full year without dieting or trying to lose weight. Sounds crazy, right? It worked.
That was almost 3 years ago. I’m now going on 18 months, binge-free. My weight has stabilized and I can eat any food I want without losing control. I feel like a normal human again!
Moral of the story: Diets cause binge eating. Reject the diets…not yourself.
Diets are disrespectful of your body’s natural cues for hunger and fullness.
When the binges are not caused by dieting…
Binge eating occurs for different reasons for different people. It’s actually fairly normal human behavior – everyone binges or eats emotionally sometimes. It’s only a problem when eating becomes a person’s only way to cope with life, or the binges happen so often that it causes health issues and/or emotional distress.
But binges are almost never the real problem. A binge is a symptom. A binge is a behavior that occurs because an underlying need isn’t being met. A binge is a cry for help. A binge represents a way to care for yourself.
When viewed from that angle, you can be softer with yourself. You can begin to ask: “Why is this happening? Why am I choosing to eat when I’m not hungry? Why am I choosing to eat when I know it will make me more miserable in the long term? What’s going on? What is it that I really need right now?”
Some people need to reduce the amount of stress and pressure they are under at work so they don’t come home and binge as a reward for “getting through” the day. Some people need to stand up for themselves in the face of a hurtful relationship with a friend, spouse, co-worker, or family member. Some people need to address a past event, trauma, or abuse that continually gets buried by eating.
But binge eating is almost never a stand-alone problem. Address the underlying cause, and the binges will fade away.
Mindful and intuitive eating practices helped me quit dieting and rekindle a joyous relationship with food.
The answer to a binge is never a diet
If you are struggling with binge eating — whether caused by food restriction or emotions — the answer is not another diet or period of restriction. It’s about learning to “hear” your body, and then nourishing it by finding a predictable pattern of eating, while also working on the beliefs, fears, and emotions that come up along the way.
Need further support to quit dieting and stop the binges? Let’s talk! You can fill out my contact form or email me directly at kellybailey1980@gmail.com.
I hope you enjoyed this post and thank you for reading!
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Blog Author: Kelly Bailey, IIN certified holistic nutrition coach, and NPTI certified personal trainer
Learn more about the author here.
