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Last updated on February 19th, 2024 at 02:53 am
You’ve just had a binge. You feel out of control. Plan B is to withold food in any capacity that will help you regain control of your body. You suddenly find you are now part of a vicious binge restrict cycle.
The hallmark of bingeing and restricting is that:
- You continue to binge no matter how much you promise yourself you will restrict
- You feel disgusted with our lack of control
- Extreme shame, guilt, fear, and sadness are commonplace
- You’re disgusted with your body and try regularly to restrict changes
- You may frequently body check, especially after a binge
So how do we break the vicious restrict binge cycle?
Lets dig into the role restriction plays in binging, how to hold off on a binge, and trade the binge restrict cycle for intuitive eating.
What Is The Binge Restrict Cycle?
The binge restrict cycle is when when a person eats a large amount of food (much larger than you see people around you eat), restricts food to try to compensate for the large quantity eaten which results in another binge.
At its core, the binge restrict cycle is a result of diet culture thinking which makes it clear that thin privelage is the ultimate aspiration. We thus try to modify our bodies by controlling our food.
What Restriction Looks Like When Binging and Restricting
- Food restriction
- Excessive exercise
- Purging through vomiting or diuretic use
- THOUGHTS about food restriction
- Subtle or intense dieting
- Avoiding certain food groups
When food is intentionally restricted, it’s a big red flag a binge restrict cycle is likely to occur.
What Bingeing Looks Like During Binging and Restricting
- Eating very large quantities of food
- Feeling ravenous
- Intense cravings
- Intense feelings of shame, guilt or fear following eating
- Missing social obligations or opportunities to binge (skipping school or work)
- Hiding, sneaking, or hoarding food
- Rapidly eating food
Is It Normal To Binge After Restricting
Yes.
Let’s think of caveman times. Over thousands of years, humans have experienced bouts of feast and famine.
After we restrict severay things happen in the body to help us survive. These include:
- Our bodies reduce the production of leptin (our satiety signals)
- Increase in grehlin (our hunger signals)
- Rate of enzymatic reactions change
- Stress and fatigue associated with restriction will fuel an increase in cortisol causing us to crave calorie-dense easy-to-access foods.
- Increase in salivation when we starve ourselves (starting the process of digestion)!
- Surge of what is called neuropeptide Y when we restrict. Neuropeptide Y increases cravings for carbohydrate rich foods
- Increased dopamine in the brain while binging (Increases desire to binge in the future)
One fun fact is that salivation increases even if food isn’t present(we’re just thinking about it- which is common when we restrict)! Salivation is actually the first process in digestion, and actually begins to produce salivary amylase– A digestive enzyme!
We see increased digestion hormones both before AND after eating when we’ve restricted our food intake. Our body is making sure that is is fully ready when food becomes available
Why? Because this is how humans have survived over millions of years! you’re not going to beat that system.
So is binging after restricting normal?
absolutely! Your body is just doing the one thing that it does best. Protecting you.
Signs You’re At Risk of A Binge
All binges come as a result of restriction. However, you might not be aware that you are actually restricting!
Here are some of the most common restrictive behaviors that cause a binge:
- Avoiding eating certain foods or food groups
- Feeling bad, out of control or guilty about certain food groups
- Waiting to eat despite feeling hungry
- Avoiding food
- Counting calories
- Eating pattern isn’t sustainable (e.g. dieting) and engaging in “cheat days“
- Can’t stop thinking about food
- Restricting food as a result of feeling like you’ve over eaten
- Feeling out of control with food in social situations or other settings where you may not have complete control.
Binge Restrict Cycle In Anorexia
If you have Anorexia nervosa, your body is desperate to survive. It will amp up every defense mechanism it has in order to get food that is available into the body.
Binging during weight restoration from an eating disorder like anorexia is very common. This is your bodies way of trying to protect itself. Many people with anorexia will feel an overwhelming sense of shame, fear, and guilt as their desire to eat begins to exceed their eating disorder recovery meal plan.
Binge eating in anorexia recovery can come from
- Hypermetabolism in anorexia
- Microbiome shifts
- Alteration in enzymatic reactions
- Anatomical changes in GI tract
- Hormonal shifts
It is very likely that your eating disorder voice is very loud in the experience of binging and is telling you to immediately STOP!
If you are suffering from anorexia, your desire might be to restrict after a binge. Do no tdo this. Share your experiences with your eating disorder dietitian and therapist for support strategies in helping you work through the binge and negative emotions.
These eating disorder recovery books may also be a valuable asset in making peace with your body and you food choices.
Binge Purge Restrict Cycle
People with bulimia nervosa may purge to try to get rid of tthe food they’ve eaten during a binge.
The binge, purge restrict cycle typically consists of:
- Food restriction (mental and/or physical)
- Eating large quantities of food or off-limits foods
- Extreme guilt/shame around excessive food intake
- Physical pain including bloating, cramping, and potentially nausea or diahrrhea
- For some, excessive sweating
- Vomiting, excessive exercise or laxative use to get rid of food from the body
- Rush of endorphins which produce a feel-good response reinforcing purge behavior
- Food restriction (mental and/or physical)
Those who purge may feel cleanliness and even relaxation before, during or after the purge. This can make future purge behavior seem appealing.
In a binge purge restrict cycle, you will need to eliminate any restrictive behavior to break the cycle.
What To Do Instead Of Eating If I have an Urge To Binge
While the best method of action when it comes to a binge is to prevent restricting and normalize daily intake, there are a few things you can do when the urge to binge hits suddenly.
“Trying not to binge” simply is not an effective strategy for most people.
When we try not to think about something, it often intensifies the thought. Using strategies like urge surfing or making it a goal to hold off on a binge can be a more effective tool.
Things you can do while you hold off a binge include:
- Stretching
- Imagining a stop sign
- Calling a friend
- Walking a dog
- Play a video game
- Hula hoop
- Go for a drive
- Say “stop” out loud
- Make a gift for someone
- Meditate
- Declutter
- Write a letter/journal
- Do a crossword puzzle
- Learn a new language (duolingo)
- Play with a pet
How To Stop Binging And Restricting
- Incorporate restricted food groups (if you’re avoiding carbohydrates, add these into your day)
- Eat fear foods
- Identify triggers for binging (are you eating food when you feel lonely, bored, stressed, or have a large school project due)?
- Spread your food intake throughout the day. Eat breakfast within 2 hours of waking up and then every 3-4 hours. Build a support team. This can include having meals and snacks with family or friends or a trained professional like a dietitian or therapist.
- Eating normally even after a binge
- Delaying my binge
- Alter your binge rituals (not eating with activities that may trigger a binge, having an interactive activity ready for the time of day I usually binge)
- Use an intuitive eating hunger scale
Self Care With Binging and Restricting
Breaking the binge restrict cycle can lead to an emotional roller coaster.
It is critical that you emotionally and physically offer yourself grace during this time. Some things you can do to reduce stress that comes along with bingeing and restricting include:
- Respect your body
- Stop body checking
- Stop counting calories
- Practice joyful movement
- Make a list. of eating disorder recovery quotes or body-positive mantras
- Use body-positive journal prompts to journal your experiences daily
Are there any strategies you have been successful within breaking the binge and restrict cycle? drop them in the comments below!
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