A Powerful Tip to Help Overcome the Binge-Restrict Cycle

I love this tip for those who want to pull themselves out of a binge/overeat-restrict cycle.

It sounds so simple - almost too simple - and yet it’s super effective.

Regular eating disrupts the dietary restriction.

A few extra points:
1️⃣While working on this habit, I wouldn’t worry so much about what specifically you are eating - that can come later.
2️⃣This strategy might mean you are sometimes eating when you don’t feel physically hungry. This is normal, as your hunger and satiety cues may not be working normally due to the binging and restricting (this is something that can slowly come back as you regulate your eating.)
3️⃣Further, researchers and practitioners recommend going no longer than 4 waking hours without eating (as a general guideline).
4️⃣This is not certainly the ONLY strategy to implement - it’s one of several. But it’s a powerful starting step.

3 meals and 2-3 planned snacks per day is the recommendation, but you might find a slightly different meal pattern that works better for you, which is more than fine. 🙂

#BingeEating #HealthyEating

[shannonforsberg]

It's crazy how many people are legitimately SHOCKED that I eat three meals a day, 1-2 snacks, and lots of water. I'm lucky my parents, specifically my mom, always made meal times very consistent and encouraged me to listen to my body's internal cues to eat or not eat. It's helped me have a good relationship with food.

[MyssBlewm]

I really needed to watch this today! I get into a habit of "fitting in time to eat" and it can spiral into binge eating followed by restricting due to feeling guilty for binging and the cycle repeats. Simple but I didn't even think of scheduling my meals and snacks to curb binge eating. Thanks for all your tips and encouragement!! 💕

[alandcalled]

Important addition for me was that even if I binged that day, I still should stick to the schedule!

[dhutch]

As soon as I stopped undereating, I stopped binging and I’m SO GRATEFUL

[karoljohn]

As a shift worker, this is sooo hard. Especially during night shifts.

[vl]

This is actual advice instead of what I’ve heard before like “avoid buying those foods you binge on all together” I’m not trying to stop eating those foods I just wanna enjoy them like a normal eater would 😭 it’s harder than it seems and I do tend to unintentionally skip breakfast, but thank you so much for your tips they’re very helpful!

[m.d.]

After I stopped tracking food and restricting certain foods, I noticed that I haven’t binged in a while. And my trigger food are no longer so enticing. I am still working on things but I feel like I am making some progress:)

[Agri_i]

I personally eat five times a day: breakfast, lunch in school, snack after school, dinner and oftentimes something in the evening. This works for me

[wwkcd]

YUP!! Every time I notice the binge/restrict cycle acting up, I immediately start mechanical eating. All meals and snacks at the same exact time everyday, it takes my subconscious out of the mindset that we are starving and need to eat everything now as there may not be food later, keeps me satiated thru the day so there’s less of an urge to overeat at night, and provides a level of self-love and security that really combats the shame and negative self talk that’s at the core of a lot of my disordered eating habits. ❤️ love this advice!

[kirstenhorne]

My only problems with regular eating are 1. College 2. I feel like if I have more than one meal I will eat too many calories… to coin someone else’s term, I’m a volume eater 🥲 But I will try! Thank you for your advice and positivity!

[brees]

This is 100% correct and what’s helped me stop bingeing… adding protein at each meal as well (I try and shoot for at least 20 g) has really helped me stay full and not binge…

[dragonrider]

I don't restrict just overeat but I love this video. Thank you! ♥️

[DeidreDevelops]

I find 3 meals and 2 snacks work very well for me. I tend to stress snack so eating moderate meals allows me space for stress snacking in the in the afternoon without overeating.

[KaleaMaine]

She’s right cause I wanted to lose weight and all I did with my diet is cut snacks and regularly eat 3 balanced meals, lost 30lbs. (which is all I needed to lose)
Besides losing weight, I felt sick less often, had more energy, and cured my constant headache for the past 7 years!

[chelseascott]

I live with three family members who all have binge restrict cycles. Unfortunately, they restrict enough that they're losing weight so kind of hard to convince any of them to seek treatment. They all also seem to enjoy their binge episodes, it's not something that causes them shame. I think shame is an important emotion that makes people want to change.

[isabellestrickland]

Definitely! It has so much to do with you’re individual needs as well. When I was recovering from my ED, the doctors put me on 3 meals + 3 snacks a day. Although it may seem like a lot at first, it helped me get over my restrictive habits and develop a healthy relationship with food!

[snoozyq]

Thank you I'm stuck in a horrible cycle and I love seeing your videos to remind me these things. So many years of struggling with this. 💛

[ananyasrividya]

I do this and it works so well! I also have PCOS so it helps keep my blood sugar levels balanced

[IMChrysalis]

I tried this. Not for everyone. Eating the way you and my dietician at the time talked about made my diabetes get harder to control. I was put on insulin... but it is now understood that this eating pattern doesn't allow the pancreas to have any "down time" for flushing or repairs, and Hyperinsulinemia increases insulin resistance, meaning more unusable sugar in the blood.
Using intermittent fasting and food group rotations in my eating patterns over the WEEK, rather than every day, works better for me.
She is right about setting a regular pattern that suits your body and life style. It takes time, so do experiment a few weeks at a time, to find what works for your particular circumstances.
And don't make yourself eat things you don't like. Life is for enjoying, and food should be SAVORED.🙊🍽

[katt]

God this is honestly what I needed to hear. Some days I don't eat anything because I feel too fat and like I don't deserve any food... Other days I'm like "I give up, it's impossible, I'm going to be like this forever". If I could just have two steady meals a day I'd stop worrying so much about if I'm eating too much