The Restrict- Binge Cycle
Before diving into your experiences with dieting, it’s important to understand the
Binge-Restrict Cycle and how it keeps you stuck. This cycle consists of four key phases:
Binge-Restrict Cycle and how it keeps you stuck. This cycle consists of four key phases:
This cycle repeats itself over and over again, reinforcing feelings of failure and a belief that dieting is the only way to regain control—when, in reality, dieting is what fuels the cycle.
- Restrict: The cycle often begins with restriction—cutting out food groups, counting calories, fasting, or following rigid diet rules. This phase may feel empowering or disciplined at first, but it sets the stage for future struggles.
- Struggle: Over time, the deprivation leads to physical and emotional discomfort. You may feel constantly preoccupied with food, experience increased cravings, or feel frustrated that willpower alone isn’t enough to sustain the diet.
- Binge: The body, driven by biological survival mechanisms, rebels against restriction. This results in a binge episode—eating large amounts of forbidden food and feeling out of control.
- Shame & Guilt: The emotional weight of the binge leads to intense feelings of guilt, shame, and self-blame. The isolation and shame associated with binge eating only serve to strengthen the cycle. The more you use food to numb feelings of shame or guilt, the stronger those feelings become, leaving you feeling trapped and alone in the process. Over time, the emotional burden grows, further entrenching the behavior.
This cycle repeats itself over and over again, reinforcing feelings of failure and a belief that dieting is the only way to regain control—when, in reality, dieting is what fuels the cycle.
Understanding Your History with Dieting
Many of my clients initially recall their first diet as something positive—"It was easy, the weight just came off." But upon deeper reflection, they begin to see that their first diet was actually the gateway into years—sometimes decades—of yo-yo dieting, body dissatisfaction, and feelings of failure.
Dieting is seductive because it promises control, health, and success. However, each dieting attempt actually teaches your body how to resist weight loss more effectively over time. This is a biological survival mechanism—not a personal failure.
With every new diet:
• Your metabolism adapts, making weight loss harder and weight regain more likely.
• Feelings of deprivation and restriction intensify, fueling cravings and rebound eating.
• Your self-confidence erodes as you begin to believe you lack willpower or discipline.
• Food preoccupation increases, making eating feel stressful instead of enjoyable.
• You become trapped in a cycle of restriction, bingeing, and guilt.
Many people tell me, “This diet worked for me.” But if a diet truly worked, you wouldn’t need to keep dieting.
The following self reflection exercise will help you step back and see the bigger picture—not just the temporary highs of weight loss, but the long-term impact of dieting on your physical and mental health.
Dieting is seductive because it promises control, health, and success. However, each dieting attempt actually teaches your body how to resist weight loss more effectively over time. This is a biological survival mechanism—not a personal failure.
With every new diet:
• Your metabolism adapts, making weight loss harder and weight regain more likely.
• Feelings of deprivation and restriction intensify, fueling cravings and rebound eating.
• Your self-confidence erodes as you begin to believe you lack willpower or discipline.
• Food preoccupation increases, making eating feel stressful instead of enjoyable.
• You become trapped in a cycle of restriction, bingeing, and guilt.
Many people tell me, “This diet worked for me.” But if a diet truly worked, you wouldn’t need to keep dieting.
The following self reflection exercise will help you step back and see the bigger picture—not just the temporary highs of weight loss, but the long-term impact of dieting on your physical and mental health.