Breaking free from restriction
Physical or mental restriction of food, which is often a part of dieting, typically backfires and lead to a distressing spiral of bingeing and self-sabotage. We live in a world obsessed with the latest dieting and weight loss fads and often we find out that these strict measures have the opposite effect. Food restriction can be mental or physical. Let’s explore this in more detail and see how to steer clear of falling into this trap.
How physical restriction drives bingeing
Let’s start by defining the concept of physical restriction. It’s avoiding certain types of food or food groups (think carbs and sweets). It’s skipping out on meals or snacks. Or it could be delaying eating at the start of your day. These restrictions can creep up unintentionally—maybe you’re convinced you’re “not a breakfast person” or caught in a whirlwind of work that regularly pushes lunch breaks to 3 pm. Other times, it’s more intentional. Think about those moments you may feel like you have eaten too much. Guilt and discomfort kicks in, pushing you to control your food intake to compensate.
Think of it like a pendulum: restriction on one side and overeating or bingeing on the other. Pull one side too far, and it swings back with a vengeance.
It’s in our biology!
Are you more impulsive around food when you’re hungry? If you answered yes, it means you’re human! This is how we’re all wired. Our hormones are altered when we are starving, causing us to act with what can feel like irrational behaviour and obsess over food. It stems from our human history (very distant or more recently for some depending on your life circumstances) when our greatest threat to survival was starvation. As a result, we evolved to ensure our body protects us. Creating calorie deficits is promoted in our society, but it often doesn’t yield results long-term. The reason is simple. Our body doesn’t know it’s safe and kicks into survival mode. Hunger is no different to other essential functions like our heart rate or our breathing. It’s linked to our survival.
Let’s redefine our thinking of bingeing based off what we’ve discussed. Essentially, bingeing can be thought of as having been holding your breath and the binge is your body gasping for air. We can thank our Ghrelin and Leptin hormones for this. If you’ve never heard of these you’re not alone. Ghrelin is our hunger hormone that tells your brain it’s time to eat. Leptin is the satisfaction hormone, it tells you when you’re full. This dynamic duo work in tandem to keep your body safe (read: not starve to death). Hence why you’re body doesn’t respond well when you diet!
What is mental restriction?
Put simply, mental restriction is food ‘rules’ and placing limitations around what you can eat, which subsequently create a sense of shame when eating. Mental restriction is important to acknowledge because often people report that they are not stopping themselves from eating certain foods, but they still binge on that food. The issue is that although you might allow yourself to eat something like a Tim Tam, but you’re are criticising yourself while you do it. Think about those unwanted thoughts you might have which accompany every bite, such as ‘I shouldn’t be doing this’ and ‘I’ll eat better tomorrow.’ It might even be a feeling of dread that you’ve blown it and undone all the hard work.
Mental restriction is born out of the beliefs learnt from diet culture. When that “all or nothing” mentality kicks in, you’re often eat beyond your comfort zone. Some call it the “last supper” mindset, where you convince yourself that this is the final time you’ll ever enjoy those irresistible treats that you’re desperately trying to avoid. Here’s a tip: pay attention to your thoughts while consuming these foods. Chances are, they won’t be neutral. Even if you have stopped dieting, and aren’t restricting foods, the mental restriction may be keeping you in the binge eating cycle. Mental restriction cause problematic thinking patterns that drive painful emotions which drive bingeing.
So what is the solution?
Working on how to address restriction, both physical and mental, is a key in the battle against bingeing. I’ll talk you through solutions in my next blog as we look for effective ways to address this.
Posted: 8th October 2023
