The Role of Restriction in Binge Eating Disorder

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is one of the most common - yet often the most misunderstood eating disorder. It’s characterised by episodes of eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, accompanied by feelings of a loss of control and associated distress. But what many people don’t realise is that binge eating rarely happens in isolation.

More often than not, it exists as part of a binge–restrict cycle. A pattern where periods of restriction (either physical or mental) are followed by episodes of binge eating, which then lead to guilt, shame, and renewed attempts to restrict. Understanding this cycle is key to breaking free from it.

🔄 The Cycle Explained

The binge-restrict cycle often begins with restriction itself. This might look like skipping meals, cutting out certain foods, following rigid diet rules, or trying to “make up for” eating through compensatory behaviours. Restriction can also be mental - labelling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, only eating certain foods in specific conditions, avoiding foods you enjoy and believing you must always be in control of your eating.

When your body and brain are deprived of enough food, or when eating feels restricted, powerful biological and psychological mechanisms kick in. Hunger hormones increase, cravings intensify, and food thoughts become more persistent. Eventually, this leads to a binge, where eating feels urgent, automatic and out of control. 

After a binge, the feelings that follow - guilt, shame, and fear of weight gain can make you want to ‘get back on track.’ That usually means restricting again, which only reinforces the cycle and increases the likelihood of future binges.

🧠 Why Restriction Leads to Bingeing

Binge eating is not a lack of willpower or failure to implement self-control, but much of the time, a biological response to deprivation. Your body is wired to protect you from starvation - when it senses scarcity, it drives you to seek out food and eat quickly and in large amounts, in fear that food will become scarce again.

Psychologically, restriction also increases food preoccupation. When something is forbidden, it becomes more desirable. The moment you give yourself permission to eat it, it’s harder to stop - not because you’re broken or greedy, but because your brain has been primed to overvalue that food.

🌀 Breaking the Cycle

Recovery from binge eating disorder isn’t about more control - it’s about rebuilding trust with your body. Here are a few key steps that can help break the restrict–binge cycle:

1. ⏰Eat regularly. Aim for consistent meals and snacks every 3-4 hours. This helps stabilise blood sugar levels and prevents extreme hunger, which can triggers binge urges.

   
   

2. 💆🏽‍♀️Give yourself permission to eat. All foods can fit. Removing ‘good’ and ‘bad’ labels helps reduce guilt and take the emotional charge out of eating.

   
   

3. 🤔Notice patterns without judgment. Instead of criticising your choices and actions, try asking ‘What was I needing in that moment?’ Curiosity opens space for understanding; criticism keeps you stuck.

   
   

4. 🧠Address emotional needs. Binge eating often serves a purpose - soothing, numbing, or distracting from difficult emotions. Identifying what’s really needed (rest, comfort, connection) is part of healing.

   
   

5. ❤️‍🩹Seek support. Working with an eating disorder dietitian or therapist can help you explore the underlying drivers of restriction and build a more stable, flexible relationship with food.

   
   

🌿 A More Compassionate Approach

It’s important to remember that binge eating is not about weakness or a lack of discipline - it’s a protective, learned response to deprivation. Recovery means learning to meet your body’s needs consistently, challenge the rules that fuel restriction, and approach eating with curiosity and care rather than control and shame.