The relationship between restriction and "loss of control eating"

A confusing thing about any type of "loss of control eating" - whether emotional eating, binging, consistently eating past fullness, stress eating, eating mindlessly or out of boredom - is how connected it is to some form of restriction. This restriction could be restriction of the quantity or type of food or it could be unmet emotional needs. What is important to understand here is that "over" eating is almost always a reaction to some form of "under" eating or not getting "enough" elsewhere in your life. 

So what are some different types of restriction and how are they related to eating in a way that doesn't feel intuitive?

Inadequate calories - we all need a certain number of calories to support basic bodily functions. Our bodies are highly attuned to whether our intake is adequate and when it isn't, compensatory mechanisms kick in to make up the difference. Whether restriction is intentional or unintentional, loss of control eating in reaction to inadequate calories is the body's attempt to "right the ship."

Inadequate carbohydrate - I know that lots of folks will try to tell you something different but our bodies need carbohydrates to be broken down into glucose as the preferred source of fuel. Without adequate carbohydrates, most people find themselves chasing satisfaction by eating something that mimics carbohydrate (hello cauliflower ice cream?). Usually carbohydrate restriction is intentional and is therefore bound up with diet thoughts that make the reactive eating extra chaotic because it is a combination of biological and emotional factors.

Irregular fueling or going too long between meals - again, when we get too hungry, the body attempts to problem solve by making us think only of food, making food smell and look and taste better, and even making us crave some of the foods we might still think of as off limits (think refined carbohydrates that would be broken down by the body faster to meet the need for energy quicker). Often a combo of biological and emotional reasons, the loss of control that comes from this type of restriction not only affects the present meal but also subsequent meals. 

Not eating the foods you crave - avoiding the foods that you like for diet reasons accumulates as an urgent form of deprivation. While some folks can operate like this for long stretches of time, inevitably there are moments of more vulnerability (like an increase in stress, poor sleep, or other emotional turmoil) that flips a switch and makes eating feel chaotic and excessive. 

Diet thoughts like "I shouldn't be eating this" - even if we're eating what we like but thinking that we shouldn't, we never do the work of giving ourselves unconditional permission. Not to mention that during the eating experience, because our minds are elsewhere, we totally miss out on any satisfaction we might have gained. Lost satisfaction + psychological restriction = no bueno.

Inadequate sleep - exhaustion from a lack of sleep - whether occasional or chronic - can mimic hunger and a need for an "energy boost." It can also weaken our capacity for presence, attunement, interoception, and cognitive flexibility. The reactive eating that results is confusing and dysregulating.

Unmet emotional needs - my favorite wording on this comes from Caroline Knapp's Appetites where she describes how women's needs are often "submerged and rerouted" such that they pop up in a distorted way. Eating is a relatively uncomplicated way of filling the void when we are lacking connection, intimacy, sensuality, fun, pleasure, rest, and delight. 

Unexpressed or disrespected boundaries - sometimes we "stuff" our feelings about having needs at all by eating. Or, when we've taken care to express our boundaries and they are violated again and again, we resort to the familiar comfort of food to fill, ground, and soothe us.

Do any of these types of restriction hit home? What might you do to address that?

Want more on this topic? The IEFL community is dedicating March to the topic of "emotional eating" and we will be covering all of the above forms of loss of control eating.