The 7 Stages of the Binge and Restrict Cycle (And How to Break Free)

If you've ever been on a diet (or perhaps you're on one now), it's very likely that you're familiar with the feeling of 'falling off the wagon' or 'going off plan'.

If you are, then I have good news for you: It isn't your fault when this happens (the diet plan is to blame!). 

Here are the 7 stages of the dieting cycle, and how to break free from it once and for all. 

Stage 1: Slipping off the diet & into total bliss

This can look like many things to many people. For me, it looked like mindlessly grazing on chocolates at my desk or ordering a huge curry at the pub on a Friday night. For others, it might be skipping a workout... or week's (month’s?) worth!

Whatever it is, it feels really great at the time, so… free - and you're really enjoying the taste of foods you’d been restricting (At the end of this post, you’ll know why it feels so damn good to rebel against a diet!)  

Stage 2: "oh s**t!"

The temporary pause. Here you ask yourself “Am I really letting this happen?”. A fleeting feeling of regret steps in, you feel like you’ve sabotaged last week’s 1lb loss. If your weight has gone up, you’re going to blame yourself for the binge you had last night. But you feel like the damage is already done…

Stage 3: The "I've dropped my phone, and cracked the screen, so let's completely smash it" approach

At this point, the all-or-nothing attitude kicks in. You might hear yourself self declare "well, I'm off track now, the damage is done? What’s the point?". 

If you’ve just enjoyed a meal from your ‘forbidden’ list, you’re sure as hell ordering dessert and a cocktail pitcher, “If you’re going to fail, you may as well do it in style!” you shout into the night.

Stage 4: The Reminder

At some point, either you or someone else or will remind you of your diet. It might be that you've just open Instagram the next day and scrolled through a ton of pictures of ‘on plan’ meals, or gym selfies. It might even be that nosy woman at work the next day who's just said “aren’t you supposed to be on a diet?". 

Stage 5: The 'Must Fix-it Scramble"

You then move onto the 'must fix it' scramble as the feeling of regret comes rushing back. And lots of guilt. You feel like you've let yourself down and that you must salvage yourself quickly!

You tell yourself that this requires drastic action. You begin searching for fitness gurus on Instagram, pinning diet tips and browsing Amazon for that diet book everyone in your office was talking about last January. 

Stage 6:  'Mission: Throw Everything At It' 

You declare that you're going on a new diet! Getting 'back on plan', or going to the gym every single day this week, maybe even twice a day!

You're going to eat clean, give up drinking - and you're going to do all of it, right now, all at the same time. This is what I refer to as 'The January 1st Mindset’. 

Stage 7: Admitting Defeat

With the last stage in mind, this stage should probably be called the 21st of January mindset! You realise it's all just too much. You give it all up and admit that your new diet plan isn't working out and that you don't have the kind of lifestyle that allows for twice (or even once) daily gym sessions.

You might even relapse at this stage and repeat stages 1-8 all over again! This is what's known as 'the dieting cycle', and it may even last years! Many people do.

The ‘exit stage’ (but only if you're ready to finally ditch the dieting mindset):

The only way to graduate to this stage and escape the dieting cycle, is to realise that dieting is futile. It’s also not improving your health at all. You’re feeling anxious and stressed around food, meal planning, weigh ins, checking your fitness tracker. Food is on your mind all day. The number on the scale determines your mood for the rest of the day - or even week.

You'll know you're ready for the ‘exit stage’ when:

• You know that fads are utter rubbish and that there's no magic bullet.

• You know that crash diets are not sustainable, there are too many rules, you're just bloody miserable and hungry when you're on them and it's affecting your social life.

• You know that if you lose weight on a diet, you'll gain it back, plus some when you 'come off plan'.

• You know that exercising too much is harmful to your health, as is fluctuating between doing no exercise at all, and then over doing it.

• You know that there's more to improving your health than simply what you weight, what you're eating and whether you're moving. There's also your mindset to address: your increasingly desperate attempts to lose weight, bordering on disordered eating, your negative body image and low-self esteem, and a difficult relationship with exercise.

If you're nodding your head at all of this, then good news! You are ready to finally escape the dieting cycle, make peace with food and your body, and improve your health (both physical and mental). I want to help you do exactly that! Download my free coaching app, Beyond The Scale to get started with the free 6-day course.