Why Do I Binge Eat Sweets? Understanding Cravings & How to Stop

You tell yourself you’ll just have one, but before you know it, the entire bag is gone. Maybe you reach for sweets when you’re stressed, bored, or emotionally drained, only to feel frustrated afterward, wondering, “Why do I binge eat sweets?” If this cycle feels familiar, you’re not alone. Binge eating sweets isn’t about a lack of willpower, and it’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s often a response to a deeper pattern. Whether binging happens from restriction, stress, or your body trying to get what it needs, there’s a reason. The good news is you don’t have to stay stuck in this cycle. By understanding what’s driving this cycle of binging,  you can take steps toward feeling more in control around sweets without trying to restrict them or feeling guilty when you don’t.  Let’s explore what might be happening,  how to break free, and how binge eating disorder treatment can help. 

Why Do I Binge Eat Sweets? Understanding the Triggers

If you find yourself reaching for sweets when you're not hungry or feeling out of control around certain foods, it’s not just you. Many people feel shame or confusion about their relationship with sweets, especially when it feels like willpower just isn’t enough. Binge eating isn’t about weakness or lack of control. It’s often a response to deeper needs or emotions that haven’t been given the space to be seen and understood. As an eating disorder therapist,  I believe all eating behaviors, even the ones that feel chaotic, make sense when we take time to look at the full picture.

Binge eating sweets can be triggered by restriction (both physical and mental), feeling overwhelmed by emotions, or unmet needs for comfort and connection. Sometimes, we’ve told ourselves for years that sugar is “bad,” and that belief alone can create urgency and rebellion in how we eat. Other times, sweets are linked to memories of safety or love, and turning to them becomes a way to cope with pain, grief, or loneliness. It’s not about the food itself, but what the food may be helping you cope with.  When you try to look at these behaviors with curiosity rather than judgment, you are more likely to learn more about yourself and why you do these things. 

Common Triggers for Binge Eating Sweets

• Restrictive dieting and binge eating:

  When you're not eating enough during the day or following rigid food rules, your body may respond with intense cravings, especially for sweet foods. This is your body just doing its job to try to make sure you have the energy you need.

• Emotional eating triggers:

  Stress, anxiety, loneliness, or feeling overwhelmed can lead to binge eating as a way to self-soothe or as an escape from difficult emotions.

• Cravings after not eating enough:

  Skipping meals or going long periods without food can lead to low blood sugar and strong urges to binge on sweets for quick energy. Against his is just your body doing what it’s supposed to.

• Guilt around food choices:

  Labeling sweets as “bad” or feeling shame after eating can increase the likelihood of bingeing later on.  The goal is to see all food as neutral because there are no morals around food.

• Food rules and binge eating:

  Internal rules like “I can’t have dessert unless I work out” often backfire, leading to a restrict-binge cycle. This ends up hurting you more than helping.

• Sugar cravings and emotional eating:

  Many people turn to sugar when they’re feeling emotionally exhausted. It’s not about the sugar itself, but the comfort it represents. You may have a history with sweet foods being there as a way to help you cope with emotions, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It just may not be helpful to you now.

• Body image and binge eating:

  Negative body image can lead to a cycle of restriction and bingeing. You may use food as a way to deal with low self-esteem or shame you have about your body.

• Diet culture and binge eating disorder:

  Harmful messages about “clean eating” or weight loss can disconnect you from your body’s cues, making binge episodes more likely. Diet culture teaches you that you can’t trust your body and that you need rules to obey instead. 

Why Can’t I Stop Eating Sweets? The Psychology Behind Cravings

Sugar cravings often show up when something deeper is going on beneath the surface. Whatever it is for you, it doesn’t usually get resolved with more willpower or stricter rules. In fact, the more you try to avoid or control sweets, the more your mind and body will fixate on them. This isn’t because you’re weak or broken; it’s because restriction (even the mental kind) signals scarcity to your brain, and cravings become a way to protect you from that perceived deprivation.

Cravings can also be your nervous system’s way of seeking comfort, stability, or relief. If you’ve had a stressful day, feel disconnected in your relationships, or are simply exhausted, it makes sense that your brain might reach for something that offers a quick burst of pleasure. For many people, sweets have been linked to care, reward, or even safety. It’s no surprise that they become a coping tool when things feel overwhelming or out of balance. You deserve compassion and understanding for this, not to berate yourself for not having any control.. 

Instead of viewing your cravings as a problem to solve, try seeing them as information. A desire to binge sweets can be a way of asking you to pay attention to your needs, your emotions, and the ways you’ve learned to care for yourself. When you slow down and respond with curiosity and kindness, those moments can become less about control and more about understanding your body, your emotions, and your needs better. 

Overeating Sweets: How to Break the Cycle

When you find yourself stuck in a pattern of overeating sweets, it can feel frustrating and defeating to keep repeating it. You might feel even more frustrated with yourself if you’ve told yourself, “this won’t happen again.”  You need to know that this cycle isn’t about personal failure. The binge cycle is a sign that your relationship with food has been shaped by years of restriction, shame, or unmet emotional needs. The more you try to“be good” or cut out sugar completely, the more intense the cravings tend to become. 

Breaking the cycle starts with letting go of the all-or-nothing mindset. Giving yourself full permission to eat sweets might feel scary at first, but it’s often the first step toward improving your relationship with them. When sweets are no longer off-limits or loaded with guilt, they start to lose their power. Over time, your body learns to trust that it doesn’t have to binge to get its needs met.

It’s also important to look at what sweets are doing for you emotionally. Are they offering comfort at the end of a hard day? A sense of reward when you feel unseen or depleted? When you allow yourself to be curious instead of judgmental, you are better able to meet your needs outside of using food. 

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying sweets. The goal isn’t to cut them out, but to create a relationship with food that brings you more peace. 

How Therapy Can Help With Binge Eating Sweets

The binge cycle can feel confusing and embarrassing, but it often makes sense when looking at the bigger picture of your life and situation. In therapy, we gently explore what’s underneath the binging (or any other behavior you might be struggling with)  without judgment. We look at patterns of restriction, the way you’re getting your emotional needs met with food, and how diet culture has shaped the way you relate to food and your body. 

Binge eating disorder treatment offers a space for you to feel safe and to find out what needs aren’t being met. Together, we uncover the messages you’ve told yourself about food and your body. Therapy can unpack where those beliefs or messages come from and challenge them with compassion. Working with a therapist can help you find more ways of meeting your needs outside of binging. 

Final Thoughts: You’re Not Broken, and You’re Not Alone

You don’t have to keep feeling this way. You don’t have to wake up every morning telling yourself you will never eat sweets again. You don’t have to tell yourself you can’t eat breakfast or lunch only to end the night the same way, stuck in the cycle of binge eating. As a therapist, I will work to help you understand your relationship with food, gently untangle the shame, and help you be more compassionate with yourself.  Healing takes time, but you don’t have to do it on your own; therapy can help. 

FAQ About Binge Eating Sweets

Do I need a diagnosis to start therapy for binge eating?

No. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to get support.  If you’re struggling with food, feel out of control around sweets, or feel shame after eating, Therapy can help, whether or not you meet criteria for binge eating disorder.

Is binge eating the same as emotional eating?

Binge eating and emotional eating can overlap, but they’re not always the same. Emotional eating usually happens in response to specific feelings, while binge eating tends to feel more compulsive or disconnected. Sometimes it can be really hard to know the difference. Therapy can help you explore both and help you understand what’s driving either behavior. 

What if I’m also trying to lose weight?

This is such a common concern. Many people hope that therapy will help them lose weight, which makes sense in a world that constantly tells us our worth is tied to our body size. My job as an eating disorder therapist is to focus on helping you heal your relationship with food. Any of your desired, long-term change comes from compassion and care, not restriction and punishment. What your body chooses to do due to that healing process may shift over time, but weight loss is not the goal of this work. 

How long does it take to stop binge eating?

There’s no quick fix, and healing isn’t linear, but many people begin to feel small shifts once they start understanding what’s driving their behavior. Relief doesn’t happen all at once, but it tends to grow over time throughout therapy. If you’re hoping to truly get to the root of your binge eating, I typically suggest to expect weekly therapy for 12 to 18 months. This gives us the space to explore not just the eating behaviors, but the emotions, beliefs, and patterns underneath them, so change can feel lasting and real.

Healing Is Possible: Binge Eating Disorder Treatment in Utah

If you’re feeling stuck in a cycle of binge eating, you’re not alone, and there is hope. Binge eating disorder treatment can help you understand your relationship with food. This Utah Eating Disorder Clinic offers you a safe and supportive space to explore what’s really going on beneath the surface. To begin counseling, follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with a binge eating disorder therapist who understands

3. Begin healing your relationship with food

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and eating disorder therapist based in Utah. She is the founder of Maple Canyon Therapy, where she specializes in helping women heal their relationship with food, body image, and self-worth. Ashlee has extensive experience treating eating disorders across all levels of care and brings a compassionate, trauma-informed approach to her work.

Ashlee earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from Utah State University and has taught as an adjunct professor in the university’s social work program. She is deeply committed to education, both in and outside the therapy room, and regularly incorporates evidence-based approaches like intuitive eating, body image work, and self-compassion practices into her clinical work.

Through therapy and writing, Ashlee empowers clients to move away from shame and toward a more peaceful, connected relationship with food and their bodies.

How Do You Break up with Diet Culture?

You are starting to understand the impact diet culture has had on your life, and you want to make some changes. This is such a big and scary step sometimes. Dieting may have been familiar and even kind of comfortable. The next diet made you feel hopeful that it would solve your negative body image and make you feel more in control of food. You realize that in the end it’s just made you feel out of control and like a failure. Part of what happens in binge eating disorder treatment is understanding how dieting has impacted emotional eating and binge eating. If you are interested in ending dieting here are some tips. 

Tips to stop dieting 

Breaking up with diet culture involves changing how you think about food and your body, and it can be a life-changing process but it does require hard work. Here’s a more detailed guide to help you make this shift:

1. Understand How Diet Culture Affects You

   Diet culture promotes the idea that your worth is tied to your appearance, weight, and size. These beliefs can lead to negative body image and disordered eating habits. To stop dieting,  it’s important to educate yourself about the harmful effects of diet culture. Books like Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, and The Anti-Diet by Christy Harrison, offer more insight and information into how diet culture impacts your physical and mental health and provides different ways of approaching food and your body. The more you understand the negative that comes with dieting, the more it can motivate you to make changes. 

2. Reject the Diet Mentality

   The diet mentality revolves around the idea that you must follow strict rules to control your body. To move away from this, commit to breaking free from dieting. Recognize that your self-worth is not determined by your appearance or weight. Focus on body respect and body neutrality—accepting and appreciating your body without judgment. This shift in mindset can help you develop a more positive and compassionate view of yourself.

3. Listen to Your Body

   Diet culture often teaches you to ignore your body’s signs and signals and follow rigid eating rules. Instead, practice listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Intuitive eating involves eating based on what your body needs rather than a strict set of rules. This means eating when you’re hungry stopping when you’re full, and being kind to yourself throughout the process especially while you are learning. Learning to trust and respond to your body is such an important step in breaking free of dieting. 

4. Avoid Diet Culture Talk

   Pay attention to how often diet-related conversations come up in your life, whether they’re about body image, dieting, or labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” These conversations can reinforce diet culture and negatively impact your self-esteem. Try to limit time spent with people who engage in diet talk or change the conversations to more positive topics. Surrounding yourself with supportive and body-positive people can help you stay focused on your goals. Remember your language matters. 

5. Consider Seeing an Eating Disorder Therapist

   Therapy can provide support in your efforts to break away from diet culture. Even if you don’t have an eating disorder, working with a therapist who specializes in eating issues can help you improve your relationship with food and body image. An eating disorder therapist can offer different ways of coping and support to help you stop the cycle of dieting and help you develop a healthier mindset. Therapy also helps to address any underlying issues that contribute to your relationship with food and a negative body image. 

Binge Eating Disorder Treatment in Utah can help you break up with diet culture

Going to Therapy, whether you have an eating disorder or not, helps you stop dieting and build a better relationship with food. Dieting leads to you feeling like a failure or that you’re not good enough. It can become easy to believe those things even when it’s not true. We can talk about your thoughts and feelings about food and your body in therapy. We’ll figure out why you diet and find different ways of coping. Binge eating disorder treatment can teach you to listen to your body's hunger and fullness signals, reduce emotional eating, and help you be more self-compassionate. 

Start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

You don’t have to keep dieting and keep feeling miserable about yourself every time. You can feel better about yourself and your body. Binge eating disorder treatment can help. This Utah Eating Disorder Clinic has a binge eating disorder therapist who can help. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with a therapist for eating disorders 

3. Stop dieting forever

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah 

Choosing online therapy in Utah can be a big step towards feeling better about yourself and your relationship with food. Research shows that online therapy works just as well as meeting in person, which is why I provide online counseling. With online eating disorder counseling, you can talk to an eating disorder therapist from home, which saves time and makes it easier to fit into your day. You won't have to worry about driving to an office, and you can feel more relaxed in a familiar place.

Online eating disorder therapy means I work with clients all throughout Utah including Logan, Salt Lake City, Heber City, Provo, Cedar City, St. George, and more. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and the owner of Maple Canyon Therapy, an online counseling practice based in Utah. She holds two bachelor’s degrees from Southern Utah University, one in Psychology and the other in Family Life and Human Development. Ashlee furthered her education by earning a master’s degree in Social Work from Utah State University. With extensive experience working with eating disorders at all levels of care, Ashlee is dedicated to supporting women in their journeys toward recovery and well-being. Through her practice, she provides compassionate and personalized therapy, drawing on her deep knowledge and commitment to mental health. In her free time, Ashlee enjoys spending time with her husband and two Goldendoodles and riding her e-bike through Snow Canyon State Park.

Is Diet Culture Good or Bad?

As an eating disorder therapist, I see the impact of diet culture on the women I work with. These women are reaching out for help because they can’t stop the cycle of restricting and then binging. They have lost weight and regained it, which leads to a hit to their self-esteem. Women who have spent time dieting are more anxious and depressed than those who don’t. When reaching out for binge eating disorder treatment, my clients are full of shame and embarrassment. They had done so well and dieted and now they believe they have no self-control. If they could only buckle down and work as hard as they did before then they would be happy. In fact, many clients reach out in hopes that I will help them lose weight because that’s their view of their problems. The problem is actually diet culture itself, and it’s not good. 

What is Diet Culture?

Diet culture is a set of beliefs that values thinness and weight loss over health and well-being. It often involves strict eating rules, labeling foods as "good" or "bad," and focusing more on your body's appearance rather than physical or mental health. It’s important to address the risks that come with dieting and how it can impact your overall health. 

Why Diet Culture Can Be Harmful:

1. Negative Body Image:

   Diet culture sets unrealistic beauty standards, making people feel unhappy with their own bodies. Comparing themselves to these perfect images on social media and elsewhere leads to low self-esteem and a negative self-image. People who diet end up being too critical of their body and tend to never feel ok about how they look long term. 

2. Increased binge eating:

    When people follow strict diets, they start to feel deprived and have strong cravings because their bodies are not getting enough nutrients. This can cause them to eat a lot of food quickly, known as binge eating. Binge eating can make them feel guilty and out of control, which can lead them to restrict and diet again. Dieting then leads to binging again. The binge cycle can be overwhelming. 

3. Increased anxiety and depression:

    Diet culture and strict dieting can cause anxiety and depression. Dieting is unstable and leads to feeling not good enough when people can’t follow the strict guidelines on a diet. Dieting leads to increased negative body image which is also related to higher levels of anxiety and depression. 

4. Health Issues:

   Extreme dieting can cause nutrient deficiencies, metabolic problems, and other health issues. It can also mess up your body's natural hunger and fullness signals, leading to an unhealthy relationship with food.

5. Impact on Eating Disorders:

   Diet culture can trigger or worsen eating disorders. The pressure to be thin and the fear of gaining weight can lead to behaviors like extreme dieting, purging, and excessive exercise. People with eating disorders often feel a loss of control around food, and diet culture can make these feelings worse. 

Is there anything good about diet culture?

Some people think diet culture can make people more aware of healthy eating and exercise. However, these benefits are often outweighed by the negative effects. Often when people start a diet they feel hopeful as their clothes feel looser and the number on the scale goes down. This reinforces dieting behaviors but because dieting isn’t sustainable it leads to regaining weight and more. This puts people in a cycle of trying to diet again but they find their brain and their body rebels from sticking to all the rules and guidelines that come with it. 

Try Intuitive eating instead 

Intuitive eating is all about listening to your body and respecting its hunger and fullness. When people first hear about intuitive eating they are immediately skeptical. They believe they’ll eat ice cream all day every day and thus will be neglecting their physical health. You may be surprised to learn that your body craves plenty of nutrient-dense foods and not just ice cream. If you’ve deprived yourself of foods like ice cream or have strict rules around how much and when you can eat it, of course, this is going to be what your body craves for a while until it can trust that you won’t keep restricting it. Intuitive eating is about trusting your body and not labeling foods as good or bad. Intuitive eating is a process and if you have a history of dieting, it may take time for you to learn to trust your body and for your body to trust you. 

Binge eating disorder treatment in Utah can help you break free from diet culture

Diet culture is more harmful than helpful. If you are struggling to like yourself and don’t trust yourself around food without binging, working with an eating disorder therapist can help. You don’t have to keep trying to figure this all out on your own. You can feel in control again. You can stop hating yourself and your body. I want you to start feeling better about yourself. 

Start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

If you're having trouble with disordered eating and the effects of diet culture, it's important to get help. This Utah Counseling Center has an eating disorder therapist specializing in binge eating disorder treatment. To start counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with a therapist for binge eating 

3. Break free of diet culture

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah 

Online therapy is a great option because it’s convenient and flexible. You can have sessions from the comfort of your own home, which saves you time and makes it easier to fit therapy into your schedule. People make more progress in therapy when they go consistently and online therapy in Utah makes it so it’s easier to do so. You can work with an eating disorder therapist wherever you are in Utah. 

Online counseling means I work with clients in Cedar City, St. George, Provo, Heber City, Logan, Salt Lake City, and more. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who holds two bachelor's degrees from Southern Utah University in Psychology and Family Life and Human Development. She earned her master’s degree in Social Work from Utah State University. Ashlee owns Maple Canyon Therapy, an online counseling practice in Utah, where she works with women struggling with eating disorders at all levels of care. Her extensive experience and dedication reflect a deep commitment to helping women achieve better mental and emotional well-being.

The Complete Guide to Understanding Diet Culture

Diet culture is a term we have heard more about over the past few years. People are becoming more aware of how harmful diet culture can be to both physical and mental health, which is a big change from the society we grew up in. In the past, there was a strong focus on constant dieting to change our bodies, lose weight, and look "better". More than ever there is recognition that dieting causes so many more problems physically and mentally, increases the prevalence of eating disorders, and negative body image. Dieting is also extremely ineffective long-term. Many experience a backlash in dieting and end up engaging in binge eating which is often what I see in my practice where I focus on binge eating disorder treatment. If you want to understand more about diet culture and how to escape it, you’ve come to the right place. Here in this guide, I’ll be answering some common questions about diet culture.

What is diet culture?

Diet culture has been around for a long time. Thousands of years even. Diet culture centers around the value of weight loss and attempts to be thin. Being thin and a focus on appearance is the most important thing and comes above both physical and mental health. Diet culture promotes being thin at whatever cost and it comes above everything else. It often attaches morals to foods and labels them as “good” or “bad” intending to avoid “bad” foods no matter what. According to diet culture, thinness reflects the epitome of beauty, success, and status. Diet culture makes disordered eating seem normal. Cutting out entire food groups, extreme dieting, and restrictive eating are typical practices in diet culture. Diet culture perpetuates unhealthy beauty standards leading to negative body image and low self-esteem. The diet industry is estimated to make $255 billion dollars per year. Diet culture impacts the development of eating disorders including binge eating disorder. 

Is diet culture good or bad?

Diet culture is extremely harmful. There’s no way around it. Diet culture is responsible for countless people developing eating disorders, self-hatred, and negative body image. It impacts people’s mental health in a negative way. Here are some reasons why. 

Reasons diet culture is harmful:

This is not a comprehensive list but are some of the ways diet culture has a negative impact.

Encourages disordered eating 

Diet culture often encourages restrictive eating, cutting out certain foods and even food groups. It encourages ignoring hunger and fullness cues and neglects to focus on physical and mental health. This focus increases anxiety around food and is difficult to let go of once you’re entrenched. 

Promotes food guilt

Diet culture makes food about morals. It labels foods as “good” or “bad” “healthy” or “unhealthy”. This leads to feelings of guilt or shame when someone breaks one of these food rules despite the biological drive to do so. 

Fuels Negative body image

Because diet culture values and idealizes thinness, it promotes looking negatively at those with larger bodies leading to negative body image. It neglects a focus on body neutrality and body respect and heavily emphasizes weight loss. 

Undermines trusting your own body 

Diet culture is about following a rigid set of rules regardless of individual [dual needs. It reinforces ignoring external cues or listening to your own body. It does not care about your mental well-being and encourages you to focus on a set of rules solely. 

What is the diet culture today? 

Diet culture changes throughout time and adapts to societal standards. Presently in 2024 there is a focus on using apps to track food and exercise, wearing watches, fitness bands, and rings to calculate calories burned and steps walked. These encourage calorie counting, macro counting, and other disordered eating behaviors. Social media has a big impact on the present-day diet culture. Health and fitness influencers sell programs and courses. There is a focus on health challenges, detoxes, and exercise regimens. Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok all have influencers promoting diet culture. Diet culture also comes in disguise and is often hidden under the guise of “health and wellness” but promotes all the rigid rules and behaviors around food that are harmful. Keto, intermittent fasting, macro counting, and anti-inflammatory diets are popular right now in culture along with avoiding gluten. Most recently diet culture has evolved into weight loss injections. 

What are examples of diet culture?

Along with the examples shared in the previous paragraph, examples of current diet culture influences promoting diet plans, cleanses, eating plant-based foods, a heavy focus on eating protein, and adding in a lot of expensive supplements that are not evidence-based. Eating low-fat, low-carb, and sugar-free continues to be part of diet culture. Part of present-day diet culture is referring to foods as “guilt-free”. There are countless examples of diet culture; sometimes they are sneaky and difficult to spot. 

How do you break up with diet culture?

It’s not an easy process to stop dieting and engaging in diet culture but it’s worth all the effort it takes. Breaking up with diet culture often involves having a different attitude about food and body image, which often requires the help of therapy. Here are some steps to try to take away from diet culture. 

Understand the impact of diet culture

It’s important to understand how diet culture is harmful to you and to others. Learning how it creates a negative relationship between body image and food. Reading the book “Intuitive Eating” and the “The Anti-Diet” can help you understand more. 

Reject the diet mentality 

Committing to stop dieting and to recognize how your worth and self-esteem come from outside of your appearance and weight. Focusing on treating your body with respect and creating body neutrality is important in moving away from diet culture. 

Listen to your body

Diet culture teaches you to follow a strict set of guidelines around food and to ignore your body’s sensations. It’s important to start listening to your body and honoring your hunger and fullness. Practicing intuitive eating and treating your body with compassion is a key to challenging diet culture

Don’t engage in diet culture talk 

You may not realize how often talking negatively about your body and labeling foods as “good” or “bad” comes up. Consider spending less time around people who do engage in this type of talk or learn to steer the conversation elsewhere positively. 

Consider meeting with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

You don’t have to have an eating disorder to benefit from eating disorder therapy. This means you are working with an expert who can help you improve your relationship with food and your body image. Therapy can be life-changing and help you stop engaging in diet culture. 

How does diet culture affect mental health?

Diet culture can negatively impact your mental health in more ways than you might realize. It teaches and reinforces unrealistic beauty standards that most people can't achieve and their bodies were not made to achieve.  This leads to negative body image and constantly comparing yourself to others. Comparing yourself to others impacts your self-esteem and can create a belief of not feeling good enough. Diet culture encourages restrictive eating, making people obsess over food and eating, which often leads to cycles of dieting and binge eating. The pressure to stick to certain diets or avoid specific foods can cause anxiety and a negative relationship with food. Labeling foods as "good" or "bad" can make you feel guilty and ashamed when you eat certain things.

Fear of eating in front of people or in social settings because of food rules can lead to isolation and loneliness. Focusing on weight and appearance can take over and become the number one priority. This focus can take over your life leaving little room for the things you used to value and care about. Constantly thinking about food, calories, and exercise can be mentally exhausting, leaving little energy for other things.

When self-worth is tied to body size or your ability to follow a diet, it can cause pain and anxiety when you don't follow food rules or your body changes. Dieting can become part of your identity and you learn to ignore your own wants and needs.  Diet culture makes it difficult to tune into your own natural hunger and fullness signals. It takes away all the enjoyment from food and creates an obsession with following diet rules. Overall, diet culture creates a cycle of anxiety, negative thoughts, and feelings about yourself, and creates a negative relationship with body image and food. 

What are the problems with diet culture? 

There are many problems with diet culture and the impact it can have on both men and women. Here is a list of common problems that occur because of diet culture

Common issues from diet culture

Unhealthy Relationships with Food: Diet culture promotes restrictive eating and labels foods as "good" or "bad." This can lead to disordered eating habits such as restriction, binging, purging, and more. 

Obsession with body image:  Diet culture tends to make people focus more on how they look above all else. Disordered eating behaviors that come from diet culture are often disguised in the name of “health” because we have been led to believe that being thin is the same thing as being healthy. This is not true.

Weight Bias: People who don't fit the ideal body type may face unfair treatment and bias. This can lead to low self-esteem, social isolation, and increased mental health risks. 

Compromised physical health:  Diet can encourage heavy restriction of certain foods and entire food groups. This often leads to physical symptoms because of lack of proper nutrition. 

Increased anxiety and depression: Diet culture promotes unrealistic standards of beauty and negative body image, which can lead to anxiety and depression. Diet culture emphasizes focusing on strict diets and the fear of being judged by others. All of these things cause obsessive thoughts and social isolation. This constant stress and the cycle of losing and gaining weight make people feel like failures and erode at their self-esteem making them feel like they don’t have willpower or aren’t trying hard enough. 

Unsustainable way of eating: Diets are not sustainable. Up to 95 percent of people gain all the weight back and more within two years. The success rate of diets is extremely low. Please don’t convince yourself that you’ll beat the odds and be on the other side of the statistic. One thing is certain is there’s a high chance you’ll walk away with a disordered relationship with food. 

Negative body image:  Constant exposure to unrealistic body standards can make people unhappy with their bodies, leading to negative body image, anxiety, depression, and comparison to others. 

How do you say no to diet culture?

When it comes to quitting dieting and saying no to the appeals of diet culture it involves making changes. The focus will involve changing your beliefs about food, appearance, and your body and shifting more to a focus on health. Here are some ways to say no to diet culture: 

1. Focus on Intuitive Eating:

   Intuitive eating is a concept that involves learning to listen to your body’s cues for hunger and fullness and not following restrictive diets. Being able to tune back into your body may take some time especially because often when you’ve been restricting and dieting your body has learned not to waste time or energy on sending you those messages.  The good news is with time your body will trust you again and send you those messages. 

2. Focus on Health, Not Weight:

   Shift your focus from losing weight to improving overall health. Focusing on health-promoting behaviors rather than on weight loss has been shown to have better outcomes in improving health. This may be a significant shift for you but it has shown to be better also for your mental health. 

3. Stop putting morals on food:

   Stop labeling foods as "good" or "bad." All foods can fit into a balanced diet. You can enjoy a variety of foods without guilt or shame. Your language and beliefs around food matters. Shifting the way you think and speak about food is important. 

4. Practice Self-Compassion:

   Your body has been through a lot when it comes to diets. If I were to guess somewhere in your life you’ve been told or led to believe there’s something wrong with your body and it needs to be changed. This is a painful thing to experience. Be kind to yourself and your body. Recognize that everyone's body is different and that health is not determined by size or appearance.

5. Surround Yourself with Support:

   Surrounding yourself with people who don’t engage in dieting or body bashing is going to be better for your emotional well-being. Finding others who believe the same way you do and are body-neutral is going to help you quit dieting. 

6. Challenge Negative Thoughts:

   Changing your thoughts and beliefs about body, shape, and size along with health and eating can take a lot of work but it’s also one of the most important steps. Being able to make these changes involves the support of others. 

7. Go to eating disorder therapy in Utah:  

   If you're struggling to break free from diet culture on your own, consider seeking help from an eating disorder therapist who focuses on eating intuitive eating health at every size, and help you be more body neutral. You don’t have to have an eating disorder to benefit from seeing this type of therapist. 

What is the alternative to diet culture? 

An alternative to diet culture is focusing on overall health and mental health instead of just weight or appearance. This approach includes intuitive eating.  Intuitive eating means eating a variety of foods while tuning into the body’s signals without strict rules.  There is a book that can help you understand the principles of intuitive eating called “Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach”. The Health at Every Size (HAES) movement promotes a focus on health outside of weight and size. The HAES movement is about utilizing healthy habits rather than losing weight. Mindful eating encourages paying attention to the experience of eating and enjoying your food. Mindful movement is an aspect of moving your body in ways that you enjoy. Exercise should not be to punish yourself or because of obligation. Exercise and movement should be something you like and can include a variety of different exercises rather than being rigid about a specific type. 

Binge eating disorder treatment in Utah can help you break free of diet culture

Going to therapy can make all the difference when you’re trying to leave behind dieting and feel better about yourself and eating. As an eating disorder, I can help you understand the underlying issues that have led you to use dieting and how you’ve learned to place so much importance on your appearance. You are so much more than that and you don’t have to keep ending up in the same cycle you’ve been in over and over again. Whether you find yourself binging or restricting, or a mix of both. You can find a much more balanced place with food and therapy can help. 

Online eating disorder therapy in Utah 

Some people worry that online therapy is not as good as meeting in person. However, that’s not true. I provide online therapy in Utah because I care so much about reaching everyone who needs access to this specialized therapy regardless of where you are in Utah. It’s just as effective as in-person therapy and much more convenient. You may be more willing to get help if you don’t have to worry about traveling long distances or commuting and that makes all the difference. I have been providing online therapy for several years and know how to connect with my clients in this way. 

Online counseling also means that I work with clients all over the state of Utah including St. George, Cedar City, Heber City, Provo, Logan, Salt Lake City, and more. 

Start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

You don’t have to keep getting caught in the cycle of dieting and hating your body. Therapy can help. This Utah Counseling Center has an eating disorder therapist who specializes in improving your relationship with food through therapy including binge eating disorder treatment. To start counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with a therapist for eating disorders 

3. Break free from diet culture

About the Author

Ashlee Hunt LCSW is the founder of Maple Canyon Therapy originally located in Spanish Fork, Utah on Main Street near Glade’s Drive Inn. Maple Canyon Therapy now provides online therapy all throughout the state of Utah. Ashlee has two bachelor’s degrees from Southern Utah University: one in psychology and another in family life and human development. She received her master’s degree in social work from Utah State University. Ashlee has worked with eating disorders at all levels of care from inpatient treatment to outpatient therapy and particularly enjoys working with those with binge eating disorder. She loves helping women break free from diet culture and to make peace with their bodies again.

What is a Binge Eating Episode?

Many people deal with binge eating episodes, and it's useful to know what they are, why they happen, and how binge eating disorder treatment can help. If you are struggling with binge eating, you might feel like something is wrong with you and why you can't seem to get a handle on it. Binge eating is much more complex than that, and going into more depth can help you make more sense of it

A binge episode is when a person eats excessive food in a short time. During this episode, it feels out of control and happens quickly. This can happen to those who have been restricting or dieting for a long period of time or it can happen with mental and emotional restriction. A binge eating episode is often associated with eating disorders, especially binge eating disorder (BED).

Symptoms of a binge eating episode: 

• Excessive Food Intake: The person consumes a larger quantity of food in a short period of time. 

• Rapid Eating: Binge episodes often involve eating quickly and without a normal pace, making this type of behavior different than eating other meals. 

• Lack of Control: During a binge episode, people often feel a sense of losing control over their eating. They may find it difficult to stop eating, even if they want to.

• Emotional Distress: Binge eating is often accompanied by distress, guilt, shame, or regret during or after the episode.

It's important to know that binge eating, where a person eats a lot in a short time, can be a sign of different eating disorders like BED or bulimia nervosa. How often and how bad these episodes are can vary between people and may cause serious physical and mental issues. If you keep struggling with binge episodes, it's a good idea to get help from an eating disorder therapist. This behavior might show there's a deeper issue impacting your mental health. 

Understanding more about binge eating disorder

There are some differences between a single binge eating episode, (which is also different than overeating) and binge eating disorder. Having an occasional episode of binge eating doesn’t mean someone has an eating disorder but it might mean therapy could be helpful. Here are some things to consider 

Triggers and Feelings:

• Sometimes, our eating habits can be influenced by emotions, the environment, or situations.

• Stress, boredom, sadness, or even happy events can lead to moments where we eat more.

• Our emotions play a big part in how we eat. Some people might use food to cope with feelings or to take a break from unpleasant emotions.

How Often and How Long:

• If someone is dealing with a situation where they keep having binge eating episodes, it might be called binge eating disorder (BED).

• For BED, these moments need to happen at least once a week for three months to get a diagnosis.

• How often and how long this happens can be different for each person.

Understanding a Binge Eating Disorder Diagnosis:

• Eating disorder professionals use certain rules, like those in the DSM-5, to figure out if someone has a binge eating disorder.

• These rules include regularly binging,  feeling out of control, and feeling upset about it.

Getting Help

• Helping with BED usually involves different ways of support.

• Talking to someone, like a binge eating disorder therapist, can help understand feelings and thoughts about eating.

• Learning about how our body naturally tells us when to eat can be part of recovering

Binge Eating Disorder Treatment: 

• You can get can get better with the right help and support.

• An eating disorder therapist and dietitian along with friends and family, can be part of eating disorder recovery. 

• If you or someone you know is struggling with binge eating,  talking to an eating disorder professional can be a good idea. They can understand the situation and make a plan to help your unique needs

Binge eating disorder treatment in Utah can help

You might feel embarrassed or ashamed to reach out for your struggles with binging. I know it's hard and it's scary to be open about what you're struggling with. I get it and as an eating disorder therapist, I want to help you find a way to get better. I know how important it is to improve your relationship with food and stop the cycle of binge eating. If you've been struggling with binge eating for a while, you might feel hopeless but I promise you can feel better. Working through painful emotions and binge eating is no joke but I know it's worth it. Reaching out to begin binge eating disorder treatment in Utah can change everything for the better. 

Start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah today

You don’t have to keep feeling this way. You don’t have to keep hating yourself and feeling miserable after a binge. You can find relief from all of it. Binge eating disorder treatment can help. This Utah Eating Disorder Clinic has an eating disorder therapist who specializes in treating binge eating disorders. To begin therapy follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with a binge eating disorder therapist

3. Begin recovering from binge eating 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt, LCSW, is the dedicated owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. Holding dual bachelor's degrees in psychology and family life and human development from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah, Ashlee has a comprehensive understanding of both individual and family dynamics. She furthered her education with a master's degree in social work from Utah State University in Logan, Utah, enhancing her expertise in providing compassionate and effective therapeutic support. With a wealth of experience, Ashlee has worked across all levels of care for eating disorders

Why Do I Binge Eat Sweets?

There’s nothing wrong with eating sweets. I need to be clear about that from the start. Binging on sweets and not just overeating occasionally I can imagine might be causing you some problems. I’ve heard people make jokes about how they wish they could binge on something “healthy” like vegetables but they don’t, they binge on carbohydrates and foods considered “sweets”. The reason for this is that biologically our bodies are wired to seek high-energy foods after dieting and restriction. Foods like sweets also trigger the reward system of the brain. While it may seem frustrating, cravings for these types of foods is normal. Let’s talk more about why that is and how binge eating disorder treatment can help if you’re stuck in a cycle of binging. 

Emotional Eating:

Stress or Anxiety: When we're stressed or anxious, we might turn to sweets for comfort. The sweet taste and good feelings from eating these types of foods can make us feel better temporarily, creating a link between our mood and what we eat.

Reward System: It could be that at some point in your life, sweets are often seen as treats or rewards. When we feel we deserve a treat or need a pick-me-up, we might go for sweets as a way of rewarding ourselves. This connection can lead to overeating, especially when we're feeling emotionally vulnerable. It’s important to know that sweets are not “bad” and this is a natural response for many people. 

Dietary Restriction:

Deprivation: If we restrict ourselves from certain foods, like sweets, it can make us feel deprived. When we finally have access to these foods, our cravings may become stronger, triggering episodes of eating a lot to make up for what we felt we missed.

Unmet Nutritional Needs:

Imbalanced Diet: Not getting enough essential nutrients might make our bodies crave sweet foods for a quick energy boost. We might end up reaching for sweets as a fast and easy way to satisfy this need. If there’s been a period of restriction or dieting, which often results in binges then biologically your body may crave this type of food. 

Mindless Eating:

Lack of Awareness: Eating sweets without paying full attention can lead to mindless eating. When we're not aware of how much we're eating, it's easy to overeat or binge on sweets without realizing it. 

Diet Culture:

Negative Relationship with Food: Society sometimes labels certain foods as "good" or "bad” “unhealthy” or “healthy”.  Feeling guilty or ashamed about eating sweets with negative labels can make us rebel by binge eating them.

Biological Factors:

Blood Sugar Fluctuations: Changes in our blood sugar levels can make us crave sugary foods. These changes may happen due to irregular eating patterns or inadequate food intake. 

In conclusion, intuitive eating suggests a balanced and flexible approach to food that considers both our physical and emotional needs. Developing kindness and curiosity about why we crave sweets is essential for building a healthier relationship with food. If needed, getting support from professionals who specialize in intuitive eating or eating disorders can provide personalized guidance on this journey.

Dieting can increase cravings 

After a period of dieting, it's entirely normal to experience an increased craving for sweets. Restrictive diets often create a sense of deprivation, making the allure of forbidden foods, particularly sweet treats, stronger. Intuitive eating recognizes these cravings as a natural response to the body's need for satisfaction and balance. During dieting, the body may have missed out on certain tastes and nutrients, triggering a desire for the pleasurable and energy-dense qualities that sweets provide. In an intuitive eating framework, acknowledging and honoring these cravings without judgment is a crucial step in rebuilding a healthy relationship with food. Rather than viewing sweet cravings as a failure, intuitive eating encourages individuals to listen to their bodies, understand their cravings, and make choices that align with both physical and emotional well-being.

Binge Eating Disorder Treatment in Utah can help you stop binging 

Therapy with a binge eating disorder therapist is a crucial resource when you are grappling with binge eating. Going to therapy can give you a safe and compassionate space to understand yourself and your cycle of binge eating. It can be e scary to reach out for help when you are embarrassed of your behaviors but you don’t have to worry about being judged. The goal of binge eating disorder treatment is to help you feel better and to find ways to binge less and less. There’s a reason you are struggling with binging and it’s not because there’s anything wrong with you. Working with an eating disorder therapist can help you unravel all the confusion you have about your struggle and find different ways of dealing with painful emotions. 

Start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

You can find relief from binge eating. You don’t have to feel stuck in this loop. You can have a better relationship with food and your body and binge eating disorder treatment can help. This Utah Eating Disorder Clinic has an eating disorder therapist specializing in binge eating disorder. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with a binge eating disorder therapist

3. Begin feeling better 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt, LCSW, is the dedicated owner of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. Holding two bachelor's degrees, one in psychology and another in family life and human development, both earned from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah, Ashlee has laid a strong foundation in understanding the complexities of human behavior and relationships. Further enhancing her expertise, she obtained a master's degree in social work from Utah State University in Logan, Utah. With a wealth of experience, Ashlee has worked across all levels of care for eating disorders, demonstrating a deep commitment to supporting women on their journey to recovery. Her focus primarily centers on working specifically with women, reflecting her passion for providing specialized and compassionate care in the realm of mental health and eating disorders.

Why Do People Binge After Restriction?

If you are currently struggling with binge eating, it can be puzzling to understand why you can’t seem to shake off binge eating when you have proven to yourself you can be disciplined with dieting. It’s important to understand why your response is normal after restricting food or dieting. Let’s talk about some of the common reasons for binging after dieting and how binge eating disorder treatment can help. 

Common Reasons for binging after a diet 

The following reasons can help you make sense of why you’ve been led to binge after dieting or restriction. You will also have unique reasons that are personal to you that may not be listed below. 

Deprivation:

When we go on diets or restrict certain foods, it can create a sense of deprivation. This deprivation triggers a psychological response where the forbidden foods become more tempting and desirable. Telling ourselves we can't have something, will increase cravings.  When the restriction ends, there's a strong inclination to overeat on those previously restricted foods. This is truly a normal response when you’ve been dieting or only allowing yourself certain foods. It doesn’t mean you are weak or lacking in self-control. 

Listening to Hunger and Fullness:

Diets often come with strict rules about when and what to eat. These rules or guidelines can cause us to ignore our body's natural signals of hunger and fullness. Intuitive eating encourages us to reconnect with these signals. However, after a period of not paying attention to these cues, there can be a lack of awareness when we finally start listening again. Not only that but your body will have likely stopped sending you hunger and fullness signals during dieting because it lacked the energy to. It will take some time for your body to be able to send this information again. This may lead to overeating because we're not attuned to our body's signals.

Emotional Eating:

Diets typically focus on the nutritional aspects of food and may neglect the emotional connection we have with what we eat. When we stop restricting, suppressed emotions may surface. Food can become a way to cope with these emotions. If emotional eating isn't addressed, it can lead to overeating or binging as a means of soothing or distracting from emotional discomfort.

Permission to Eat:

Intuitive eating encourages us to give ourselves permission to enjoy all kinds of foods without guilt. After a period of strict dieting, where certain foods are labeled as "bad" or off-limits, there can be a psychological rebound effect. When given permission to eat those foods again, there might be a feeling of needing to consume them in larger quantities, almost like making up for lost time or indulging before the restriction starts again.

Practicing intuitive eating can help stop binging

Intuitive eating helps people stop binge eating by teaching them to pay close attention to their bodies and their needs and emotions. Intuitive eating places emphasis on building a positive relationship with food, free from the constraints of strict diets. It involves learning to trust our body's signals, understanding our emotional connection to food, and giving ourselves the freedom to enjoy a variety of foods without judgment. Intuitive eating considers both the physical and emotional aspects of eating for overall well-being. It lessens the feeling of missing out on certain foods, which often triggers binge eating after a period of restraint. Intuitive eating also says it's okay to enjoy all kinds of foods without feeling guilty

Binge Eating Disorder Treatment in Utah for binge eating 

Getting help from an eating disorder therapist can make all the difference in stopping binge eating. A binge eating disorder therapist will create a safe space for you to figure out the reasons you binge eat. In binge eating disorder treatment, you can learn about what triggers your binge eating and find different ways to deal with stress and emotions. Eating disorder therapists use techniques that help change negative thoughts about food and negative body image, making your mindset more positive. Working with a therapist can help you understand more about the root causes that started your cycle of binge eating and develop more self-compassion for yourself. 

Start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

If you find yourself trapped in the cycle of binge eating, seeking the support of binge eating disorder treatment can be an important step in feeling better. This Utah Eating Disorder Clinic has an eating disorder therapist who specializes in binge eating disorder. To start therapy follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with a binge eating disorder therapist

3. Find relief from the cycle of binging

About the Author

Ashlee Hunt, LCSW, is the dedicated owner of Maple Canyon Therapy, an online eating disorder clinic in Utah.  bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her practice. Holding dual bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Family Life and Human Development from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Ashlee's academic foundation provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamics of human behavior and relationships. She continued her academic journey by earning a Master's degree in Social Work from Utah State University in Logan, Utah. With a passion for mental health and a commitment to making a positive impact, Ashlee has garnered extensive experience working in all levels of care for eating disorders.

A Guide to ADHD and Binge Eating

If you or someone you love struggles with binge eating, you might wonder if it’s related to diagnosed or undiagnosed ADHD. Living with ADHD and binge eating can make every single day hard for those who are struggling. You might feel like your thoughts are always racing, making it hard to focus, and then dealing with intense emotions that swing back and forth. You might find it hard to control being impulsive, and sometimes that leads to binge eating. It's frustrating when you don't want to keep doing this but the urge to binge feels overpowering and it happens so fast, leaving you feeling guilty and ashamed afterward. The cycle of feeling out of control with eating and struggling with ADHD symptoms can lead to a rollercoaster of emotions, affecting your self-esteem and overall mental health. You might feel isolated, wondering if anyone truly understands the daily struggle of dealing with both ADHD and binge eating. Binge eating disorder treatment can help in managing both. 

Having ADHD can impact your life in many ways. Many have wondered if there is a connection between ADHD and binge eating. It's like a knot in your life where things like being impulsive, having strong emotions, and struggling to focus can sometimes lead to eating too much at once. Dealing with both ADHD and binge eating can make things feel overwhelming. Understanding how these two things are linked helps us figure out why binge eating happens and how it affects you. Learning about this connection can be a big help in managing both ADHD and binge eating, making life a bit easier overall. It's not just knowing they're linked; it's about finding ways to support you if you're, dealing with both ADHD and binge eating, so you can understand and handle things better.

Are people with ADHD more likely to binge eat?

Having ADHD might make some people more likely to struggle with binge eating. It can be linked to difficulties with self-control and managing emotions, which can make it more difficult to be in tune with their hunger and fullness. Some people with ADHD might turn to food for comfort or to cope with feelings of restlessness or stress. However, not everyone with ADHD will have binge eating issues—it varies from person to person. Getting help and support, like binge eating disorder treatment or eating disorder therapy can make a difference. 

Is there a correlation between ADHD and overeating?

​​Yes, there can be a connection between ADHD and overeating. Some people with ADHD might struggle with overeating or irregular eating patterns. This can be because ADHD can affect self-regulation, making it challenging to manage impulses, including those related to eating. Additionally, difficulties in attention and focus might lead to forgetfulness around meals, and irregular eating schedules, causing irregular eating habits. Not eating consistently will lead to more intense cravings and hunger, which may lead to eating past fullness. While not everyone with ADHD experiences overeating, for some, it can be a way to cope with emotions or stress. Understanding this correlation can help people with ADHD develop strategies to manage eating habits and seek support. 

Does binging mask ADHD?

Binging itself doesn't mask ADHD, but it might sometimes be linked to ADHD symptoms that haven't been diagnosed. Binging—overeating in a short time with a loss of control—can sometimes be a response to emotions or stress, which can be more common in those with ADHD. Sometimes, people might use food to cope with feelings related to ADHD, like rejection, stress, or frustration. However, binging doesn't hide or cover up ADHD itself; instead, it might be a behavior connected to how someone copes with their ADHD symptoms or emotions. Understanding this link can help find ways to manage both ADHD and any related eating concerns.

do people with ADHD use binging as a way to cope?

Yes, some people with ADHD might use binging as a way to cope with their emotions or challenges linked to ADHD. Binge eating can be a way of dealing with emotions or even a way of procrastinating something that isn't rewarding to those with ADHD. It might temporarily provide comfort or a distraction from these feelings. However, not everyone with ADHD copes in this way—each person's response and coping methods can be different.            

 Binge eating as a coping skill isn't something just those with ADHD do. Many people, regardless of whether they have ADHD or not, might turn to binge eating as a way to deal with tough emotions. It can be a response to stress, sadness, or other difficult feelings, providing temporary comfort or distraction to many people regardless of diagnosis.  While some people with ADHD might use binge eating to cope, it's essential to recognize that many others, without ADHD also engage in this behavior as a way of managing painful emotions

Why do people with ADHD binge eat at night?

Several factors might contribute to those with ADHD tending to binge eat at night. Firstly, the evening hours might be when the effects of ADHD, such as difficulties in managing impulses or emotions, become more noticeable or challenging to handle. As the day winds down, stressors might accumulate, making it harder to regulate eating habits. Additionally, for some people with ADHD, the structure and routine of the day may begin to fade in the evenings, leading to less structured eating patterns or more impulsivity.  Lack of structure or routine can sometimes trigger binge eating. NIghtime can be a time when there are fewer distractions, which might bring up stronger emotions or restlessness, making it more likely to seek comfort through binge eating.

Nighttime binge eating isn't exclusive to those with ADHD; it's a pattern that many people who struggle with binge eating experience, whether they have ADHD or not. Evening hours often come with a sense of relaxation or winding down after the day. This time can trigger emotional eating habits or a binge episode for many people especially those who have been dieting or restrdicting.  The stress of the day, feeling tired or low in energy, or having more free time at night can make you more vulnerable to binging at nighttime. People who feel tired, boredom, or other emotions tend to surface during quieter nighttime hours, prompting some to turn to food for comfort or distraction. The lack of external demands or responsibilities at night might also make it easier for some to binge eat. 

Do people with ADHD get fixated on certain foods?

Yes, it's common for some individuals with ADHD to become fixated on specific foods. This fixation can stem from symptoms of ADHD, which might involve having intense interests or preferences. Sometimes, these fixations extend to certain foods, often those that offer instant gratification or sensory experience.  Eating these foods can trigger the brain's reward system, providing a sense of comfort or pleasure, which might be particularly appealing to those with ADHD who seek stimulation or struggle with being impulsive.  However, not everyone with ADHD experiences this fixation, and the intensity or type of fixation on certain foods is different for everyone. 

Sometimes, people with ADHD might really want certain foods because they were told they couldn't have them before. When there were strict rules about what they could eat, these foods became super appealing. So now, when they can have those foods, they might really, really want them a lot. It's like they're making up for not having them before. This strong desire for specific foods can stick around because of past dieting or restrictions

Some people with ADHD might only eat certain foods because they want to lose weight t or because they think those foods are healthier. Being focused on only eating certain foods can come from a belief that foods are "good" or "bad. They might believe it'll help them lose weight fast or improve their body image. This kind of eating can look like how someone with an eating disorder acts—strict rules about what they eat. However, not everyone with ADHD who eats this way has an eating disorder. It might just mean they need some help to have a healthier approach to food and eating.

Some people with ADHD might limit their food choices because of a condition called ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). This eating disorder can make someone very picky about what they eat, often due to sensory issues, worries about the food's taste or texture, or fears of choking or getting sick. For those with ADHD, these challenges might overlap, making it harder to try new foods or feel comfortable eating a variety of foods. This selective eating might seem like pickiness, but it's more complex and could be related to ARFID, where certain foods are avoided or restricted, leading to a limited diet. 

Why do people with ADHD have cravings?

People with ADHD might experience cravings for a few reasons. One reason is related to dopamine, a chemical in the brain that helps regulate emotions and pleasure. In ADHD, there can be differences in dopamine levels or how the brain uses dopamine, leading to eating foods that provide instant pleasure or satisfaction. Cravings might also stem from difficulties in coping with emotions or controlling impulses. Sometimes, specific foods can trigger the brain's reward system, providing a temporary sense of comfort or pleasure, which can be appealing for someone with ADHD seeking this. These cravings might also be linked to trying to manage stress or restlessness, where certain foods might feel like they quickly get rid of those feelings temporarily.

Binge eating disorder treatment in Utah to help you stop binge eating

Binge eating disorder treatment can help you if you have ADHD and struggle with binge eating. It's not just about changing how you eat—it's about understanding your feelings and urges better. For someone with ADHD, handling these feelings can be hard, but therapy teaches you ways to manage these big emotions without turning to binge eating.  Eating disorder therapy also helps you create more structure in your life and in turn prevent binge eating episodes. Working with an eating disorder therapist can help you with the tools and support to manage both ADHD and binge eating, so you can feel better about food and yourself.

Start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah 

You don’t have to keep struggling in the cycle of binge eating over and over again. You don’t have to wake up every morning committing to do better only to binge again that night. Binge eating disorder treatment can help you get out of this cycle. This Utah Eating Disorder Clinic has a binge eating disorder therapist who specializes in binge eating disorder. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with an eating disorder therapist 

3. Find relief from binge eating

Online eating disorder therapy in Utah 

Choosing online therapy in Utah can be a game-changer for your eating disorder recovery. It offers you the ability to be more flexible with your schedule and you don't have to travel far to meet with an eating disorder therapist who has the specialized training to help you get better. You can meet with a therapist from the comfort and convenience of your own space. Whether you're managing an eating disorder alongside ADHD or seeking help for any eating concerns, online therapy provides a safe and confidential space to explore emotions, find better ways of coping, and build a positive relationship with food. Take this step towards healing and discover the support you deserve, right at your fingertips.

Online counseling also means I work with women anywhere in Utah. I work with clients in St. George, Cedar City, Provo, Heber City, Salt Lake City, Logan, and more. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt, LCSW, is the dedicated founder of Maple Canyon Therapy, a practice committed to providing comprehensive care in Utah. With extensive experience in treating eating disorders, Ashlee brings a wealth of expertise and a heartfelt commitment to assisting individuals on their path to recovery.

Ashlee earned dual bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Family Life and Human Development from Southern Utah University. Furthering her education, she obtained a master's degree in Social Work from Utah State University, solidifying her foundation in mental health treatment.

Throughout her career, Ashlee has worked across all levels of eating disorder treatment, gaining valuable experience in various therapeutic settings. Her specialized focus on treating binge eating disorder has been central to her practice. Ashlee's comprehensive approach, rooted in empathy and understanding, enables her to effectively support individuals struggling with binge eating disorder.

Recognizing the importance of accessibility in mental health care, Ashlee has integrated online therapy into her practice, extending her services to individuals throughout Utah. Her dedication to providing quality therapy, combined with her expertise in eating disorder treatment, makes her a compassionate and trusted resource for those seeking support on their journey toward healing.

Do People with ADHD Use Binging as a Way to Cope?

People with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) use different ways to cope with their emotions, and some may turn to binge eating or overeating as a way to deal with painful emotions or stress. While everyone with ADHD has different struggles, there are some common reasons why this happens. For example, certain foods can affect mood by releasing feel-good chemicals in the brain. This can happen to anyone not just those with ADHD. Those with ADHD may experience it at a different level and eating specific foods might provide a temporary sense of comfort and improve their mood temporarily. Those with ADHD often have lower levels of dopamine, a chemical in the brain linked to pleasure. Eating certain foods can quickly boost dopamine levels, giving a brief but enjoyable reward and creating a pattern where food is used to handle emotions or find pleasure. Binge eating disorder treatment can help those with ADHD cope differently, understand their emotions better, and have a better relationship with food.

Reasons why those with ADHD might use binge eating to cope

Not everyone with ADHD must use binge eating as a way to cope. It’s also important to know that people use binging or overeating to cope, and they don’t have ADHD. These are some common reasons why those with ADHD might struggle with binge eating. It doesn’t mean these will apply to you but they  might: 

• Hyperfocus: People with ADHD can get super focused on something they like. This intense focus might lead to binge-like behaviors, where they spend a lot of time on one thing.

• Doing Things without Thinking: ADHD comes with impulsivity, which means doing things without planning. This can include eating a lot or doing activities excessively without thinking about it.

• Trying to Feel Good: ADHD is linked to lower levels of dopamine, a chemical that makes us feel good. Bingeing on things that give instant pleasure, like eating certain foods or doing fun activities, might be an attempt to feel happier.

• Dealing with Tough Times: Managing ADHD can be hard. Bingeing might be a way to take a break from stress or problems for a little bit. It's like a way to comfort themselves or handle strong feelings.

• Wanting Some Order: People with ADHD might find it hard to have routines. Bingeing on certain activities can make them feel more in control and give a break from the usual challenges.

Binge eating disorder treatment in Utah can help you manage ADHD and binge eating

Getting help for binge eating disorder can make a big difference for those dealing with ADHD. Treatment offers understanding yourself better, different ways of coping, and understanding your underlying emotions.  You might feel embarrassed that you binge and because of that you've tried to figure out how to stop all on your own.  You don't have to do that. Working with an eating disorder therapist means you don't have to do it alone. Going to therapy means you should feel safe and can let go of the shame of binge eating. 

Begin working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah

You can find relief from binge eating. You don’t have to wake up and hate yourself the next day. You can find freedom from hating your body and not trusting yourself with food. Binge eating disorder treatment can help. This Utah Eating Disorder Clinic has an eating disorder therapist who specializes in binge eating disorder. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with a binge eating disorder therapist

3. Start improving your relationship with food

About the Author

Ashlee Hunt, LCSW, is the founder of Maple Canyon Therapy which was originally located off of Main Street across from the 711 in Spanish Fork, Utah. However, Ashlee now provides online eating disorder therapy all throughout Utah. Ashlee is eager to support women in their mental health journey. With a focus on treating eating disorders, Ashlee holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Bachelor's degree in Family Life and Human Development, both earned from Southern Utah University. Her commitment to understanding the complexities of human behavior led her to pursue a Master's degree in Social Work from Utah State University.

A Guide to Understanding the Binge Cycle

You or someone you love may struggle with episodes of binge eating. The binge cycle can be confusing to understand and is often blamed on a lack of willpower. Part of binge eating disorder treatment is knowing yourself and what leads you to binge eat. To fully recover from binge eating, you have to understand why you do it in the first place. This guide provides information to frequently asked questions about binge eating and helps you gain more of an understanding of yourself and how you can get help. 

What is a binge-eating episode?

A binge eating episode involves eating a larger amount of food in a short period while feeling a lack of control. During a binge, a person might eat rapidly, even when not physically hungry, and continue eating past the point of feeling uncomfortably full. Binge-eating episodes are often accompanied by emotions like guilt, shame, or distress afterward. They can happen in private or, at times, when others are around, and they typically occur within a discrete period, such as a couple of hours.

What is the binge cycle?

The binge cycle feels like a repetitive loop when you struggle with binge eating. It usually starts when painful or difficult emotions, like stress or sadness, hit you hard. Those feelings can become overwhelming, so you turn to food for comfort or distraction. During a binge, you eat a lot and feel like you can't stop. Then, afterward, all those guilty and shameful feelings flood in. These feelings make you want to restrict your eating or start a diet, but that often leads to more cravings and restarts the whole binge cycle. Breaking free from this cycle is a big step toward healing from binge eating, and it often involves working with an eating disorder therapist. Binge eating disorder treatment involves helping you discover better ways to handle emotions and food without getting caught in this pattern over and over again.

How do I break the binge cycle?

Breaking the binge cycle involves several steps and most importantly good support.  First, identifying triggers that result in binge eating episodes is important. Learning to understand what emotions, situations, people, or places lead to binge eating episodes. Once you recognize these triggers, you can work on finding different ways and understanding why those triggers get to you. This might involve starting binge eating disorder treatment to learn healthier ways to manage emotions and stress. Building a routine around regular, balanced meals can also help stabilize eating patterns, reducing the likelihood of binges due to extreme hunger and help you become an intuitive eater. 

Practicing mindfulness and learning to listen to your body's hunger and fullness cues is another key aspect. Mindfulness helps create awareness and allows you to pause before engaging in a binge. 

Ultimately, breaking the binge cycle often requires support and guidance. Seeking help from an eating disorder therapist or intuitive eating dietitian who specializes in eating disorders can provide you with skills and support that will work with you specifically.  Eating disorder treatment involves developing a comprehensive plan to break the cycle and establish a healthier relationship with food and emotions.

Will a binge cycle ruin all my progress?

No, a single episode of a binge cycle doesn't erase all your progress. Part of what leads people to binge eating is the rigid and restrictive mindset around food as if it can make or break your progress.  It's important to approach eating disorder recovery with self-compassion and understanding.  Recovering from binge eating is hard work so there are bound to be setbacks, and it doesn't mean all your efforts have been in vain. Instead of viewing it as a failure, I believe every binge episode offers more information about yourself that you didn't have before. Recovering from binge eating isn't linear progress. 

What do I do after I binge? 

After a binge, it's important to prioritize self-compassion and avoid self-judgment. Here are steps that might help:

1. Be Kind to Yourself

Avoid negative self-talk or self-blame. Remind yourself that setbacks happen, and it's okay. Treat yourself with kindness and understanding.

2. Avoid Restriction

Resist the urge to compensate by restricting food or going on a strict diet. This might perpetuate the cycle by triggering more cravings and potential binges.

3. Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water to help your body recover and stay hydrated.

4. Resume Regular Eating

Try to return to your regular eating routine as soon as possible. Skipping meals might lead to extreme hunger, which could trigger another binge.

5. Engage in Gentle Movement

Consider light physical activity, like a short walk, yoga, or stretching, to help ease discomfort and release tension. But avoid engaging in intense exercise as a form of punishment.

6. Reflect and Learn

Take some time to reflect on the binge without judgment. Consider what might have triggered it and how you can address those triggers differently next time.

7. Reach Out for Support

If needed, talk to a trusted friend, family member, or eating disorder therapist about your feelings and experiences. Sharing can provide emotional support and help you gain perspective.

Remember, the goal isn't perfection but progress. Each step you take towards understanding your triggers and developing healthier coping strategies is a step forward in your recovery journey.

Why do people binge after restricting? 

When you've been eating very little for a while, your body might start wanting a lot of food, especially food items that are higher in energy, when you finally eat again. That's because your body thinks it needs to stock up after not getting enough food. Also, when you've been told not to eat certain foods for a long time, you might end up feeling out of control and eating too much of those foods once you're allowed to have them. Sometimes, when feelings get too big, like stress or sadness, you might eat a lot to cope with those emotions, especially after a period of not eating much. This cycle can mess with how your body tells you when to eat and when to stop, and it can take a while for fullness signals to return. To break this binge cycle, it's important to work on managing emotions outside of turning only to food, eating consistently, and working with an eating disorder therapist. 

Why do I binge eat sweets?

Binge-eating sweets can happen for a few reasons. Sweets often bring comfort during tough times, making you feel better temporarily. If you've been avoiding sweets for a while, the desire for them can get really strong, and when you finally have them, you might eat a lot because you missed them. Also, sugary foods might be craved because they provide quick energy, which your body might want if you have not been eating enough. Sometimes, binge eating becomes a habit or a way to deal with boredom or other painful emotions, without really feeling hungry. Understanding why you turn to sweets during binge eating can help find different ways to handle emotions and break the cycle of binge eating. Talking to a binge eating disorder therapist or can give you ways to manage these triggers and have a healthier relationship with sweets and food overall.

Why do I binge when I’m sad or stressed?

When feeling sad or stressed, binge eating might occur as a way to cope with overwhelming emotions. Food can provide a temporary sense of comfort and distraction from those feelings. The act of eating triggers the brain's reward system, releasing feel-good chemicals that temporarily stop the emotional distress. Binge eating during sad or stressful times can become a habitual way of coping and the relief that comes from binging reinforces this as a coping skill. However, this relief is short-lived, and the underlying emotions show up again often leading to a cycle of binge eating again in response to stress or sadness. Learning other ways of coping es for managing emotions, such as seeking support from friends or going to eating disorder therapy,  practicing relaxation techniques, or engaging in activities that bring joy or relaxation, can help break this cycle of using food as a primary coping mechanism.

Why do I binge when I’m alone?

Binge eating when alone might happen for a few reasons. Sometimes being by yourself can lead to feelings of boredom, loneliness, or sadness and food might become a way to fill that void or distract yourself. Being alone with your thoughts and feelings can be enough to trigger a cycle of binge eating. For some people, eating alone makes them feel less judged, creating a sense of freedom to eat without worrying about what anyone else thinks.  This can amplify cravings or emotions, leading to the desire to use food to cope. Understanding these triggers and finding alternative ways to occupy your time or cope with emotions when alone—such as engaging in hobbies, reaching out to friends or family, or practicing relaxation techniques—can help break the pattern of turning to food for comfort or distraction. 

How does binge eating affect the brain?

Binge eating can affect the brain in a few ways.  When you binge eat, it triggers the brain's pleasure center, releasing chemicals that make you feel good. Over time, this can change your brain's response to food, making you more sensitive to food-related cues and reinforcing the urge to binge. Binge eating also alters neurotransmitter levels, impacting your mood and leading to feelings of anxiety or guilt after a binge. It might affect decision-making and impulse control, making it harder to not engage in a binge. Binge eating can influence the body's stress response, increasing stress hormone levels and maybe reinforcing the cycle of binge eating as a way to cope with stress. 

How do I know if I need therapy for my cycle of binge eating?

There is no threshold you cross where you only need therapy once it gets bad. If you want to improve your relationship with food, the sooner you go to eating disorder therapy, the better. Considering therapy for binge eating is important if you're having frequent episodes of feeling out of control with food, and consuming large amounts quickly. Feelings such as guilt, shame, or depression linked to binge eating may signal a need for eating disorder treatment. If binge eating disrupts your daily life, work, and relationships, or causes health concerns, eating disorder therapy can help. Failed attempts to stop on your own or binge episodes following periods of strict dieting are reasons to consider binge eating disorder treatment. When binge eating affects your well-being or becomes challenging to manage alone, working with a binge eating disorder therapist can offer support and strategies to your specific needs.

Binge Eating Disorder Treatment in Utah can help stop the binge cycle. 

Binge eating disorder treatment can help you break the cycle of overeating. In eating disorder therapy, you explore what triggers binge episodes and learn helpful ways to handle stress without only turning to food. Working with an eating disorder therapist helps sort out how feelings and food mix, so food doesn't feel like it's ruling your life.   It's like untangling a knot—therapy helps you understand why you binge and find better ways to cope with painful feelings. 

Start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah

You don’t have to keep hating yourself. You don’t have to keep dieting to regain control. Binge eating disorder treatment can help you feel ok again. This Utah Eating Disorder Clinic has a binge eating disorder therapist who can help. To begin counseling follow the steps below: 

1. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation 

2. Meet with an eating disorder therapist

3. Break free of the binge cycle

Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah

Trying online therapy in Utah is a  great choice for getting support that fits right into your life. It doesn't matter where you are in Utah—online eating disorder therapy connects you with a therapist with specialized eating disorder training. Online counseling is just as effective as in-person therapy. The best part? No need to stress about travel or leave the comfort of your home. Online therapy is far more convenient for someone with a busy schedule. 

Online therapy also means I can work with clients wherever you are in Utah including Provo, Salt Lake City, Logan, Cedar City, St. George, Heber City, and more. 

About the Author 

Ashlee Hunt, LCSW, is the founder of Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah, bringing extensive expertise in treating eating disorders to her practice. With dual bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Family Life and Human Development from Southern Utah University, Ashlee possesses a deep understanding of the complexities surrounding mental health and eating disorders Her commitment to this field led her to earn a master's degree in Social Work from Utah State University, further solidifying her clinical expertise. Ashlee's professional journey spans all levels of treatment for eating disorders, showcasing her comprehensive experience in providing care. Her specialized knowledge and dedication to supporting individuals grappling with eating disorders make her a compassionate and skilled therapist at Maple Canyon Therapy.