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Category: Food Freedom

  • Why Do I Keep Going Back to Dieting? 5 Real Reasons (and What Helps)

    Why Do I Keep Going Back to Dieting? 5 Real Reasons (and What Helps)

    TL;DR: You keep going back to dieting because a diet offers a plan, certainty, and hope at the exact moment weight fear, social pressure, or a rough week hits. It’s not weak willpower. It’s a learned habit with real triggers. You stop by spotting your trigger, asking what you actually want underneath the diet, and replacing the structure diets gave you with gentle boundaries that aren’t rules.

    Why do I keep going back to dieting? If you’ve asked yourself that, you’re in good company.

    A follower told me, “I’ve tried quitting dieting several times in the last few years, but I keep going back to it.” Another said, “Every week I think I’ll start Monday.” Sound familiar?

    Here’s where I’m coming from. I started dieting at 19 and kept at it for about 15 years. Calorie counting hooked me the most, and at one point I became a Beachbody coach, which was basically a weight-loss coach lol. So I know the pull. I felt it again last year, and I wrote about that whole story here.

    This post is about why the pull keeps happening and what actually helps you stop. It’s not about you being weak or doing it wrong.

    Is Going Back To Dieting a Willpower Problem?

    TL;DR: No. Going back to dieting is a habit built on years of hearing that your body is a problem to fix. Diets also work for a while, which keeps you coming back. Willpower isn’t the missing piece.

    Let’s be real. Diets often do something in the short term. The scale moves, you get compliments, and you feel in control.

    Then the weight comes back, because it usually does. Research on long-term weight loss shows most people regain it, and I break that down in another post. So the diet “failed,” and somehow we blame ourselves instead of the diet.

    That’s the loop. A short win, a regain, a bit of shame, and then the next plan looks like the answer. Of course, you keep going back.

    Why Do I Keep Going Back To Dieting? 5 Real Reasons.

    TL;DR: The most common triggers are weight going up, seeing someone else lose weight, the “start Monday” loop, believing life would be better in a smaller body, and missing the structure diets gave you. Naming yours is the first step.

    1. Your Weight Goes Up and the Fear Kicks In

    Weight creeping up can feel like an emergency. Some of the people I talk to are scared to buy the next size up in clothes, as if buying them makes it permanent.

    That fear is what pushes people straight back to a diet. The panic feels urgent, and a plan feels like relief.

    2. You See Someone Else Losing Weight

    Social media, coworkers, and now GLP-1 before-and-after photos all say the same thing. Losing weight gets applause.

    A follower told me she’s made peace with food and her body, but the world’s reaction to weight loss still bothers her. It’s hard to feel settled when everyone around you is being cheered for shrinking.

    3. The “Start Monday” Loop

    “I’ll start Monday” gives you a reason to eat everything today. Then Monday comes, you try to be perfect, and it falls apart by Wednesday.

    Then the all-or-nothing thinking shows up. The whole week feels ruined, so you wait for the next Monday. I lived in this loop for years.

    4. You Think Life Would Be Better in a Smaller Body

    People have told me they’d have more energy, more confidence, even a better shot at a partner if they were slimmer. Those are real wants.

    Weight loss isn’t a guaranteed route to any of them, though. Diets quietly attach a lot of hope to a number on the scale. If you want to dig into that, this post on what to ask yourself when you feel like you need to lose weight is a good place to start.

    5. You Never Replaced What Dieting Gave You

    This one gets missed. Dieting gives you a plan, rules, and a clear answer when you’re second-guessing yourself.

    Without it, you’re left asking, “Is this the right food? Too much? Too little?” That kind of constant doubt is exhausting. Of course, a rulebook starts to look tempting again.

    Graphic listing 5 reasons why do I keep going back to dieting: weight fear, seeing others lose weight, the start Monday loop, believing smaller is better, and missing structure

    Why Does Quitting Dieting Feel Like Giving Up?

    TL;DR: After years of diet culture, quitting a diet feels like quitting on yourself. But stopping a method that keeps failing isn’t giving up. It’s looking for something that works for you.

    Another follower asked whether she should “go back to weighing everything and not ‘give up’ on dieting.” That phrase, give up, tells you a lot.

    We’re taught that being on a diet means we’re trying and being off one means we’ve stopped caring. That’s diet culture talking.

    If you’ve tried the same approach over and over and keep ending up in the same place, the issue isn’t that you quit. The method has a built-in revolving door.

    What Actually Helps You Stop Going Back To Dieting?

    TL;DR: Spot your trigger, ask what you actually want underneath the diet, keep gentle structure that isn’t a rulebook, stop mentally restricting, and wear clothes that fit now. Support makes it much easier.

    1. Spot Your Trigger Before You Act

    The next time you feel the pull, pause and ask what just happened. Did your jeans feel tight? Did you scroll past a transformation post? Was it Sunday night?

    You don’t have to fix it right then. Noticing is the whole job for now.

    2. Ask What You Actually Want Underneath the Diet

    When I got pulled toward a GLP-1, I asked myself what I really wanted. It turned out I was stiff, tired, and uncomfortable in my clothes, and none of that needed weight loss to address.

    Try it yourself. What do you believe losing weight would change for you? Is there a way to take care of that need directly? If you want the full story, it’s here.

    3. Keep Gentle Structure That Isn’t a Diet

    Some of us need structure, and that’s okay. The difference is between a boundary and a rule.

    A boundary sounds like “I eat breakfast because I feel better when I do.” A rule sounds like “I can’t eat after 7pm.” Boundaries care for you. Rules punish you when you slip. If you’re not sure which is which, this checklist will help you spot a diet in disguise.

    4. Stop Restricting in Your Head

    Even if you’re not officially dieting, “I shouldn’t eat that” still counts as restriction. It also feeds the binge cycle that makes people run back to a diet. I explain how that works in How to Stop Binge Eating.

    5. Buy Clothes That Fit Your Body Now

    Waiting to shrink before buying clothes keeps you stuck in the “next size up” fear. Clothes that fit comfortably aren’t giving up. They’re basic care for the body you’re in today. I buy most of mine second hand, so it doesn’t have to be expensive.

    6. Do It With Support

    Most people who keep going back to dieting are trying to quit alone, with no plan for the hard moments. That’s like quitting something while everyone around you keeps offering it.

    Support turns the next Monday from a crisis into something you can handle.

    How Do I Stop Going Back To Dieting For Good?

    TL;DR: You stop by learning to work with food noise, hunger, and your own cues instead of fighting them. That takes time and support. The Food Noise ResetTM is my 8-week program built for exactly that.

    If the same triggers keep pulling you back, you don’t need another plan. You need a way to quiet the food noise, handle the hard moments, and make peace with your body without a rulebook.

    That’s what The Food Noise ResetTM is for. It’s 8 weekly lessons, delivered by email, and each one takes about 30 to 45 minutes along with the exercises. There’s also a body acceptance module. Women who are on a GLP-1 are welcome too.

    Join the Food Noise ResetTM waitlist here.

    Not ready for that yet? Start with my free 5-Minute Emotional Eating Check-In Workbook. It helps you notice what’s really going on before you reach for a diet or for food. Download the free workbook here.

    And if you’d rather work 1-on-1, here’s how coaching works.

    FAQ: Why Do I Keep Going Back to Dieting?

    Why do I keep going back to dieting even though it never works long term?

    Diets give quick results, certainty, and a sense of control, so they feel like the answer each time. Then the weight returns and the cycle restarts. It’s a habit with real triggers, not a flaw in you.

    Is going back to dieting a sign I can’t do intuitive eating?

    No. Plenty of people go back and forth while they unlearn diet culture. Each return is a chance to notice your trigger and respond differently.

    How do I stop the “I’ll start Monday” cycle?

    Start by noticing that “Monday” is a rule you’re setting for later. Eat in a way that cares for you today, and drop the all-or-nothing idea that one off day ruins the week.

    What if I’m scared of gaining weight if I stop dieting?

    That fear is very common, and I won’t pretend your weight can’t change. What I can say is that fear-based restriction tends to lead to the binge cycle. Working on your food and body relationship gives you more steady footing than another diet does.

    Can I stop dieting if I’m on a GLP-1?

    Yes. Being on a GLP-1 doesn’t mean you have to follow diet rules. If you’ve stopped one and eating feels intense, I wrote about binge eating after stopping a GLP-1 too. Questions about medication are for you and your prescriber.

    Want more real talk on ditching diet culture for good? Come follow along on Instagram @laraslosingit!

  • Binge Eating After Stopping a GLP-1: Why It Happens and What Actually Helps

    Binge Eating After Stopping a GLP-1: Why It Happens and What Actually Helps

    Quick answer: Binge eating after stopping a GLP-1 usually isn’t a willpower problem. As the medication clears over several weeks, your appetite signals and food noise return, often louder than you expected. If you’ve dieted for years, that can kick off the restrict-and-rebound cycle. Eating enough, skipping new food rules, and building one non-food way to cope helps most.

    If you’re dealing with binge eating after stopping a GLP-1, I want you to hear this first: you’re not failing, and you didn’t break anything.

    Let me be upfront about who’s writing this. I’m an intuitive eating coach, not a doctor, and I’ve never taken a GLP-1. I came close last year, and I wrote about that story here. So I can’t tell you what stopping feels like from the inside. What I do know is restriction, binge eating, and the restrict-rebound cycle, because I lived it, and now I help people out of it. That’s the lens for this post.

    Anything medication-related, such as stopping, tapering, or restarting, is a conversation between you and your prescriber. This post is not meant to be a replacement for personal medical advice.

    Table of Contents

      Why Does Hunger Come Back After Stopping a GLP-1?

      Quick answer: A GLP-1 turns down your appetite signals and food noise while it’s in your body. When it clears over several weeks, those signals go back to how they worked before. That’s biology, not a lack of willpower.

      Here’s the thing: a GLP-1 doesn’t fix the reasons food felt loud in the first place. It turns the volume down while it’s in your system. Once it’s gone, the volume comes back up.

      How fast depends on the medication and the dose. For a lot of people, it’s more of a gradual fade over the first month or two than a sudden switch. Your stomach also tends to return to emptying at its usual pace, so meals may feel less filling than they did while you were on the medication.

      Now for the honest part. Studies show GLP-1s can reduce binge eating while people are taking them. Research on stopping has mostly focused on weight and metabolic rebound, so what happens to eating behaviour afterward remains poorly understood. So I won’t tell you that everyone who stops will binge. I will tell you that if it’s happening to you, it’s a pattern people report, and it has explanations that have nothing to do with you being weak.

      Timeline showing why binge eating after stopping a GLP-1 can happen as appetite signals and food noise return

      Is It Hunger, Food Noise, or a Binge?

      Quick answer: Hunger is a physical need that builds and eases when you eat. Food noise is repetitive, intrusive thinking about food. A binge feels out of control and goes past comfortable fullness. Each one needs a different response.

      Not every food thought is a problem. Planning dinner, looking forward to a favourite meal, or thinking about what to pack for lunch is normal. That isn’t food noise, and it doesn’t need fixing.

      Here’s how I tell them apart:

      • Physical hunger builds gradually, shows up in your body, and eases once you eat.
      • Food noise is repetitive, intrusive thinking about food, even when you aren’t hungry or have just eaten.
      • Emotional eating is reaching for food to cope with a feeling. It’s normal, and I wrote a whole post on it.
      • A binge feels out of control, goes past comfortable fullness, and usually comes with guilt afterward.

      Why does this matter? Because each one needs a different response. More food helps with hunger. A pause and a check-in helps with food noise and emotional eating. A binge usually points back to something earlier in the day, like not eating enough.

      Not sure which one you’re dealing with in the moment? My free 5-minute Emotional Eating Check-In Workbook walks you through it, no judgment attached. Download the free workbook here.

      Cheat sheet to tell hunger, food noise, emotional eating, and binge eating apart after stopping a GLP-1

      Why Binge Eating After Stopping a GLP-1 Feels So Intense

      Quick answer: If you’ve dieted for years, the sudden return of hunger can feel like an emergency. Fear of regaining weight pushes people to restrict, and restriction is exactly what feeds the binge cycle.

      Picture this. You’ve dieted on and off for years. Then you spend months with the quiet. And then the quiet ends.

      Your body doesn’t know the difference between “the medication wore off” and “food might run out.” It just knows hunger is back, and it wants to be sure it gets fed.

      Now add the fear. Fear of regaining weight, fear of being judged, fear of starting over. Most of us respond to fear the way we always have: by clamping down. Skipping breakfast, cutting out foods, being good all day.

      Sound familiar?

      That’s the restrict-and-rebound cycle, and it’s exactly what turns loud hunger into a binge by 9pm. Then the guilt shows up, and guilt makes the noise louder. If nights are your hardest time, I break down that pattern in “Why Do I Binge Eat at Night?“

      What Actually Helps (Without Starting a Diet)

      Quick answer: Eat enough on a steady rhythm. Resist adding new food rules. Check in before deciding it’s a binge. Plan one non-food way to decompress. And give your body weeks, not days, to settle.

      1. Eat Enough, on a Rhythm

      If your appetite was low for months, you may have gotten used to skipping meals or grazing. As hunger returns, aim for regular meals with real volume. That tells your body food keeps coming. Make them satisfying too, with protein, fibre, carbs, and fats you actually enjoy. Tiny portions or “saving up” for later tend to backfire. It’s the same fix I talk about in my nighttime binge post.

      2. Skip the New Food Rules

      Fear makes rules feel safe. No sugar, no carbs, nothing after 7pm. But rules are what keep the cycle spinning. Giving yourself full permission to eat, including the foods you’ve been avoiding, tends to quiet the food noise over time. A psychologist makes the same case in Psychology Today.

      3. Check In Before You Decide It’s a Binge

      Before you judge what’s happening, ask a few quick questions. When did I last eat? How was my day? What am I feeling right now? Often the honest answer is that you’re simply hungry. Sometimes it’s stress. Either way, you’re responding to something real instead of judging yourself for it. The check-in workbook gives you the exact prompts if you want them.

      4. Build One Non-Food Way to Decompress

      If food has been your main coping tool, losing the medication’s quiet can leave a gap. Fill it with one small non-food option. Five minutes in the car before you walk in the door. A text to a friend. A walk around the block. It doesn’t have to be fancy. The goal isn’t to never turn to food for comfort; it’s to have more than one option.

      5. Give It Weeks, Not Days

      You’re recalibrating, and that takes time. Expect a bumpy first month or two. A rough night doesn’t undo anything, and it doesn’t mean you’re back at square one. It’s uncomfy AF, but it’s information, not a verdict.

      Intuitive eating coach Lara enjoying a satisfying meal to help with binge eating after stopping a GLP-1

      What About the Weight?

      Quick answer: Weight regain is common after stopping, and I can’t promise what your body will do. What I can tell you is that a plan built on fear of regain tends to bring back the restrict-rebound cycle that makes everything louder.

      Let’s be real. Trials show that many people regain a good portion of the weight they lost within a year of stopping. I’m not going to tell you that it won’t happen to you. I can’t promise what your body will do, and neither can anyone else.

      Here’s what I’d gently ask instead: what does it cost you to try to prevent regain with restriction? For many people, the price is the binge cycle, the guilt, and a brain that’s busy with food all day.

      If you want help with weight and health alongside your medical care, that’s a conversation to have with your doctor or a registered dietitian. My work helps you get steady with food so your choices come from care rather than panic.

      When Should You Get More Support?

      Quick answer: Talk to a doctor or an eating disorder specialist if eating feels truly out of control, if you’re restricting or purging, if food thoughts take up hours of your day, or if the distress is hard to carry.

      Increased drinking since stopping is another one worth mentioning to your provider. You deserve real support, and asking for it isn’t overreacting. In the US, the National Alliance for Eating Disorders has a helpline, and in the UK, Beat offers support.

      If you’re thinking about stopping, tapering, or restarting, loop in your prescriber first. Many clinicians recommend planning that change rather than stopping all at once.

      This is the kind of work I do with coaching clients, untangling hunger, food noise, and old diet habits so you can eat without fear. And if food noise is what’s running your day, my program The Food Noise Reset™ was built for exactly that.

      Why am I binge eating after stopping Ozempic or another GLP-1?

      As the medication clears, your appetite signals and food noise return. If you also have a history of dieting or restricting, fear of regaining weight can push you to under-eat, which makes binges more likely. It’s biology and habit, not a lack of willpower.

      How long does food noise last after stopping a GLP-1?

      There’s no single timeline. Many people notice their appetite changing over the first weeks as the medication clears, and it varies by drug, dose, and person. Your prescriber can tell you how long your specific medication stays in your system.

      Will I regain weight after stopping a GLP-1?

      Trials show many people regain a significant portion of the weight within a year, though outcomes vary from person to person. Talk with your doctor about a plan that fits your health needs.

      Can I practice intuitive eating after stopping a GLP-1?

      Yes. Your hunger and fullness cues may feel unfamiliar or loud at first, so start with regular meals, full permission with food, and a simple check-in before you decide anything. Give yourself patience while your body settles.

      Is binge eating after stopping a GLP-1 an eating disorder?

      Not automatically. An occasional binge after an underfueled stretch is different from recurring episodes marked by a strong sense of losing control. If it’s frequent or distressing, or you’re also restricting or purging, please talk to a doctor or eating disorder specialist.

      Want more real talk on ditching diet culture for good? Come follow along on Instagram @laraslosingit!

    • How I Quiet Food Noise Without a GLP-1 (My Honest Story)

      How I Quiet Food Noise Without a GLP-1 (My Honest Story)

      TL;DR: I’m a food freedom & intuitive eating coach, and last year I still almost signed up for a GLP-1 medication. What stopped me wasn’t willpower; it was getting curious about why I actually wanted to lose weight in the first place. Underneath “I need to lose weight” was a real, specific discomfort (stiffness, low energy, clothes that didn’t fit right), and none of that actually required weight loss to fix. Reconnecting with gentle movement and gentle nutrition quieted my food noise without a prescription. This is my story, not an argument against GLP-1s for anyone else.

      Table of Contents

        The Night I Almost Signed Up for a GLP-1

        I want to talk about something that might surprise people coming from an intuitive eating and food freedom coach.. last year, I strongly considered going on a GLP-1 medication.

        I had already healed my relationship with food and my body years earlier. I’d been an intuitive eater for years. I knew how to recognize diet culture; I understood restriction and the restrict-rebound cycle, and I genuinely felt confident around food. And still, I got pulled into the GLP-1 conversation.

        Here’s the honest part: at that point, my food noise was loud. I felt like I was back to being “addicted” to certain foods, my appetite felt huge, and I was struggling not to overeat every single night. So when I started seeing GLP-1s described as something that could quiet all of that, quiet my mind around food entirely, it was genuinely appealing. Who wouldn’t want the noise to just.. stop?

        One night, I found myself up late researching them. Googling. On TikTok, listening to people’s experiences. Trying to figure out whether this was something I should do. I got far enough that I actually signed up for a consultation through an online service that prescribed GLP-1 medications. I ultimately didn’t go through with it, but I came very close.

        Why I Hesitated (Even With the Loud Food Noise)

        TL;DR: I wasn’t approaching the question neutrally; I was trying to convince myself to say yes. But listening to various people’s personal accounts of “food noise” returning with a vengeance after stopping GLP-1s made me pause and ask what I was actually looking for.

        I think it’s important to be honest about the headspace I was in while doing all that research: I wasn’t approaching the question neutrally. At that point, I was trying to convince myself to take the medication. That matters, because confirmation bias is real. When we’re searching online, especially on social media, it’s incredibly easy to find the information that supports the answer we already want.

        But while I was looking for reasons to say yes, I kept coming across something that made me hesitate. I saw accounts from people who’d taken GLP-1 medications, stopped, and described their hunger and food noise returning intensely. Some described feeling like their appetite was even harder to manage after stopping.

        Those personal accounts made me ask myself a bigger question: what was I actually looking for here?

        For me, the idea of needing an intervention indefinitely just to maintain its effects felt uncomfortably familiar. It brought me right back to the dynamic I’d spent years getting away from.. doing something primarily to make my body smaller, knowing that if I stopped, I might end up right back where I started, food noise and all.

        The Question Underneath “Should I Take a GLP-1?”

        TL;DR: Instead of asking “should I take a GLP-1,” I got curious about the question underneath it: why do I want to lose weight right now? The surface answer was “I gained weight.” That wasn’t the whole answer.

        So instead of continuing to ask “should I take a GLP-1,” I got curious about the question underneath it: “why do I want to lose weight right now?“

        The surface-level answer was obvious. I had gained weight. But that wasn’t really the whole answer.

        The previous couple of years had been difficult and stressful. A lot of the practices that normally helped me feel good had fallen to the wayside. Somewhere in there, I stopped paying much attention to one important part of being an intuitive eater: gentle nutrition.

        I was eating a lot of foods I genuinely enjoy- chips, pizza, cookies, other fun foods- but I wasn’t paying much attention to how my overall eating patterns were making me feel. I wasn’t exercising consistently either. Over time, I gained some weight, and my food noise crept back up right along with it.

        What I Found When I Got Curious

        So I kept digging. What was actually bothering me?

        I realized I was feeling stiff and achy. Some of my clothes had gotten tighter, which was physically uncomfortable. I felt run down, tired, fatigued. In general, I just didn’t feel very good in my body.

        And then came the question that changed the direction I was heading: do I actually need to lose weight to address those things?

        Of course the answer was no.

        I could address stiffness without making weight loss the goal. I could buy or wear clothes that fit my body comfortably now. Working on my energy levels, moving more regularly, and bringing gentle nutrition back into my life didn’t need to involve shrinking my body either. None of those things required me to make my body smaller the project.

        Do I actually need to lose weight to fix food noise, stiffness, low energy, or feeling disconnected from my body? Or is there a way to address it directly?

        What I Did Instead

        So that’s what I did.

        Moving My Body Again

        I started exercising again, but gently. There was no declaration that I was suddenly going to work out six days a week. Sometimes the goal was simply, “I’m going to move my body for 20 minutes today.” I returned to forms of movement I actually liked and wanted to do.

        Bringing Intuitive Eating Back Into the Picture

        I also started being more intentional with food again, not restrictive, not dieting, and not trying to earn or compensate for anything I ate.

        Instead, I started asking questions like, “How will this food make me feel?” “What have I eaten today?” “Would adding some fruit or vegetables feel good?” “Could I use some protein?” “Is there a snack I could have right now that would give me the energy and nourishment I’m looking for?”

        The chips didn’t become forbidden. The pizza didn’t become “bad.” The cookies didn’t need to disappear. I simply brought the rest of intuitive eating back into the picture.

        Gentle movement at home with dumbbells, part of reconnecting with self-care without needing a GLP-1 for weight loss

        What Actually Changed

        And I started feeling better. My energy improved. Moving my body helped with how I physically felt. I felt more connected to myself and more intentional about caring for my body again. And the food noise? It got quiet, not because I forced it to, but because I was actually giving my body consistent, adequate food and attention again.

        I also ended up losing the weight I had gained, but that wasn’t the focus, and I think that distinction matters. The goal was never “how do I force my body back to the size it used to be?” The goal was “what am I actually uncomfortable with, and what would help?”

        For me, the answer wasn’t a GLP-1 medication. It was reconnecting with the habits and forms of self-care that made me feel good without turning my body into a problem that needed to be fixed.

        This Isn’t a Verdict on GLP-1s

        I want to be clear that this is my personal story, not an argument that nobody should take GLP-1 medications. These medications have medical uses, and someone’s decision to take one is between them and their healthcare provider. What I’m interested in is the pressure many of us can feel when weight loss becomes culturally available, visible, and seemingly expected again.

        Because if someone who had already spent years healing her relationship with food could find herself awake at night trying to convince herself to pursue weight loss again, I know I’m not the only one who’s felt that pull.

        If You’re Asking Yourself the Same Question

        Sometimes “I need to lose weight” is the first thought. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the final answer.

        There may be something underneath it: clothes that don’t fit comfortably, feeling sluggish, wanting more strength or mobility, feeling disconnected from your routines, comparing yourself with other people, or simply living in a culture that keeps telling you a smaller body would solve the discomfort.

        Before turning the desire for weight loss into an instruction, it can be worth getting curious about it. What am I actually feeling right now? What do I believe weight loss would change for me? And is there a way I can care for that need directly, without making my body smaller the prerequisite for feeling better?

        If this is a question you’re sitting with too, this is exactly the kind of work I do with coaching clients, getting underneath the “I need to lose weight” thought to find out what’s actually going on, and what would actually help.

        I’m also hosting a free live workshop on this exact topic. Save your spot here.

        And if food noise is the thing you’re mainly trying to quiet, my free 5-minute Emotional Eating Check-In Workbook is a good place to start noticing what’s actually driving it. Grab it here.

        FAQ: Quieting Food Noise Without a GLP-1

        Can you quiet food noise without a GLP-1?

        Yes, for many people. Food noise often gets louder due to restriction, stress, or disconnection from your body’s actual cues, not just from needing medication. Addressing those underlying causes (through consistent, adequate eating and gentle nutrition) can quiet food noise without a prescription.

        Do I need a GLP-1 to lose weight?

        Not necessarily. Weight loss can happen as a side effect of addressing what’s actually going on underneath the desire to lose weight, whether that’s low energy, discomfort, or disconnection from your routines, without making weight loss itself the goal. The key for a lot of people is to become more neutral about your weight. So, it’s no longer the focus or what you are trying to achieve.

        Is it normal to consider a GLP-1 even as an intuitive eater?

        Yes. Cultural pressure around weight loss doesn’t disappear just because you’ve healed your relationship with food. Even people with years of intuitive eating experience can feel pulled toward the GLP-1 conversation; it doesn’t mean anything went wrong.

        Are GLP-1 medications compatible with intuitive eating?

        That’s a personal medical decision between you and your healthcare provider, not something this post argues for or against. This post is specifically about the question underneath “should I take a GLP-1,” not a stance on the medication itself.

        Want more honest, real talk on ditching diet culture for good? Come follow along on Instagram @laraslosingit

      • How to Stop Binge Eating: What Actually Causes It (and What Helps)

        How to Stop Binge Eating: What Actually Causes It (and What Helps)

        Lara from Lara's Losing It Coaching, who struggled with binge eating for years

        If you’re here because you’re searching for how to stop binge eating, I want you to know something first: there is nothing wrong with you.

        If you’re familiar with my story, you know I struggled with binge eating for years. At the peak of my Binge Eating Disorder, I was bingeing every single day. It was one of the darkest times of my life, and I felt so helpless, out of control, and like there was something seriously wrong with me.

        There isn’t. And once I understood what was actually driving it, everything started to change.

        What Actually Causes Binge Eating?

        TL;DR: for most people, binge eating is driven by restriction (physical or mental), difficult emotions, or both… not a lack of willpower.

        There can be a lot of different things that contribute to binge eating, but for a lot of people (myself included), it ultimately comes back to restriction in some form.

        Maybe that’s an extreme diet. Maybe it’s just telling yourself to eat less sugar, stick to a slight calorie deficit, or lose some weight. If you aren’t fully allowing yourself to eat what you want, when you want it, that’s restriction, and your body reads that as a famine. So it puts your appetite into overdrive, just trying to keep you alive.

        Research backs this up too. A recent scoping review in Nutrition Reviews looked at 76 studies and found that most of them (about 70%) linked restrictive dieting to increased binge eating, especially when it’s combined with stress or difficult emotions. The evidence isn’t perfectly one-sided, but it lines up with what I see with clients (and lived myself) again and again: the more restricted you feel, the louder the urge to binge gets.

        Variety of foods representing food freedom instead of restriction, a key cause of binge eating

        Restriction Isn’t the Only Piece.. Emotional Eating Plays a Role Too

        Binge eating can also be spurred on by emotions, through emotional eating. When you’re dealing with something hard, and you turn to food for comfort, numbing, or a way to cope, that’s emotional eating.

        I want to be really clear here: there is nothing inherently wrong with emotional eating! Having a piece of cake at a birthday party is a great way to celebrate. A bowl of ice cream after a rough day, once in a while, is a great way to unwind.

        But if you’re regularly eating large quantities of food to the point of feeling sick, that’s bingeing, and it’s usually a sign that your self-care is lacking somewhere.

        Get Clear on What’s Actually Driving It

        Before you can stop binge eating, it helps to get honest about what’s fueling it for you. Is it restriction? A need for more self-care? Maybe a bit of both?

        Once you know that, here’s where I’d start.

        How to Stop Binge Eating: 4 Things That Actually Help

        1. Eat earlier in the day.

        Do you eat breakfast within an hour or two of waking? One of the most common patterns I see in people who struggle with binge eating is skipping breakfast entirely, maybe because they don’t feel hungry, or because a big coffee loaded with cream feels like enough. If you’re working on how to stop binge eating, this is the first place to look! Eat within an hour or two of waking, and include protein, fat, and carbohydrates so it doesn’t spike your blood sugar and actually sets you up for the day.

        Balanced breakfast with protein, fat, and carbs to help prevent binge eating.

        2. Eat every 2-5 hours, and make sure it’s enough.

        Keep including a mix of protein, fat, and carbohydrates at each meal and snack. Those macronutrients work together to help you absorb your micronutrients, keep your energy steady, and actually feel satisfied. Not eating enough throughout the day is one of the biggest drivers of binge eating, full stop.

        3. Avoid restriction, including mental restriction.

        Mental restriction is when you physically let yourself eat something, but you spend the whole time beating yourself up about it, or feeling guilty during or after. Satisfaction matters so much here. If you’re not fully letting yourself enjoy your food, it won’t feel as satisfying, and you’ll end up wanting more of it than if you’d just allowed yourself to enjoy it in the first place.

        4. Prioritize self-care.

        If you’re doing all of the above and still struggling, ask yourself: what do you actually do for self-care on a regular basis? This doesn’t need to be elaborate; a massage or a bubble bath isn’t required! Even just unwinding each night with a favourite show, a book, or some good music counts. Meditation, journaling, yoga, or light stretching all help too. When the urge to binge shows up, instead of heading to the pantry on autopilot, pause and ask yourself what you actually need in that moment. You might be surprised what comes up. Maybe it’s connection, and a call to a friend is what you really need. Maybe it’s just permission to rest. Don’t force yourself not to binge either; some nights that might genuinely be what you need. But when you build in daily self-care, you’ll notice that pull to binge starts to loosen on its own.

        Simple self-care routine that helps reduce the urge to binge eat

        Frequently Asked Questions

        Is emotional eating the same as binge eating?

        No. Emotional eating is sometimes turning to food for comfort, which is completely normal and not a problem on its own. It becomes binge eating when it happens regularly and involves eating past the point of comfort, to the point of feeling sick, and a feeling of loss of control over eating. While emotional eating and binge eating are not the same, emotional eating can lead to binge eating.

        Why do I binge eat even when I’m not physically hungry?

        This is usually a sign of restriction (your body compensating for not getting enough food or “allowed” foods earlier) or emotional eating (using food to cope with a hard feeling), rather than true physical hunger.

        Can you stop binge eating without dieting?

        Yes, and for most people, this is actually the more effective path. Since restriction is one of the biggest drivers of binge eating, adding another diet on top of it usually makes bingeing worse, not better.

        How long does it take to stop binge eating?

        It’s different for everyone. The habits in this post (eating enough and often, dropping mental restriction, building in daily self-care) are the foundation, but for many people it also takes time and, ideally, support from a coach or therapist who specializes in this.

        There is nothing wrong with you — quote from Lara's Losing It Coaching on binge eating recovery.

        About Lara: Lara is a Certified Intuitive Eating Pro Lay Facilitator and Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach who helps women break free from the cycle of dieting, bingeing, guilt, and starting over, drawing on her lived experience with Binge Eating Disorder and years of coaching clients through the same struggle.

        Sources Cited

        Scoping review on restrictive diets and binge eating disorder, Nutrition Reviews (Oxford Academic): https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article-abstract/84/1/189/8240324

      • Emotional Eating as a Non-Dieter: Why It’s Normal (and What Actually Helps)

        Emotional Eating as a Non-Dieter: Why It’s Normal (and What Actually Helps)

        Quick answer: Emotional eating without dieting doesn’t mean eliminating it, it means understanding it. Emotional eating is a completely normal way to cope, and everyone does it sometimes! It’s only worth a closer look if it’s become your main way of dealing with hard emotions, or if it’s tipping into a binge (which is usually a sign of restriction, not a lack of willpower). The first step isn’t quitting.. it’s noticing your patterns.

        Table of Contents

          Is Emotional Eating Actually Bad?

          Quick answer: No! Emotional eating is completely normal, and diet culture has demonized something that’s actually a natural part of being human.

          I talk with people about emotional eating and emotional binge eating all the time. What they describe is exactly what I’ve experienced myself, turning to food to deal with a certain emotion or situation, and then feeling totally out of control with that food in the moment.

          I used to get so focused on trying to completely quit eating emotionally, or quit bingeing altogether. Guess what? It never worked!

          Here’s the thing: eating emotionally is completely normal. Everyone does it every now and then. Diet culture has demonized the act of eating to comfort ourselves, but it’s actually pretty natural. Food is meant to bring us satisfaction, and satisfaction and comfort go hand in hand! So don’t beat yourself up for emotional eating.

          (Side note: if emotional eating often turns into a full binge for you, you’re very likely restricting that food somewhere else.. which changes the picture a bit. I go deep on that connection in Why Do I Binge Eat at Night? if that sounds familiar.)

          When Emotional Eating Is Worth a Closer Look

          Quick answer: If emotional eating has become your main way of dealing with uncomfortable emotions, and it’s having a real negative impact on your life, it’s worth exploring other ways to cope. Not because emotional eating is “bad,” but because you deserve more than one tool.

          It’s also important to actually feel some of these emotions and process them, that’s part of the human experience!! If you’re mainly numbing feelings out, whether with food or with other things like TV, mindless scrolling, or even exercise, that’s not going to help you long term either. Food isn’t the only numbing tool out there, and it’s not uniquely villain-coded compared to the rest of them.

          Emotional eating without dieting: food, TV, scrolling, and over-exercising are all ways we numb out

          Emotional Eating vs. Emotional Binge Eating

          Emotional eating and emotional binge eating aren’t the same thing, and it’s worth knowing the difference.

          Emotional eating is reaching for food to cope with a feeling, stress, sadness, boredom, loneliness. It’s normal, and on its own it isn’t a problem to fix.

          Emotional binge eating is when that turns into feeling completely out of control with food in the moment, like you couldn’t stop even if you wanted to. That loss-of-control feeling is usually less about the emotion itself and more about restriction happening somewhere else in your eating. If that’s the pattern you’re in, Why Do I Binge Eat at Night breaks down exactly why that happens and what helps.

          How to Actually Notice Your Patterns

          Quick answer: Start by journaling the moments you turn to food for reasons other than hunger, the time, how you were feeling, what you were doing, and what you were thinking about right before.

          The first step is to begin recognizing the common times you turn to food for reasons other than hunger. This might not even always be tied to a specific emotion, it can be pretty habitual too. Either way, the best way to catch it is to journal.

          Note things like:

          • What time it is
          • How you were feeling right before
          • What you were doing right before
          • What you were thinking about right before

          When I first did this myself, I found I was eating as a form of procrastination a lot more than I expected!

          Emotional eating without dieting journal prompts: what time is it, how were you feeling, what were you doing, what were you thinking before you ate

          What to Do Once You See the Pattern

          Quick answer: Once you can see your patterns clearly, you can start facing what’s underneath them directly, whether that’s stress, grief, or something else, instead of reaching for food or a distraction every time it comes up.

          Once you’re able to see the patterns, you can start to tackle them. If there’s a big stress in your life that you notice you turn to food around every time you start thinking about it, maybe it’s time to actually face that thing head on.

          If you’ve recently gone through a loss and you’re just feeling sad from that, allow yourself to sit in that feeling without turning on the TV or grabbing food. Meditate, journal, allow yourself to actually feel the emotions and process them. It’s uncomfy AF, but if you don’t deal with them, they will keep coming back up.. Ruthlessly!

          This is exactly the kind of pattern work I do with coaching clients, helping you tell the difference between genuine hunger, a nervous system that’s overwhelmed, and everything in between.

          I also have a free Emotional Eating Check-In Workbook to help walk you through this exact process, a simple, judgment-free way to start noticing what’s actually driving it, before you’re on autopilot reaching for food. Download the free guide here and let me know how it goes!

          Not sure which pattern is even driving your eating in the first place? My free 2-minute quiz, What’s REALLY Keeping You From Food Freedom?, can help you find your starting point.

          FAQ: Emotional Eating Without Dieting

          Is emotional eating a form of disordered eating?

          Not on its own. Emotional eating is a normal coping behavior most people use sometimes. It becomes worth closer attention if it’s your main or only coping tool, if it’s happening very frequently, or if it’s tipping into a loss-of-control binge, which is often a sign of restriction elsewhere, not a character flaw.

          How do I stop emotional eating without dieting?

          You don’t have to stop it entirely, the goal is to understand it, not eliminate it. Start by journaling the moments you reach for food outside of hunger, look for patterns, and build in other ways (rest, processing the emotion directly, talking it through) so food isn’t the only tool available.

          Is it normal to emotionally eat even as an intuitive eater?

          Yes! Even people fully practicing intuitive eating still emotionally eat sometimes, it’s a normal, human way to cope, not a sign you’re doing intuitive eating “wrong.”

          What’s the difference between emotional eating and binge eating?

          Emotional eating is reaching for food to cope with a feeling. Binge eating adds a loss-of-control element, feeling like you can’t stop. That loss-of-control feeling is usually driven by restriction happening somewhere else, not by the emotion itself.

          Want more real talk on ditching diet culture for good? Come follow along on Instagram @laraslosingit!