Have you ever felt like your eating patterns swing back and forth like a pendulum? You might restrict certain foods or under-eat during the day, only to feel out of control later on. Or maybe you avoid buying foods like ice cream because you’re worried you’ll eat the whole pint in one sitting.

If this feels familiar, you’re not alone. It’s very common and it makes sense. When we restrict, physically or mentally, it sets us up for a rebound.

The Binge-Restrict Cycle

Think of restriction like pulling a pendulum in one direction. You can hold it there for a while with willpower, but eventually, it will swing just as far in the opposite direction. That’s why dieting or cutting out foods often ends in feeling “out of control” around them.

For example, let’s say you tell yourself you can’t have ice cream at home. Then one day you buy it, and the pendulum swings, you feel the need to eat all of it at once, thinking, “I’ll start over tomorrow.” You likely do eat more ice cream than you want that night, get a stomach ache or feel sick (swinging to that overeating side of the pendulum) and swear off ever keeping ice cream in the freezer again.  This pattern reinforces the fear that you can’t trust yourself, keeping the restrict-binge cycle alive.

How Intuitive Eating Breaks the Cycle

Intuitive Eating is about finding the middle ground. Instead of swinging between extremes, it teaches you to meet in the middle with food.

What does this look like?

• Eating consistent meals and snacks throughout the day so you’re not overly hungry later on
• Allowing yourself to keep foods like ice cream in the house without labeling them as “bad”- you might overeat them at first! Keeping them on hand even after that happens is key!
• Giving yourself unconditional permission to eat, which reduces urgency and anxiety

Over time, when you let yourself have ice cream regularly, it loses its “forbidden food” status and becomes just another option, rather than something you feel out of control around.

Meeting in the Middle

Using both the pendulum and binge-restrict visuals can be a helpful reminder: your body wants balance. Intuitive Eating isn’t about never eating ice cream, and it’s not about eating it all day every day. It’s about making peace with food, listening to your hunger, fullness, and satisfaction cues, and trusting your body to guide you.

If you’re ready to stop swinging between restriction and overeating and want to find that calm middle ground, I’d love to support you.

If you’re ready to get started or have any questions about working together, please fill out the contact form and I’ll get back to you within 48 business hours.