Fasting After a Binge is Harmful. Here's Why.
Written by Isabel Vasquez RD, LDN
If you’ve just eaten to the point of uncomfortable fullness, the thought of fasting may cross your mind. Oftentimes after a cheat day or a binge, people think that they need a “reset” so they decide to restrict food the next day.
However, fasting after a binge can backfire and perpetuate the binge-restrict cycle. It can lead to intense cravings and an obsession with food.
To make peace with food, eating enough is key, even if you just binged.
In this article, you’ll learn more about binge eating, fasting, and why fasting after a binge is harmful. Plus, learn what to do after a binge instead of fasting.
What is a binge?
Many people use the phrase binge eating in a non-clinical way. They usually mean they ate past the point of comfortable fullness and that they ate more than they considered “normal”. They may feel emotionally guilty and physically stuffed.
Clinically, the diagnostic criteria for binge eating disorder say binge eating must include both of the following:
Eating, in a discrete period of time (e.g., within any 2-hour period), an amount of food that is definitely larger than most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances
The sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (e.g., a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating)
The binge eating episode must also include three of the following:
Eating much more rapidly than normal
Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
Eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating
Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating
For binge eating disorder, there are more criteria that specify the frequency of binge eating necessary to receive a diagnosis.
For the purposes of this article, any form of binge eating is relevant. We’re not just talking about clinical binge eating; fasting after a subclinical binge is also harmful.
What is fasting?
Fasting is when you intentionally restrict your food intake for a certain period of time. It may be for a few hours or a full day. It might mean not eating anything at all, or it might mean limiting your intake to just a couple of items (usually ones that are low in calories).
Unlike starvation, fasting is a choice.
Fasting can be done for religious reasons, or it can be done for a diet such as intermittent fasting.
Why do people fast after a binge?
Fasting after a binge is common because binge eating can spark an intense fear of weight gain. People may fear that they’re going to gain a ton of weight from the food they ate so they want to compensate by fasting.
It’s one way that the binge restrict cycle can play out. The binge-restrict cycle happens when binge eating causes guilt, which leads to food restriction, which causes food obsession, then another binge, and so forth and so on.
We’ve been told that weight regulation boils down to calories in and calories out, so many people think they need to cut back on calories to lose weight. Using that logic, it makes sense people would fast to compensate for binge eating if they’re worried about their weight.
In reality, this is an overly simplistic way of looking at weight regulation.
Our bodies respond differently based on unique factors like whether we’re in our set point weight range, our muscle mass, gender, genetics, and more. And your weight says nothing about your worth and barely anything about your health.
It’s also important to know that having an intense fear of weight gain is a sign of poor body image and disordered eating. The National Association for Eating Disorders (NEDA) has a short screening tool you can use to assess whether seeking support may be helpful.
Why fasting after a binge is harmful
Not only is fasting after a binge ineffective for weight loss in the long term, but it can also wreck your relationship with food.
Intermittent fasting is an increasingly popular diet and research examining how this diet impacts binge eating and eating disorders is enlightening. It reveals the harms of this intense form of restriction.
Fasting is associated with eating disorder behaviors
A 2022 study found that intermittent fasting is associated with eating disorder symptoms.
In the study, both men and women who engaged in intermittent fasting scored significantly higher on an eating disorder screening tool (the EDE-Q) than community norms, meaning they had higher rates of eating disorder thoughts and behaviors.
In fact, almost ⅓ of the participants had EDE-Q scores indicative of an eating disorder.
Another 2022 study yielded similar results. This study found that amongst young adults and adolescents, those who engaged in intermittent fasting within either the last 30 days or the last 12 months had greater eating disorder psychopathology than those who didn’t do intermittent fasting.
Unlike the last study we mentioned, this one also included transgender/gender non-conforming folks.
So, despite fasting being touted for weight loss, it can have some really serious harm to your mental health.
Plus, there aren’t long-term studies showing that fasting leads to weight loss in the long term. What we do know is that it’s associated with a fraught relationship to food and your body.
Fasting increases binge eating and food obsession
After extreme restriction (aka fasting) your body will feel severely deprived of the energy it needs to complete essential functions. When your body feels deprived of food, it increases your cravings and hunger. This is true even if you binge before you fast.
For example, a 2022 study found that participants engaging in a low-carb diet or intermittent fasting had higher rates of disordered eating, particularly binge eating and food cravings. They often felt out of control around food, preoccupied with food, and guilty about their cravings.
Furthermore, a 2023 study found that undergraduate students with a history of intermittent fasting have higher rates of binge eating than those who have never fasted.
What to do after a binge instead of fasting
Eat your regular meals and snacks
Even if you have the urge to fast after a binge, it’s generally best to eat your regular meals and snacks. Don’t ignore hunger pangs; honor your hunger!
Restricting food will only perpetuate the binge restrict cycle.
So, rather than trying to compensate for a binge by restricting, practice finding the middle ground by eating enough consistently. This can help prevent swinging from one extreme to the other (fasting or bingeing).
Show yourself compassion
As both my work with clients and research shows, binge eating can lead to intense feelings of guilt and shame. Those feelings are part of what triggers the urge to fast.
So, before you take those feelings as facts and resolve to fast, take a second to acknowledge that the feelings are there. Then, try showing yourself some kindness and compassion.
Reframe harsh thoughts about yourself and instead, foster thoughts that are more neutral or compassionate.
Instead of thinking that you’re bad for binge eating, remind yourself that you’re only human and it’s okay that you have an imperfect relationship with food. You still deserve to eat your next meal. And how you eat says nothing about your worth as a human.
Take it one meal at a time
Rather than getting ahead of yourself by planning your meals for the week to try controlling your weight or by planning your next binge, ground in the present. Look at the next meal or the next day as a fresh start.
Especially if you’re struggling with an eating disorder, it may be overwhelming to think about the journey ahead towards recovery. So, take it one meal at a time.
Just because you binged earlier, doesn’t mean you should skip your next meal. Eating your next meal helps your body trust that food is available. Do your best to practice gentle nutrition by adding a source of carbs, protein, fat, and fiber for satisfaction.
This can help prevent intense hunger, cravings, and guilt typical of the binge restrict cycle.
Say goodbye to rigid food rules
We often look at a binge in isolation, but it helps to zoom out and see what may have contributed to it. Food rules can be a contributor.
Do you have any food rules about what you should or shouldn’t eat?
Do you have rules about how much or when you should eat?
Restrictive food rules can cause your body to feel deprived, physically or mentally, which could lead to a binge. So, say goodbye to these food rules to help prevent binge eating.
Eliminating food rules is one part of intuitive eating, a weight-inclusive, non-diet approach to nutrition. A 2019 study found that intuitive eating eased weight-related shame and binge eating.
Plus, getting rid of food rules helps you enjoy your food and move on with your day. Normalize eating foods you normally restrict so that they don’t have the same control over you anymore.
Final Thoughts
Although you may be tempted to fast after a binge, resuming your regular meals and snacks will help break the binge restrict cycle and improve your relationship with food.
It also helps to give yourself the grace to combat feelings of guilt or shame and ditch harsh food rules that increase the likelihood you’ll binge again.
If you’re ready to make peace with food and your body, our 3-part Latina dietitian-led masterclass on intuitive eating is a great first step.
If you liked this post, you may also want to read:
Learn To Trust Your Body With These 5 Tips
How to Stop Snacking Constantly: Why You're Doing It and 5 Tips to Stop
