Can You Lose Weight Whilst Healing Binge Eating? The Truth Might Surprise You
If you’ve ever found yourself Googling, “Can I lose weight while treating binge eating?”—you’re not alone. This is a question that we hear all the time in our clinic. And we get it. The world tells you that weight loss is the goal, but your logical brain (or maybe that body positivity account that you follow on Instagram) is telling you that healing your relationship with food should come first. So, what’s the answer? Can you do both? Let’s unpack this—without the guilt, shame, or fad diet nonsense - because we get it, you want food freedom but you also want to feel comfortable in your body.
First Things First: Binge Eating Isn’t Just About Food
If willpower alone could fix binge eating, let’s be honest—you wouldn’t be reading this. Binge eating is complex, often rooted in emotions, habits, and deep subconscious patterns rather than just a love for biscuits. At our clinic, we treat binge eating holistically, using psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and nutrition to address both the mind and the body. Because let’s face it—binge eating isn’t just about what you’re eating; it’s about WHY you’re eating it.
The Problem With Weight Loss as the Primary Goal
Here’s the tricky part: If your main focus is losing weight, it can actually fuel binge eating rather than fix it. Why? Because restriction, food rules, and an “all-or-nothing” mindset are often what triggers the bingeing in the first place. For many people, binge eating actually starts after a very restrictive diet or period of extreme food rules. The brain and body interpret this restriction as starvation and a protection mechanism kicks in to try and save the body from famine. Think about it - if you didn't feel your pet dog very much food for several months and then offered it as much food as it wanted - it is going to gorge on the food, because it doesn't know when you might starve it again. Our brain often repsonds the same way to extreme dieting.
What happens when you diet?
You cut out foods, tell yourself you must “be good.”
Cravings increase because—your brain does NOT like being told what it can’t have.
Willpower eventually cracks, and a “one biscuit won’t hurt” turns into an entire pack of custard creams and a deep sense of regret.
The guilt kicks in, you're starting a new diet on Monday - and the cycle starts again.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. The key to stopping binge eating isn’t another diet—it’s changing your relationship with food.
So, Can You Lose Weight While Healing?
Yes and many people that we work with to treat binge eating do end up losing weight whilst recoving from binge eating. BUT weight loss should be the by-product, not the focus of the treatment. When you start addressing binge eating properly—by working on your emotional triggers, reducing restriction, and learning to nourish your body with balance—most people tend to find that their weight naturally stabilises at a healthy place. Many people lose weight because without the binges this weight loss is inevitable, some maintain weight, and others fluctuate before settling at their body’s natural, healthy place.
What we don’t recommend? Forcing weight loss through strict diets whilst trying to recover. That’s like trying to put out a fire whilst adding petrol.
Also, many people end up realising that their obsession with weight loss is actually only just a by-product of unhelpful and arbitrary beauty standards. Weight is often a poor measure of good health. By focusing on leading a healthy and balanced life instead of weight loss, often your body can naturally find a weight that is best for it and you - and that is going to look very different for everyone.
The Real Goal: Food Freedom
Instead of obsessing over the number on the scale, here’s what happens when you focus on healing binge eating first:
You stop feeling out of control around food
You learn to eat in a way that feels good
You stop the cycle of restriction and bingeing
You start to feel better - both mentally and physically
Your body finds its happy, healthy place naturally
And the best part? You get to live your life without food rules running the show.
Where Do You Go From Here?
If you’re tired of the binge-restrict cycle and ready for real, sustainable change, we’re here to help. Our clinic uses psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and nutritional support to help you heal your relationship with food holistically and feel in control again. No guilt. No dieting. Just practical, science-backed support to help you feel at peace with food.
💬 Ready to break free from binge eating? Send us an email at info@thefoodtherapyclinic.com to book a free consultation today.
Because the real food freedom? Losing the weight of all that guilt and mental exhaustion from worrying about your food choices- and that is weight worth losing.
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