five signs you may be struggling with disordered eating

Disordered eating is more common than you may think. It is so important to recognise the warning signs so you can get the help and support you may need. Here are five signs you may be struggling with your relationship with food.

1. you’re always thinking about food

do you spend too much time thinking about food, worrying about food, planning meals, researching recipes and counting macros/calories? Do you feel anxious or worried when you’re unable to control what you’re eating? Do you feel like your headspace is taken up by these thoughts most of the time? These can all be signs that you might be struggling with your eating.

What to look out for:

• frequent/intrusive thoughts about dieting and/or weight loss

• comparing your body to others and/or body-checking.

2. you restrict what you’re eating

do you find that you’re restricting certain foods or food groups like fats, carbohydrates or sugar? Do you skip meals and not eat, even though you’re hungry? Being restrictive in these ways can have negative impacts on health - both physically and mentally.

what to look out for:

• skipping meals or not allowing yourself to eat certain foods

• feeling guilty when eating foods that are forbidden or ‘off plan’

• following extreme diets or detox plans.

3. you have a loud, critical voice

do you have a harsh inner voice that tells you things like "You’re not thin enough," "You can’t eat that," or "You’ll never be good enough?” This voice creates a constant sense of inadequacy and pressure to conform to its (often) unrealistic rules and standards. It fuels intense feelings like guilt and shame and encourages disordered eating behaviours like extreme dieting and overexercise.

what to look out for:

• negative self-talk phrases that are often repeated e.g., “I’m too fat”

• perfectionism and/or comparing yourself to others

• negative self-talk that triggers unhelpful behaviours like excessive exercise

4. you binge eat

do you have episodes where you eat large quantities of food in a short period feeling like you’ve lost control? This type of eating is often associated with feelings of guilt and shame.

what to look out for:

• eating in secret and feeling ashamed

• eating even when you’re not hungry - often beyond being uncomfortably full

• eating in response to uncomfortable emotions like sadness, frustration, and boredom.

5. you compensate for eating

do you compensate for eating (too much, too many calories and/or food that is ‘forbidden’) by restricting and/or exercising more?

what to look out for:

• exercising even when injured or very tired

• skipping social events to exercise

• feeling obliged to exercise rather than for self-care.

Recognising signs of disordered eating is the first important step to building a positive and balanced relationship with food. If you resonate with one or more of these signs, you are not alone. Disordered eating can have significant negative impacts on your life - physically, mentally and how you feel about yourself. But help and support is available. Remember, recovery is a journey, not a destination and taking that first step means you’re moving in the right direction.

Looking for more support?

Find out about our one-to-one services and get in touch to find out how we can help you live a life free from disordered eating.