Some people manage stress or difficult emotions by limiting their food intake. Research suggest a potential link to the release of endorphins, offering temporary relief. Hence, restrictive eating is often seen as a coping mechanism.
Unfortunately, this is also my personal experience. I made great progress – at the gym, work and health wise. But, something unexpected happened that really hurt me. I became sad and the only distraction I had was work. What’s more, my work became stressful as well; more responsibilities, a bigger role, busier schedule and more working hours. That kept me distracted for awhile till December. Something else hit me then and I was feeling worse. That’s the point where I, once again, turned to restrictive eating. It’s very unfortunate, and I believe it when people refer to it as an addiction.
This led to a few things; low energy, starvation mode and feeling weak at the gym. It’s the same cycle; doing well – restricting – losing any progress made. Expect, my “starting point” is much better this time around. I didn’t lose weight because there was still something in me that made me eat sometimes. Nonetheless, I’m at a point where I feel hungry after eating and tired after doing pretty much anything.
Consider this a gentle reminder that setbacks happen; it’s possible to slip back into unhealthy habits. But the sooner you become aware of what you’re doing, the sooner you can get back on track.