Adherence
Strict dietary restraint and rigid monitoring during contest preparation promote binge-eating behavior through physiological hyperphagia and psychological perceived deprivation, creating a vicious cycle of disordered eating.
Avoid 'all-or-nothing' dieting. If you restrict food too strictly, your body and mind will eventually rebel with binge urges. Instead, use flexible dietary control: eat a variety of foods, pay attention to hunger, and compensate with healthier choices later if you eat something less optimal. This reduces the psychological pressure that leads to binges.
These findings provide support for the 'dietary restraint theory' which proposes that strict dieting promotes binge eating through both physiological (i.e., reduced sensitivity to hunger and satiety cues, prolonged hunger) and psychological (i.e., perceived deprivation, strong urges to eat, black-and-white thinking styles) mechanisms, which then encourages further (and more inflexible) dietary practices, resulting in a vicious cycle [62].
Why this rating
Based on cross-sectional studies and case reports cited in a narrative review; no large-scale RCTs provided.
Source
Towards a Sustainable Nutrition Paradigm in Physique Sport: A Narrative Review
Eric R. Helms et al. · Sports · 2019
DOI 10.3390/sports7070172
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- The 'If It Fits Your Macros' (IIFYM) approach, which allows food variety within macronutrient targets, is more adaptive and sustainable than rigid meal plans, potentially reducing the risk of disordered eating.Moderate
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