Disordered Eating Behaviours 101

I don’t have disordered eating, I just… follow strict rules, obsess over food, hate my body, and try every new diet.”

That is disordered eating.

It’s skipping meals to “make up” for last night, exercising to earn food, body-checking 10 times a day, or stressing over every bite.

And it’s way more common than you think.

Disordered eating describes a range of irregular behaviors, not all of them meet the criteria for an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia.

In fact, most people struggling don’t fit into a neat diagnosis.

Even EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) has specific definitions, leaving many people unseen, unheard, and untreated.

It’s not always an eating disorder. But that doesn’t mean it’s not serious.

And just because it’s normalized… doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

001. Constant Hunger

Always feeling hungry and ready to eat at any moment — yet unsure whether you actually want to — is often a sign of disconnection from your body.

You were born with natural hunger and fullness cues, but years of dieting, food rules, and tracking apps have likely made you unlearn them.

Now, instead of trusting your body, you rely on external rules, rigid meal times, or “allowed” foods to decide when to eat.

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002. Bloating & Water Retention

It’s normal to feel hungrier around your period. Your body needs more fuel.

But when you try to restrict during this time, it often backfires into a binge–restrict cycle.

Your hormones end up on a roller coaster, and mild PMS symptoms like bloating or water retention can feel much worse.

Now that I eat in a balanced way and listen to my body, I rarely deal with extreme bloating or retention. Maybe once every few months — and it’s no longer overwhelming.

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003. Night Cravings

There’s a reason you feel like you could eat an entire fridge at night.

Actually, there are a few.

Eating too little during the day, restricting carbs, or emotionally associating nighttime with “reward” can trigger intense urges.

By the time evening hits, it’s not true hunger — it’s your body (and brain) catching up or reacting to habit.

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004. Mood Swings

It’s pretty straightforward. When your body isn’t nourished consistently, your mood takes a hit.

One big tip: ditch the scale and those “goal jeans” — at least while you’re healing.

If your self-worth rises and falls with a number or a waistband, that’s not wellness.

You can always reintroduce tools later when your relationship with food and body is strong.

Right now, focus on healing. Because without understanding how to eat intuitively and in moderation, no weight loss is sustainable anyway. One step at a time.

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005. Eating “All the Things”

This happens when you’re disconnected from your inner cues — especially fullness.

After months or years of portion control, calorie counting, and food rules, your body doesn’t know what “enough” feels like.

You stop when the app says, not when you say.

So when you finally allow yourself freedom, you overshoot.

The answer isn’t more control — it’s rebuilding trust with your body!