Why Regular Eating is Crucial for Treating Eating Disorders

Regular eating….it sounds so simple but when you have an eating disorder or disordered eating, this can be difficult. When we restrict and binge, our hunger and fullness cues are chaotic and it’s difficult to listen to our bodies. Regular eating is a CBT-E technique, which we implement no matter what eating disorder you are diagnosed with. It is an anchoring behavior; it helps to ground you and helps you to begin listening to your body again. Here are a few notes about regular eating:

How Regular Eating Works

1. Structure: 3 Meals and 3 Snacks Daily

Regular eating involves 6 meals a day, 3 meals and 3 snacks. These meals and snacks are foods you love and are satisfying. In general, you eat breakfast within 30 min of waking, a mid-morning snack, lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, dinner and an evening snack.

2. Timing: No More Than 3-4 Hours Apart

You eat these meals without more than 3-4 hours in between each meal. When we go for more than 4 hours without eating, we can become too hungry and more likely to binge. Also, feeling primal hungry can be a trigger for restricting.

3. Mindful Gaps Between Meals

You don’t eat between the 6 meals and snacks (unless your doctor advises you not to do this). This helps you to notice when you are hungry and full. It also helps you to notice ALL the signs of hunger (stomach growling, fatigue, heaviness in your legs, irritability etc)

4. Reduce Bingeing Through Regular Feeding

If you feed your body regularly, you notice the binge eating decreases or stops. This is because you are no longer restricting. If you are restricting throughout the day, regular eating helps you notice that you have more energy, you feel better and many more benefits.

5. Planning Is Essential

Regular eating requires you to plan. You should pretty much know what and when you are going to eat next. Proactive planning helps reduce restriction and binges.

The Challenges of Regular Eating

Although it may sound straightforward, regular eating can feel overwhelming—especially if meal planning is new to you. You may notice you’re thinking about food more than usual at first. That’s normal.

With time, this focus shifts from diet-style thinking to nourishment planning.

Tracking meals may also feel triggering, especially if you have a history of dieting. In recovery, tracking is used as a non-judgmental tool — to highlight eating gaps, observe emotional patterns, and learn how your body responds to consistent nourishment. We’ll taper tracking as you become more comfortable with your routine.

What to Expect in Therapy

We’ll start exploring regular eating right from our first sessions. During your free consultation, I’ll explain how it works and learn more about your history and needs — including whether tracking feels supportive or activating for you.

From there, we’ll integrate:

• CBT-E interventions to challenge eating disorder thoughts

• DBT skills for emotional regulation

• Exploration of early messages about food

• Broader life themes like values, relationships, and identity

You can read more about these approaches on the Therapy Services page.

Healing Starts with a Plan

Weekly sessions begin with a comprehensive intake and continue with progress-focused therapy tailored to your pace. While we’ll discuss many areas of your life, we’ll consistently return to regular eating as the foundation for healing.

If you have questions about insurance or costs, check the Insurance & Fees page for details.

Ready to begin your recovery? Schedule a consultation now.