The restrict-binge cycle isn't a willpower problem. It never was.

In this episode, I'm going somewhere personal. I talk about my wedding at 25 - the two years of restriction beforehand, the dress, the cultural normalisation of shedding for the wedding, and what happened in the months that followed. And why none of it was the failure I spent years believing it was.

I also share some of the other things I've done over the years in the name of getting it right. The grapefruit diet. The cupboards full of food I threw away before a cleanse. The fasting I celebrated. The twice-daily workouts that ended in months of not moving at all.

And then I explain the science that finally makes sense of all of it.

Why restriction creates the binge - biologically, predictably, every time. Why shame doesn't stop the eating but fuels it. Why the cycle itself has its own pull that has nothing to do with weakness or greed or lack of discipline.

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt completely out of control around food and wondered what was wrong with them. For anyone who has started over on a Monday more times than they can count. For anyone who has done everything right and still ended up back at the beginning.

Nothing is wrong with you. And this episode explains why.

Done With Mondays is part of Cook Myself Happy - a brand built around comfort food, real eating, and absolutely none of the guilt.

Find recipes, food freedom content and the honest reality of what this looks like day to day over on Instagram and TikTok at @cookmyselfhappy.

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