What Happens When You STOP Dieting?

Welcome back to Freedom to Nourish — the podcast that challenges diet culture, promotes body neutrality, and helps you find peace with food and your body. I’m your host, Kathy Salata, and today’s episode is all about the science of what happens when you stop dieting.

Have you ever wondered what’s really going on in your body and brain when you ditch the diets and lean into intuitive eating? What does the research say about metabolic changes, psychological shifts, and long-term health outcomes?

Let’s dive in.

Have you ever watched a child eat?

It’s honestly incredible. Children are born knowing how to eat — they ask for food when they’re hungry, they stop when they’re full, and they often crave a variety of flavors and textures. They are natural intuitive eaters.

But something starts to change — usually around age ten, sometimes even earlier. We begin to hear messages like: “Are you sure you want seconds?” or “You don’t need that, you just ate.” We’re told to “watch what we eat,” to be “good,” to clean our plate even when we’re full — or to wait until mealtime even when we’re genuinely hungry.

And just like that… we begin to distrust our bodies. And eventually, our bodies stop trusting us.

Yes, my friends — we have officially been initiated into diet culture.

For me, that initiation happened young. I grew up in a family where food was tightly controlled. I wasn’t allowed to eat between meals — even if I was starving — but when it was time to eat, I was expected to clean my plate — even if I was full. Hunger and fullness were irrelevant. My body’s cues didn’t matter. I wasn’t taught to listen — I was taught to obey.

And while I developed disordered eating patterns that lasted for years, I want to pause and say this:Even those who don’t think they have food issues may be suffering the side effects of dieting.

Because dieting is traumatic to the body.

Let’s go back in time for a moment — to the 1940s, during World War II. Researchers at the University of Minnesota conducted a famous study known as the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. The goal? To understand how to refeed people after famine or war-related starvation.

Thirty-six healthy young men volunteered to eat half their normal intake for six months. This wasn’t extreme starvation — it mimicked typical calorie restriction seen in modern diets — around 1,500 calories a day.

The results? Devastating.

These men developed:

• Obsession with food — they thought about it constantly.

• Depression and anxiety.

• Cold intolerance, fatigue, and hair loss.

• Binge eating during the refeeding phase.

• Some even hoarded recipes and food-related magazines.

Sound familiar? It’s a mirror image of what so many people experience after chronic dieting.

What’s even more shocking is that these symptoms weren’t due to personality flaws or “lack of willpower” — they were simply the body and brain responding to restriction.

So if you’ve ever felt out of control around food… or if you’ve blamed yourself for “failing” a diet — it’s not a personal weakness. It’s a biological survival response.

In today’s episode, we’re going to explore what really happens — biologically, emotionally, and psychologically — when you stop dieting… and start eating intuitively.

Because your body was never the problem — the rules were.

Segment 1: Dieting and the Body – What Actually Happens?

For decades, we’ve been told that dieting is the answer to better health. But science tells a different story. When we restrict food — either through calorie counting, intermittent fasting, keto, or "clean eating" — our body fights back.

Here’s how:

 The Brain Detects Famine:Our hypothalamus perceives dieting as a threat. Research from the National Institutes of Health shows that when you reduce calorie intake, the body activates a starvation response — slowing metabolism and increasing cravings. Hormones like ghrelin (which increases hunger) rise, while leptin (which signals fullness) drops (Sumithran et al., 2011, NEJM).

Metabolism Slows Down:The Minnesota Starvation Experiment (1940s) is still one of the most referenced studies on what happens when

people chronically restrict food. The men experienced dramatic drops in metabolic rate, preoccupation with food, and emotional distress. And these were healthy men.

 Weight Cycling & "Set Point Theory":When you stop dieting, your body often returns to its natural set point weight. According to Dr. Traci Mann, author of Secrets From the Eating Lab, 95% of diets fail long-term. Most people regain the weight — and two-thirds end up weighing more than before. This cycle of losing and gaining is called weight cycling, and it’s linked to heart disease, inflammation, and higher mortality risk.

What Happens When You STOP Dieting?

So — what happens when you stop dieting?

 You Rebuild Trust with Your Body:When you eat enough and consistently — without labeling foods "good" or "bad" — your body begins to trust that food is available. You stop bingeing. You stop obsessing.

Hormones Begin to Normalize:In a 2014 study published in Obesity Reviews, participants who stopped dieting and began eating normally showed improved leptin and ghrelin regulation within weeks. Cravings decreased as the body no longer feared famine.

 Metabolism Begins to Stabilize:A 2020 article in Frontiers in Nutrition found that intuitive eaters often have healthier weights and better metabolic indicators than chronic dieters. Without calorie restriction, your body doesn't need to slow your resting metabolic rate to conserve energy.

Improved Mental Health:Studies from the Journal of Counseling Psychology and Appetite consistently show that intuitive eaters report less anxiety, reduced depression, and higher body satisfaction. Food becomes enjoyable again — not a source of guilt or shame.

What Is Intuitive Eating and Why It Works

Intuitive Eating, created by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, is based on 10 principles — including rejecting the diet mentality, honoring your hunger, making peace with food, and respecting your body.

 A systematic review from Public Health Nutrition in 2013 found that intuitive eating was associated with:

• Lower BMI (without intentional weight loss)

• Higher self-esteem

• Improved cholesterol levels

• Less disordered eating

This is because intuitive eating is not about controlling your body — it’s about listening to it.

Unlike dieting, which fosters disconnection, intuitive eating promotes interoceptive awareness — the ability to sense internal cues like hunger, fullness, and satisfaction.

 A 2019 study in Eating Behaviors even used brain imaging to show that intuitive eaters had greater activation in the insula, the part of the brain associated with internal awareness and emotion regulation.

Let’s Talk Myths

Let’s bust a few myths.

🛑 Myth 1: If I stop dieting, I’ll eat everything and never stop.Truth: When you first stop restricting, yes — there may be a honeymoon phase. But once your body trusts you again, cravings balance out. This is called habituation. (Polivy & Herman, 2002)

🛑 Myth 2: Intuitive eating means eating junk food all day.Truth: Intuitive eating includes gentle nutrition. Once food is neutralized, your body often craves a balance — protein, fiber, carbs, color. But that balance can only come from freedom, not rules.

🛑 Myth 3: Health only comes with weight loss.Truth: Health is about behaviors — not body size. The HAES (Health at Every Size) framework, backed by decades of research, shows that people of all sizes can improve health markers through behavior change alone.

What You Can Do Today

If you’re ready to stop dieting, here are 3 science-backed actions to take today:

1.  Keep a hunger/fullness log — not to restrict, but to observe.

2.  Eat consistently — every 3-4 hours, including all food groups.

3.  Add, don’t subtract. Ask: What can I add to this meal for more nourishment or satisfaction?

And most importantly — give yourself compassion. This is a process of unlearning, not perfection.

So, what happens when you stop dieting? Your body begins to trust you. Your brain calms down. Your metabolism finds balance. And you get to live — without the constant battle.

Remember: you were not born hating your body or fearing food. That was taught. But you can unlearn it. And science is on your side.

If today’s episode spoke to you, share it with a friend. Subscribe, rate, and leave a review. And if you’re ready to go deeper into this journey, check out our upcoming programs at [your website].

Until next time — nourish your body, honor your story, and break free from the rules that never served you.

📚 Scientific Sources Referenced:

1.  Sumithran, P. et al. (2011). Long-Term Persistence of Hormonal Adaptations to Weight Loss. New England Journal of Medicine.

2.  Bacon, L. & Aphramor, L. (2011). Weight Science: Evaluating the Evidence for a Paradigm Shift. Nutrition Journal.

3.  Tylka, T.L. & Kroon Van Diest, A.M. (2013). The Intuitive Eating Scale–2. Journal of Counseling Psychology.

4.  Mann, T. et al. (2007). Medicare’s Search for Effective Obesity Treatments: Diets Are Not the Answer. American Psychologist.

5.  Tribole, E. & Resch, E. (2020). Intuitive Eating (4th ed.). St. Martin’s Essentials.

6.  Van Dyke, N. & Drinkwater, E. (2014). Review: Relationships between intuitive eating and health indicators: literature review. Public Health Nutrition.