I was not eating for a while, eating just barely enough, so my stomach was used to it a bit more. But now I'm eating more, with more nutrient rich foods. My body is adjusting to getting more nutrients and protein, but I can't eat much because I get a bit sick and feeling full is uncomfortable to me right now.. I'm working on it.

I'm stuck in the phase between not eating enough at all and eating a good amount. It's getting better but my stomach is now expecting more than I'm ready to eat.

It growls and makes noises all day. Is there any way to soothe it? If I just fill it up all the time I get sick because I'm still adjusting. Any ideas? Like would smoothies help quiet it? Or fruits? Its uncomfortable :(

I've been feeling unwell the past couple weeks. Trauma triggers have been more impactful. I also got into a car accident yesterday because of it. My partner hasn't been well (no ED) and needed some time to care for themselves. They are my main support when ED stuff isn't going well but they're in a different city and texting/calling isn't an option. The last few days and my therapist has been unavailable. I've been feeling suicidal, struggling with ED behaviours more than usual, and stopped taking medication.

I am not well. I know I need help but I don't feel like I have anyone to turn to right now. My therapist is sick and has cancelled the past three days in a row. My partner needs space. Suicide hotlines haven't helped. What do I do? I don't want to relapse again. I don't want to get worse. I just feel desperate and alone.

my therapist has been urging me to get a neuropsych evaluation to determine adhd and possible autism. i know that adhd and autism are common comorbidities with eating disorders. has anyone here been diagnosed with adhd/autism after their initial ed diagnosis? has adhd centered treatment given a new lift in their recovery? i feel like the last 4 years of my life were in ed mode, and feel quite embarrassed to bring up adhd and autism as im afraid theyll shut me down and focus on the more “important” issues (ed and depression)

Hello! I can't stop thinking about food. Even now in rec0very when im on a meal plan and eating enough. What were your ways to stop thinking ab food all the time?

Thank you and god bless

Hello, I've been struggling with ED since i was 4, later a teacher forced me to eat and locked me in classroom until i ate (what i didn't) . Now i am 19 and, a few months ago i started eating "normal" and healthy but i feel bad about it, i feel full all the time, first i gained 5kg's bc my Boyfriend fed me a lot, now I started to get the control and eat healthy amounts of food. But even tho I dont eat as much as i need sometimes i feel full 24/7 and i feel like that ain't normal. Does anyone have any advice what i could do?

I believe I have an unhealthy relationship with food. I don't enjoy eating. I feel it's more a necessary part of satiating hunger. I use food in a destructive way to punish myself when I feel down - I'll eat things that will bring me short term dopamine hit even if I know tomorrow my stomach will regret it. I don't drink alcohol due to this reason that I know if I did that I would use it against myself.

I've always been physically fit and strong and consistent in exercising so I've always managed to hide my over eating. But I feel I'm reaching a time in my life and age where I can't do that anymore and as a result I've gained weight up to a level that I've not seen before. Put me in a gym or in a sports environment and there's no more committed and disciplined person that I know but when food is in front of me I'm a completely different person. My only success has been to completely ban myself from eating certain foods because I don't have the ability to have "just a bit". But even now I don't seem to even stop myself.

I'm already having therapy for connected issues of self value and I recognise that I use food in an unhealthy way.

I just don't seem to have any self control. How do I stop this feeling and how do I stop this cycle?

Eating disorders and overexercising often leads to loosing your period. I wonder what are your personal experiences - what was the longest you didn't have it and then get it back?

Hi everyone,

I told the truth about my ED to my doctor about 6 months ago and have been seeing a psychologist regularly. I had to go back to the doctor to review, and she referred me to a psychiatrist.

The psychiatrist felt a lot more serious, and talked more about medical ramifications, when to call an ambulance etc. He also referred me to an ED clinic and dietician, and arranged for me to start seeing an ED nurse practitioner weekly (over lunch - I do NOT eat lunch- or with other people 😱).

I'm not sure I was ready for this to move so fast all of a sudden. I am handling psychology and would be okay to add the dietician and start making diet plans, but I don't know about the rest. I'm suitably freaked out about the potential for medical complications (have been doing this for a long time but am in a bad phase, and have been deluding myself that it wasn't that serious because I started as obese and am now a "healthy" weight).

So to those they have done recovery - how much choice do I have here? Can I opt in and out of certain therapies? Tell them I'd prefer to try the diet plan on my own but can't handle eating together? I'm willing to work on it, but at this rate I'll be seeing 3 people a week and it's going to take over my life! I don't even know how I would fit it in - I work, study, and am a single parent, and life is already too busy. I'm kind of regretting getting the ball rolling...

I think I had an eating disorder, I lost a decent amount of weight a few months ago, I think, idk if it counts as a lot or not but anyways. The past month I've been eating more and regularly but I think I'm starting to get into a "bad habit" again. Counting calories, skipping meals, excessively weighing myself. I've never been diagnosed with an ED, I think I had one tho, maybe still do. People have been noticing my weight loss, and it may sound really bad but part of me enjoys the attention and getting told I'm losing too much or that I look Skinner. Or when someone notices that I'm not eating? Part of me enjoys that too. Does this sound like an eating disorder? And relapsing?

Also, to add to this, sometimes it's the opposite problem, sometimes I eat too much then hate myself for it, cry over it and everything.

I’ve had an ED (Bulimia) for twelve years. Wondering how how long some of you have been fighting?

I don't know if I should tell them or even know exactly what I have. I get obsessive about what I eat. I skip most of ny meals. I don't get hungry anymore. I get super anxious about eating. I've thrown up a few times but it's not super easy. I will spend hours contemplating if I should eat or not, stuck in an anxious cycle. And then I'll binge a bunch of crap. I also have major body dismophia. Not sure what to do at this point.

I first developed an eating disorder at 13 years old. I remember feeling afraid, overwhelmed, alone, and exhausted. No one could understand what I was going through, not even myself, and it felt like nobody cared.

10 years later, here I am. I hadn’t relapsed in almost 5 years, but I’ve been anxious and stressed with school work, a divorce, trying to keep up with a social life, and taking care of my daughter.

I felt emotions I was all too familiar with. Criticizing every piece of my body, wearing baggy clothes to hide myself, and declining invitations to hang out because I felt ashamed. And then I started restricting again.

Im type 1 diabetic, so my body started getting weak very fast. I’ve been losing my balance and feeling like I’m going to faint constantly. I felt alone and unworthy again.

But then…

My daughter, my beautiful baby girl who just turned 2, walked over to me as I sat on the couch and brought me a piece of bread and said “Have some”, as she nibbled on a piece next to me. For the past 3 days, she has brought me a few pieces of food from the plates I prepare for her and she tells me “Eat some more”, and sits next to me eating.

My baby girl noticed. My baby girl felt it. And my baby girl cared, when I never thought anybody would.

And you have someone that cares too. Maybe they’re too little to express it, maybe they’re unsure of how to talk to you, or maybe they’re a little too far away to hold you and tell you how much you mean to them, and that they want you to take care of yourself for many more years to come.

But they do. Somebody cares about you, and they will continue to while you learn to care about yourself ❤️

hi, I don’t know if this post fits here or not.. but I really need some advice

my boyfriend had some problems with his weight, he was really thin and forced himself to eat a lot.. now he’s better, he put on some weight too but he’s afraid of losing kg again our relationship is really new, we re at the beginning

now, every time I’m around he can barely eat, he loses his appetite and I’m worried I know is because of the emotions and he feels stressed too but doesn’t know why

how can I help him? how can he eat better? sometimes the tv works and he eats but not enough

I have been in a good place in my recovery for a while now- been at a healthy weight for 6+ months, havent seriously engaged in ED behaviors (besides a small lapse over winter), and am now in a place where i want to focus on health, strength, and maayybbeee a little bit on how i look. But things are different now.

I dont want to look the way my ED wanted me to- i want to look a little more fit! I want to exercise and eat well- like any healthy person without an ED would. It feels like for the past couple of months ive been successfully resting, and eating without restriction. Now it has an impact on my health, and I need to balance it out.

I have a unknown chronic illness that seems to be impacted by highly processed and inflammatory food (ex: gas station pizza). And recently i was told i am at risk of a calcium oxylate kidney stone which TERRIFIES me, so i’m doing what i can to avoid that without restriction. I struggle with LOVING desserts, and the amount of sugar is impacting my symptoms, yet i dont want to resist the craving in fear of it becoming a binge-restrict cycle.

How do i know what i need nutritionally without a dietitian, and how do i know i’m get enough/not too much without tracking?

I tend to be repetitive with my foods, as i find comfort in knowing i like something, and that it wont change. I try to get enough fiber for my GI issues, as well as having at least one fruit and plenty of water, and thats as much as i’ll keep an eye on. Thats great and all- but one fruit and MAYBE one vegetable isn’t enough for those categories. I’m a picky eater which certainly doesnt help. Trying new foods is scary to me- i cant afford to throw out good food if i dont like it.

My goal is to gain muscle and strength for my chronic pain, and maybe tone up a little to boost my confidence. But i dont want to dip back into my ED, and so far, every nutritional calculator online just feels extremely disordered. Any advice?

I have had binge eating issues my whole adult life. I had bulimia but not for 5 or so years. I’ve always been overweight but also had massively fluctuating weight for years.

Last year I hired a PT and finally lost weight. After some difficult personal circumstances, I left my PT and stopped healthily losing weight with guidance and instead dangerously restricted and lost even more weight.

Then like all the other times when I turned to binging again, I put weight back on. Not as much as before but still some.

I’m now in a vicious period of binge, restrict, binge. Desperate to continue to lose weight but getting frustrated and depressed and turning to binging. I’m absolutely miserable.

I want to get support with my eating habits and finally be able to not track, not restrict and still lose weight so I am healthy and comfortable with myself. Who do I talk to? Is it a PT again? Is it a nutritionist? Ideally I want someone who specialises in binge eating disorders.

Thanks x

my friend is currently chubby and she's absolutely gorgeous and beautiful, I mean it with everything I have that she is genuinely one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen in my entire life. the issue is, she thinks she looks bad and she's actively eating less and starving herself sometimes to become skinny and I just hate sitting here watching her starve herself to fit beauty standards, I wanna help. what do I do?

Im a transguy who has been struggling with disordered thoughts around food for over a year and occasionally restrict. Ever since january, the periods of restriction are more frequent and severe. My food issues largely stem from a perceived lack of autonomy over my body (im a minor and cannot medically transition even though i really need it). im not really concerned about weight, more about control. i would really like any tips so that it doesnt spiral into something more but most of the advice i find seems to be centered around girls and body image (which i do struggle with but is not my main issue). Im self aware that my eating habits arent good but i really dont know what else to do

I absolutely love making sure other people eat well. I love making snacks for my sister and packing lunches for her or my dad. It’s weird but I think it’s because I care about them and because foods always on my mind

EDIT: The title was half-eaten by autocorrect, it was meant to be "How do I stop obsessing over my body"

I haven't struggled with an ED before, but what's been happening lately seems to be going in that direction and I thought you guys would have some advice. Burner account for privacy reasons.

So, I've been bullied a lot as a kid, the root causes were mostly my non-religious upbringing (can get real shitty if you grew up in rural Poland) and AuDHD (undiagnosed, but noticeable even when you aren't familiar with the concept), but the bullies focused mostly on my weight and appearance to hurt me.

I was a very chubby kid, and found myself losing a lot of weight without even noticing after I finished puberty, and coincidentally, finished school around the same time, so obviously no more bullying.

Fast forward to now, I've gained a minuscule amount of weight beyond my normal fluctuations, and my brain is going nuts. I keep constantly thinking about it, and it brings me a lot of stress and guilt whenever I try to enjoy food. I also tend to snack when I'm stressed, which exacerbates the issue. I don't know if it's because I subconsciously associate being heavier with my friends and surroundings turning on me, or something else but I need advice on how to cope with this.

I'm not very knowledgeable about this at all, so literally anything helps.

As a child and as a teen I absolutely adored fashion, from wearing clothes, to making them, to shopping. My frilly, feminine style was a perfectly implemented aspect of my identity. For a while this was only enhanced when I developed Anorexia. I wanted to feel pretty and small and wear clothes that accentuated that. But as I move into my 8th year of having an eating disorder that has changed. Shopping is the most devastating, triggering part of my life. Trying on clothes feels like I’m being repeatedly kicked in the teeth. Things fit, but not the way I want to them to, and never mind how I feel about the size I’m wearing. My standard has dropped from looking for the perfect piece of clothing, to finding something I feel pretty in, to just finding something I can tolerate wearing. This transition has been devastating. I’m graduating from college and I need to take grad pictures, but I’ve tried on 25+ dresses from 7 stores over 2 months. I’ve finally settled on something that is the wrong color, and doesn’t feel like me, but it fits in a way that isn’t triggering. I need these photos, and I’m so proud of myself for making it this far, but I feel so sad for that little girl who was in love with ruffles and puffed sleeves. So, I’d love to hear if anyone has similar experiences? Any wisdom?

I think my son has an ED. Extremely thin and doesn’t care for food among other red flags. I’ve asked him before and he denied but I’m really worried about him. I expressed to his doctor that I’m very concerned with his weight and she referred us to a dietitian. How do I help him? He’s 17.

I have a history of an eating disorder that required hospitalization when I was younger. I have been mostly behavior free for almost 15 years but mentally, I still struggle a lot. I have tried to do intuitive eating and to just think less about what I eat, and that helps me. I exercise 2-3 times a week, but I just listen to my body rather than pushing myself or listening to the ED voice.

I just got diagnosed with pre-diabetes and my cholesterol was also high. I'm honestly devastated and feeling so triggered. My doctor said "cut down on sweets and simple carbs", like this is an easy thing to do. My ED voice is spiraling. I obviously need to address the health issues here before they become worse, but how do I do this while honoring the progress I've made? I really didn't think I ate that unhealthy and I just feel so horrible about myself and like my body looks as bad as I think it does. I don't even know where to start

I’m struggling with the thought of weight loss again. I figured, if i really want to, i need to focus on doing it for health reasons- to live longer, be stronger, have more endurance, help my chronic pain, etc. But for some reason- health never motivates me. Ever. Even with my chronic pain- the taste and dopamine of inflammatory foods that can cause pain is usually more enticing than the healthy, less pain-causing foods.

It feels like i’ll never be able to be fit and healthy without dipping back into the extreme control of my ED, as well as the community I found on twitter while in relapse. I felt supported and understood, and i felt better about my body some days. Now, i mostly ignore how my body looks. But as summer approaches, i cant avoid it. And when i see it, either i dont like it, or i don’t put value to it. No matter how hard i try, positivity doesnt cross my mind. At most, its “i dont look as bad as i thought i would”.

But a part of my self esteem is wanting to feel beautiful. Really, visually attractive. I’ve tried to shake this want, but i can’t. Looking good makes me feel good. The issue is, i don’t want to go bad to my ED- it was hell trying to maintain that body. I wont go into details, but just believe nobody, even myself, couldnt do everything i did in a day, every day, to try to maintain a body i was praised for. And it made me suicidal constantly.

How do i stop craving that body? How do i get fit without relapsing? And how do i find motivation in good health rather than visual image? I struggle with short term rewards being more enticing than long term ones, to the point where any long-term reward doesnt feel real to me.

I have been struggling with ARFID for about 5 years and i’ve finally overcome it for the most part but recently in the past few months i have developed very very poor body image and i don’t know how to overcome it. I am trying to tackle it early because i am starting to fall down into bad habits. I am seeking any advice i can get!

Hi all. I'm six months into ED recovery. My ED started as restrictive ARFID and developed into atypical anorexia, lasting at least twelve (and maybe more) years. Since starting recovery around six months ago my metabolism has skyrocketed.

I thought recovery just meant eating more. But just eating more than I used to before isn't enough. Yesterday I ate three meals and I still couldn't sleep because I felt like I was starving. I got snacks multiple times but it took so much just to quell the hunger. I ended up eating peanut butter out of the jar (which I hated doing) because I'd already gone downstairs to get food four times and my stomach was still audibly rumbling and I felt so hungry. I went to bed at around midnight and couldn't fall asleep until 5ish. And now I've been up since 8 and can't sleep again.

I know I need to eat. But even my safe food seems more repulsive to me each day that passes. The hungrier I get, the more my ARFID triggers and the more repulsive food seems. Even when I start eating, it's hard. Yesterday I tried to eat my lunch as quickly as possible because I hated it so much and ended up having to guzzle water just to get it down my throat.

Any tips for dealing with ARFID alongside a heightened metabolism? I'm struggling here.

so i've been trying to recover on my own for about 2 years. or ig in august it'll be three. for the first year and a half it was going well!! then my progress kinda became stagnant. and for the last 8-9 months i've been getting worse and need to go to php.

however,, im not going into php until around june or july. and right now im struggling with my mom. im sure you might've seen that mom complaining about how their childs arfrid is extremely expensive and is hurting the house. i dont have arfrid. but rn i can only really eat pre-made food and take-out. for the most part it's been fine because I had my own jobs. I just bought take-out when i could and ate when my mom cooked a couple times a week. but i quit both my jobs to focus on graduating (im 18) and now im just not really eating much at all. The one time we did have almost all processed frozen meals available at almost all times,, my mom bluntly told me we couldn't do that anymore because she had spent $1000(!!!) on food that month.

I don't really know what to do. We aren't close. so i don't know how to explain to her. She thinks it's just me being spoiled and lazy. and that im just waiting on her to make something because im entitled. and she's worried about how i'll be when i move out next year. but it's not that im trying to force her to cook for me. if she doesn't cook that's fine i just won't eat much but some fruit or something. but i don't think that's very healthy lol. and i've started to pass out and being close to passing out like all the time. so i need to try something else. i just dont what. i hate cooking it makes me extremely tired and it never really turns out right. im decent tho!! but it's just the problem of gathering the energy to cook. i'm chronically ill already so i just,, don't. like i might cook maybe twice a month? idk. just seeking advice. i'm sorry if this sounds really privileged or spoiled it something btw. but i really am just looking for genuine advice on easy meals or ways to communicate easier with family about this stupid disorder

hi! i'm here not because i am the one needing support but rather, it is my mother. i will try my best to explain. advice is heavily appreciated as well as a question.

my mom has been on a diet for a year or two, and she lost a lot of pounds. idk what her weight was before, but she was fat. now she is what you will consider thick : not fat but also not skinny, just in the between so that's great for her and she said she loves losing weight as she feels more confident in her body. understandable, of course

however, as time passed by, my mom's attitude towards food began slowly getting bad. for example, she tells me she doesn't eat anything at all and only eats protein bars. she also recently began boxing to achieve her body goals. i never fully understood how it must feel to have an ED but i've told her if she wants to eat something out of her diet, i reassure her it's okay and to feel the guilt but to acknowledge the guilt means nothing it's only irrational. but she's scared of gaining weight, and it makes me sad because idk what to do or how to help her.

i sent her an account that is full of gluten free + diet, vegan friendly recipes that'll hopefully make her feel better as some recipes include sugar: one thing she is afraid of as well dark chocolate (she doesn't like chocolate she's scared but i've heard dark choco is diet friendly so idk). i looked up this issue because i want to help my mom and a comment on a post of someone discussing fear of gaining weight is by at least trying to nourish your body with what it needs as well self compassion (having an healthier mindset on self) while also reaching body goals. i decided to apply this with my mom to ask that if she is on a goal to lose weight, she also must be on a goal to love herself during this, and i encourage my mom to eat.

my question is: is this toxic or bad? even enabling her ed..? i've reassured her that it's okay to eat fear foods and we can eat together so she's comfortable of course but i also feel like i am hurting her in some way and it makes me feel terrible. when she vents about how she gained weight, i get upset and visibly so because i'm emotionally tired her treating herself this way. she's even asked me why i get mad: i'm not necessarily mad at HER, i'm mad at how she TREATS herself. but i also tell her that it's okay to feel bad, but remind her she needs to be kinder to herself.

answers to my questions would be appreciative.. please - am i a bad daughter? i don't think i said anything bad ..? idk what to say to her either :( i can't stop my mom from her weight loss journey and if she won't stop, i want her to at least eat something fulfilling. so i've planned to buy some things from the store to make her diet friendly snacks but make some sweets for her to also overcome her fear over sugar ..

now with my 2nd yet main issue: how can i help my mom build her relationship with loving food as well herself? she has a history being bullied for being fat, and i don't exactly relate to her, but i do relate to her how it feels to be called ugly.

how can i help my mom and that comment under that post i mentioned earlier, a bad mindset to apply with my mother right now? any advice would be generous. have a good day, and i hope you all acknowledge you're amazing 💓

edit: i forgot to mention i've recommended to my mom to see a therapist or specialist but we are too poor and even then, she's very stubborn when it comes to mental health so unfortunately i can't just tell her to see one. i am also a minor being 16, so i can't pay for it. any help would be so sweet.. i really want to help my mom.

Hey Y’all! I’m a teen in anorexia recovery (FBT (family based treatment)) and yesterday I had two behaviors 1. Going on a walk and 2. throwing dinner out when I was in Unsupervised. I understand I shouldnt have done this and asked for supervision and said no to walking with my friend. When there’s an opportunity to slip up my eating disorder will jump at it. When I confessed this to my therapist she had me tell my parents, their response was grounding me from friends and phone. Was this a proper and appropriate response to trying to fix my behaviors?

I don’t care what it is I just need to find a way to eat whatever I want without gaining weight. I’m always on a binging cycle with all of my diets , food is all I think about and i can’t stop. I hate dieting. I don’t care what the solution is at this point I just want to be free, any suggestions would be appreciated.

I know for a fact that I’m 162cm // 5'3 (Measuring myself multiple times and having others do the same) but my doctor always measures me 3cm shorter so in his document I’m 159cm // 5’2. I don’t know why that happens honestly, but it hinders me from getting my eating disorder properly diagnosed and he doesn’t take me seriously. They also don’t have my accurate weight registered because of course I need to weight myself with clothes on when I’m there.
So yeah, I wanna be able to get help for myself but the failure in their measurements of my height and weight makes it impossible for me to be takes seriously…