Going All-in in Eating Disorder Recovery

Something I’ve realized lately is how comfortable and accepting I've become of myself, my body, and my hunger cues. After my ED, I literally had no idea who I was and what my passions (and even my personality) was like, and it took a long time to figure this out! It was damn scary!

Everything about recovery requires you to jump into the deep end, and everything about the eating disorder is telling you to do everything but that -- to stick with the 'safety' of the known (even if this 'known' is a dangerous one).

As such, I've precisely been doing everything the ED would have forbidden in the past. I am exploring my passions, expanding my hobbies. I am learning to take rest. And it's beautiful!

But it's a difficult place to get there, and there's no short-cut route. You'll have to start eating regularly and sufficiently and you'll have to start allowing yourself to take up space. You'll have to start allowing yourself to be you.

And unfortunately normalising your weight and your relationship with food is a must in this journey. Even if you do everything else right, you won't get there without this key piece.

So should you go all-in?

Eating in accordance with what your body needs and giving it the rest it needs… yes, I’d say that’s a good approach to follow! HOWEVER diving straight into all-in can be psychologically challenging, especially if the eating disorder thoughts are still strong. The result? A return to ‘safe’ disordered behaviours to cope with this anxiety, which is the last thing we want! All-in can be a great approach, but only if and once

• you stop using its gray areas to justify undereating (remember: all in requires a MINIMUM intake, and you can follow your hunger cues only if you ensure you attain these minimums first)
• the eating disorder does not have the upper hand in your decision making 
• it is sustainable for you

What YOU need in your recovery may be different from what someone else needs (see my video on YOUR intake requirements here), and hence it’s important to check in with yourself. And to be gentle on yourself. Take steps forward, but take them at your own pace 👣 Don’t give it 1000% to then find yourself hitting a wall of recovery burn out and guilt, and then reverting back to old disordered habits for a sense of comfort and (temporary) relief.

A coach or therapist or counsellor can be a great help here too, so leave a comment or contact me directly if you’d like to discuss your options.