r/AnorexiaRecovery

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I'm in a shit spot. Controlling parents read 1 paper and decided I need to be my pre-ed weight . I'm currently well within the healthy weight range btw

They've decided I need to get there ASAP. No idea why. All health indicators, apart from my cycle are fine.

My tdee (medically tested ) is concerningly low. And im inactive due to disability.

To do this, they are forcing me to eat almost double my maintenance at at home minimum (they're tracking. For me that's already <. And that would be without me eating any food between 8am and 4pm.

My question is - if I'm already in such a large surplus,how harmful is it for me to intermittent fasting between those hours? Particularly for trying to regain my cycle

. A surplus of this much is obviously good in UW people but I'm not. I'm also a high body fat % and it'll push it significantly higher and I'll just hate my body even more than I already do.

Also my parents will not budge on this. Don't even suggest discussion. I feel fucking hopeless. No we don't have a medical team, and no I can't get one.

Hi all,

I’m trying to understand what might be happening to my body and would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar, particularly during recovery from restrictive eating/excessive exercise.

I’ve had type 1 diabetes for 18 years and coeliac disease for around 10 years. I’ve also had restrictive anorexia for at least 3 years and was excessively exercising/running for around 8 years.

About four months ago, I stopped the excessive running and started eating significantly more. I immediately developed quite pronounced oedema/swelling throughout my body, including my face. It hasn’t really gone away and seems to be getting worse. My neck looks particularly swollen, my breasts and stomach are very swollen, and my legs become extremely puffy by the end of the day.

I’m now also experiencing very intense mental hunger and significant fatigue, so over the past week I’ve stopped all excessive exercise and am allowing myself to eat substantially more. My blood sugars are generally very good, although I’ve needed more insulin as I’ve increased my food intake.

I’m struggling to understand whether the swelling could be part of nutritional recovery/refeeding after prolonged restriction and exercise, hormones coming back online (I’ve had amennhorea for 4 years) or something else because my doctors gave said it ‘shouldn’t be lasting so long’.

For context, my blood tests from June/July showed low-ish B12 and elevated phosphate but otherwise normal kidney function, electrolytes, albumin and inflammatory markers.

If anyone has had a similar experience, I’d love to hear from you. feel like I’m going insane because I can’t see anything similar online and doctors are dismissing it without offering a resolution.

after a relapse, I’ve been trying to recover, but the stomach pains are just so bad. I get these stabbing pains in my upper stomach and so much gas pain. like I can’t breathe until I burp. It’s so horrible, sometimes I’m just in my bed writhing in pain. It makes eating soooo painful. I have gastroperosis induced by anorexia/being underweight but I'm not sure what to do now. I’ve been to the ER 3 times because of the pain. they’ve done lots of scans and there’s nothing bad except for my gastroperosis. is the only way to make the pain work to eat? to push through the pain? while the doctors have given me several over-the-counter things to “help,” they haven’t made a huge difference. I guess I just need some confirmation. I’m not hurting myself by eating right? even though it can be so painful? is the only way to get out of this to eat? please help, I’m so lost 🙏

Hi. I’m app. 6 weeks into extreme hunger (after a year of chronic underfueling which led to significant weight loss and amenorrhea). I’ve gained what feels like a huge amount of weight rapidly, but what stands out is my stomach. It has tripled in size in a disproportionate way compared to my limbs, feels rock hard and fully stretched out, and my upper chest protrudes abnormally. Most of my clothes don’t fit anymore because of it. I have roughly a month left before I go back to school, so I’d like to know if this belly size is the result of permanent tissue gain, in which case I’ll buy a whole new set of clothing, or if it’s significantly affected by other factors (I guess water retention and digestion?) and will eventually go away. Thank you to anyone who responds!

Little rant and maybe asking for an advice.....

Does anyone have tips for constantly seeking permission in everything and everyone? I am two weeks in on my 3rd recovery attempt and each time I feel like i NEED permission to eat, or to increase my intake etc, and I always find something to compare myself with. Funny enough it is never weight or looks in general, but behaviours, or how fast someone's recovery went, how much others eat, how fast they increased etc. I also constantly browse online to "reassure" myself that i can eat certain amount or how my weight gain should go. It's so stupid because my thick skull does not trust what my doctors and family say, but a random post from anon profile that says some BS gets me. I know that i should distract myself, quit social media and most importantly- never compare myself because every human body has different needs, but i still somehow find a way to beat myself up because "what if I recover too fast??" what if what if what if. it is driving me crazy.

Hi! So I’ve been sick and because of that missed several meals lately. It’s feeling like it could turn into a relapse if I’m not careful. I’m already on the edge of my psych and therapist sending me to do a higher level of care. Does anyone have tips of how to get back on track after something like illness shows up? Going straight back to normal meals isn’t working for me.

Recently I’ve really been thinking about all in recovery and really wanted to change. Now I keep body checking myself as I noticed or at least what I think my hip bones not as prominent but idk if it’s just my mind telling me that I look fatter now and I want to relapse again BUT LIKE I ALSO DONT I HATE THIS FUCKING ILLNESS 😭😭😭😞😞😞

Do you feel hungry while studying or working? I'm a PhD student in literary studies, recovering from anorexia, and it's been very difficult to study. I feel very hungry and can't concentrate. When I'm reading a text, my thoughts wander and turn to food :(

Hey guys I forgot abt this acc that was supposed to be my recovery acc. I’m going to a treatment center because my ed is getting really bad again. I’m really nervous but I want to recover because I want my life back!!!! Wish me luck! :3

Does anyone else eat and then like have to instantly lay down? Even being so full, I try not to lay down after I eat and walk instead but lately i’ve been so drained that a walk let alone sitting up is just too much for me. Idk i feel like I beat myself up for it because it’s like, if i’m going to eat this much I tell myself that I at least want to be a tiny bit active, but no, my body overrides what my mind thinks/wants 😭❤️

I’m already sorry in advance for what will probably be a huge vent, but I feel like I need to talk, and I don’t really have anywhere else to do it.

I’ve had an ED for around 20 years (34F). It’s always been a sort of crutch that accompanied me and “helped” me cope with always feeling out of place. I also recently discovered that I’m on the spectrum.
I’m now trying to make the decision to recover, with all the anxiety that comes with it. I’m not UW, but I want to go all in, etc.

The problem is that I’m alone. I’m seeing my therapist, and until a month ago I was also seeing a psychiatrist (I stopped seeing him after taking a medication that ended up sending me to the hospital, and I’m still dealing with the aftermath).
I’ve always struggled with severe depression, and now (perhaps also because of the idea of recovery) I’m going through an absolutely awful period where I have an anxiety and anguish that I can’t even put into words, and I cry every single day.

What I keep wondering is: if I’ve always struggled with depression and I’ve always been alone, and still am, how am I supposed to start recovery?
I mean, not just in the practical sense, although that’s also a problem after so many years, but how am I supposed to do it without having anyone by my side?
I feel like anxiety is eating me alive, and all I want is to have someone beside me telling me that I’m doing okay and that they care about me, as pathetic as that may sound.
And even if I did manage to start recovery, what would actually change if depression is simply a part of me?
I know people might tell me to take classes or join activities to meet people, but those are all things I’ve already tried, and at this point my mental energy is at an all-time low. I’ve also started looking into finding a pen pal or two, but these are all things that don’t really have any meaningful impact on me.

I’m sorry. I know there probably aren’t any real answers to this. I guess I’m just wondering if anyone has experience with depression that has lasted this long, and whether anything ever changed for you.
Because the truth is, I feel more alone than I ever have, and it’s eating me up inside.
Thank you so much for listening.

I got sick when I was 14, and I’m 27 now. Eight years ago, I started eating high volume-low calorie foods, and now I don’t know how to break out of this pattern.
I’ve been doing all in recovery for 3 weeks. I’m eating a lot, but I still have a very strong need to eat a large amount of food at once because otherwise I already know that I won’t feel satisfied by a small amount, regardless of how many calories it has. I don’t feel physical hunger. I’m mentally hungry practically all day, but I’m not really that hungry until I start eating.
For the past 2 days I’ve been experiencing extreme fatigue and a lot of water retention, even though I’m drinking plenty of fluids. I’m no longer underweight, and I gained weight very quickly, which is also really frightening for me.
Please, could you give me some advice? I really don’t know what to do… I wanna continue and I don’t wanna give up, but I’m having really hard time accepting these body changes, I feel like im different and I got some metabolic issues going on or some glucose problems that cause all this hunger. I don’t know anymore

So i’ve been in ‘recovery’ for a few months now, forced not by anyone but my own body. Yes my own body forced me into this by sending scary symptoms to me, and of course extreme hunger. My reason for this post is to talk about what those symptoms are, so i’ll just say that i’ve been having low blood pressure/blood sugar symptoms like after i eat something, 2 hours later my body is giving hypoglycemia signals to me and it’s like if i don’t eat i feel like in that moment i am literally going to pass out, the hunger is not gradual or normal it’s more like a feeling of life or death. Is it my body possibly just needing more fuel or is it maybe my body doing this in order for me to actually eat. I will say that while my body chose this for me, I had it in my head that I do want to get better because i hate disordered eating so much, i just didn’t choose myself to eat this much all at once.

I’ve been in recovery for about a year now, had some relapses but restored half of my bodyweight. I have been experiencing hypoglycemia a lot, especially after I eat a meal it even just a little snack. I am trying to have smaller frequent meals to keep my blood sugar stable but I always feel dizzy, sleepy, and weak after I eat no matter what or how much I eat. Is anyone else experiencing this?? Or if u have experienced it in the past, what helped you the most??

I want to create a bank of restful distractions for people struggling with the "limited movement" side of recovery.

Lets come up with some funky fresh distractions that aren't 'colouring' or 'puzzles' (dont get me wrong i love a good puzzle but having more ideas is never a bad idea).

Im currently spending my time creating revision resources for GCSE history and english.

Hi, so for about 11 months now I have had issues with binging and overeating. Its gotten a lot better, but i still dont know if its EH or BED. I do for a fact know that ive had hypermetabolism to some extent, because ive done the calculations, and with the amount of calories ive eaten per day, i should have gained a lot more weight. Im at a healthy weight now (was at a healthy weight 8 months ago), but the overeating still hasnt stopped. Also maybe important to mention but I lost my period when the binging started (never had issues with my period before) and i only got it back 3 months ago

Can anyone help me and share their experience or insight? I cant tell if its binge eating disorder or extreme hunger.

I’ve been in and out of therapy for my aan for almost 3 years now, with a few gaps in between… I went to IOP at around this time last year and it didn’t really help. Honestly, at the time I wanted to “prove” that I was sick because on the outside, I was the healthiest one there, so I almost “rebelled” when I was there. I got out of IOP in late August 2025 and in the middle of October I gave recovery a solid go. I gained some weight but was ultimately stuck and ended up in PHP in December. I got out in the middle of January. While I was there, I absolutely felt like I was treated differently than the other patients in a sense of it felt like i wasent taken as seriously. Ide get into my “evidence” but then this post would be even longer than it already is lol. I know there are many different reasons for different treatments for different patients but all around I just felt like I was treated as less than. I already knew I was the “healthiest” one there and I already *felt* like I wasent “sick enough” so getting treated differently made me so sad. I almost went from *feeling* not sick enough to *knowing* it and it just felt crappy. Having an ed that takes over your life but having a normal body sucks lol.

Also while I was there, I started binge / over eating sometimes due to eh which was scary, discrediting and overwhelming. This has happened before in recovery attempts. Sometimes it feels like my team is more worried about me binge eating than other things. That said, I do bring it up a lot because it’s something i’m fearful of and something I hate that happens to me, as anyone with a restrict ed would. (My exact diagnosis is “Atypical Anorexia with intermittent binge/ over eating…which isn’t technically wrong I guess but definitely makes the “not sick enough” feeling worse🙃)

Now for the part that is actually current:

For a lot of my ed I made sure to get a certain amount of steps in, but it wasent considered excessive. I kept eating and gaining weight while exercising normally even though this caused extreme stress because I couldn’t stand the body I was in. In about April of this year I majorly increased my daily step count and it’s just been going up since. I also started to restrict again (not as much as when I was at my worst. The amount of calories I eat in a day would be considered “normal”, though I eat almost the exact same things every single day with minimal lenience) With all of this, my weight dropped a decent bit. I’m still a healthy weight, not at my lowest weight and physically healthy, but my life is absolutely shit. I do nothing but walk all. day. I don’t ever leave my house except to go to work and any type of last minute plans, or plans in general, cause *anger*. I have no life. I still struggle with over eating / binging sometimes so on the days that that happens, I almost double the amount of steps I get on a normal day.

I have recently been asked not return to therapy/outpatient treatment for a while due to “lack of readiness”. I wouldn’t say that’s true, i’m just struggling. I’ve been at higher weights before which caused a ton of stress, anxiety and sadness. I want to recover and stop waking and just be able to eat but I feel like I can’t. My body doesn’t let me not. During this little relapse, I've gone into therapy and spilled my guts about all the anxiety's I have about recovery and instead of giving me helpful tools or even just validating me, it almost feels like i get in trouble. It almost feels like she just doesn't really listen... but at the same time i've been with her for almost 3 years so | value her word (even when it's brusque) and it feels weird to leave/ stop going.

Im also dealing with my parents recent divorce, ssri withdrawl and a handful of other life stresses and major life changes. I literally can’t keep my head on straight and my therapist basically told me not to come back to treatment due to "lack of readiness".

It feels like i've been screaming for help because my life is unmanageable, but instead of seeing that she told me to leave Imao. That said, I also try and see it from her side and maybe i'm not coming off the way i'm meaning to and maybe i am making it seem like i'm just being stubborn and unwilling to change even if that's not the case.

I don’t want to gain weight. I HATE my body. I’m embarrassed of my body. At the same time, I wish I could have a life and I can’t. (I have another reason besides the ed that makes my social life abnormal, but that would be a post about as long as this one lol)

Ultimately, what would you do in my situation?

hey everyone. i’ve been kind of spiraling a lot recently and would like some words from those who have been in the same boat. To start, i’ve been feeling incredibly embarresed and childish that i am still struggling with my ed and other mental health conditions well into my adult life. It’s hard to meet new people and the first thing they do is stare at your arms. OCD is a bitch and having to take medicine just to survive makes me feel weak. Secondly, i’ve been wondering how ed’s affect aging? That might not be the right wording but i try to be diligent with sun exposure, always wear spf, rarely smoke or drink, use collagen peptides, try to take supplements and use “graceful aging” skincare to prevent wrinkles etc and any potential joint pain etc. But I am very worried that the ed is throwing all of my efforts away and I am doomed to aging badly or something of the sort. I’m aware of the effects anorexia has on the body, but I also know the things like smoking and sun exposure account for an out 80 ish percent of visable aging. So just wondering if other folks with ed’s experience any premature aging or if my efforts are nothing due to my illness. My approach currently and with my team is harm reduction, so if anyone has tips for that i’d appreciate hearing from you as well :)

The amenorrhea recovery subreddit is really strict about continuing to stay in a surplus to restore your period but I wanted to hear from the AN recovery subreddit... if I'm medically weight restored is it safe to maintain & eat intuitively or do I have to stay in a surplus? I really want my period back!!!