Recovering from an eating disorder: the challenge of weight restoration and keys to persistence
Eating disorders can’t be classified under one umbrella, in fact, many of them are very different. For those recovering from an eating disorder, weight gain is a critical part of their recovery. This weight gain can be difficult for many to deal with, although in the end it’s healthier and for their good. Following a prolonged period of low food intake and high amounts of exercise, many still struggle with transitioning into eating more and putting more weight on. This article is your personal guide on how to deal with weight gain after eating disorder recovery.
Types of eating disorders
There are five types of eating disorders that exist: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED), and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). The three of these five that are most often tied to weight loss and low food intake are anorexia, bulimia, and ARFID.
Anorexia is identified by a decrease in calories and an unhealthy obsession with weight, size, shape, and looks. It’s known as being the most deadly mental illness there is. Those who are anorexic will seek to be as thin as they can by eating less and exercising excessively. It’s common for anorexia to be tied with body dysmorphia.
Bulimia can be identified by overeating followed by a fasting or purging period where food is either refrained from or excreted from the body before eating again. These behaviors occur in the forms of fasting, using laxatives, and over exercising. The extremes of overeating with bulimia are often compensated for by extremes in reducing caloric intake following a binge. Those who suffer from bulimia might use the bathroom frequently, talk about their weight or body image excessively, and may abuse laxatives, diet pills or diuretics.
ARFID can be identified by abnormal shifts in food intake and eating habits that cause weight loss, malnutrition, and difficulty remaining healthy. Those who suffer from ARFID might feign interest in food or might have a disgust for certain food textures or tastes. Red flags for ARFID include severe weight loss and limited growth. Those with ARFID vary from those with anorexia in that they don’t have an obsessive drive to be as thin as they possibly can.
What is weight restoration?
For those who have an eating disorder, weight restoration is how they recover by reaching a stable weight. They do this by reaching a weight that is healthy for their size, provides their nutritional needs, and is a weight that they can stay at and stabilize for a long time. This process may take months to fully recover depending on the state the individual is in when they go into recovery.
Generally, this process entails a severe increase in their caloric intake to gain weight at a constant but safe rate. Those helping an individual recover will generally assign a meal plan that allows them to reach their weight goals safely and in a controlled manner.
Challenges with weight restoration
Weight restoration can be the most challenging segment of recovery for those with an eating disorder because it creates a need for a change in eating, but most importantly in their mindset. Eating can go against everything that these individuals have been thinking for the past few years and their body has likely adjusted to being malnourished and surviving on low food intake, although still being in a very unhealthy state. This can lead to the individual feeling overly full when following the food intake goals set out for them and they may experience difficulty staying on their meal plan.
Furthermore, those going through the weight restoration process might also experience physical side effects including bloating, constipation, headaches, and other stomach and intestinal complications until their body adjusts to receiving proper nourishment. Although these symptoms can be difficult to deal with, they will subside with persistence if the individual sticks to their meal plan throughout the trials of this process. The advice of a doctor or dietician can be crucial in overcoming the challenges of side effects and body adaptation issues, as they are experienced in these areas and can suggest methods that have helped other patients.
The recovery process of weight restoration can also pose a threat of mental and emotional repercussions like depression or anxiety. As stated before, weight restoration requires not only a shift in diet and food intake but a shift in mentality and mindset. Once someone has viewed their body and weight gain in such a negative light for so long, it can be hard for them to overcome that mentality and be okay with putting on additional weight to gain their health back.
For this reason, confronting these challenging thoughts can be helped by being guided along by a therapist with regular consultations and checkups to ensure that the patient is meeting their goals and is maintaining a healthy mindset throughout. Talking through the complications with a trained professional goes a long way into reminding themselves that their recovery process is making them healthier and it’s vital to their life. By consulting a therapist, they get a personalized answer to how to deal with weight gain after eating disorder recovery. A therapist can offer ways for dealing with these complex issues and can provide positive coping mechanisms to get through and stay persistent in their recovery.
Here is a general set of guidelines that you can follow if you’re dealing with weight gain in recovery from an eating disorder
HOW TO DEAL WITH WEIGHT GAIN AFTER EATING DISORDER RECOVERY:
- First, consult a trained treatment team. It’s recommended that you see a specialized treatment team that is familiar with patients with eating disorders and are familiar with what you’re dealing with and can provide appropriate resources. Through receiving care from these professionals at a designated eating disorder treatment facility, you increase your chances of success in overcoming your eating disorder and decrease your chances of relapsing back into it. They might provide you with a team of professionals including therapists, dieticians, and medical care that will give you support in every area that your recovery entails.
- Stick to your assigned meal plan. As stated before, it’s understood that following the meal plan can be challenging not only physically but mentally, but it’s possible, nonetheless. If you are experiencing noticeable difficulty adhering to your meal plan, consult your treatment team and they can find the resources and help you need to stay on track. With following your meal plan, persistence is key and with persistence and using your support and resources, it will eventually become easier once you’ve adapted. The process may be long and arduous, however, but you can do it.
- As you’re going through the weight gain process and even prior to starting it, accept that your body will be changing throughout this process and so should your mindset and how you see your body. You should try your best to remain open-minded to the recovery process and view your meal plan and team as ways to become healthier each day.
- Within and outside of your treatment team, identify a support group that you can use to get through the ups and downs of recovery. This could be friends or family or mentors. Having this group close by as you go through the recovery process can not only help you to overcome the difficult parts but celebrating the positive parts and victories can motivate you to keep going and keep getting healthier.
- Get rid of your old clothes by donating them. As you continue through weight restoration and your body continues to change, your clothes will no longer fit. Rather than continuing to store these clothes, donate them to those in need. With new clothes that fit your recovering body, you’ll feel more comfortable and can feel empowered by your strength throughout the process. If it’s difficult to deal with buying new clothes yourself, you can have someone from your support group to do the shopping for you and you can have them get rid of the sizes on the clothes before receiving them.
- Constantly remind yourself of why you chose to end your battle with your eating disorder in the first place and why you’re on the path to recovery now. Keep a journal or write a letter to yourself as reminders so that you can go back to these and boost your motivation when you need it most. Your health is often the first decision to impact many other major decisions in your life such as success in school and at work and raising a family. Those motivators can help you to keep your eye on the prize and stick with your recovery goals.
Final thoughts: how to deal with weight gain after eating disorder recovery
If you’re dealing with an eating disorder or you know someone who is, it’s important that you get help and support as soon as you can. Consult a medical professional or a designated treatment team as soon as you can and they’ll walk alongside you and provide resources and support every step of the way.