In this episode I interview my former client Emily about her eating disorder recovery journey. Emily shares openly about her struggles with anorexia, extreme hunger, fear foods, isolation, and her road to reconnecting with herself.
Key Discussion Points
– Emily’s background and mindset when she first started working with Victoria
– Her “fake” recovery attempts before fully committing to all-in recovery
– Details of her extreme hunger phase – bingeing on Fear foods like digestive biscuits to find calm
– Learning self-compassion and establishing recovery non-negotiables
– Regaining her personality, interests, laughter and ability to cry
– No longer having disordered habits like OCD behaviors
– Her first time honouring extreme hunger around her parents and fear foods
Key Quotes
“I had just moved up to Sheffield because I was living in London. And because of the eating disorder, I was severely isolated.” (00:14:56)
“Enough’s enough. I looked in the mirror, and I was I remember saying to myself, is this what we’re doing this for? Because I can see myself.” (00:16:46)
“I’m getting sick of eating a whole packet of digestives every day, but they seem to be the only thing that calms the panic in my brain.” (00:36:40)
“I actually really like spending time with myself now. And that’s not ED, isolation, introvert. It’s getting to know myself and being okay with myself.” (00:49:58)
Emily's Journey Through Extreme Hunger in Eating Disorder Recovery
Emily bravely shared her experience going through extreme hunger as part of her eating disorder recovery process. Extreme hunger is a common and crucial phase where the body works to re-nourish itself after periods of restriction.
The Physical Experience
– Extreme hunger felt like an intense itch or entering a different realm in her brain that could only be calmed by eating
– She would sweat profusely, her heart would pound, and her face would become flushed while consuming large quantities of fear foods like biscuits
– Yet despite the physical discomfort, mentally she felt a sense of calm after eating that she described as a “baby after warm milk”
The Mental Experience
– Extreme hunger allowed Emily’s true personality and ability to feel joy to start resurfacing after being suppressed for years by her eating disorder
– She was surprised to hear herself genuinely laugh in a way she hadn’t in a long time
– There was a lot of anxiety around taking up space and being able to hear her footsteps, but she worked on self-compassion
The Process
– Emily had to surrender to the process, establishing “non-negotiables” like eating what she craved without altering recipes or restaurant orders
– It took hitting an “all-in” mindset moment before she could fully commit to recovery
– Her extreme hunger included things like eating entire tins of biscuits in one sitting
– Over time, she was able to incorporate a wider variety of foods like broccoli again
Emily’s advice is to be patient, show yourself compassion, and trust that consistent eating and time will allow you to get through extreme hunger.
