extreme hunger in anorexia recovery | my advice as someone who's been there | meal support

[@cherr1bunn127]

while i was on anorexia recovery i was experiencing exactly what u said and got so scared and this fear of being out of control made me relapse but now im slowly convincing myself to go on recovery again cuz i want to enjoy food again without feeling guilt. tysm, ur vid gave me so much motivation to keep getting better, ur amazing

[@lillysscenery]

Wish u all the best💗 u deserve to feel good mentally and physically and i hope youll get to that💕

[@bruhlol534]

i am currently watching this sobbing while eating an entire box of cereal. recovery videos like this are honestly the only thing keeping me sane throughout this process. i feel so isolated right now, even more than i did with my ed. thank you so much for this. it helps so much more than you know

[@rosameijering5161]

Yes i feel you had the same, because everything comes to the surface and is not hiding anymore. But you cam do it! You just need to get over the hyper focus on food, and find a way that works the best for your body. You will get much more back than you could have ever imagined, trust me

[@weeejr96]

Extreme hunger is a real thing. I've had to deal with it a couple of times, and it's quite scary because it's so different to what you're used to and all the rules you've made for yourself. As much as your body tells you to eat more during this time, it also comes a time when the extreme hunger feelings naturally stops when your body and hormones are balanced. The body is amazing. It should be honoured, respected and given the energy it needs, always. Good video Millie, would be interesting to see more like this xx

[@00sbaee]

hell yeah. if anyone is still here and needs to hear it: i devoured half of food in my fridge rn and it felt amazing. i finally feel like I’m not depriving myself. so much unhealthy food too, i feel so good after restricting it for sooo long!!! im so glad i chose to recover and i feel so nice now

[@DC-mz4lm]

How are you now? My extreme hunger started a week ago and I feel like I'm crazy, it's nice to hear others in the same situation

[@giac4rang1]

i'm also literally going through this situation rn and dealing with so much guilt which makes me consider relapsing but i really wanna enjoy food and nourish my body, i don't wanna give up but i don't want my extreme hunger to continue either, i feel so weird

[@giac4rang1]

plus, proud of you that you're gaining your life back

[@lovelidoll]

i just wanna say something, i’ve had extreme hunger for the past week and a half. ITS A PAIN. the bloating, the stomach pains, THE HUNGER 😭. all about it is HORRIBLE, but it does get better. my hunger’s still extreme, and my body still gets over-fixated on some foods, but i’m so much more comfortable. the bloating does get better, your stomach pains will get better, everything will. don’t let your discomfort make you relapse, it doesn’t work. you’ll just have to go through it over again and it will keep on being an unstoppable cycle. you’ll get your control again, i promise you, just be strong ❤️

[@DC-mz4lm]

Same, mine started at the same time😭 I did a wat I eat in a day today for myseld and I really hope I will laugh at this in a few months🥲

[@alexthomas96]

I literally just ate an extra protein bar bc i was craving it SOOO much and i felt like jumping off a cliff afterwards, i'm so happy that you published this vid right when i needed it the most omg 😭 recovery is so scary, and it's even scarier when extreme hunger hits out of the blue :(

[@alexdai5024]

Maybe you should start your own mental health & recovery podcast! I would 100% listen to it!!❤️🙏

[@Pluto-tj9mq]

Hun this is EXACTLY what I’m going through right now, and it is bloody difficult but eating intuitively is what is truly what’s working for me right now. Thank you so so much you explained everything really clearly and succinctly ♥️

[@__therealrapunzel]

i feel for you, learning to eat intuitively is sooo hard, but you’ve got this i promise! it’ll get easier, im so proud of you

[@am0reena]

I turned 18 in September and was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa in august. I’m going to be starting inpatient care soon and I’m scared. I think I’m starting to experience extreme hunger too. You are very motivating to watch because it’s hard for me to see myself ever being fully recovered but watching you recover is inspiring. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and encouragement❤

[@Sealmelody24]

Ive just started ana recovery after being told i could have a heart attack and might have to quit school because of low weight and its been really hard but videos like this really get me through thank you so much :)

[@emilythornton10]

Crazy how many ppl deal with the same things. It’s so sad but also knowing your not alone is a great feeling. I wish everyone the best of luck! Ik it’s hard, I’m dealing with it right now too. It really sucks but we r fighters!! The world today is so sad. Weight doesn’t matter, but ur health and happiness does!! 🥰

[@lorienrhiannonmorganpaulson]

I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa when I was 14. I was underweight for 3 years and I had extreme control issues around food. I was devastated when I had to try and recover. I experienced extreme hunger for months. I was terrified of losing control but I couldn’t help it. I ended up developing binge eating disorder and have now had that for 4 years. I’m so upset! Too many times I have heard people say that extreme hunger isn’t the same as binge eating… but my extreme hunger literally became a binge eating disorder and honestly I can cry myself to sleep from how traumatic this all was. I really don’t know anyone else who has gone from anorexia nervosa to binge eating disorder… ❤❤❤❤

[@venus.priestess]

i relate to this so much, you are not alone ❤️‍🩹

[@sophiadossantosnascimento8283]

heyy, i know it’s been a long time since you’ve been to this video, but have you been well since then? i’m currently going through treatment for my restrictive e.d, and i don’t know whether this will help you but i would like to say that it’s kind of expected that u would go through a binge fase after being hungry for so long. now you’re kind of anxious to eat because you’ve been starving and restricting for so long. it’s ok!! i feel so sorry that you had to go through both kind of eating disorders, one followed by another and still haven’t experienced a good relationship with food. i wish you the best❤️

[@lorienrhiannonmorganpaulson]

@@sophiadossantosnascimento8283 Hi! Thank you so so much for your lovely comment. I am truly touched. You’re so kind! I appreciate that you say it’s expected to go through a binge phase after having a restrictive eating disorder. I totally agree with you! I think it’s because I am so upset and angry at myself for binge eating, that I perpetuate the cycle by not accepting that binging is a natural response to what I’ve been through. I know that I only binge eat because somehow my brain never recovered from the starvation. I shouldn’t really tell people in anorexia recovery about my own experiences, because I think it’s deeply triggering and I would never want anyone to go through what I did. But there is always hope and I’m trying to feel better. I really hope that your recovery is going okay. Sending you so much love and hope! 💜💜

[@Ambibsopmop]

​@@lorienrhiannonmorganpaulsonI appreciate you dont want to trigger other people. Dont worry. Your not alone, ive seen so many people in comment sections with this problum. Your one of the only ones i've seen though who still respect the recovery mindset and don't completly dis it in a recovery commet section. Thank you

[@lorienrhiannonmorganpaulson]

@@Ambibsopmop thank you so much for your reply! I am very grateful for what you have said. I recognise that my story isn’t one that many people would want to hear, as it is a pretty disheartening story. Thank goodness many people don’t go from one extreme to the other! I am sorry for those who do… regardless, hope is never lost and balance can always be restored. After 8+ years of my eating disorder, I am closer to full recovery than I imagined I could get. 😌😌

[@SofieBieber]

Thank You so much for making this video! I can relate to this, and I am going though it all right now. Thank you again for making me feel seen and not alone!!

[@animejesus8940]

thank you so much for this video, i only recently started my recovery journey, it’s almost 4am and i was debating with myself whether or not to have the leftovers in the fridge (for multiple reasons), i felt like i needed reassurance that it is absolutely okay and this was that!

[@ljosadis1831]

I really like to listen to you. The way you are talking is so calming to me. And this topic ist so important and you let me feel a bit more safer. Thank you❤️ And I would really like to watch more videos and also more talks🙈

[@__therealrapunzel]

aww thank you so much this is so lovely

[@kjhiuhuihhijkjkj3571]

this is something i'm going through right now, i eat so much that my stomach is too full and i feel like i wanna vomit but at the same time my mind is still hungry, like in my head i still wanna eat :( this is so messed up

[@sofiatyrone5745]

Cómo sigues

[@bee7867]

I just started recovery a few weeks ago and I think I’m experiencing extreme hunger, but I am still at the point where I’m clinging to the disorder, if that makes sense, and not responding to the hunger I feel. I find it really hard mentally to even eat my meal plan meals, but then I feel super hungry after I’ve finished them. I feel ashamed to ask for more because it’s not on my meal plan that already focuses on numbers. My parents make up the meals, so I don’t get to ask for or create what I’m craving; I’m not sure if I would even if I could. How do I get over this type of guilt and ask for what I need? I feel like I will never be able to listen to my hunger due to the guilt I experience. Anyways, sorry for the long paragraph and thank you for the video! I just discovered your channel and it’s really helping me :)

[@MukbangMondays]

Hey I’m feeling this right now did anything help? How are you now

[@bee7867]

@@MukbangMondays Hi I’m sorry this is so so late I hope you are doing better now- I am on a different type of program (not family based anymore)-and I found that it really helped to stop calorie counting and eat what I craved in the moment- we have to honor our hunger to get better because the mealplan is just a baseline- our body is asking for more and that’s what it needs :) really just a mindset shift which is the HARDEST thing with an mental disease and I still struggle with it but once you eat what you really want just ONCE it gets easier to give yourself unconditional permission to eat- good luck!

[@TheGamingSpoon69]

I’m ngl, I often spend days feeling absolutely exhausted and it often feels like my body doesn’t want to move a single muscle, well; except my jaw muscles I suppose, I just get signals to eat and eat and eat, even if I binged the day before (usually I purge/restrict the day after). But my body just desires food throughout the day non stop and wants to eat. I’m still kinda in the messy middle and still try to some test restrict, not as much, but I still try to limit my calories and fats/sugars/salt. Rn I should be in my Uni class but I felt too tired to even get ready and walk over to the lecture building, u think the body dysmorphia doesn’t help too, and if I eat I often feel like I don’t deserve to be seen by others without a horrible feeling of guilt and shame, and I get scared. Currently went through literally two packs of chewing gum to deal with the hunger… I’m not even that severely underweight (BMI is like 16.5), but I’m just constantly thinking about food and eating, is this valid? I just feel so scared and stressed :(

[@sophiadossantosnascimento8283]

of course it’s valid! i’m going through the same thing… i go to sleep thinking about my breakfast, most of the time i can’t focus 100% on my studies thinking about eating and i spend the whole week worrying about what i’m gonna eat on saturday (the day i allow myself to eat something sweet or something different than usual). i know it might sound kind of obvious and i know that this is definitely not how it works, but if you’re feeling so hungry, you’re allowed to eat something that will make you feel better! you can eat and if you “”””””lost control”””” and eat “””””more than you should””””, it’s totally fine!!! it means that you liked and you deserve to enjoy the happiness of eating that! wish you luck❤️❤️

[@C0pr0l1th]

Yesssss Millie’s back

[@bubble_gum_witch]

Thank you so much for making this video, I started ‘recovering’ 4 months ago but i still do intermittent fasting. These past few days I realized that I actually have to go all in and let go of all the rituals I have surrounding food. I have reallyyy bad bloating and constipation so i just want to heal my body once and for all. Im thinking of maybe going to therapy but thats such a scary thought.. I Also thought my ed had turned into binge eating disorder so it’s really relieving to hear that its probably not the case. I just dont know if extreme hunger happens to people that had anorexia for less than a year like me.

[@WellThat.happened]

u can experience extreme hunger without anorexia. Extreme hunger ussually is when u don't eat for days and then suddenly your body cannot take it anymore and u start binging out of control. It's almost impossible to stop it, the only way is to give in and wait till the cravings finallly stop as this is the way of body ''healing'' from the damage of starvation.

[@bubble_gum_witch]

@@WellThat.happened thank you for the comment, but im just so paranoid i think my extreme hunger will never stop😔

[@WellThat.happened]

@@bubble_gum_witchIt definitely should if u won't get obsessed to the taste of foods 😅

[@moonlovesme]

@@WellThat.happened I was heavy underweight and basically wasn’t even hungry anymore, then I started to eat again because I wanted to change the way I felt and started to allow myself to eat, then I eat a lot and restrict myself the other days so it’s a never ending cycle ☹️ I used to eat a whole bunch of nuts and I kept eating. It’s really the worst so now I’m again at fasting for 4 days and idk what to do

[@WellThat.happened]

@@moonlovesme I don't know how to respond to you in how to help you since I myself haven't recovered. I suggest finding someone who understands you and then try talking it out, because for me I'm doing this only just so others can notice how hard I'm struggling. I'm currently in a horrible state myself by trying to end myself with dry fasting and I honestly came to the conclusion I'll never find a way out of this since I've tried recovering and it only got worse because of it. So the only way for me is to leave, but that is not for all people. I genuinely think you can make it and start loving yourself by having a healthy lifestyle. Trust me it's really scary to have health complications and people actually really care for you, even your parents. Please find a way to live happily, it's possible because some of the patients with EDs really recover and be happier than ever.

[@Olivia-qv9pb]

Congratulations to you for being recovered. I developed anorexia at 17 and still trying to recover at 33. 🙈🙈

[@shaelybjorn5889]

Hey hey glad to see you’re doing so well here! I had a question about feeling nauseous when eating, when I eat a normal sized meal for me in recovery, I feel extremely sick and anxious to the point where nausea would take over and I’d be ill. Just wondering if anyone can give some advice! Thanks!!

[@AlyssaSky217]

personally when i first started to allow myself normal sized meals i started to feel nauseous because my body wasn’t used to eating normal sized meals for so long, after i started eating more nutritional dense meals regularly my body got used to it and the nauseous feeling started to fade away maybe that could be the same for you or maybe not all bodies are different :)

[@moonlovesme]

Start with small portions!! I started eating Proteins, Carbs with fats and it helped me a lot

[@toopeep27]

I thought your lunch was raspberry strudel and peas 😭😭 love the video!!

[@FrumpetMoof]

If you’re experiencing extreme hunger for a whole year, aren’t you consistently gaining weight that entire year and won’t you go to far the other way? This is a genuine question 💕

[@Hrrtshapedsunglasses]

Hi. I know you’re asking her, but i would like you to know that even if you gain more weight than you had before, your hunger will level out and you will lose the extra weight. I reccomend recovering with ro’s recovery Q and A. She answers this exact questions.

[@mummytrolls]

I think it depends on the person, how much they eat, what point they’re in recovery, etc. Some ppl start recovery at like bmi 10 and need to gain like 50lbs. Some ppl do end up over their weight goal but the extreme hunger goes away and they unintentionally naturally lose some weight and go down to a healthy (or healthier) weight for their body. Some ppl experience hypermetabolism in recovery too combined with extreme hunger. At one point in my recovery I genuinely ate 3000-3500 calories a day and struggled to gain 1lbs a week due to hypermetabolism. I didn’t have extreme hunger then but I was eating a lot and still didn’t gain that one pound a week. My docs thought I was restricting or purging cus they couldn’t believe it at first!

[@mariannakontaratou893]

Thank you so much for this❤ I will be coming back to it every time I’m struggling You are an amazing person Millie Hope someday I get to meet you 🥹

[@jordynn777]

We love a Munch With Millie!

[@__therealrapunzel]

i might actually steal this & use it as the name for this series

[@mirchen01]

This was so so helpful 🙏🏻

[@jijipop11037]

Thanks for these videos 🫶🏻🫶🏻

[@__therealrapunzel]

im so glad you like them! thank YOU for watching xxx

[@elinnorthe3622]

this is a huge rant but this video made me think a lot soo ye. i never got diagnosed wit any ed but i did/do struggle a lot with what/how much food to eat. what is really difficult and idk confusing for me is as u said, having these two parts in my head telling me all these things i should or shouldn't do. lately i also struggle a lot with like "reversed psychologie", i sometimes get confused about stuff like "do i really want an ice cream or is it just because i should bc that's what's good in recovery and ...?" yk. this is something that's really stressing me out but i kind of suspect it to be like an extreme hunger thing specific for ice cream for some reason. What's also really difficult for me is, i never really appreciate my goals and i always worry about not being perfect. this gets to the point where i feel like i have to "recover" perfectly and do like all the stuff my disordered eating thoughts wouldn't like. an example for that is when we went to a restaurant and they had really nice big bowls of salad as like a main course, i really felt like getting one of those but again "do i really want a salad or just bc it is lower in calories?" this makes it really difficult to truly listen to my body and give it what it wants. same thing with thinking about what i should make for myself. if i don't really crave anything specific i struggle with making just anything bc "what if it's the wrong thing?". all this stuff stresses me out a lot and i sometimes feel like i can't really function right. it is really difficult and scary and i really really hope for it to get better. This video helped me a lot to sort my thoughts tho. thank you so much for sharing all this. i feel like we kind of think the same, i often start rambling and thinking about stuff like this in y head, as if i'm in a podcast. well ye, idk what else to say but if anybody read this, thank u for listening to this rant

[@FrumpetMoof]

How did you stop counting calories in your head? How did you get past knowing the amount of calories in foods? I can’t look at food without thinking about the calories in it and it’s what stops me from recovering because it scares me so much.

[@paulawhittaker3538]

For me personally, it's taking a lot of time but like anything you have to keep working at it. You wont instantly forget calories, you wont instantly stop calculating but it will get easier. Sometimes you accept its happening but you remind yourself it's not what you want & move on. Eventually as you recover & your life in general improves you do find that you havent thought about calories or calculated stuff in your head. But as I said, it takes time plus be kind to yourself during this process. You've got this x

[@animejesus8940]

i’m currently going through the transition of trying not to think about the calories in foods, it’s really hard but i have to make an actual effort to not read labels on packaged food and not try to guess on unpackaged food. i’ve only stopped actively counting calories this past week and even if i know what they are in a particular food, i’m just telling myself that it’s okay to eat it regardless

[@genius2655]

Oh my goodness I haven't sen you in years! Your personality hasn't changed a bit. Glad I'm back :) Edit: I turned 20 a couple of months ago and I still don't know how to adult. And I've moved out. With my boyfriend. Oh well 💀

[@ElaineOrtega-f9k]

Omg thank you Millie for this amazing beautiful video !!!❤️❤️ I struggle with mental hunger is it Normal to not be physically hungry but want food and can’t stop thinking about it . Do I ignore it or listen to it??

[@MaggotMaggs420]

Listen to it!! If you ignore it, it will just continue to get worse!!!

[@amyweddle6635]

i feel the same, i got put on the weight restoration plan and it just doesn't feel enough, which began to make me feel guilt for feeling so hungry. i just have to remind myself that the weight i am restoring will distribute over time

[@moonlovesme]

I have a question tho, people say when you restrict your calories too much, your body will try to balance the in and out energy, so it will try to burn as little as possible. So if you were like eating in restriction for a long period of time, how is your body gonna want all the energy back, if you were actually eating the in and out energy? You get what I mean?

[@merlecle5638]

I love you so much❤❤ I wanted to order the diary to Germany but the link doesn't work😭

[@__therealrapunzel]

im afraid its only currently available to the uk, us and Canada, but I'm hoping to expand to international postage soon!

[@doveriley419]

Genuinely adore your channel, you've helped me a lot during recovery 🤍🤍🤍🤍

[@s0711ila]

I LOVE U ihope everything goes well in ur life ur the best

[@FrumpetMoof]

Is extreme hunger and binging the same? I want to recover from anorexia but I’m scared…

[@nadjastanisic4679]

no! extreme hunger isn't binging !

[@idobelieveinfaeries]

No, they are different. Firstly, there is no rational reason to fear any kind of urge to eat. Even for binge eaters, it's counterproductive to be afraid of the urge, or to resist having it. The primitive parts of your brain create urges to do things in favour of your survival. This is true for all animals. It does not mean you have lost control. Secondly, there is a difference between the behaviour of bingeing, vs eating in a large caloric surplus. Bingeing happens within a discrete period of time (e.g. an hour). In anorexia recovery, you might need double the normal amount of food, but not all in one go. Binge eaters don't necessarily eat a lot all of the time; they eat a lot at one time. So the best thing you can do to avoid binge eating is to honour your hunger continuously throughout the day, so that you won't have to eat so much in one go. It's true that extreme hunger increases your risk of developing a binge eating problem, but the more you restrict, the worse it gets. The only way out is through. I think that often we're given the impression that binge eating and anorexia are opposites, and mutually exclusive. As someone who's struggled with both, separately, and at the same time, I think this couldn't be further from the truth. Restriction will only ever increase your risk of binge eating. Binge eating is defined by a feeling of loss of control, so you might think that the feeling of control you get from restricting will protect you from that. But our sense of loss and gain of control is all relative. The more control you try to hold on to, the more control you have to loose. In recovery, you gently let go of control, so that you no longer have to fear the sudden loss of it that happens with a binge.

[@user-je4es4su9u]

@@idobelieveinfaeriesi think im dealing with extreme hunger and ive been trying to combat it by eating regularly and shit but i end up binging at night. ive tried googling a lot and nothings really helped. thank u so much this was really insightful and helped me understand why or how i feel a certain way

[@WellThat.happened]

@@idobelieveinfaeries I don't have a diagnosed ed and probably never will be, but I have a question. I still don't understand the difference in binging and extreme hunger. I struggle with restricting and then binging, would that be bed or just hunger?

[@It_is_katsch]

💖

[@cydneytait1793]

Not me watching this eating a kinder bueno at 5am lol😭

[@sylvia.67]

I love your vids!! Sorry if its too personal, but did you ever get your periods back? I'm in recovery and still have not gotten mine back yet.

[@__therealrapunzel]

it’s not too personal at all- it’s a big part of recovery! i have got my period back… i can talk about how to in a future episode if it would be helpful for you?

[@sylvia.67]

Hi!! Yes, I can absolutely agree with how getting your periods back after recovery is a big step for most people. I'm 4 months in recovery and still haven't gotten mine yet, but I think it would be really helpful! I'm trying not to lose hope too early. Thank you!: >@@__therealrapunzel

[@Rxby-s7l]

I gained al,ost 15kg more them what was required due to extreme hunger 😭

[@DucHongLe]

Hi!

[@bruhlol534]

i am currently watching this sobbing while eating an entire box of cereal. recovery videos like this are honestly the only thing keeping me sane throughout this process. i feel so isolated right now, even more than i did with my ed. thank you so much for this. it helps so much more than you know