The Abundance Approach // An AWESOME tool for ED recovery

In this video I talk about something that helped me SO much in my recovery journey: taking an abundance approach. I discuss what it is, what the key components of mine were and what this looked like practically for me to implement.
If you would be interested in a more hands-on video of me going through the 10 key components of my abundance approach then let me know in the comments below as I would be happy to do this.
Please note: everyone's recovery journey is unique and it may be that not all of these points are accessible or relevant to you so please, as always, take what helps and leave the rest.
Thanks again for all your support! Emily xx
Website: www.isr-recovery.com
Instagram: @emilyspence__
Podcast: Unrestricted

[@BeccaDoss]

This is an excellent video, and I love how you’ve explained the concept here. I definitely think a video where you go into more practical detail on what it would look like would be super helpful, but this is already a great overview. Thank you for this.

[@emilyspence2961]

Thanks so much Becca: I will definitely be making a practical video on this after the wedding x

[@AC_2.4-10]

I was so grateful to hear you and Han return for another "season" of your podcast, Emily! You both mentioned this concept in that episode, and this video was great too. I so agree an abundance mindset and actions are very impactful for overcoming both the mental AND physical restriction. I'm so grateful for your "Please note" comment too - EVERY one of our journies is unique in some way. For heavy restrictors this approach takes all the power away from food and puts it in its proper place. Love your wisdom and thank you so much for all you do to share it with others. Blessings to you - and prayers as I know this is a busy month leading up to your wedding!! 🙏🥰

[@emilyspence2961]

It's fabulous to be back! And yes its something I've mentioned a few times and I really wanted to create a video that gave na overview of what I did as it helped me so much :) And thank you, it feels really important to me that this is an inclusive space and whilst I share my experience here I want everyone to know that their journey is unique and that they should take what helps and leave the rest

[@AC_2.4-10]

@@emilyspence2961 ❤

[@traceywright9724]

Yes please to practical video. Your videos and podcast are helping me so so much. ❤

[@emilyspence2961]

I'm so glad they are helping and will definitely do the practical video x

[@charlottehoward3521]

I love this idea and all your videos on it. Im scared to do it though because I worry with my extreme hunger I would end up binging on it all as I could easily eat packets and packets of biscuits, cakes, chocolate etc all in one go if I let myself. I hear everyone say your weight will stabilise at its set point but surely if that was the case then there would be no obese people. Its so difficult as I want that freedom but terrified of becoming overweight. Do you have any advice ?? Also a practical video would be really helpful. Thank you 🙂

[@emilyspence2961]

Hi Charlotte, there is a lot we could discuss together in this comment but to keep it as short and sweet as possible: feast eating in RED recovery (also known as post-starvation hyperphagia) is a normal and natural biological reaction that enables the body to reach a place of full nutritional rehabilitation (weight restored and out of energy deficit). A restricted body has a very strong desire to get out of energy deficit and return to its set weight range; a range that is biologically pre-determined and part of this approach to recovery is all about accepting your unsupressed state and rewiring the fear of weight gain that is a component of the ED mindset. I really hope this helps and I will definitely be doing a practical video, thank you xx

[@fatimasellami9018]

What a timely video emily… came when i really needed it! about to watch now, thank you so much for everything you do for the recovery community 💞

[@emilyspence2961]

Super happy to share and help however I can :) Thank you for your love and support x

[@susan_e]

You packed a lot in this video - will definitely watch/listen to several times. Thank you for sharing; your videos are always appreciated.

[@emilyspence2961]

Thank you Susan :)

[@claire...9511]

Great practical tips and would love more too!! Puts those ideas in to actions which is where I need to DO IT!!

[@emilyspence2961]

Thank you! x

[@strawbelly-zk1fi]

i always have a stocked pantry with *kilos* of nuts but i am scared of buying a lot of produce or dairy products that will go bad if i don't eat them in time also hoarding food was a symptom of my ED so when is my well stocked pantry too well stocked? as someone who has struggled with binge eating and anorexia i think its hard to find a good measure

[@emilyspence2961]

Hey, I am (very slowly but surely) in the process of making a video mini-series to break down the various aspects of this approach and hope that this will provide some more clarity about the practical application of it as a recovery tool. Regarding your questions: 1) This is something I very much experienced inside my ED and challenging it for me meant buying the things I was worried would go off and eating them (for me, I recognised that this fear had aspects of food scarcity, money scarcity and food perfectionism showing up within it and challenging it was crucial). 2) Hoarding is indeed a behaviour that commonly occurs inside an ED and I think that answering a question like this requires us to get brutally honest with ourselves about if the food stores are being stocked and saved (food scarcity behaviours), or permitted and embraced. Thank you again for your questions and I hope this helps- wishing you all the best xx

[@AshleyBitton]

It's so funny, I just looked at my refrigerator the other day and I thought, wow it looks so different than to when I had an eating disorder. Now my fridge and cupboards are full of so much yummy and delicious food. And the best part is, I look forward to it all. I remember when I wouldn't even want to look in the kitchen for fear I would eat too much. Now I get scared if I don't have all the foods I love in the house. It's also great to be able to offer guests proper food when they come over. Really great video and message Emily. Big hugs from LA!! 🤗🫶❤❤❤❤

[@paulawhittaker3538]

Would like to know more about the part where you felt you didnt need to eat the initial amounts you started out on. Did you know it was happening? Do you now follow an Intuitive eating approach? I'm now a year into recovery but I had to do it on my own it was very much still counting & measuring. I'm now trying to give up the measuring & counting using an app & it's been very hard. Sometimes after a day or 2 or even a week I freak out and have to go back.

[@emilyspence2961]

Not sure I totally understand the first part of this question Paula: please feel free to drop me a message on Instagram or via my website as it is easier to discuss on there :) As for your next question: I now eat very much intuitively, honouring all my hunger and listening to my body. Brilliant job for coming to this point in your recovery journey and for recognising the need to challenge the measuring/counting. I am going to break each of the 10 steps detailed in this video down in a more practical video to show how I did each one which I hope will be helpful to you and I also did a video a while ago about combatting numbers in recovery. Also, please hold onto the truth that slip ups & set-backs are part of the process but that what matters is that you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and carry on. The more you challenge this, the easier and more natural it will become and you should be proud of yourself for your resilience and determination xx

[@mimiarraiza5803]

Do you think it'd possible to fully recover while vegetarian?

[@emilyspence2961]

I think that it can be possible yes. However I also think that for some people vegetarianism is part of their ED and something that therefore must be challenged OR it is something that has to be 'put on a shelf' for the recovery process with an option to return to it if they choose to once ED free.

[@maxik.1551]

I'd love a practical video to that topic!

[@emilyspence2961]

No problem at all: will definitely be making one :) Thank you for your support

[@claire...9511]

Hi Emily, I think you might enjoy a book just released by Helly Barnes. “Addicted to Energy Deficit”. I am currently reading and it’s making so much sense. Highly recommended.

[@emilyspence2961]

Ah yes Claire, Helly's new book is a great one!

[@soniaperez9269]

Binge amd purging is my main fear regarding having an abundance of foods in the house

[@emilyspence2961]

Hey Sonia, everyone's journey is unique and this is why I say to 'take what helps and leave the rest' in the notes. It is important to remember though that feasting in recovery from a restrictive eating disorder is actually incredibly normal and natural and that the solution to that feasting/binging is permission not restriction. Obviously I recognise there is nuance to everyone's journey but I just want you to hear these words and know that whilst safeguarding against purging can be incredibly important: this can and should be very different to safe-guarding against abundant eating/feasting. Sending love x

[@emmabarrett9951]

Surely this is bingeing though?

[@susan_e]

I saw it similarly at first, but have somewhat recently come to a different mindset. The way I understand it, from speaking with my therapist, is that I am underweight, and therefore need to eat more food throughout the day, regardless of FEELING hungry, to get into the 'appropriate weight range' I was given by my dietician. I live a pescatarian lifestyle and prioritize protein and fats, as well as whole grains, carbs. I also enjoy sweets when I want them. Definitely always looking to ADD, like Emily suggested. Still working on getting enough snacks each day. Hope this helps.

[@emersonb.5399]

If you’ve been starving yourself ‘binging’ on food is normal. It’s your body’s natural response to starvation. Repairing the damage you’ve done to your body requires massive amounts of energy, and calories are energy. Think of it like oxygen - if you go underwater and hold your breath for as long as you possibly can, when you come back up you will gasp for air. Your body wants to get as much air in as it can as quickly as it can. It’s the body’s normal, natural response to oxygen deprivation. In the same way, your brain responds to a period of starvation by urging you to eat lots and lots of food to make up for the months or years of deprivation. Extreme hunger is scary but it will go away over time as long as you respond to it and do not fight it. The only way out is through.

[@emmabarrett9951]

When your binges leave you feeling physically sick and out of control they do more harm than good. There are more gentle approaches to this.

[@susan_e]

@@emmabarrett9951 As Emily said, each journey is different so do what works for you - take what you need, leave the rest. Eating mindfully works for me.

[@emersonb.5399]

⁠@@emmabarrett9951 In my experience, you are going to feel ‘out of control’ during recovery. The feeling of control comes from the eating disorder and so to recover we have to let go of it. It’s scary but we have to remind ourselves that the feeling of control the ED offers is false. When we restrict we aren’t actually in control at all, we are being controlled by our fear and anxiety.