If you’ve been struggling with bulimia in silence, afraid or embarrassed to speak up about your eating disorder and ask for help, you’re not alone. Only one in ten people with an eating disorder receive proper diagnosis and treatment, leaving many people to suffer alone. Expert eating disorder dietitians can help guide your healing journey and show you how to recover from bulimia. Take the first step today and learn how you can recover from bulimia in size steps with an eating disorder specialist by your side.
How to recover from bulimia in 6 steps:
Step 1: Assemble a care team
Bulimia recovery starts by assembling a team of eating disorder specialized professionals including a registered dietitian, a therapist, a doctor, and a psychiatrist. Your care team can help you determine what level of care would best suit your physical and emotional needs.
There are many options for treatment so you can find a provider or facility that aligns with your clinical, emotional, spiritual, and financial needs. Our specialized eating disorder dietitians offer outpatient care both virtually and in-person and are in network with several major insurance providers. Collaboration between the members of your care team is important, which is why we make communicating with your other providers one of our top priorities in your recovery.
Step 2: Create an eating plan
Your eating disorder dietitian will help you create an eating plan to nourish and rehabilitate your body in recovery. You can think of your meal plan as your “medicine”– it is designed to heal both your body and your mind so you can tackle all aspects of your recovery with strength and confidence.
First and foremost, your dietitian will determine how much you need to eat on your meal plan to reach a healthy weight for your body. If you’ve lost weight or your menstrual cycle has stopped, it is crucial that you replenish your body’s nutrient and energy stores.
Second, your meal plan can help you break the binge-restrict-purge cycle that keeps you stuck in your disordered eating behaviors. Many people with bulimia view bingeing as the “problem” that needs to be fixed. However, bingeing is typically just a response to eating too little, which can leave you feeling ravenous and vulnerable to overeating. By eating more, and eating more regularly, you will find your hunger and cravings to be much more manageable.
Finally, a meal plan can help regulate your hunger and fullness cues. Many people who struggle with an eating disorder report their hunger and fullness cues are no longer detectable or reliable. Eating with regularity reminds your body what it feels like to be hungry and be satisfied every couple of hours throughout the day.
The most effective bulimia recovery meal plan will incorporate regular, balanced meals with a variety of foods that meet your energy needs.
Step 3: Explore stress and coping strategies
Despite what many people believe, eating disorders are rarely about food. In fact, most people with eating disorders struggle with other mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD, or substance abuse– and food becomes part of their coping strategy. Bingeing and purging may serve a deep emotional purpose, like a way to avoid, distract, numb, punish, or comfort yourself.
To truly heal from an eating disorder like bulimia, it’s important to address underlying stressors and develop new, healthy coping skills to manage your emotions. Your dietitian and your therapist can help you identify your triggers and find ways to feel better outside of the eating disorder.
Step 4: Practice body acceptance
Body image and self esteem tend to be low for those struggling with an eating disorder. When your self worth is deeply attached to your weight and your appearance, it can feel very uncomfortable to see your body change in size or shape as a part of your recovery. Your therapist and dietitian can help you navigate body image concerns and find ways to practice body acceptance or body neutrality. Your weight may change as a part of recovery. Remember, you don’t have to love everything about the way your body looks in order to take care of it.
Step 5: Find a support system
Having a support system outside of your care team is also important. Your support system might include family and friends. It might also include support groups, in-person meetings, or online meal support. Your support system will be made up of people who understand and respect your recovery goals, like, for example, not talking about calories or weight while you’re eating a meal.
You may also find support in the form of books, blogs, or social media accounts. Reading about others’ journeys to healing can be inspirational and educational.
Step 6: Explore food freedom with intuitive eating
Having a meal plan can be the first step towards normalizing and stabilizing your eating habits. As you progress through your recovery, you may work with your dietitian towards intuitive eating, or using your hunger and fullness cues to know when and how much to eat.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to eat cookies or pizza without an ounce of guilt or shame? Intuitive eating helps you explore what unhelpful dieting thoughts are getting in the way of you listening to your body and truly experiencing joy while eating.
Next steps
Bulimia recovery looks different for everyone. You may experience some slips and setbacks along the way. Remember, slips are not slides, and slides are not failures; relapsing does not mean you cannot fully recover from your eating disorder long term.
If you are ready to discover how to recover from bulimia, reach out to one of our expert eating disorder dietitians today. Early intervention is key– those who get help sooner rather than later have better treatment outcomes. We can help you end the purging cycle, nourish your body with a meal plan, and heal your relationship with food for good.
Kristin Jenkins is a dietitian nutritionist based in Maryland. She has been involved in the field of eating disorders and disordered eating for over 6 years and brings both personal and professional experience to her work serving clients who struggle with their relationship with food and their bodies.
