The Eating Disorder Recovery Blog

1. Identifying readiness and stage of change.

TL:DR- you don't need to feel 'ready'!

Recovery is rarely linear, and not everyone walks into their first appointment feeling fully ready to change. In fact, many people feel deeply ambivalent. A part of them may want freedom, flexibility, energy, and peace around food. While another part feels terrified of letting go of the behaviours that have helped them cope, and terrified of how loud and angry the ED gets when you don't do what it wants.

One of the first things we often explore together is your 'stage of change' or readiness for recovery. How are you feeling being here with me today? Are you feeling unsure? Curious? Resistant? Motivated? Exhausted? Somewhere in between?  Understanding this helps shape the approach we take together. For example, someone who is feeling highly motivated may be ready to make more direct behavioural changes, while someone feeling uncertain may first need space to build trust, increase awareness, know more about what the recovery process might involve, and understand the function their eating behaviours are serving. Recovery cannot be forced, and meaningful change often begins with compassion and curiosity rather than pressure. My job is not to judge where you are at. My job is to understand it and meet you there.

2. Identifying goals together

A big part of treatment is identifying goals - both your personal goals and nutrition-related goals - and making sure these work cohesively together. Often, clients come in saying they want to “stop thinking about food all the time”, “feel less out of control around eating”, “have more energy”, “eat out socially without anxiety”, or “feel more present in life again.” These are incredibly important goals, and they help guide the work we do. From a nutrition perspective, goals may include improving meal consistency, increasing dietary adequacy, reducing restriction, building variety, challenging food rules, or supporting medical stability. The key is ensuring that the nutrition goals connect back to the bigger picture of what matters to you.

Recovery goals are also not static. We review them often and recalibrate as needed. What feels achievable at the beginning of treatment may shift over time as confidence, insight, and capacity grow. Sometimes goals become bigger; sometimes we need to slow things down and focus on stability and support. Both are okay

3. Meeting you where you're at

4. Working towards adequacy

A major component of recovery is working towards adequacy in the diet. Adequacy is about ensuring your body receives enough nourishment consistently and safely. This can include enough energy, enough carbohydrates and fats, enough flexibility, enough satisfaction, enough enjoyment, and enough satiety.

For some people, this means rebuilding regular eating patterns after long periods of restriction or infrequent eating occasions. For others, it means reconnecting with hunger and fullness cues, reducing compensatory behaviours, or learning that eating can be both nourishing and pleasurable.

Adequacy also includes emotional adequacy. Food is social, cultural, comforting, celebratory, and practical. Recovery often involves expanding the role food is allowed to play in your life again.

This process can feel confronting at times, especially when the eating disorder has convinced someone that safety exists in control or avoidance. But over time, adequate nourishment supports improved concentration, mood stability, emotional regulation, sleep, digestion, energy, and the ability to engage more fully in life.

5. Building a support team when needed

Eating disorders are rarely “just about food.” The dietary behaviours we see are often symptoms of deeper distress, coping mechanisms, anxiety, perfectionism, trauma, emotional overwhelm, or difficulties with identity and self-worth.

This is why part of my role is identifying when additional support may be helpful, particularly from a psychologist experienced in eating disorders. Therapy can help untangle the thoughts, fears, emotions, and underlying patterns that maintain the eating disorder, while nutrition support helps rebuild safety and trust with food and the body.

Recovery is most effective when care feels collaborative. If needed, I can help guide clients towards building a support team that may include a psychologist, GP, psychiatrist, family supports, or other allied health professionals.

Most importantly, recovery does not require you to do it all alone.

You are already deserving of support

Recovery is not always straightforward, and it does not always happen quickly. But healing is always possible- our team see it every day! Life can become bigger than food rules, body checking, guilt, anxiety, and constant mental noise around eating. The process begins with support, compassion, and the understanding that you are worthy of care exactly as you are today.

If you're feeling like your relationship with food, movement, or your body is taking away from you as much as it gives, or just isn't sustainable- ie you don't want to still be stuck in the same place 10 years from now- that's enough reason to reach out.

Want to make a booking with Anna or our Dietetics Team?

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