Regular eating is the cornerstone of behavioural change and is a key aspect of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-E), and is needed to recover from an eating disorder. It involves eating three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and one to three snacks spread out throughout the day with an aim to make sure you are eating every 3-4 hours. This is to prevent excessive hunger or binge eating from restricting food intake, as well as stabilise blood sugar. The next step is to have a balanced range of nutrients in each meal or snack such as carbohydrates, proteins and fat. This has the aim of making sure portions meet energy and nutritional needs, which may have been intentionally or unintentionally neglected or restricted during the eating disorder to prevent the fear of immediate, catastrophic weight gain.
Regular eating also starts to tackle reducing and minimising dietary rules such as calorie counting and restrictive or compensatory behaviours, such as meal skipping, purging, over eating, spitting or chewing.
This aspect of change allows moderation and balance rather than extreme behaviours at either end of a spectrum such as binge eating or restricting food intake. Moderation and flexibility form a healthy relationship with food, rather than restriction and rigidity. It can be really hard to listen to hunger cues if you have not had any for a while and this is why intuitive eating isn’t recommended in eating disorder recovery; hunger cues get disrupted, so eating on a schedule helps to establish regular food intake, so the body knows that more food is coming, rather than there being scarcity around food. Regular eating helps gradually rebuild trust in the body’s natural hunger and fullness signals.
I hope this short and sweet blog today helps you understand the basics and foundations of eating disorder recovery.
Hi, I’m Becky Grace Irwing, I’m a BABCP Accredited CBT & EMDR qualified Therapist and qualified Mental Health Nurse. I spent 8 years as a Mental Health Nurse and 3 years as a CBT Therapist. I have worked across many mental health services for 14 years including acute, forensic and CAMHS services as well as University Mental Health and Disability Services and a London talking therapies service. I have a background history as a Fitness and Yoga Instructor of 10 years, and worked in the fitness industry from the age of 17 to 35.
I specialise in Eating Disorders, Neurodiversity and complex trauma issues and the link between those. I have a lived experience of binge eating for nearly 30 years, recovered for 7 years. I have ADHD and self diagnosed with Autism.
I’m also a dog Mum of two sausage dogs, human first, like to knit and I’m sustainability conscious.
My career highlights are being nominated for student nurse of the year for the Nursing Times and working in University Mental Health Services for 4 years; I loved working with students who were neurodivergent with a complex background of mental health and disability difficulties the most.
I'd love to hear from you for a free 20 minute introduction call to see how I can help you.
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