You can be starving while eating 2,000 calories a day

One of the biggest misconceptions about eating disorders and energy deficit in general is that someone must be eating close to nothing to “qualify” as “sick enough.” When I tell people I had anorexia, the response is often “Oh, so you just didn't eat?”

I ate close to 2,000 calories when I was at my sickest. In fact, eating that amount is how I lost most of the weight in the first place. Because this number is considered the “recommended” daily intake by our better-termed-sickcare “healthcare” system, I didn’t believe I even had a problem. How could I have anorexia if I was eating a “normal” amount?

The danger of such numbers (including BMI and the fact that eating disorders are often only recognized when someone is “underweight”) is that they do not take individual factors into account. I have a naturally fast metabolism and require MUCH more food than what is “recommended,” meaning 2,000 calories a day was a starvation diet for me.

I hope my experience provides you with a sense of solace and permission to honor your needs in the same way honoring mine has given me my life back. Yes, you may gain weight (as I did during extreme hunger, don’t even get me started on how many calories I ate then!), but you’re gaining so much more; your smile, your concentration, your mental clarity, your strength, just to name a few!

If you want to read my full story documenting my own eating disorder recovery, grab a copy of my book Rainbow Girl!