I know this is a tough day for many of you. I made a little video to cheer you along, and to also remind you of the importance of not doing what I call “event restricting.”
Happy Thanksgiving from Colorado!
Event restriction is when you “save” calories for later. You perceive that you will eat more than normal at Thanksgiving dinner, and so you restrict earlier in the day to prepare. Or you exercise more. Either way, it doesn’t work. All that will happen is that you will be even more anxious and fearful of eating at dinner time. This is because restriction strengthens anorexia. The more you restrict, the more your brain fears eating, and the more your brain wants you to move. This could be boiled down to the migration response. Migrating animals eat very little and move a lot because stopping to feed all the time limits one’s ability to migrate and get to where you need to go. If you restrict at breakfast time, your brain thinks that there is scarcity in the environment, and therefore wants you to move to where there is more food.
Yes, a malnourished brain and body is very sensitive to any increase in restriction. Less food coming in at breakfast creates turmoil. Your anxiety heightens and you are less able to relax and eat later.
So … do not event restrict. Eat a big breakfast on Thanksgiving day, and a big lunch, and a big dinner and snack all day! Rest and eat. And repeat tomorrow!
Happy Thanksgiving
Tabitha Farrar
U are beyond amazing..im sttuggling and i dont want to be..im desperare to recover and scared and alone but you are helping me..THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TELLING ME ITS OKAY TO EAT!!
Hei Tabitha!
I have just founded your blog and this website. I have been suffering anorexia for 12 years now. ED has become a big obstacle between me and my work and, well normal life. And this situation really piss me off!! I am so tired being afraid of sitting and not to move all the time. I can eat, yes, but I still count calories. I have been satisfied, because my weight has not altered for months. But it IS NOT OK! I am still a bit underweight (bmi 16). Iam ok with that, but most irritating thing is this sitting problem and lower level movement. I was so happy to finding your blog about this dilemma, I was not only lunatic in this world who is afraid on sitting still! And there is even a name for it! Here in Finland we have national program of minimize adverse affects of sitting. 😀 So you can imagine, how I really can not sit at all! So, the point is: can you write about, how to get rid of this phobia of sitting and not to stand all the time. It would be magnificent!! Thank you! <3
Absolutely Nella! I will do
Thank you about your last video! It really encouraged me. <3 I want to relax and get my life back!