When I first started recovery from my eating disorder (bulimia + orthorexia), I genuinely wanted to get better. I read the books. I watched the videos. I followed every “how to heal” tip I could find on the internet.
But… I also fell into so many recovery traps that just ended up prolonging getting better. (Spoiler: “30 bananas a day” was one of them. We’ll get to that.)
So, in this post, I want to share four major recovery traps I fell into – and what I actually needed to do instead to fully recover. If I can help you skip some of the detours I took, then hey, at least my mistakes served a purpose.
🚧 Trap #1: “As long as you eat enough calories, you’ll recover”
Okay, yes. Eating enough calories is crucial for recovery. But here’s where I got it wrong:
I was eating 2500–3000 calories a day… but within the rules of a super strict high-carb, low-fat vegan diet. Think: endless fruit, giant portions, no fats, no salt, no processed foods, nothing “unhealthy.”
I basically gave myself permission to eat… but only if it was “clean.”
I thought I was doing great! Until, of course, I realized I was still bingeing. Still obsessing. Still craving “forbidden” foods that were technically off-limits in that diet.
What actually helped me? Giving myself unconditional permission to eat everything. Carbs, fats, sugar, salt, processed foods, fast food, snack food. I mean everything. The real magic happened when nothing was off-limits anymore.
That’s when I finally felt satisfied. My hunger cues normalized. The obsession faded. And I felt actual freedom for the first time.
So yes – eat enough. But also eat freely. Unconditional permission to eat is where true recovery lives.
🏋️♀️ Trap #2: “You need to exercise to be healthy (even during recovery)”
Ohhh boy. This one was a big recover trap I fell into.
I thought I was doing the “healthy” thing by keeping up my workouts during recovery. A little yoga here, some walking there. Okay, maybe a lot of walking. And maybe a bit of compulsive exercise. You get the idea.
But here’s the truth: exercise is a form of stress. And if your body is already trying to repair from restriction and burnout, adding workouts on top of that is like yelling at someone who’s already having a panic attack. Not helpful.
Also, I didn’t know back then that exercise could be a form of purging – yep, it’s a thing. It’s called bulimia athletica or anorexia athletica. It doesn’t have to be vomiting to count as purging.
Once I learned this, I went cold turkey. No workouts. Just rest.
And within a few weeks? My bloating improved, hunger cues got clearer, and I felt like I finally moved forward in recovery after months of being stuck.
So no – exercise isn’t your recovery friend. Rest is. You’ll get back to joyful movement when you’re truly recovered. But for now, your body needs full rest.
😬 Trap #3: “If I eat too much, I’ll develop binge eating disorder”
Coming from bulimia, this one really scared me. I was already terrified of bingeing, and when I stopped restricting, my hunger didn’t just level out like I expected.
Nope. I was ravenous. Eating to fullness. Then past fullness. Then to how-is-this-even-possible levels of fullness.
I thought, “Wait… isn’t recovery supposed to mean normal eating??”
What I didn’t know was that I was experiencing extreme hunger – a completely normal, temporary phase that happens after restriction.
When I finally learned about extreme hunger, everything made sense. My body wasn’t broken. I wasn’t developing BED. My body was doing what it’s biologically designed to do: make up for lost fuel.
And when I trusted it – when I stopped trying to micromanage or suppress it – it passed. My hunger cues balanced out, and I started eating more intuitively. The fear started to fade.
So if you’re in that phase? Let your body eat. You’re not going backwards – you’re healing.
⚖️ Trap #4: “If I don’t restrict at least a little, I’ll just keep gaining weight”
Ah yes, the classic “I can’t let go of control or my weight will spiral forever” mindset.
I picked this one up young – diet culture got to me early. I thought the only way to keep my weight from ballooning was to manage it: healthy eating, portion control, “moderation,” exercise…
Even in recovery, I kept a little foot in the control door. I wasn’t technically dieting, but I still didn’t trust my body to regulate itself.
What finally helped me recover was learning about set point theory, metabolism recovery, and how our bodies want to reach balance – if we stop interfering.
When I ate enough, stopped restricting, and finally gave my body the rest it needed, something amazing happened. My hunger cues normalized. My metabolism sped up. And eventually, my body settled into a weight that it could maintain effortlessly – with no control required.
I don’t get to choose that weight, sure. But I do get to live without obsession, without restriction, and with full food freedom. And honestly? That’s priceless.
I dive deep into all of this in my book, BrainwashED, if you want to understand how dieting messes with our bodies and how to finally recover for good.
💛 Final Thoughts
So that’s it – those are the 4 recovery traps that kept me stuck way longer than I’d like to admit.
If you’re in recovery right now, I hope this helps you avoid those same mistakes. You don’t need to spend years stuck in half-recovery like I did. With the right info and support, you can heal so much faster.
And if you want step-by-step help and someone in your corner, I offer 1:1 recovery coaching where we can work together one-on-one- physically and mentally – so you don’t have to figure it out alone. You can also book one-off sessions with me if that’s more your thing.
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to share this with someone who needs it. Recovery is possible, and it’s so worth it.
