Traditional eating disorder recovery advice tends to be harmful for autistic people. Many regulation techniques are often labeled as behaviors to be eliminated, which can lead to feelings of hopelessness. But there is another way!

In today’s episode, Livia speaks to Rob about his personal journey with binge eating disorder and how discovering his autism has helped him develop more effective coping strategies. We discuss the limitations of one-size-fits-all approaches to recovery, the concept of the “adaptive eating spectrum,” and the importance of forging your own path when it comes to living a meaningful life.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The nuanced view of calorie counting as a potential self-regulation tool rather than always being harmful
• How walking can help anchor autistic people in safety
• Why traditional eating disorder treatment approaches often fail autistic individuals
• Impact of the pandemic on eating habits and mental health
• Viewing eating “disorders” as adaptive responses to a neurotypical world
• Developing personalized coping mechanisms that work for your unique nervous system

🌈 Join the Autistically ED-Free Membership
🎙️ Listen to my free audiotraining on Autism and Eating Disorders
📖 Access my free extreme hunger guide for answers to the top 10 questions about extreme hunger!

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

Contact Rob at bingefreerob[at]gmail[dot]com

It’s time for another spontaneous life update! In this unscripted episode, I share some major changes and exciting announcements – including new books, moving overseas, the launch of the Autistically ED-Free Membership, reflections on the fear of relapse, and how I’m dealing with my own fear of failure.

🌈 Join the Autistically ED-Free Membership
💗 Join the Liv Label Free weekly newsletter
🎙️ Listen to my free audiotraining on Autism and Eating Disorders
📚 Read my books about autism and eating disorders

How many calories should you eat in anorexia recovery? I used to obsessively watch “What I Eat in a Day” videos and scroll Reddit threads in a desperate attempt to answer this question. But the more I searched, the more lost and confused I felt. If you resonate with the fear of “not knowing how much to eat,” this episode will transform how you approach food freedom.

You’ll learn:

• Why asking “how much should I eat?” is rooted in fear of weight gain rather than a genuine lack of knowledge
• The connection between early-onset eating disorders and difficulty trusting hunger cues
• What a typical day of extreme hunger looks like in anorexia recovery
• Why the unpredictable nature of honoring hunger is especially challenging for the autistic mind
• Why the recovering body requires far more calories than society deems “normal”

🌈 Join the Autistically ED-Free Membership
📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger
📖 Access my free extreme hunger email course for answers to the top 10 questions about extreme hunger!
📝 Read the blog post of this episode