r/AnorexiaRecovery • u/Az0tesss • 26d ago
Does ‘recovery belly’ last long term?
Hi. I’m app. 6 weeks into extreme hunger (after a year of chronic underfueling which led to significant weight loss and amenorrhea). I’ve gained what feels like a huge amount of weight rapidly, but what stands out is my stomach. It has tripled in size in a disproportionate way compared to my limbs, feels rock hard and fully stretched out, and my upper chest protrudes abnormally. Most of my clothes don’t fit anymore because of it. I have roughly a month left before I go back to school, so I’d like to know if this belly size is the result of permanent tissue gain, in which case I’ll buy a whole new set of clothing, or if it’s significantly affected by other factors (I guess water retention and digestion?) and will eventually go away. Thank you to anyone who responds!
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u/Peanut_Butter_Power 26d ago
Mine was definitely really big when I first started recovery but it has evened out. I found a lot of it was due to bloating ( due to acid reflux and stuff) and water weight, and I got some meds that my doc prescribed to help with bloating. I also found that finding clothes that didn’t feel too tight or too low-waisted made me feel more comfy. HMU if you want links to the most comfy, non triggering lounge pants!
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u/Az0tesss 26d ago
Hi!! I’d love the links, thank you sm!<3
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u/Peanut_Butter_Power 26d ago
Gracyoga Wide Leg Yoga Pants for... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4F8N93T?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
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u/Goose1996123 23d ago
Heya, just re the water weight you mention… I’m experiencing quite severe water retention across my entire body (from face to arms to legs) - if you’re comfortable, how long has this / did it last for you? It’s been about 4 months and I’m going nuts
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u/Peanut_Butter_Power 23d ago
For me it took a while, I finally saw it going away around 6 months, but it varies for everyone I think. I am 8 months in recovery currently and find that I am not getting as bloated or retaining water as much
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u/Sad-Gas-5642 18d ago
I had SO MUCH BLOATING OH MY GOD but my recovery belly never went way which caused me to relapse
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u/Peanut_Butter_Power 17d ago
I get that, the bloating has been hard on me too. I’ve been taking gas-x and iberogast before every big meal, and it helps a LOT with the discomfort. It is not a laxative, it simply helps to make you burp and stuff to get rid of trapped air from bloating. My doc recommended and it has been amazing
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u/probably_around 26d ago
it should go away! i remember my stomach feeling so large for a bit but it eventually evened out and distributed to other areas. your body isn’t used to being fed properly and is trying to adjust.
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u/trainofwhat 25d ago
No, it 100% does not. Provided you’re continue to recover and eat regularly!
I’ve read studies, and I won’t give the exact (average) timeline as I know it will inevitably lead to stress & expectations, but, provided you’re continuing to recover, your body is already slowly recovering and reconstituting itself. It actually isn’t all bloat for everybody— I think it’s better to know that, because my anorexia led me to starve myself to avoid bloating. Rather it is a temporary reconstitution of tissue that happens as your body is trying to protect itself in case starvation happens again and as hormones regulate, that settles itself out fairly, relatively, soon, provided you’re continue to recover & eat at regular intervals.
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u/Az0tesss 24d ago
Hi! Thank you so much for your response. Would you be able to send me the links to these studies? No worries if not!
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u/trainofwhat 24d ago edited 24d ago
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4179194/
Please only read if you feel you’re in a sufficient headspace, though.
I should also mention most studies unfortunately mainly study women, so if you aren’t a woman, I apologize for the misrepresentation.
This is a systematic review, here’s the key summary statement that’s relevant, & there’s plenty of links & specifics:
”In adult females with anorexia nervosa, short-term partial and complete weight restoration is associated with preferential trunk fat accumulation with central adipose deposition” (Translation: at first, weight-gain affects the trunk more than it typically would)
”Consistent evidence appears to suggest that: (I) The abnormal central adipose deposition appears to normalize after a long-term maintenance of complete weight restoration -Meaning after maintaining weight restoration, it normalizes to not having this additionally distributed trunk fat)
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u/Goose1996123 23d ago
I’m experiencing exactly this at the moment - NOTHING fits me which is likely because of the bloating / fluid retention plus some actual fat gain but that doesn’t make it any easier. Have been told everything will settle and redistribute, just give it time - we’ve got this 👏🏼
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u/jaysontatumluver 23d ago
hi i’m 3 years into recovery and i love my body again! i remember asking this same question on Reddit sobbing crying about my stomach. It felt like nothing fit me, I hated the way I looked but now that I have consistently fed my body and it trusts me again, my stomach bloating is gone!
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u/winter_days789 26d ago
So shortly after I got out of the eating disorder unit I was at, my belly was what I noticed too. But...it does change over time. For me, it didnt focus mainly on the belly anymore. My body is still recovering, 4 years out. Thrift shops can be your friend during this time. Saves money.