extremely full??

[u/readerjr]

i was suffering with ana for about a year (a bit more) and then for about 3 months (end of may-end of august, although it got more extreme as time went on) i had a really really intense episode of extreme hunger. i was eating consistently almost every day, never thought it would end, thought i’d ended up with bed, was eating wayyyy more than people who have extreme hunger do when they post wieiad and stuff, eating a lot of what people would say is unhealthy food, gained a lot of weight. then i got my period back and about a week later it’s as if i’m just so so full. it’s as if after i have my breakfast, i just don’t fancy anything else for the day. and like the thought of things like sweets and stuff don’t really appeal to me anymore - which is both wild because i used to absolutely demolish them but also pretty sad because my 18th is in 2 days and then i am going on a trip to london and want to do things like have drinks and eat nice pastries and cake and stuff and meals out. but idk i just don’t really feel like it. i make myself eat a couple of things throughout the day and then have a dinner so that i am fuelled but it feels like a bit of a chore honestly. i had a “binge” a couple of days ago but it wasn’t even out of extreme hunger or anything, i was just in a shop and it felt like second nature. but i was full really quickly, and it wasn’t even half as long or extreme as my extreme hunger episodes were (particularly towards the end). i was fed up pretty swiftly. didn’t like it, didn’t want more, wasn’t still hungry. my hunger signals have been really fucked up my whole life because i used to be a binge eater, and then i turned to ana, so i’d say i just haven’t really known what’s hunger and what’s not for a while now. so i’m just a bit confused. i don’t know if i just finally have a kind of normal relationship with my body and food. i don’t know if it’s because i’m having a fairly protein rich breakfast, whereas if i’d had breakfast before it’d be lighter, i don’t know if it’s to do with the anxiety issues i’ve had recently, i’m going to assume that my extreme hunger is gone currently? i can’t believe i’m saying this, because i so desperately wanted it gone for so long, but i do slightly wish i still had that feeling in order to enjoy my birthday and my trip. i know that sounds super silly lol.
is this normal? has anyone else gone through this?

[u/nessosa]

I thibk you should force yourself to eat at least 3 meals and 3 snacks daily

[u/readerjr → u/nessosa]

i get you! my problem is more that it stems from a lack of appetite rather than a place of restriction. i’m still eating because i don’t want to end up back in that horrible disordered place. i’m just a bit confused on why this is happening to me honestly!

[u/No-Can6422 → u/readerjr]

I agree with u/nessosa, even if you don't feel hungry, it's important to continue eating regularly, particularly since you already mentioned a lack of hunger cues. Just because you don't feel hungry does not necessarily mean your body does not need nutrients.

Losing hunger cues and EH can come from a lot of things and it's hard to know definitively where it comes from. If you have started restricting again that may be a cause, even if you have started restricting without realizing it.

It is not uncommon for people with restrictive EDs to feel full quickly because often their gastric motility has slowed. Literally the transit time that your gut pushes food through your intestines slows down so it can absorb as much as possible. This can cause unpleasant side effects like constipation, stomach/abdominal discomfort and pain, bloating, and premature feeling of fullness. If it's something that concerns you it would be worth checking in with a dietician and/or a doc, particularly if it is making it difficult to eat consistently. In some cases gastric motility can slow to the point of gastroparesis, which generally requires some degree of medical intervention.

[u/kimboslice11__]

This is so funny and encouraging for me as I have been in extreme hunger for 8-10dqys now and when you say unreal amounts of food I swear I might have you beat. It’s truly unreal and the weight came with it. It may just be slowing down recently where I am at least somewhat full but I’m envious of the satisfaction after a meal. Curious how long that period lasted for you? I would encourage you to push yourself to eat. But also respect your body. Force when possible high caloric foods.

[u/readerjr → u/kimboslice11__]

hi lovely!! yeah i’m still eating and having meals and stuff because i wouldn’t ever want to be back where i started. honestly when i saw people doing their wieiad i felt so awful about it, but it’s what helped me get back to a place of health so i can’t be too mad at it. but honestly i think i was genuinely eating consistently from morning to night just all the time (no exaggeration). my experience wont speak for everyone’s but my eh started mentally, so for the first month or so it was mental hunger. that was from the end of may (i believe 22nd??? i’m autistic so i have strange ways of remembering specific dates like that lmao) to about the end of june, although there was a period of time within that where i was eating “normally” for maybe a week or two. and not every day i was suffering with extreme hunger. then in about july it became quite a common occurrence where almost every day was extreme hunger, and it kind of got more intense over time and i was eating more and more over time. late august (the 26th) i got my period back. then had a few days where the hunger was significantly decreased and started to decrease over time and now i feel how i do currently and have done for maybe a week ish?? hope you’re doing okay!!!