What is Nutrition Counseling for an Eating Disorder?
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “What exactly is nutrition counseling for an eating disorder?”, this article is here to answer your questions and guide you on why this step can be so important on your recovery journey.
Why Nutrition Counseling Matters
Healing from an eating disorder isn’t a solo journey, it takes a whole interdisciplinary team. I often tell my clients, “It takes a village to heal from an eating disorder.” One key member of that village is a registered dietitian who specializes in eating disorders.
Nutrition counseling is a personalized process where a dietitian works closely with you to create a tailored nutrition plan that supports your unique health and recovery goals. This isn’t just about food, it’s about addressing your relationship with eating, your nutrition related medical symptoms, your feelings around food, your movement habits, and how you view your body.
Through nutrition counseling, many clients experience:
A confident, more trusting relationship with food
Flexibility with food choices
Elimination of maladaptive eating disorder behaviors
A clearer understanding of their body’s nutritional needs
Improved awareness of hunger and fullness cues
Reduced anxiety around eating and social food situations
Increased knowledge about metabolism, digestion, and nutrition science
A stronger relationship and connection with their body
An eating disorder dietitian offers education, compassion, and accountability while challenging the distorted beliefs that fuel the eating disorder. The goals of nutrition counseling evolve as you progress in your recovery, supporting you every step of the way.
Should You Seek Nutrition Counseling?
Here are some common signs that nutrition counseling could benefit you:
Struggling with harsh food judgment or guilt
Restricting food, counting calories obsessively, or tracking macros rigidly
Experiencing binge eating or feeling out of control around food
Using compensatory behaviors like laxatives, excessive exercise, or purging
Feeling rigid or anxious about food, especially in social settings
Constantly preoccupied with thoughts about food
Having strong body dissatisfaction that affects your eating habits
Suffering from gastrointestinal issues caused by disordered eating behaviors
Wanting to improve your health and nourish your body but unsure how
If any of these resonate with you or someone you care about, taking the step to seek nutrition counseling can be a powerful and healing leap forward.
Remember, recovery is a journey that requires support, patience, and kindness, especially towards yourself. Nutrition counseling is a vital part of that process, helping you rebuild trust with your body and food.
You don’t have to do this alone.
Emily Moorefield, RD, CEDS
