[fearful]

i am struggling with anorexia and as of yesterday i hadnt eaten in 16 day.... i decided i needed help and want to recover as of today. I tried 1 cracker and it was like a rock hitting my stomach so what should i start with? broth? what else? anyone recovered or longer in recovery who knows?... help.

[silver_queen]

Yes, try soups for a few days, and then progress onto vegetables, things which are easily digested, stuff like that. Maybe you could try looking online and seeing what meal plans are around for after a fast. Drink lots of water as well, and other healthy stuff like smoothies, maybe yogurt too.

[January]

Hi,

I can't speak from anorexia, but I have ulcerative colitis have had to go for weeks without food. You can try popscicles and jello. Applesauce, rice, bananas and toast are also good.

I hope you feel better.

My best to you,

Jan

[wanttoheal]

If you have a juicer, try juicing vegetables. You can dilute the vegetable juice with water. This will help your body get used to food again. Then add rice. Don't add butter or anything else to it, at least at first. Good luck.

[Genevieve]

Personally, I'd start by getting a referral to a good dietitian who specializes in eating disorders. Your doctor should be able to refer you to someone.

You'll want an RD, by the way: Registered Dietitian.

Why do I say this? Because that's what it took for me. At first, I'd try to do it myself, and it was awful, so I would go back to eating that much less. Even with the RD it was very hard, especially since EVERYTHING was awful in my stomach. It took so long for my stomach to feel semi-normal again.

The worst is that it takes a while before your stomach will start emptying normally again. That means, you'll feel overstuffed for a long time after eating. There are two things t oremember when that happens: that it will go away, and that it's not really being overstuffed -- it's actually just not feeling hungry. THAT was the hardest part for me.

Also, everything's much, much easier if you are consistent and you work towards normal eating as fast as your RD suggests. Until you're eating more normally and consistently, your body is not going to readjust all that well. When I first started, I was retaining water in a weird way that my RD said was normal, but I felt like a blimp! Every ounce I gained seemed to go to my stomach and my boobs. Just where I couldn't stand it. But that goes away and your body readjusts. It's scary, but it will redistribute much faster if you are consistent with meeting your meal plan.

Best luck, and feel free to PM if that would help.