Calories for Eating Disorder Recovery

Counting calories in eating disorder recovery can seem to contradict. Shouldn’t we learn to listen to our bodies instead of worrying about calories? Most likely, obsessing about calories was a major part of our eating disorder anyway. We should eliminate that bad habit instead! So what’s up with that counting BS?!

I started my recovery with intuitive eating after I read the e-book “Recover From Eating Disorders” by Nina V. It helped me to let go of the “good and bad foods” mindset. To listen to my body and let go of rules and restrictions. This was a major step towards recovery.

But in intuitive eating they tell you to “be mindful”, “do not eat too much”, “stop eating at number 6” and so forth. I tried to do that, but it was not possible. I was hungry like a werewolf. I wanted to eat a whole potful of pasta, not just one plate.

The thing is that I had NO idea what I was doing or what was required for proper recovery. I did not know how many calories were needed or that bingeing in recovery is actually extreme hunger (and normal!) or that I probably should have stopped running 1 hour every day.

For me, the beginning of recovery was riddled with trial and error. I learned as I went through it. I relapsed a lot, I went back to “clean eating”, did some intermittent fasting to “help the healing” and exercised because “it’s sooo healthy for you”, yeah, right…

But after a while, I learned about the MinnieMaud calorie guidelines. Why eating a proper amount of calories helps to heal your body and restore normal hunger signals. Why extreme hunger in recovery is normal and why stopping all exercise is important. MinnieMaud was a good sense of direction in my recovery, something I could rely on, rather than just go through it blindfolded and just hope for the best.

After learning about MinnieMaud everything sped up. I did not follow the guidelines the entire length of recovery, but about a month or so, until I learned that whatever amount I am hungry for, whether it was physical or just “mental” hunger was ok to eat.

I learned that whatever amount I am hungry for, whether it was physical or just “mental” hunger was ok to eat!

MinnieMaud Guidelines are science-based guidelines for recovery from restrictive eating disorders that have been developed on Your Eatopia website. The “Minnie” refers to the Minnesota Starvation Experiment and the “Maud” refers to the only evidence-based treatment program for eating disorders out there at the moment: Family Based Treatment, also known as the Maudsley protocol.

I take no credit for the guidelines, so please read the full post on Your Eatopia website. Click HERE.

The guidelines are actually set at what energy-balanced, non-eating-disordered people normally eat to maintain their health and weight. That means that the minimum intake guidelines are what you can expect to eat both during and post-recovery. And remember, the guidelines also mean eating more when extreme hunger strikes, stopping all exercise and resting as much as possible.

And please keep in mind that these are the MINIMUMS what you should eat, it is normal to eat way more than that. Remember, no restriction!

I can say from personal experience that some days in recovery you will feel ravenous and you may consume way more calories than that. Some people consume 5000-10,000 calories a day in recovery. It all depends on your personal eating disorder background and there is no wrong number of calories you can consume! In time, your eating and episodes of extreme hunger will normalize and you will be eating more close to 2500-3000 calories a day.

Some people consume 5000-10,000 calories a day in recovery. It all depends on your personal eating disorder background and there is no wrong number of calories you can consume!

Here are the guidelines for when 2500 calories apply as a minimum daily intake for recovery:

1. You are a 25-year-old female (or older) between 5’0” and 5’8” (152.4 to 173 cm) and,

2. The regular menstrual cycle has stopped and/or,

3. You have other symptoms of starvation: feeling the cold, fatigued, foggy-headed, hair loss, brittle nails, dull skin and/or,

4. Even if you were only underweight/dieted for a very short space of time (a few months) these guidelines apply. And remember “underweight” is relative to your body’s optimal weight and is not a clinical measurement.

Here are the guidelines for when 3000 calories apply as a minimum daily intake for recovery:

1. You are an under 25-year-old female between 5’0” and 5’8” (152.4 to 173 cm) or an over 25-year-old male between 5’4” and 6’0” (162.5 and 183 cm) and,

2. The regular menstrual cycle has stopped and/or,

3. You have other symptoms of starvation: feeling the cold, fatigued, foggy-headed, hair loss, brittle nails, dull skin and/or,

4. Even if you were only underweight/dieted for a very short space of time (a few months) these guidelines apply. And remember “underweight” is relative to your body’s optimal weight and is not a clinical measurement.

Here are the guidelines for when 3500 calories apply as a minimum daily intake for recovery:

1. You are an under 25-year-old male between 5’4” and 6’0” (162.5 and 183 cm) or female with young children or an equivalent and unavoidable level of activity.

2. The regular menstrual cycle has stopped and/or,

3. You have other symptoms of starvation: feeling the cold, fatigued, foggy headed, hair loss, brittle nails, dull skin and/or,

4. Even if you were only underweight/dieted for a very short space of time (a few months) these guidelines apply. And remember “underweight” is relative to your body’s optimal weight and is not a clinical measurement.

If you are taller than the guidelines listed above, then add 200 calories to the guidelines that match your age and sex. If you are shorter than the guidelines listed above, then you may eat 200 calories less than what is suggested for your age and sex, however, these are all minimum guidelines and everyone is expected to eat well above them for a good portion of the recovery process in any case.

There is an exception. If you are severely underweight, have anorexia, have restricted calories below 1000 for more than 5 days, you have to be very cautious when starting to eat these recommended amounts. Your body is not used to the number of calories or food, and it can be dangerous to start eating larger portions all too quickly. It is called the refeeding syndrome. You can read more about it HERE.

Many people do not understand why something so “unnatural” as calorie counting can be beneficial in recovery to restore normal hunger signals. Some see it silly, triggering or unnecessary. But keep in mind that having an eating disorder is unnatural as well! To get back our normal hunger signals and to restore our body from all the damage, we need a period of recovery. And to do that we need a sense of direction, proper recovery tools, and conditions. If you undereat, you will not recover! Remember, you do it to make sure you eat enough, to make sure your body has all the energy to restore and rebuild, not for restrictive reasons.

I do not follow any calorie recommendations now after being fully recovered. I forgot all about calories and have no idea how many calories I eat in a day and I do not care. I eat whatever, whenever and however much I want.

But to get to this point, making sure I was eating enough, was a big stepping stone towards getting better and that is why I recommend it.