Navigating Eating Disorder Recovery While Living with a Chronic Illness
How food, emotions, advocacy, and community support your recovery with chronic illness and eating disorders.
I wanted to share some thoughts and tips for anyone navigating eating disorder recovery while living with a chronic illness, or really, anyone who’s ever had to advocate for their own care.
When you’re managing both, it can feel like carrying two backpacks at once, the load of the eating disorder as well as the load of the chronic illness. Most medical visits focus on tests, medications, and follow-ups. This is all incredibly important, yet what gets missed are the challenges of handling the day-to-day realities of your life. Let’s take a look at what often gets missed and specific areas where I support my clients.
What Medical Appointments Miss and Where a Skilled Nutrition Provider Steps In:
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Navigating food when you feel unwell
“Eat this, avoid that” advice isn’t realistic when pain, nausea, or fatigue make eating hard. Gentle, flexible planning helps more than rigid rules. - •
Body image during symptom changes
Medications, mobility shifts, and flare-ups can change how your body looks and feels. You deserve support that honors both your health and your emotional experience. - •
Advocacy skills
Knowing what to say and how to say it can turn a rushed appointment into a productive one. - •
Community
Being around people who get it reduces isolation and makes it easier to stay consistent in your recovery and care.
Three Simple Shifts That Make a Difference
While I get into the weeds with my clients, I want to offer you 3 concrete strategies that I utilize in my clinical practice again and again.
1. Plan for low-energy eating
Keep a short list of easy, go-to foods that work well during flares. Think of ready-to-eat meals or grab-and-go snacks you can assemble fast. Write it down and keep the list accessible so you’re not problem-solving when you feel crummy. Give yourself permission to lean on low-prep, low-effort options like frozen and pre-prepared meals.
2. Try compassion before perfection
Both recovery and chronic illness can ignite all-or-nothing thinking. When that happens, ask yourself: “What’s one supportive step I can take right now?” Small steps count. If that feels hard, imagine what you would say to a friend. If the advice is good enough for someone you love, it’s good enough for you too.
3. Prepare for your appointments
Go to your medical appointments with notes: “The top three things I want to discuss today are…” These notes can include symptoms, concerns, and questions. You can also consider sending a note to your provider electronically prior to the appointments. This may help both of you feel more relaxed and prepared.
In addition to bringing notes to your appointment, here are a few more ideas that might make your next medical visit go smoothly:
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Be specific:
“I’ve had muscle weakness daily for two weeks” is clearer than “I don’t feel well.” - •
Bring support:
A friend or advocate can help you feel heard and may also take notes and review with you the important points that were discussed. - •
Request documentation:
Ask for your concerns to be added to your chart. - •
Remember:
You are the expert on your body.
You’re Not Imagining It
If you’ve ever felt dismissed, brushed off, or bounced around, I believe you. You deserve care that treats your whole self, not just one part of your health. With the right support, you can build skills, feel more confident in appointments, and connect with people who understand what you’re carrying.
That’s one of the reasons Anita created the Resilient Voices Support Group – a space for people navigating chronic illness, recovery, and everything in between. Together, we build community, practice advocacy skills, and find tools that make daily life more doable.
You can learn more about the group below, and please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Resilient Voices group – Starts October 30, 2025
Resilients Voices is a small, supportive group for adults 18+ living with chronic illness while in eating disorder recovery. We meet every other Thursday and focus on real-life tools, advocacy, body image, and community support.
- Start: Thursday, October 30
- Schedule: Oct 30, Nov 6, Nov 20, Dec 4, Dec 18, Jan 8
- Format: Virtual, max 8 participants
Apply now for early access: [Apply for Resilient Voices]
If you are unsure whether the group is right for you, email us with your questions.