Hi everyone, i am currently at the start of my recovery journey and am really struggling to put together a vegan meal plan for healthy, lifelong recovery. I am dedicated to the vegan way of life and am feeling pressured by healthcare professionals who think i simply want to cut out meat for calories not lifestyle choice? Can anyone help please?  lots of love x

Hey! I am in a similar position. I have been struggling with an eating disorder for a while now, so I know what you are going through. First of all, hang in there, because recovery is one of the hardest things you will ever go through! It really takse a lot of patience and self-forgiveness and self-love, which I know is extremely difficult. 

I think you're decision to live a vegan lifestyle is incredible. I also found a lot of comfort in nourishing my body knowing that I would be benefiting others as well. HOWEVER...if you are not at a healthy weight, I would suggest not committing to a vegan lifestyle just yet. When I was in the first stages of recovery, I wanted to stick to my vegetarian lifestyle because I knew that incorporating the food I had been scared to yet (like steak and cheese) would make me gain weight, which I was so scared of! However, once I got myself back to a healthy weight, my head was clearer and I was able to make a sound decision regarding my diet and lifestyle and I decided that yes, veganism was the right decision for me because it would allow me to nourish my body most effectively. An undernourished body is an undernourished mind, even though it doesn't seem that way. 

That being said, if you are at a healthy weight according to your doctors, then veganism is a great way to nourish your body with what it needs to function. 

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions! sorry it took so long for you to get an answer on this! 

Best of luck! xoxo

Hello, 

I am glad to see this post as I have also had a resurgence of ED issues I thought I was past...I've been vegetarian for 20 years but cut out dairy very recently and a lot of my friends have been critical of me, thinking it's just a way to restrict. When I tried other elim diets in the past (for chronic headaches), I did tend to undereat. But I was pleased to find out when I cut dairy that it actually motivated me to really cook and eat for nourishment and health-- true health and not "skinny health." Unfortunately, I've gained weight since stopping dairy, and am now struggling with how to lose the extra weight while staying on a healthful mostly vegan diet and without slipping into purposeful undereating and dieting.