Photo: online search for free photos; not my photo
https://www.edinstitute.org
I came across a short video by someone on YouTube that I respect and find to have very solid information on healthy eating disorder recovery. She talked about the Homeo-dynamic Recovery Model (HDRM). The link above goes to the main website for this model, and has a LOT of articles and research (able to be duplicated, and conforms to the scientific method of research). It’s been very interesting, and I sent the links to the dietician I used to see for her thoughts- I will hear back from her after she’s had a chance to review the materials.
BUT, something this model goes into more detail about is the amount of calories needed to repair organs and bodily systems. I’ve never made it to my maintenance calorie goal, and the MINIMUM I’d need to consume for organ repair is about double what I’m struggling to get in now. And I’m terrified of the weight gain that is inevitable with that. But I’m also intrigued at the idea of organ repair (especially my kidneys). The minimums are non-negotiable (though this is for adults in the community who are responsible for themselves) because with maintenance, there’s nothing left for repair. It makes sense, and it’s scary.
Because of medical issues (diabetes, chronic kidney disease/CKD, and gout), protein amounts can’t go up with the calories, so that means a lot more carbs, and a LOT more fat. The same dietician ‘liberated’ peanut butter about 6-7 years ago when she told me I was under-eating and that in order to burn fat, I needed to consume fat (talk to your own healthcare provider for what is right for your body). So, that means that I’d need a lot of nuts, nut butters, olives, coconut, and avocados/guacamole. It’s something I need to work out like I did with the old diabetic exchange lists, and modify it to do this.
The thing that keeps sticking with me is the term “homeo-dynamic” instead of homeostasis- and that makes so much sense. While the body tries to maintain a state of homeostasis, it’s a constant ‘living’ adaptation to conditions at the time, and therefore more ‘dynamic’ and not ‘static’. It’s acknowledging that there isn’t some constant state, but a continually sensing and correcting all that it can when something is out of whack. Anyone who has been abusing their body is out of whack. Damage has been done in varying degrees. By acknowledging that damage needs more calories to repair, and that the body is constantly adjusting to get to an optimal state, this makes sense to me.
It’s an offshoot of the Maudsley Method, that has been around for ages and has research linked to it. Most of the Maudsley Method patients are teens or young adults still living at home with family based therapy at its core. HDRM is designed for adults who are not in hospital or treatment centers, and able to make decisions and monitor themselves, as hard as that is. The one non-negotiable ‘rule’ is the calorie ‘minimums’… there are no maximums, which terrifies me because of being in a larger body to start with. But if it could repair some of the things that I’ve trashed with 50+ years of restricting/being restricted? That’d be such a win.
I’m thinking of challenging a single meal, or a single day, just to get an idea of what it would be like. I don’t have good volume tolerance, and would have to pick foods that are calorically very dense- sounds like a definite first world problem, but it’s incredibly inconvenient, and when the bloating gets bad, it’s painful. And the eating disorder thoughts will be brutal- that’s a given. But I’m willing to consider a different way of looking at things, especially when one of the YouTubers I respect used it herself, and is now well and in her second pregnancy.
I don’t have much to lose in trying, other than being freaked out when gaining a bunch of weight. I have to tell myself that I can stop, because feeling backed into a corner isn’t a good place to be. And also keep telling myself that once damage is repaired, my body can turn its attention to what my natural set point is, and where my weight is supposed to level off. So, I have work to do to figure out how much of what foods will work within the medical restrictions, but I’ve had to do that before.
There’s also a book with all of the articles in it (good for highlighting and making notes):
“Recover From Eating Disorders” by Gwyneth Olwyn
Article on calorie needs from the EDI site:
https://www.edinstitute.org/orientation-basics/food-is-the-foundation?rq=minimum%20calories
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