Renutrition and Nutritional Rehabilitation: What Changes to Expect?

When suffering from an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, ARFID, etc.), embarking on a journey of nutritional rehabilitation with refeeding can seem daunting. However, this process is a crucial step towards significant improvement in quality of life. What can truly be expected from this journey? Let’s explore the benefits and challenges that may arise on physical, physiological, psychological, psychosomatic, and social levels.

Physical Improvements and Challenges

Improvements:

• Increased energy and vitality: A balanced and sufficient diet helps the body regain its energy reserves, making daily tasks less exhausting.

• Weight regulation: For individuals who are underweight, refeeding promotes a return to a more functional weight. For those who are overweight due to binge eating episodes, a more natural regulation can develop over time.

• Improved skin, hair, and nail health: Nutrient deficiencies directly affect these tissues, and their recovery often results in healthier, more radiant skin, stronger nails, and less brittle hair.

Challenges:

• Temporary symptoms: Bloating, digestive discomfort, or stomach pain may occur initially as the digestive system adjusts to a new balance.

• Weight fluctuations: Seeing changes in one’s body can be difficult to accept, especially for those struggling with body dysmorphia.

Physiological Changes

Improvements:

• Hormonal functioning: In women, the return of menstrual cycles is a key indicator of improved hormonal health.

• Metabolic regulation: With adequate nutrition, the body exits “survival mode” and restores a balanced metabolism.

• Reduction in deficiencies: A varied diet gradually corrects deficits in essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Challenges:

• Adaptation: Organs that have become accustomed to functioning with too little or too much may take time to respond optimally.

Psychological and Emotional Benefits

Improvements:

• Reduced food-related anxiety: With professional guidance, foods perceived as “forbidden” or “dangerous” can be reintroduced without guilt.

• Better emotional management: By working on one’s relationship with food, it becomes easier to discover alternative strategies for regulating emotions.

• Increased self-esteem: Properly nourishing the body can restore a sense of control and self-respect.

Challenges:

• Facing fears: Reintroducing “taboo” foods or accepting a different weight can initially be a source of stress.

Psychosomatic Transformation

Improvements:

• Recognition of bodily sensations: Hunger, fullness, and gustatory pleasure gradually return, fostering a more intuitive relationship with food.

• Reconnection with one’s body: Feeling physically healthier helps restore harmony between mind and body.

Challenges:

• Rebuilding body image: Learning to accept a changing body may require specific support, sometimes complemented by somatic therapy.

Social Impact

Improvements:

• Return to an active social life: Sharing meals without stress allows for reconnecting with moments of conviviality.

• Development of better communication: Understanding one’s needs makes it easier to express them to others.

Challenges:

• Managing others’ perceptions: Remarks or misunderstandings from loved ones can initially be unsettling.

A Journey to Undertake with Support

Every nutritional rehabilitation journey is unique. Improvements take time and vary from person to person, but they are always the result of a gradual and compassionate commitment to oneself. The challenges encountered are not insurmountable and can be navigated with the help of a competent professional. Choosing to undertake this work is an opportunity to regain a fulfilling life aligned with one’s deepest needs.