The fear of weight gain is at the centre of many eating disorders. You have been taught to fear weight gain from childhood, through diet culture, weight stigma or fatphobia. It’s not just the fear of weight gain, it’s the fear of immediate, uncontrollable, catastrophic weight gain over time, that is where the need to control your weight, the fear of uncertainty and being able to tolerate and be in your body at a different weight.
If you have anorexia, weight restoration is weight gain and is part of the process. You must nourish your body for it to work properly and will allow you to think more clearly, with less fog, to help work on your thoughts.
In eating disorder recovery, at various points, you will potentially gain weight, lose weight or remain the same. I cannot make any guarantees about how your weight will be at the end of recovery. Weight changes and fluctuates throughout our lifetime as a normal feature of life, and we have been taught to keep weight linear, the same - and usually thin.
The body tends to naturally settle at its set point weight once it receives consistent, balanced nutrition. This set point is where the body feels comfortable and is typically determined by genetics, metabolism, and other factors.
Weight may fluctuate as individuals work through recovery, particularly if binge eating or purging behaviors have been present. The focus of recovery should be on establishing healthy eating patterns, normalizing hunger and fullness cues, and addressing emotional triggers to stabilize weight over time.

Hi, I’m Becky Grace Irwing, I’m a BABCP Accredited CBT & EMDR qualified Therapist and qualified Mental Health Nurse. I spent 8 years as a Mental Health Nurse and 3 years as a CBT Therapist. I have worked across many mental health services for 14 years including acute, forensic and CAMHS services as well as University Mental Health and Disability Services and a London talking therapies service. I have a background history as a Fitness and Yoga Instructor of 10 years, and worked in the fitness industry from the age of 17 to 35.
I specialise in Eating Disorders, Neurodiversity and complex trauma issues and the link between those. I have a lived experience of binge eating for nearly 30 years, recovered for 7 years. I have ADHD and self diagnosed with Autism.
I’m also a dog Mum of two sausage dogs, human first, like to knit and I’m sustainability conscious.
My career highlights are being nominated for student nurse of the year for the Nursing Times and working in University Mental Health Services for 4 years; I loved working with students who were neurodivergent with a complex background of mental health and disability difficulties the most.
I'd love to hear from you for a free 20 minute introduction call to see how I can help you.
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