Liv Label Free | Neurodivergent Eating Disorder Recovery

How can an autistic special interest spiral into an eating disorder? In today's episode, I chat with Annamarie, a fellow autistic female and ED warrior. We discuss: Early health and nutrition education snowballing into an obsessive autistic special interest Disordered thoughts turning to secretive behavior, foregoing social activities due to fear of food exposure The transformation of the disordered special interest into a hyper-focus on recovery and ED recovery resources and science Learning to give herself time and space to recover in the way that works best for her. How Gradual vs All-In might be the preferred method for those on the spectrum Writing out the disordered food rules into a physical list helped conquer them one-by-one Severing the ties to comparison with others and standing up to the Eating Disorder Bully How an adult autism diagnosis helped overcome the challenges of ED Recovery; learning to pause and understand the why's and the where's of tendencies and disordered thought Feeling confused and different as a child and young adult without ever knowing why until the diagnosis Letting the mask down and tossing pressure to conform aside And finally, her practical, common sense advice for anyone out there with the will and want to recover 🎙️ Get FREE Audio Training on Autism and Eating Disorders🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia🫶 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here 🍩 Connect with Annamarie on Instagram Connect with Livia:🍩 INSTAGRAM🌐 WEBSITE📚 BOOKS

What’s the relationship between autism and binge eating? In today’s episode, you’ll learn how autistic traits can lead to the following 9 types of binge eating: The Sensory Binge The Hyperactive Binge The Black & White Binge The “Make Sense” Binge The Analysis Paralysis Binge The Procrastination Binge The Interoceptive Binge The Hormonal Binge The Extreme Hunger Binge 🍩 Enroll in my course, Extremely Hungry to Completely Satisfied🫶 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here📝 Check out the blog post of this episode Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS

It’s time for another chat with an Extremely Hungry to Completely Satisfied alumni! In today’s episode, I'm speaking to Valerie, an autistic female who shares her experience with overcoming extreme hunger. You'll learn: Survivor's guilt manifesting into perfectionism and eventually into an eating disorder Energy debt being like living paycheck to paycheck Daily activities consumed by mental hunger and planning for or compensating for meals The chaotic nature of extreme hunger as an autistic The experience of stealing and hoarding food from friends and family How a false belief in "lack of willpower" contributes to disordered habits Discovering self-realization through late-in-life autism diagnosis  The power of letting go and relinquishing yourself to the process of recovery Valerie's evergreen advice to soothe your recovery worries 🍩 Enroll in my course, Extremely Hungry to Completely Satisfied 🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia 🫶 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here 💜 Connect with Valerie on Instagram Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS

Eating disorder recovery often looks very different for autistic people, so what additional challenges might a trans/non-binary individual face? Today I am joined by Lex, a former coaching client and extreme hunger course student turned best friend.  They share: Seeking solace in food and exercise related behaviors when coming from a marginalized community Discovering sensory preferences and growing up masking food preferences "Unmasking" food preferences and learning to advocate for likes and dislikes instead of fearing being difficult Transitioning and being influenced by stereotypical societal expectations of gender-related eating behaviors Making the choice not to carry the eating disorder with them post-transition Body dysmorphia as a trans person and how bodily changes in recovery are especially difficult to grapple with The wonderful freedom of no longer thinking about food Being denied treatment due to not fitting the stereotypical ED model and making yourself sicker to prove you're sick enough The incompatibility of traditional ED treatment procedures with autism Being left out of the eating disorder conversation as a non-binary individual and need for improving language use Respecting and working with the differences between men, women and non-binary in regards to mental health 🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia 🍩 Enroll in my course, Extremely Hungry to Completely Satisfied 🫶 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here 🍩 Connect with Lex on Instagram Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS

Can men develop eating disorders? Why is there so much stigma around men and anorexia? Today I am joined by Mike Napier, a late-diagnosed autistic male who shares his story with disordered eating, depression, and suicidal ideation. In this episode of The Liv Label Free Podcast, Mike and I discuss: Growing up undiagnosed autistic, earliest memories painted by depression, and history of suicidal thoughts The masking of autistic traits, depression, and mental illness from family Development of anorexia by way of autistic special interest and as a coping mechanism for depression Eating as a little known autistic stim. The realization that previous poor relationships with food stemmed heavily from a need to use food as a sensory override and finding self-soothing elsewhere Using the all-sensory experience of taste, texture, and chewing, and how using chewelry as an adult is nothing to be ashamed of The potential benefits of mindful eating as a way to aid improvement of eating-related stimming The stigma and societal attitudes on men with eating disorders, particularly anorexia, and how it led to an incorrect diagnosis of binge eating disorder (BED), and a worsening of symptoms How the lack of research on males with restrictive eating disorders caused medical complications How small changes to neutral gender language and specifying when you're discussing gender differences can completely change recovery for men and those beyond the binary Why mental illness does not discriminate and how language use has the potential to discount a whole sections of sufferers His advice and personal philosophy to anyone struggling and needing a little hope or joy to grasp onto  🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia🫶 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here🍩 Enroll in my course, Extremely Hungry to Completely Satisfied Connect with Mike on Instagram Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS

A guided meditation to heal from autistic burnout while embracing your neurodivergent brain! Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS

How do I eat intuitively as an autistic person that’s recovered from an eating disorder? This is a question I’ve received so often, and for good reason! I talk all about food freedom, extreme hunger, and honoring your body’s needs, while at the same time talking about how autistic people may struggle with recognizing their body’s cues and how many behaviors that may seem restrictive from an eating disorder lens are actually manifestations of autistic traits. So how does honoring hunger fit together with being autistic? Listen to this podcast episode to find out! 🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia🫶 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here📝 Check out the blog post of this episode Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS

I'm sure you've heard the popular advice to "smash the scale" in eating disorder recovery...but does this advice work for autistic people? In today's episode of The Liv Label Free Podcast, Livia shares how smashing her scale was harmful and how keeping the scale may actually help autistic people live a recovered life!  🌈 Buy Rainbow Girl: A Memoir of Autism and Anorexia🫶 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here📝 Read the blog post of this episode Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS

If you struggle with anxiety, you won't want to miss this episode of The Liv Label Free Podcast! I unpack the root cause of anxiety and guide you through a powerful exercise to gain trust in yourself and your life. 🌈 Get on the waitlist for Rainbow Girl🫶 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here📝 Read the blog post of this episode Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS

Are you afraid that you're unable to handle the responsibilities of being healthy? If so, you're not alone! One of the reasons I put off recovery from my eating disorder for so long was because of that very fear. In this episode, Livia unpacks the fear of growing up as an autistic person and explains how to achieve a life of freedom after an eating disorder. 🌈 Get on the waitlist for Rainbow Girl🫶 Schedule a consultation call for 1-1 coaching here🍩 Enroll in my course, Extremely Hungry to Completely Satisfied Connect with Livia: 🍩 INSTAGRAM 🌐 WEBSITE 📚 BOOKS 📝 Read the blog post of this episode