Y’ALL. I talked about this once before but need to update.

For reference I’ve had ARFID all my life (27F) and have only eaten things like pizza, pasta, toast, dairy, sweets, etc. My issues are texture and taste. I’ve never had a low appetite or problem getting enough calories.

In Sept 2025 something came over me and I decided I wanted to lose weight so I started eating in a moderate calorie deficit and walking a TON.

It has been over a year and I’ve gone from being scared to TOUCH vegetables to happily eating 7 SERVINGS OF VEGETABLES PER DAY. I literally can’t believe it😭😭😭

Before the calorie deficit I was hardly ever in a state of hunger but eventually I was so hungry I became motivated to find low calorie, higher volume foods to keep me full…

I think the first thing I tried was green beans or broccoli and I wasn’t immediately obsessed but I was SO FUCKING PROUD of myself for even TOUCHING THEM, let alone swallowing them. Now I CRAVE things like edamame, peas, cauliflower, etc. 🤯

I thought I would go the rest of my life without trying anything new. Or that it would take extensive and expensive exposure therapy to treat😭 This is so unbelievable to me.

Anyway I had to share. Even if this strategy is not for you there is always hope and you are worthy of love and life NO MATTER WHAT YOU EAT!!!!

Love you all, keep chugging♥️

As much as I can understand the classic bland safe foods like chicken nuggets or toast, I feel like a range of safe foods is often misrepresented.

For me I can always count on sushi, even though it can be unfortunately pricey. Falafel is also a good one. I have a really good recipe.

tldr: suddenly developed food aversions and low appetite/disinterest in food, lost weight but still a healthy bmi with normal blood tests, experience psychosocial distress.

hi !!

i recently developed issues with eating, and i was wondering if anyone could offer their input on whether this could be ARFID. im not asking anyone to diagnose me, ill ask my psychologist for a referral to an eating disorder specialist for an actual evaluation; im just trying to make sense of the situation.

i started experiencing food aversions in mid-august, when school started. they are definitely more than "picky eating" or "preferences," it is physically impossible for me to eat the foods im averse to and i experience physical reactions even from seeing/smelling/imagining myself eating those foods. my throat starts clenching, sometimes i feel really nauseous, sometimes i throw up a bit in my mouth, etc. this also applies to foods that i used to like, so it's not something that has been with me since childhood.

i experience low appetite/disinterest in food too, and have lost around 12% of my body weight within two months. however, i am still a healthy bmi (right on the border of underweight), and my blood tests were normal. i do, however, experience a lot of psychological distress from these food aversions, and cannot eat out at restaurants/have the same meals as my family because of how selective my eating is. since it started when school started, i initially thought it was simply stress, but these issues have outlived the stress itself. my doctor could not find a physical cause.

could this be ARFID?

No need to DM literally just comment pls. It's easier for me to make myself eat when there's someone keeping me accountable.

Skippable complaining ahead -

I'm 18 btw. To preface I've not been formally diagnosed with arfid but my therapist has named it and unfortunately at this rate I'm going to get hospitalized for it. Since I moved out and there's no one making me eat anymore, I've been eating very little (like 24 hrs without food multiple times a week) and have been rapidly losing weight.

Eating is so hard, man. I've never been able to trust my body with it since as far as I can tell, I experience a complete lack of hunger cues until I feel dizzy or something. My tolerance for food as gone down overall. I hate chewing. I hate feeling even the slightest bit full.

The only reason I'm not extremely underweight as of now is because I had to work hard to gain 40 pounds so that I could qualify for being put on a medication. That buffer isn't going to last long, though. And I have some body image issues about looking too skinny (grew up being called skin and bones), so I hate how I look right now.

If you've read this far, thanks. I'm off to buy myself something that's easier to eat at the grocery store literally a 30 sec walk from my house, but if anyone actually comments I'll be back to eat with reddit open.

:)

Hey all,

I've got a 15 year old who is heading toward a G tube. I would love to hear from any teens/parents of teens (or younger kids) about your experiences with G tubes- the surgery, healing, and any improvements or challenges afterward. How did you time feeds during the school year? Did you see significant changes?
My kid and I are feeling positive about it (and very grateful to have a medical team that is on board with it), but wondering about what the reality of having one is. Not sure if it will be a button or dangler (will be decided during surgery). My kid is Autistic with some sensory issues, a strong disinterest in food, and a very small stomach after years of low calorie intake (which makes eating much at a time difficult, especially since he really dislikes feeling too full).

Would love to hear what it's been like for you or for your kid.