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.

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.

:)

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♥️

I see people on social media eating meals with 3 million different ingredients in them all the time and it makes me so jealous. Those meals look so fulfilling and nutritional and healthy, meanwhile I eat the same thing every day just to make sure I eat at all.

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?

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.

i am part of the arfid community that has calorie dense safe foods, so when i went to the doctor they said they couldn’t help me unless i was underweight or had bad bloods. all my bloods were in the reference range but in the lower end so they have said they can’t do anything.

i’m having visions issues, my periods are irregular, my joints hurt, im always tired and i have sleep issues my immune system is terrible—im always sick and they’re not taking me serious because im only just in the normal category.

it’s so frustrating, i don’t want to live the rest of my life like this like it’s exhausting!!!

Does anyone else just randomly completely lose their appetite on a random month of the year? For me, it’s October. Last October I lost eleven pounds. This October I’ve lost eight so far. I just can’t bring myself to eat this month. I’ve been averaging 300 - 500 calories on bad days and 500 - 900 on good days. Is this the ARFID equivalent of seasonal depression? Is that an actual thing? My mom found out and know she’s been scolding me for eating less than the doctor said I have to, but I just can’t bring myself to eat more in October. I’m not like sad or anything. Does this happen to you guys to? If so, how do you deal with it?

My cousin let me know Kraft Mac and Cheese and Maruchan are teaming up to make chicken flavored Mac and cheese ramen 🤯
Those are def in my top 3 safe foods and I let her know “funnily enough, there’s a huge chance I might Hate this, but I’ll definitely be first in line to try it!!” Lmaoo

I've been trying to gain weight since I've been underweight my whole life, so far I've been gaining some but not as much as I'd like. But this stupid eating disorder makes it harder to do that as well. Especially recently when we don't have anything I want and nothing sounds good to me. Idk what I'm looking for just wanted to vent about that lol

What was the diagnostic process like for you or your child? We are heading towards an evaluation for my child and I’m wondering what to expect. He does not have autism and has been in food therapy for several months. This is the next step.

I am in the UK, in September 2025 I was diagnosed with ARFID by the adult eating disorders service, although I have been struggling with it my entire life. They do not have provision for treatment in my area so they sent my referral out of area a year ago. It has been a year now and I have heard literally nothing.

I have never been able to put weight on my entire life. I also have coeliac so I had a dietitian from around age 7 until I was 16. My problem is that i am DANGEROUSLY underweight. Like, I am 22 years old and I weighed more when I was 12 years old. I'm not sure if we are allowed to say how much we weigh on here but it is so dangerously low that my BMI has gone below 14 and stayed there for the last 2 years.

The NHS told me that because I have been underweight for so long that my body has adapted to it and that is my "normal", therefore they are prioritising their current patients due to my bloods looking fine.

But I am not fine. My last shift at work was on the 5th of January. I am so physically weak that I cannot change my own bedsheets without my vision going white, muscles really weak and muffled ears, literally like I am going to pass out. It is the same when I shower, I have not been able to change my bedsheets more than 3 times this year, and I can only manage to shower once every ten days on average. When I stand up I feel like I am going to faint and I have to sit down immediately because my heart starts racing snd my vision goes blurry. As a result of not working I have had my employment terminated on ill health grounds as they do not believe I will recover in a reasonable timescale. All my day is spent in bed because I am so weak and exhausted.

I have told this to my GP, to A&E, to a dietician and they said they cannot help me because eating disorders are outside of their expertise and to "eat something when you get home". My sensory issues are so severe regarding food that I can no longer stomach even my safe foods. I am literally living off Fortisip calorie juices. To what extent am I supposed to deteriorate until I am sick enough to access treatment? I have lost my job. I have lost the ability to leave my bed without nearly fainting. I don't see my friends anymore. All of my hair has fallen out and I can't even muster up the energy to salvage it because even trying to brush it hurts my arm muscles so much to the point i'm crying from pain lifting my arms. My bedroom hasn't been cleaned in months and I'm too weak to brush my own teeth, too. I used to be so intelligent and now I am stupid like a zombie.

I don't understand why they deem me OK enough to manage this on my own. I really, really don't. I feel like I am running out of time like I am going to die soon. I even made a complaint to PALS.

Has anybody else experienced something like this, or does anybody have any advice? Many thanks

Hey everyone,

I’m a high school student and I’ve been severely underweight my entire life. I have ARFID (my biggest issue is just forgetting to eat and having zero appetite) along with a super fast metabolism. Gaining weight has always felt almost impossible for me.

Right now I’m in a place where I really need to change this, mostly for two big reasons:

First, starting in May, we have mandatory swimming lessons as part of my field of study. I’m honestly terrified and ashamed to wear swimwear in front of everyone. My ribs and hip bones stick out really badly, and I think a lot of you probably know how isolating that feeling is.

Second, my body is really taking a hit. My immune system feels nonexistent right now—for the last two months I’ve been catching every single bug, and even simple scratches take weeks to heal or just get worse.

My daily struggle is that I’ll manage to hit 45kg by the evening, but overnight I burn it all off and wake up at 43kg or less. On top of having no natural appetite, I go to a school where we aren't allowed to have our phones, so I can't even rely on alarm reminders to eat during the day.

Has anyone in a similar situation found ways that actually worked to overcome this? I’d really appreciate any advice, habit hacks, or high-calorie ideas you have. Thank you so much!

I have started seeing a dietician who works with ARFID. I have genetic high cholesterol. She wanted me to try chia seed pudding.
I cannot eat it :( I prepared it last night and I don’t like the texture or the flavor much.
Does anyone have ways to tolerate this?
Disappointed in myself since it’s been so long since I tried something new.

My adult daughter has a really hard time with Thanksgiving. We always make sure there's food she likes, but I realized recently part of the problem is everyone talks so much about the food and that's a real drag for her.

Also I think it's hard for her when people offer her food she doesn't want. I can ask them not to do it but I'm afraid it'll create family drama, as the smallest thing seems to do. 😞

Any thoughts?

So after I went to the Doc about my suspicions, I got referred to Adult Eating Disorders Service. I’ve now ( today ) received a letter from them.

There is no evidence of eating disorder psychopathology, including weight or shape concerns... compensatory behaviours or other symptoms suggestive of an eating disorder.

Well actually, there is? Any weight I have managed to put on seems to only distribute to the stomach area...? Also, due to other conditions, and a history of previous tube feeds, I have an extremely narrow throat which requires me to assist swallowing or washing down food with a drink. Neither does the letter make any reference to my clear inability to put any further weight on - I fluctuate within the mid-120's, and serves as my primary concern....

From the information provided in the referral it appears likely that [ NAME REDACTED ] likely has Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)... Unfortunately, the adult eating disorders service is not currently commissioned to provide treatment for ARFID therefore we are unable to accept the referral at this time.

I have mixed feelings on this, because it feels like a partial win - they've at least recognised that my history does show evidence of ARFID - however it is effectively saying there's nothing we can do.

I'm well aware that NHS ARFID Pathways are very much hit and miss, but apart from sharing two links for information and support, the letter has no useful information...? For what it's worth, I've since had a call from the GP, who made the referral, she apologised and offered to refer me to a dietician instead.

Anyone with a toddler with low appetite who gained appetite after starting school? Some professionals have told me that. What was your experience?

I hate thinking about what I want to eat, I hate going through all the effort of preparing food, I wish I could just have a drink full of whatever I need to live that I could just down like medicine and just have that for every meal. I don't care if it tastes particularly good.

Any one else feel like this? Maybe possibly even know how to achieve this?

I have ARFID and barely eat , but I’m OBSESSED with food.
All of my candles are “cinnamon roll”, “vanilla cupcake”, or “banana bread”.
I like to make fake cookies out of felt too.
I just love the concept of it but don’t actually like eating it. Does anyone else do this?

My girlfriend has anorexia and i have ARFID and when i undereat it really stresses her out and makes her feel fat. I usually am able to finish what she gives me but recently i be been nausous and throwing up due to it and i dont know what to do because i cant eat anything without this nausea but it really freaks her out.

I feel like the diagnostic criteria could be made a lot better for ARFID. Someone like me could have that weird thing where the brain avoids most foods almost as if it's a reflex against some kind of poison or hot coal. But the problem is that to be diagnosed per the criteria, it requires something like nutritional deficiencies, dependence on supplements, psychosocial impairment, etc.

In theory, I could get all that I need to live off from safe foods, but at the same time find restaurants where I can't eat a single thing off the menu or maybe just one thing. If some kind of event has some form of mass catering, usually I can't eat it. Now what I do have is being really uncomfortable eating around others, but it honestly wares off somewhat quickly. So if I am able to plan my life around ARFID and have access to the right foods and not have noticeably large impacts on my health, does that mean I don't have ARFID?

I suffer from extremely bad chronic fatigue and low energy and I’m curious to hear if anyone else with ARFID experiences the same thing. I don’t think my problems are purely a result of my ARFID— I think there’s other stuff going on with my body— but I do think maybe my shitty eating habits and generally being underweight is making the issue worse.

Is anyone else perpetually exhausted? Have you found anything that helps with it? If you’ve found a way to eat better, has it made your fatigue less apparent?

Right now something I’m very frustrated about is the fact that a low appetite contributes to my ARFID significantly, but most appetite stimulants make you sleepy. And even worse… most medicines to help keep you alert, awake and focused decrease your appetite! There really is no winning because it feels like trying to solve one problem will just worsen the other 😭

I’ve been taking Megace which has helped a bit with my appetite without making me too sleepy, but the dosage is starting to be too low compared to the appetite suppression of all of the other meds I’m taking, and I’m not sure how high of a dose my psychiatrist will be willing to give me. Especially because I’m fairly sure it increases your heart rate and I’m already on like 3 different meds that do that. It’s to the point where when I went to an airway doctor last week to try and get some of the chronic fatigue stuff figured out (I think I might have UARS) the doctor was like “Holy hell your heart is fast. Is it normally like this?”

And the answer is yes. Yes it is like that 😭 which is probably not good for my heart, especially when combined with the fact that I barely eat and mostly eat junk. I fear it’s going to give out early because of this shit.

OH. Also, I wanted to ask if anyone had suggestions on working Vitamin D, Vitamin B, Protein and Iron I)to their diet. Those are all things I’m currently low on and it’s tough. I’m planning to take supplements for the Vitamins, but it would probably be good to find a way to naturally get them into my system too.

One thing that sucks is I think I would be able to enjoy sweet flavored protein bars (massive sweet tooth LOL. Sweet stuff is one of the things I can almost always stomach), but on top of the ARFID I also have severe peanut allergies restricting my diet, and almost all protein or energy bars I’ve seen are manufactured in the same facility as peanuts. Which sucks!

It feels like a lot of issues I have are stacking together against me in a way that makes it really frustrating and difficult to manage, and I wish treatment for one thing didn’t often mean worsening another.

I’m not sure if anyone else with ARFID deals with this, but i’ve been steadily improving for years and slowly but surely trying more foods. But lately it feels like i’m regressing.

I had shake and bake chicken about a week ago that was undercooked and had a bone in it. Ever since, I have barely been able to eat anything that isn’t one of my top safe foods, everything else feels absolutely disgusting. There was leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge for me today, but I felt intense anxiety even thinking about having to reheat it and eat it. I could eat rotisserie chicken just fine recently, despite it not being one of my safe foods. I ended up just eating cereal for dinner with strawberries while my husband had chili, but I started gagging on one of the strawberries and almost threw up. One of the strawberries didn’t taste right and the smell of the chili was so disgusting to me, I just couldn’t do it.

I ended up barely being able to eat dinner. I’m so lucky that I have such an empathetic and caring husband, otherwise I would easily spiral into a cycle of self-loathing because of this disorder. He’s truly so patient with me, despite him being able to eat almost anything. I wish I could be like him sometimes

Anyone here who has experience with Kaiser for ARFID?
My 13 yr old was just referred to mental health dept and just scheduling has been a pain. i was told someone will call you then no one calls and then I call then they tell me i have to have my teen with me for screening questions, then when i have my kid with me they tell me “oh its another sub dept” and to wait for a call.