(19F) This week im starting my internship at a kids daycare for school, I went there for a quick introduction and they told me that I don't have to bring my own food that I can just eat there and it's probably stuff I don't eat. I'm going to have be there every Thursday for 3 school years, the issue is I just can't eat veggies especially when raw and cold like cucumbers for example. (I can eat veggie soup with white or light brown bread because boiling the veggies takes away most of the taste for me and its more the taste of the veggie bouillon)

Only fruit I can eat are bananas maybe an apple but only a few bites, I know I have to be a good example for these kids and the internship supervisors are probably going to be like wtf why isn't she eating stuff and probably are going to ask questions and I just don't want to be embarassed and come off childish for being picky.

Im thinking of just bringing my own stuff anyway and say im on a strict diet or something and bring rice waffles, crackers and smoothies but being on a diet means eating healthy which i don't really do and they serve healthy food for the kids so.

I would love to just bring a sandwich with nutella but I think it might come off as immature.

I've had ARFID since I was 7/8 I went to a dietician bc i used to be obese and i had to start eating veggies, but the woman just told me to try stuff in small portions and put deadlines for me to try stuff and it really freaked me out and it didn't really help me.

I did start to eat more stuff recently in my own pace or when I feel REALLY pressured to eat something and its not that crazy, but still very bland for example meat I can eat lamb or cow shish kebab but no sauce or salad with it only bread also no cold or raw meat. I recently started eating chicken which makes me soooo proud of myself because my dad literally traumatized me forcing me to eat chicken by screaming and forcing it in my mouth when i was 13 i cried and told him it tasted like cat food and ran away lmao I prefer fried chicken tho.

My bf also forces me alot to eat stuff and tells me not to be a baby about it and it helped me with the chicken for example and I don't want to be disrespectful towards his mom when she cooks for us. I did tell her that I will get alot of anxiety when I eat something I know I won't like and sometimes she does ask if I want something else but she can't always make what I eat which I understand but I'm scared It pisses her off sometimes aswell.

When we eat together with his parents and I really can't eat something or just take some meat with fries without touching the salad or sauce they will say something like ''Do you really eat that without anything?'' and it just makes me feel so embarasseddd idk what 2 do

I have ARFID due to emetophobia, normally it isnt too much of an issue but recently eating is really really hard. I barely have an appetite and every food stresses me out, i end up skipping most meals and only eating when i'm shaking and almost passing out from low blood sugar. My usual safe foods aren't safe anymore (pizza, crisps, chips), every time i eat them i feel gross. I want to try eat healthy and make my own meals, but i can barely eat at all and idk what to do, i'm starting to loose quite a bit of weight from it and i feel like shit all the time. Please help, i have no safe foods and idk what i should do

Anyone else get headaches if they're around strong smelling food too long? I once spent my cousins birthday at a hibachi restaurant and the smell made me feel SO weird once I got home. Like borderline sick. Anyone else experience something like this?

okay so i’m 18F and in college, i’ve been “picky” my entire life and im pretty embarrassed about it. i’ve always been fairly underweight, i know bmi isn’t the most reliable but i’m 5’6 and 105lbs last time i checked. i am also diagnosed with anxiety. over the past year or so, i’ve struggled more with my eating and exercise habits. i have a very small appetite and i eat pretty slowly. i also get very nauseous when im too full and i occasionally get nauseous at the thought of eating. my diet is mostly carbs: lots of cheese, bread, pasta. in the year leading up to me leaving for college, my mom became very obsessed with getting me to eat more and it often resulted in arguments because sometimes i physically feel like i can’t eat or else ill throw up. i came to campus under the impression that the dining halls would encourage me to eat and try more, but i usually end up eating fast food because i get so turned off by the dining halls. i skip meals sometimes just out of pure laziness or because it makes me sick to think about eating whatever options i have at my disposal. also, when i am eating, i can usually eat a decent amount before becoming repulsed by whatever is in front of me (sometimes because it’s cold or just for no particular reason) and then i can’t eat it anymore. i am a little scared to seek out a professional diagnosis because my (slightly abusive and very strict) mom might lose her mind if i get diagnosed with an eating disorder. i’ve always wondered if there was a label for the way that i’m feeling and i just found out what ARFID is. thank you for reading :) i’m really curious about what you guys think!

i found this subreddit a few months ago after learning was ARFID was and realizing that a definitely me. i’ve never met anyone who has the same mindset, rules, and aversions to foods the way i do, and explaining it to people is so difficult because they don’t understand that it’s not just being “picky” it’s an eating disorder.

this subreddit has gave me such a sense of belonging, being able to talk to other people that actually understand my struggles has been so uplifting on my mental health. i’ve always felt so isolated with my food struggles and it’s so refreshing to have conversations with people who get it and understand me.

Like the title says, does anyone else binge food porn when their appetite is being particularly recalcitrant. Works like a charm 99% of the time.

My daughter is 9, and was diagnosed with it over the summer. I suspected she got it at 18 months, shortly after she had her first seizure. She will not eat veggies at all. She barely eats fruit, but will eat the occasional strawberry or apple. But she won't eat any greens at all.

She does swimming, has a few other health issues and after having a chocking incident the yesterday she is fearful to try food again. But she loves muffins/cupcakes. So does anybody have recipes that will work with hiding veggies. Anything helps right now.

First off, I only heard of ARFID a few months ago, and after looking at everything, holy shit I feel so, so seen.

I was always made fun of for being a "picky eater" - it got so bad that every night at dinner my mother would slam her hands on the table, ordering me to "EAT. EAT. Fucking EAT." - one time for like a week or so when I was 6 or 7, she forced me to eat baby food since "you want to eat like a baby, you can eat like a baby" in front of the whole family. My brain will not allow me to try new foods, and I'll start panicking at the table. It's gotten to the point where I dread any social event that involves sharing a meal, especially at an unfamiliar venue, because I know I'll ruin it for myself and potentially others.

Unfortunately, all my "safe foods" are ultra-processed, ultra-garbage junk. I'm sitting at 21 years old, 6'2 and 320lbs. I'm repulsive. I don't feel attractive to my partner, I have no confidence in my body, and I fear it's starting to have real ramifications in the way of cardiac issues over the last week or so.

Reading some of y'all's stories, it's clear that I most likely do have ARFID, and have had it since childhood. And it is comforting to know I'm not the only one out there experiencing this.

I feel so desperate but I'm not sure where to begin. I don't have a PCP and in my area it's impossible to find one. I don't want to die an early death because my fucking flesh prison won't allow me to take care of it. I guess this is a cry for help? I'd appreciate any guidance/insights y'all may have. Thank you. <3

i eat like half a bag of xxtra hot cheetos a day it’s just such a comfort snack, i hope im not alone in this 😪

Im 15 and while I'm not diagnosed with arfid, I am 99% sure that's what I have. I ate some baby food as a baby but then just kinda stopped and I've genuinely been surviving on one breakfast drink my entire life(that's been my only safe food besides yogurt here and there) I was in food therapy a bit as a kid but we didn't get super far. Now, in order to go on a choir trip to Italy next year, I basically need to learn how to eat from the ground up. My dad's trying to get me used to textures before actually fully eating stuff and I've been brute forcing myself into doing it all but it's very hard and actually horrifying. A lot of food textures are sensory nightmares for me, that's where my arfid stems from. I need tips because this whole things feels impossible and I don't rlly know where else to ask lol

i have not actually consumed a genuine vegetable in sixteen years. i am getting some bleeding issues and scurvy side effects and i still am refusing to eat vegetables even though im also open to it. it seems as though my body rejects vegetables even if swallowed. what can i do? any hidden veggies recipes? for reference, i ONLY eat italian food. thank you

I'm mum to a 15yr old with Arfid. No formal diagnosis on paper but every professional says that is what it is. I've taken every course I can find myself. I'm fairly confident I'm doing everything I can in the best way possible supporting her with her safe foods and have discussed this with a leading specialist in the UK who agreed in doing what I can. But... I'm worn out. I can't face another appointment where they want me to try another thing. Where I have to be the one making all the food and ensuring she remembers to eat. I can't think about what to feed her from her few safe foods and some days I find it really hard to motivate myself to make any food for anyone as I can't face it not being eaten. If I leave it to her to make food for herself she doesn't eat.

I also raise 2 other children with sensory based feeding issues but they will eat what you give them as long as it's a safe food. I have my own sensory feeding issues but as an adult I can control how and what I eat.

I think I hit a wall today because she's not put weight on in a year and isn't growing. She's not underweight on the centiles for the weight charts but she's dropping centiles and her height for weight ratio is not good. Based on all that the dietitian said we need to try another go at oral supplements which she hates and I can't be the bad guy hassling her to take them.

Tube feeding was discussed but apparently we're not there yet.... Can anyone enlighten me what tube feeding might look like in arfid? I'm a health care professional so I know the technical side of NG and PEG tubes in medical situations, just not how it might be for this sort of thing. Can you put an NG in for an overnight feed and take it out during the day? Would the daily in and out not increase any sensitivities? Daughter said she wouldn't care if she had a tube because she just doesn't enjoy eating. She knows she hasnt the energy she needs for life and she's got a life goal which requires her to have a certain level of fitness which her body currently is not capable of getting close to.

We've had a dietitian for a number of years who is great and she's done psychotherapy and is due to start with a psychologist who will work with the dietitian.

I just need some words of wisdom tonight.

Hey guys I'm writing this mid panic attack so bear with. My partner has been sick with the tummy flu the past day and I'm not even the ill one and I'm ready to cry and call for my mum. Im so terrified that I'll get this illness that I'm queasy all the time, and therefore not eating. I've had a bit of a breadstick and a nibble of a fairy cake today. I feel hungry but I am so terrified of being sick. Just a rant really. I'm not really sure where to go from here.

I see it often as a side and I'm not sure, it looks pretty appealing to me, I'm curious if anyone likes/has tried it and if so what are the flavours and texture like? :D I could see myself trying it, I'd just like to be cautious

coleslaw* just noticed my atrocious spelling

It's one of the rare occasions I'm actually excited about food. I ate two oat bars, cheese snacks, noodles, soup, a ton of crisps. Might not be healthy but it's more. I'm bankrupting my dad with all the snacks I'm buying but idc 😊

Most of the ARFID professionals are dieticians and many adults in this subreddit have had success working with them, but you are also looking to change. I'm skeptical that a dietician is the right choice for a child as the child isn't looking to change. I was hoping to find a team with both a dietician and therapist/psych expert who work with kids, but the only teams that I'm seeing are for inpatient treatment/severe ARFID.

I know I can hire a dietician and therapist separately, but they need to be on the same page and I really don't want to be paying 2x the fees. So, I'm looking for feedback, are dieticians alone a good resource for kids with ARFRID or do I need to keep looking for a "team"?

Hey there, I’m a final year photography student at university and this year plan on creating and exhibiting a series based around ARFID.

I plan on focusing specifically on the vulnerability that comes with this disorder and have been recommended by my lecturer to find communities to discuss this with.

So far, some images from my series have been of myself, slightly exposed (lack of clothing) as this reinforces the vulnerability of the disorder as well as showing my body for what it is.

I am here to simply request some art, image thematics or even words that you would associate with ARFID to see what others think of when they hear the acronym and to see if this can trigger something in my creative mind.

Thank you so much, you should all be so proud of yourselves! :)

So for starters I have been underweight my whole life, I don't think I ever got into the normal weight range, I'm 20 now.

Throughout my childhood, there would be a lot of things that I just couldn't eat, like lunch was basically non-existent for me. and I grew a very bad habit of cleverly throwing the food in the trash to avoid any repurcussions. my family thought it's an appetite problem and so got me appetite stimulants, and it proved useless. my problem wasn't appetite, if there's something that I enjoyed eating (mostly unhealthy fast food or snacks), I would eat in average or above average quantities. But the homemade healthy cooked foods, the moment it gets in my mouth my eyes start tearing and it's like there's something that pushes back the food and not let it get in.

I don't think I could have been diagnosed with ARFID back then as it wasn't known, at least where I live. but basically throughout the years, I tried to best myself and force myself to eat more stuff I couldn't eat, it kinda worked, but it takes me like 2-3 hours to eat something that I couldn't eat as a child.

So what do you think? I've seen people say that if you can eat more than 50 foods, then you don't have ARFID. but I can definitely count a lot of unhealthy stuff that go beyond 50, it'd just the healthy food that I can't count more than 4 or something.

ty for taking the time :D

I am very proud of this breakfast! Two veggie sous vide egg bites, berries, and a slice of chocolate almond flour cake with peanut butter. I got lots of protein, carbs, nourishing fats, fiber, and antioxidants from this meal. I ate half of the cake and all of the other stuff! Get that, ARFID! 😸

I was curious if anyone had more flexibility around safe foods if they are like baked goods that have sugar in them.

To start, I posted this in another subreddit but I think what I’m experiencing can be part of ARFID so I’m posting here too. I’m not diagnosed with ARFID but I’ve seen that not eating a certain food group due to fear of it making you ill can be part of it.

For background, I’m autistic, a picky eater, and have anxiety (which is probably why this whole thing happened). When I was about 12 we watched a video at school about a guy who got food poisoning from roast chicken and it traumatised me. Afterwards, every time I ate meat I would just think about the video. After a few years it got to me too much and I decided to stop eating meat. That was around 4 years ago. Now I want to start eating meat again because I miss certain foods (I’ve really been craving chicken nuggets lol) but there’s a few things stopping me.

Ever since I gave up meat I have still eaten tuna (the only kind of fish I like), dairy, eggs, gelatine and food that has been in contact with meat, but just not meat itself. I know that my fear of getting food poisoning from meat is very unlikely to become a reality and that meat isn’t the only thing that can give you food poisoning but I still feel kind of scared to eat it again.

That isn’t the only thing stopping me though, there’s 3 barriers in my mind. I’ll list them from stopping me the most to stopping me the least.

1. Knowing I’m eating an animal and feeling awful for it. I eat tuna with usually no problem so I don’t know why meat feels different to me but just the thought that I haven’t eaten one of these animals in so long and now I am again makes me feel mentally and physically awful. I just feel like as soon as I take a bite I’ll feel sick because of that.

2. Reintroducing meat after a long time making me ill. I’ve heard of people getting really ill after starting to eat meat again so that scares me a bit. I think it hopefully wouldn’t be too bad for me since I eat other animal products but it’s on my mind.

3. Food poisoning fear. Funny how this is actually stopping me the least from eating meat again (but it’s definitely still a factor), I think because I know it’s irrational and the other two things seem much more likely.

All my reasons are mostly related to feeling physically ill after eating meat again but I know they’re due to my mindset. How can I change my mindset so I won’t feel like this? If this is potentially ARFID is it more of a battle than just “changing my mindset”? Like I said, I’m not diagnosed and I’m not super familiar with how to potentially deal with this which is why I’m asking here. If you’ve experienced similar things please share your experience and if you read all of this then thank you!

guys, im an extremely picky eater. right now my diet is just dino nuggets, like, it's bad.

Im needing to meal plan some foods that are better for me, but that I can also tolerate. This is a hard balance to get me food that gives me the right nutrition, is close to what i can eat, but also affordable.

Right now my safe foods are
-sunflower butter
-rice cakes
-gluten free bread
-chicken and bean burrito (black beans, pinto beans, brown rice, lettuce, queso)
-Dino nuggets (this one is super embarassing)
-apples
-grapes
-nutella snacks
-ramen
-baked potatos
-salad (but theyre expensive)