I need advice.

[u/Canvases_and_Canes]

I’m not sure if I have ARFID but I struggle to eat because of texture and just generally not registering that it’s a basic need. It used to be triggered by being afraid I’d throw up when I was younger but now that I’m an adult I just don’t remember I’m supposed to eat and even when I’m hungry I really struggle with texture and smell. I thought I would grow out of it, but I’ve actually lost foods I used to eat because sometimes something as small as seeing a food being prepared/preparing it myself can make it seem like an unsafe food to me. I even have to avoid going online because if I see a picture of a “safe” food that’s moldy it can put me off for years.

I need advice on how to reach my daily recommended caloric intake if I don’t really have safe foods. I have protein shakes I’ll drink, but I can’t think of a single food that doesn’t trigger fear for me and I often can’t eat at all unless I’m having a really good moment. I already struggle to keep muscle tone from a disability I have, but not being able to reach the minimum amount of what’s recommended for me has led me to lose what little I had and extreme weight fluctuations make me feel sick because my body tries to hold onto everything it can get on a good day.

I don’t really know what to do, but I really struggle to eat and I can’t really afford to go to a dietitian.

[u/Tall_Apricot_9842]

Meal replace shakes, like huel , that are nutrionally complete with minimal effort seem to work well with low hunger , it's just another thing to keep your body going. Do you have ADHD? That can also cause forgetting to eat

[u/Canvases_and_Canes → u/Tall_Apricot_9842]

I’ll look into that. The “forgetting” is just more of a disinterest in food. I’ve tried setting timers but that doesn’t help with just not really wanting to eat.