What if ED behaviors in autistic people were not problems to be fixed, but rather, powerful adaptations to feel safe? More specifically, what if eating disorders themselves are a form of autistic masking? In this episode, Livia Sara explains how eating disorders can manifest through three distinct types of masks, why neurodiversity-affirming approaches form the foundation of freedom, and how to discover your true self – without the masks of fear and limitation.

Highlights of today’s episode:

🕊️ Apply for 1-1 coaching: www.livlabelfree.com/coaching
🌈 Join the Autistically ED-Free Membership: livlabelfree.com/membership
📚My books about autism and eating disorders: livlabelfreebooks.com
📲 Connect with Livia on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/livlabelfree/

Mentioned episodes:
Spontaneous Life Update: https://www.livlabelfree.com/podcasts/liv-label-free-neurodivergent-eating-disorder-recovery/episodes/2149012972
Autism and Binge Eating (4-part series): https://www.livlabelfree.com/blog/autism-and-binge-eating-part-1
Unnecessary Calories: https://www.livlabelfree.com/podcasts/liv-label-free-neurodivergent-eating-disorder-recovery/episodes/2149024496

Do you or a loved one ever feel like you were born on the wrong planet? Livia Sara and Dr. Marianne Miller both know what it’s like to experience life as a neurodivergent alien. The existential loneliness that comes with this sense of alienation can be so unbearable that the eating disorder becomes an escape – a way to create a sense of meaning and purpose when you feel lost.

In today’s episode, Livia and Marianne discuss how eating “disorders” are adaptive responses to a threatening world, emphasizing the importance of listening to stories of lived experience.

Key Topics Discussed:

🌈 Grab your copy of Rainbow Girl, Livia’s memoir of autism and anorexia
👯 Join the Autistically ED-Free Membership
💗 Apply for 1-1 Coaching with Livia
📷 Connect with Livia on Instagram

Mentioned episodes:

About Marianne:

Dr. Marianne has been in the mental health field for 27 years and has specialized in eating disorders for the last 12 years. She was a full-time academic for 12 years and had a part-time eating disorder practice for much of that time until she left the university and went into private practice full-time in 2018. Dr. Marianne loves working with eating disorders as a therapist and an online course creator (her newest course is on ARFID and Selective Eating). She takes a non-diet, feminist approach that helps people of all genders live empowered, authentic lives. She embraces the Health at Every Size (HAES®) model, and is neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ affirming. Dr. Marianne is neurodivergent herself.

Connect with Marianne:

Instagram @drmariannemiller

Website drmariannemiller.com

ARFID and Selective Eating Course on Teachable

What if unnecessary calories were one of the most necessary aspects of living a meaningful life? In today’s episode, Livia Sara explores the concept of “unnecessary calories” through a client’s fear of butter, revealing how this restrictive thinking is actually a manifestation of deeper existential fears. You’ll learn:

Want to dive deeper?
👉 Work with me via 1-1 Coaching
🌈 Join the Autistically ED-Free Membership
🍩 Enroll in my Extreme Hunger Course

Mentioned episodes:

What if we viewed “eating disorder behaviors” as adaptive responses to an unsafe world? In this special episode, Livia Sara is interviewed by Harriet Parsons and Jenny Langley from the BodyWhys Podcast about her view of reframing eating disorders as adaptations, and how this perspective can support individuals moving from quasi recovery to a life of freedom and purpose.

Highlights of the episode:

🎙️ Listen to my free audiotraining on Autism and Eating Disorders
🌈 Join the Autistically ED-Free Membership
📚 Read my books about autism and eating disorders

Traditional eating disorder recovery advice tends to be harmful for autistic people. Many regulation techniques are often labeled as behaviors to be eliminated, which can lead to feelings of hopelessness. But there is another way!

In today’s episode, Livia speaks to Rob about his personal journey with binge eating disorder and how discovering his autism has helped him develop more effective coping strategies. We discuss the limitations of one-size-fits-all approaches to recovery, the concept of the “adaptive eating spectrum,” and the importance of forging your own path when it comes to living a meaningful life.

Key Topics Discussed:

🌈 Join the Autistically ED-Free Membership
🎙️ Listen to my free audiotraining on Autism and Eating Disorders
📖 Access my free extreme hunger guide for answers to the top 10 questions about extreme hunger!

Connect with Livia:
🍩 INSTAGRAM
🌐 WEBSITE
📚 BOOKS

Contact Rob at bingefreerob[at]gmail[dot]com

It’s time for another spontaneous life update! In this unscripted episode, I share some major changes and exciting announcements – including new books, moving overseas, the launch of the Autistically ED-Free Membership, reflections on the fear of relapse, and how I’m dealing with my own fear of failure.

🌈 Join the Autistically ED-Free Membership
💗 Join the Liv Label Free weekly newsletter
🎙️ Listen to my free audiotraining on Autism and Eating Disorders
📚 Read my books about autism and eating disorders

How many calories should you eat in anorexia recovery? I used to obsessively watch “What I Eat in a Day” videos and scroll Reddit threads in a desperate attempt to answer this question. But the more I searched, the more lost and confused I felt. If you resonate with the fear of “not knowing how much to eat,” this episode will transform how you approach food freedom.

You’ll learn:

🌈 Join the Autistically ED-Free Membership
📚 Grab your copy of How to Beat Extreme Hunger
📖 Access my free extreme hunger email course for answers to the top 10 questions about extreme hunger!
📝 Read the blog post of this episode

It’s no secret that people with anorexia often engage in excessive amounts of exercise. When you combine that hallmark restlessness with neurodivergent traits like anxiety, perseverance, masking, and a constant state of fight-or-flight mode, you have the perfect storm for exercise addiction. But what if these same traits could become powerful tools in ED recovery? In the second installment of this 2-part series on Autism and Anorexia Athletica, Livia Sara explains how to transform movement from an escape into an energetic outlet. You’ll discover how three autistic traits can influence our relationship with exercise and how to harness them for healing.

Episode highlights:

Resources mentioned:
🎙️ Listen to my free audiotraining, “3 Steps to Recovery From an Eating Disorder as an Autistic Person”
📖 Access my free extreme hunger email course for answers to the top 10 questions about extreme hunger
🌈 Enroll in the Autistically ED-Free Academy
📚 Read my books about autism and eating disorders
💗 Join my newsletter to receive Liv Label Free updates
📝 Read the blog post of this episode

When you think of exercise addiction and eating disorders, you might picture someone trying to burn calories or using movement as punishment. But for neurodivergent individuals, the story often looks different. In today’s episode, host Livia Sara shares her journey with exercise addiction through an autistic lens, challenging common misconceptions and offering a fresh perspective on the complex relationship between autism, movement, and eating disorders.

You'll learn:

This episode kicks off a powerful two-part series examining how autism can influence our relationship with exercise and how traditional treatment approaches might actually backfire for neurodivergent individuals. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll explore three key autistic traits that can influence exercise addiction and how to transform them into tools for recovery.

Connect with Livia:
💗 Join my newsletter to receive episode updates
🌈 Grab your copy of Rainbow Girl, my memoir of autism and anorexia
🎙️ Get FREE Audio Training on Autism and Eating Disorders
📝 Read the blog post of this episode

Do you feel like you're never good enough? In this unscripted, spontaneous episode, I dive deep into my current struggle with perfectionism in writing and the surprising parallels to eating disorder recovery. Recorded with no planning or outline, this raw exploration reveals how the fear of failure follows us beyond recovery into creative pursuits.

What you'll hear:

This episode marks the beginning of a potential new series sharing unfiltered thoughts and reflections. I'd love to hear if this format resonates with you!

💗 Join my newsletter to get first access to "How to Get Out of Quasi Recovery"
🌈 Learn more about the Autistically ED-Free Academy
📚 Read my books about autism and eating disorders
🌐 Contact me via my website