During the recent heat wave that set records across Europe, I did something I would have NEVER done 10 years ago…

I bought a soft-serve ice cream🍦and ate it – spontaneously!

I hadn’t woken up thinking about getting an ice cream. I hadn’t spent days planning how to fit said ice cream into my meal plan to “balance out” the rest of my calories that day. I hadn’t exercised more to give myself a “buffer” for the “extra” calories.

It was 37 degrees out and I was sweating my 🍑 off, so when I walked past the “snackbar” (a Dutch fast-food eatery) and saw one of those giant plastic ice-cream cones (you know the one, right?!), I just had to get one!

I filmed myself eating the ice cream and posted a reels on Instagram, reflecting on what a “Wow, I can’t believe how far I’ve come!” moment this was. Because ten years ago, there was no way I would have gotten an ice cream that I didn’t know the calories of – let alone spontaneously! 🤯

Now, I know autistic people kinda despise words like “spontaneous” and “flexible.” And I get it! Traditional ED recovery approaches make these terms the ultimate goal. They expect (*cough cough* demand) you learn to “eat intuitively,” completely disregarding your need for structure, predictability, routine, and attachment to numbers.

When we are forced to operate in a way that directly contradicts our authentic self, we feel MORE unsafe, which only makes discovering our UNIQUE version of freedom harder. Unfortunately, this often leads to the belief that it’s harder to recover from an ED as an autistic person, keeping us trapped in quasi recovery.

The truth is that freedom is possible for you, but it probably won’t look like neurotypical food freedom. For me, it looks like having freedom routines – routines that respect your autistic needs while simultaneously creating space for flexibility and spontaneity. If you imagine a routine as box, freedom routines are kinda like stretchy boxes!

So how do you create such a freedom routine? And on a grander scale, how do you create a life that respects your autistic needs while having built-in space for the inevitable unpredictability of the human experience?

This is exactly what I teach in the Autistically ED-Free Academy, my signature 8-week coaching program that guides you to complete freedom by embracing neurodivergence.

The Academy isn’t a “recovery” program. It’s not a “how-to.” And it sure as hell isn’t a “one-size-fits-all.” Rather, the Autistically ED-Free Academy invites you on a discovery journey – one where you learn who you are at your CORE so you can take steps towards a life you never thought possible. This may or may not include spontaneous ice cream 😉

I won’t be running the group Academy until 2027 because I’m currently focusing on providing 100% individualized, high-touch support through my 1-1 Academy experience. Throughout our time together, you will learn how to distinguish autistic traits from eating disorder behaviors, move out of fight-or-flight mode (pun intended, hehe), create your own freedom routines, and, most importantly, build a life that affirms your neurodivergent soul.

The private Academy is available to individuals in discovery, caregivers supporting a loved one, and clinicians seeking to better serve their clients. So if you're committed to changing your life – and others’ lives – for the better, learn more and apply for the 1-1 Academy experience here.