Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit
@myarfidlife • 840,500 subscribers
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Hannah picked the restaurant because she wanted a quesadilla. She liked the first piece, but the second had too much cheese for her. She tried taking some out, and she still couldn’t keep eating. That’s what ARFID can look like. Wanting to eat and being able to eat aren’t the same thing. Even when we don’t understand what changed, we have to believe them when they say they can’t eat anymore. Check out my last post which explains more. 💜 #fyp
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit1,500,000 Aufrufe • vor 22 Stunden
These were a safe food Hannah found during this journey. She loved them so much u til one day something about it tasted off and she refused to eat them again. I would keep buying them in hopes that maybe she would be willing to try them again, but she would look at them and say maybe nex time. It was so frustrating and I would explain that maybe it was just a bad batch, or something about her taste was off, but she couldn’t get past the last experience she had with them. I finally stopped trying and she herself decided she was ready to give them a try again. Since having her braces it’s been hard for her to find softer foods she can eat so she thought this would be a good choice. She still doesn’t fully trust them to be “safe,” but it’s one step closer in the right direction. What is a food that was once safe and then all of a sudden stopped being safe? #fyp
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit3,800,000 Aufrufe • vor 27 Tagen
She takes language literally, and with limited experience eating many foods because of ARFID, she doesn’t always have a familiar image to connect to a food’s name. We often assume everyone knows what common foods are. But being around a food isn’t the same as being familiar with it. When food brings so much anxiety, learning its name or how it’s prepared may be the last thing you want to do. When the chicken came out she was surprised. It wasn’t what she expected, and it didn’t look like the chicken she is familiar with. I’ve learned to give her space during these moments. Even well meaning comments or questions can increase her anxiety while she’s processing something unfamiliar. I give her time to work through what she’s feeling, and we talk about it afterward. She ended up saying it wasn’t that bad and that she could eat it again. We’re so proud of her for working through that unexpected moment and giving it a fair chance. You see her trying it, but you don’t see everything it takes for her to get to that moment. She may make it look easy, but that doesn’t mean it is. #fyp
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit461,000 Aufrufe • vor 14 Tagen
I love how Hannah is able to describe her feelings with trying new food. It really helps us better understand her experience. Even though we usually know she won’t like something that’s okay, that’s not the point. The fact that she can actually try it and be so confident even when it’s really hard is what has made a huge difference. The no pressure approach has made a world of difference. She knows there are no expectations and it’s totally okay if she can’t eat more of it after trying it. What’s most important is being able to stay regulated and how proud she feels after she does it. Don’t give up, progress is possible! 💜 #fyp
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit2,500,000 Aufrufe • vor 3 Monaten
One of the most frustrating parts of ARFID is building up the courage to order something you want to try, only to see it arrive and feel like you can’t. Foods like grilled cheese can be unpredictable, even when you make them at home. The type of bread and cheese, how much cheese you use, how melted it gets, and how much you toast the bread can make it a different experience every time. What seems like a small difference to someone else can completely change whether it feels possible to eat. She had a picture in her mind of what she was ordering, and this wasn’t what she expected. She wanted so badly to try it, which made not being able to even more frustrating. She said she didn’t think she would be trying it today, but maybe another time. Respecting that boundary helps her feel safe to order it again, knowing that choosing something doesn’t mean she’ll be pressured to eat it. I want her to know that she can try again without being afraid of what happens if she can’t. Her boundaries will be respected, whether she takes a bite or not. #fyp
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit265,700 Aufrufe • vor 18 Tagen
READ CAPTION For a very long time we never understood why Hannah had such a hard time picking up food off the floor after she dropped or spilled something. This can be perceived as spoiled, entitled, a brat etc. She would get very emotional so we would just do it. One day she came home from school and was very upset. She told us about a situation when she dropped one of her safe foods on the cafeteria floor, and the yard aid asked her to pick it up . She froze and got very emotional. Thankfully her friends stepped in and helped her. She then went on to explain that she has a very hard time seeing her safe foods in a negative way. She said that when she sees her safe foods on the floor it grosses her out and that if she has to pick it up off the floor and it’s mixed with dust, hair or other dirty materials, she is afraid that the next time she wants to eat that food, she will imagine that safe food the way that it looked when it was on the floor, and she won’t eat it. She said that she avoids having to see her safe food in that way so that she won’t be reminded of it the next time she eats it. After she explained this to me, it really made things more clear and I had a better understanding. I realized that she wasn’t trying to be disrespectful or rude, she was simply trying to protect herself and avoid the possibility of losing a safe food. There are so many different reasons why a safe food can be lost, but this is an example of one way. #fyp #parenting
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit9,200,000 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
A lot of people don’t realize that hunger and appetite are not the same thing. With ARFID, hunger doesn’t always bring appetite. The body may be asking for food, but the brain isn’t ready for eating yet. This is also where ARFID is very different from picky eating. With a typical picky eater, withholding preferred foods may sometimes increase motivation to try other foods. That approach does not work for ARFID. One subtype of ARFID is low appetite or lack of interest in eating. In these cases, appetite may already be minimal. Taking away safe foods doesn’t increase hunger or curiosity, it increases stress, shutdown, and avoidance. Safe foods play an important role. They help regulate the nervous system, provide nutrition, and create a sense of safety around eating. When safe foods are withheld, anxiety rises, appetite becomes even harder to access, and eating can stop altogether. With ARFID, being fed comes first. The brain has to get fuel before it can learn anything about eating. When the brain is underfed, it stays in survival mode and can’t build appetite, flexibility, or trust with food. That’s why progress with ARFID comes from safety, not pressure. Access to safe foods, patience, and calm support help nourish the brain so appetite can slowly catch up and growth can happen over time. Understanding this difference matters. Strategies that might work for picky eating can be harmful for someone with ARFID. Supporting nourishment first helps kids and adults feel safer around food and creates the foundation for real, lasting progress. #fyp #hunger #appetite
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit3,500,000 Aufrufe • vor 10 Monaten
I decided I wanted to try a homemade BBQ’d hamburger. I didn’t want anything on it other than the patty. When I saw the juice dripping out, it freaked me out. I didn’t even want to touch it. I also really didn’t like how it looked burned. The bun looked like it was undercooked and the whole thing just made me really nervous. Everyone else was eating them and saying how delicious they were so I really wanted to try it too. I was definitely anxious, but much better than I used to be. Some foods make me more anxious than others but I’ve been using my tools to get through the big emotions. It wasn’t my favorite, but if I had to eat it I could. I know that sometimes I already have bad thoughts about a food before I try it. I think that was what happened with this. Because I had really bad thoughts about the way it looked, Mr. ARFID got in my head. I think I will try it again another time. Now that I know what to expect, I will try to be more positive next time. This is why it’s so important to try foods again because it really depends on how you’re feeling in that moment and how much anxiety I have about it. What’s your favorite burger place? #burger #hamburger #bbq #summer #poolside #family #fypシ゚viral #arfidawareness #sensory #tryingnewthings
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit3,900,000 Aufrufe • vor 2 Jahren
I did it!!!! I decided I wanted to try the Spam!!! I kept going back and forth because a part of me really wanted to try it since it’s a Hawaii thing, but the other part of me was so nervous. After watching my brothers and dad try it, I finally decided that I wanted to try it. It took me a while to prepare for it, and a lot of the video had to be edited because it was too long. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but it wasn’t something I would choose to eat again. It had a lot of rice, even though I don’t like rice by itself. The rice actually helped balance the flavor of the actual spam. I rate it a 5/10 and I’m glad I tried it. I was very curious to see what it tasted like since so many people here eat it and they sell it everywhere. My brothers ended up eating it again, but I will pass. #arfidawareness #hawaii #hawaiilife #spam #tryingnewfoods #fearless #foodexposures #arfidrecovery #onebiteatatime #nevergiveup #unstoppable
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit2,500,000 Aufrufe • vor 2 Jahren
This one was very difficult for Hannah and I am so proud of her for pushing through it. We told her that it’s ok if she decided she wasn’t ready to try it, yet she still fought through all of her fears and big emotions and didn’t let Mr. ARFID win. She knew this was going to be challenging for her and she really hoped she could like it because it’s a food we often eat and has a lot of good nutrition in it. She wanted to do a riddle for this one because it was something she looked forward to as her motivation for trying it. She would love to see if anyone can guess. Here’s the riddle: I’m a blend of cultures in every bite, spreading joy from left to right. Thanks for all of your support always, it means so much to us, especially Hannah! 🫶🫶🫶 #fyp
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit1,400,000 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
This food ranked as the number 2 worst food of 2025, yet this exposure was done just last week, nearly two years into her ARFID journey. Even though this was one of the hardest foods she has tried this year, what stands out is not the food itself but how she handled herself. With ARFID, progress is not measured by liking a food, It is measured by staying regulated, communicating needs, and finding ways to feel safe enough to continue. During this exposure, she advocated for herself. She asked for her ESSA, requested salt to help manage the sensory experience, and clearly expressed that she was not comfortable with the open bean and needed a smaller one. These are not avoidance behaviors, these are coping skills. This is real progress. Instead of shutting down or going into fight or flight, she stayed present and worked through the discomfort in ways that respected her nervous system. For those who have followed our journey, the difference is significant. Compare this to fear food number 5 back in January, where fear took over and regulation was much harder to access. This month’s exposure shows growth in confidence, self awareness, and trust in her ability to get through hard moments. She has worked incredibly hard. The bravery, effort, and emotional growth behind moments like this often go unseen, but this is what it’s all about. Discovering ways to find freedom from Mr. ARFID. #fyp
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit624,200 Aufrufe • vor 10 Monaten
You should get one too! #fyp #essa #comfort
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit598,300 Aufrufe • vor 10 Monaten
For a long time, Hannah had a very hard time understanding that the same food can exist in many different forms. When a food has a negative experience one way, the brain often generalizes that reaction and applies it to the entire food. This is especially common for individuals with ARFID and sensory processing differences. The brain is trying to protect the body by predicting what the experience will feel like before it happens. Vegetables are a good example of this. They can be steamed, grilled, sautéed, or eaten raw, and each method creates a completely different sensory experience. Seasoning also changes taste, smell, and mouthfeel. While seasoning can make food more enjoyable for many people, for someone with sensory sensitivities it can add unpredictability. Hannah will only use salt, which feels familiar and consistent to her. Hannah loves French fries, so we have been gently expanding potatoes into different forms. One of the hardest foods she has ever tried was mashed potatoes. The soft, mushy texture does not match her sensory profile. Hannah typically does better with crunchy foods. When a texture feels wrong to the nervous system, it can trigger discomfort or anxiety even before the food is tasted. Recently, she decided to try a soup her brothers enjoy that contains only broth and potatoes. Even before tasting it, she noticed that the potatoes looked similar to mashed potatoes. Her brain made an immediate connection based on past experience, which is a very normal protective response. Although she tried to keep an open mind, the texture did end up feeling very similar to mashed potatoes for her. What made this experience different was not the outcome, but the process. Even though the food was challenging and uncomfortable, Hannah handled it with much more regulation and confidence than she would have in the past. Learning to tolerate the discomfort, stay present, and recover more smoothly is just as important as the food itself. Over time, these experiences help the brain become more flexible and less reactive, even when the food remains difficult. #fyp #potato
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit435,900 Aufrufe • vor 10 Monaten
Today I decided to get a happy meal from McDonalds. I got a plain hamburger, fries, and a bottle of water. Whenever I eat a hamburger patty, I eat it plain without the bun. Today I decided I was going to try it with the bun. I still have a very hard time with condiments, so I wanted it plain. It was actually pretty good, and helped with the flavor of the dry patty. The bun was a good texture and together it was a good combination. I rate this an 8/10 and could definitely eat this again. I hope one day I will be able to try it with ketchup too. I ate about 3/4 of the hamburger and about 10 fries. That is a very big meal for me, so I am proud of myself for eating that much. #arfidawareness #hamburger #pattyandbun #plainburger #noketchup #mcdonalds #happymeal #bigwin #fearless #foodaversions #foodavoidance
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit951,400 Aufrufe • vor 2 Jahren
Jello is a food I’ve been wanting to try for a while, but the texture of it made me very nervous. I was really excited to finally be brave enough to try this. Since I like strawberry, I decided to try this flavor even though the color really bothered me. This was a difficult texture for me. It was way too wet, slippery and slimey. The flavor didn’t even really taste like a strawberry. By the time I did the 3rd bite it was really hard to swallow and I gagged really bad. I felt relief after trying it because at least now I know what it tastes like, and I’m happy I was able to push through the 3 bites. Even though this texture was bad, I still think applesauce is much worse. I rate this a 5/10, but I will still consider trying the orange flavor another time. 🫶 Who likes jello and what’s your favorite flavor? #jello #textures #newfood #icandohardthings #tryfoodwithme #arfidlife #arfidstruggles #3bites #hereigo
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit360,800 Aufrufe • vor 2 Jahren
Early on in her journey Hannah depended on water with every bite. Now she is able to tolerate the discomfort, and really experience the exposures. During meal times or exposures, water wasn’t just a drink, it was safety for Hannah. It helped her manage the overwhelming sensory characteristics of food, being able to swallow the food as quickly as possible to avoid the negative feelings, and fear. It made the unpredictable parts of eating and trying new foods more predictable. But when water is needed with every single bite, the brain starts to connect safety to the water and not the food. The body never gets to fully process the sensory or emotional experience of eating, so the underlying fear or discomfort stays unhealed. Relying on water can make exposures feel easier in the moment, but it also keeps the nervous system from processing the true sensations of eating. As she slowly began to trust safety in other ways, she was able to take tiny steps toward eating without water. Not because we took it away, but because we focused on helping her body feel calm with the food itself. It wasn’t about forcing discomfort. It was about learning to notice it, and sit with it, while still knowing she was safe. Over time, that practice built confidence. She began to realize that she could handle the sensations, and that her body could feel uncomfortable and still be okay. Now, water is still there when she needs it — but it’s comfort, not survival. And that shift didn’t happen through pressure — it happened through safety, trust, love and support. #fyp #water #safety
Hannah Lea & Michelle Dorit162,900 Aufrufe • vor 1 Jahr
