The Eating Disorder Diaries
If you're struggling with an eating disorder or mental health in general, The Eating Disorder Diaries is here to let you know that you're not alone and there are ways to find recovery. Meet Amy, the host who talks about her 15+ year struggle with bulimia, her experience with eating disorder recovery, and interviews others along the way who have been a part of her journey or had their own experience with an eating disorder. By hearing the stories of those in recovery and learning what's allowed them to heal, we can kick start or further continue on our own healing process and lead a fulfilling life knowing that we are not alone, there's a supportive community out there that can relate to you in what you feel are your darkest moments, and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Without further ado, welcome to The Eating Disorder Diaries.
The Eating Disorder Diaries
Goal #9: Noticing Your Body Signals: Hunger, Fullness, and Energy with Yale Physician Scientist, Hui Yang
This month, our recovery goal is to notice one body signal each day: hunger, fullness, fatigue, or energy - without judgement. It may sound simple, but it’s actually a transformative practice. By gently tuning into these signals, we can start rebuilding trust with our bodies, describe our experiences more clearly to providers, and open the door to healing.
To explore this theme, I sat down with Hui Yang, a physician-scientist and psychiatry resident at Yale. Hui studies the brain circuitry behind eating disorders and brings a rare perspective by combining cutting-edge research with her own lived experiences. She grew up in China, came to the U.S. at 18, and now works at the intersection of neuroscience and compassionate clinical care.
In this conversation, we cover:
- Why body signals feel so dysregulated in eating disorders, and why they’re not “broken.”
- Practical grounding tools Hui recommends to reconnect with hunger, fullness, and energy.
- The three phases of eating (appetitive, consummatory, satiety) and what happens when they’re disrupted.
- The two studies Hui participated in at Acute in Denver, one of the country’s highest-acuity inpatient centers:
- Understanding the urge to move or exercise in eating disorders.
- Testing whether nutrient balance during refeeding can improve recovery outcomes.
- Why treatment, though hard, is truly lifesaving and why Hui has hope for the future of eating disorder care.
Connect with Hui:
- Instagram: @let_the_land_lie_fallow
- Yale Profile: https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/hui-yang-hy439/
- Email: hui.yang.hy439@yale.edu
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @theeatingdisorderdiaries
