Social media stars the Cavinder twins candidly open up about their battles with eating disorders – as they reveal how ‘reverse dieting’ technique helped them to conquer their ‘frightening’ relationship with food

Pro college basketball players Haley and Hanna Cavinder have opened up about their eating disorders — and how they overcame their toxic habits after admitting they themselves were “basically starving.”

The twins opened up on their podcast, Twin Talk, while talking to their friend Kat Padgett – who they say helped reshape their relationship with food and fitness.

Haley and Hanna recalled the moment they decided to reach out to someone for professional help, seeking the expertise of fitness guru and nutritionist Kathryne “Kat” Padgett.

“We actually started our journey in January,” Hanna explained in the podcast. “So then Haley actually had the idea that we should reach out after Christmas because we were seriously undereating.”

According to Kat, the sports superstars reached out after realizing they weren’t fueling themselves properly. They said it was particularly scary considering the amount of exercise they were doing at the time.

“(It was) super scary to hear, and then (eating) up to 1,300 calories, which was way below for your body type and your lifestyle,” Kat admitted, adding that she “learned more about the way of thinking’ around food and eating. their relationship with food.

“It was really scary,” she admitted.

Kat added that it was ‘terrifying’ to see how super-athletic twins were ‘sacred to eat’ – adding that she doesn’t think being in the spotlight helped.

‘(You were) scared about your body change because you are in the spotlight and it is very difficult to be judged and when you put so much emphasis on how you look,” Kat sympathized.

“The only way to make sure you eat healthy (is) to feel comfortable and confident in who you are and know what you stand for,” Kat explained. “It’s been an amazing journey, I’m really proud of you.”

Kat explained that she encouraged the girls to start ‘reverse dieting’ to help them change their eating approach.

“Reverse dieting is super great, it’s something everyone should do if you’ve completed a fat loss phase or want to move into a fat loss phase,” she explained.

According to Kat, the converse involves slowly increasing your food intake while “manipulating cardio or energy output” as you slowly add calories back into your diet.

‘Because our bodies are so adaptive, it gives your body time to adapt to these small increases in calories, energy and carbohydrates – essentially just increasing your metabolism,’ she explained.

However, when Haley and Hannah first came to Kat, she remembered that they first had to increase their total calorie intake and keep it consistent.

“I was so scared of eating like carbs for some reason,” Haley admitted.

Haley — who is preparing for a return to college basketball after revealing her plans to their 4.5 million TiKTok followers in August — also admitted that pressure from their followers didn’t help the situation.

“(We were told), you guys look so good, what are you doing, you look so good,” she recalled.

“I’m like, dude, I don’t even know what to say to these people who like to reach out and like to compliment you, and like to ask about your workout routine, because I felt so guilty,” Haley admitted.

Haley pinpointed the exact moment she decided to seek help, reaching a point where they knew neither of them could continue with the diet and intense exercise routines.

“Just like the way we fuel our bodies – whether it’s a sport or not – it’s not going to last, it’s not sustainable,” she added.

The girls also admitted that limiting their food intake became “like a game” for them, remembering how long they could wait after playing basketball or exercising to eat.

‘WWhen I did that, I felt like it was a reward, it (felt) good,” Haley admitted.

The twins played for Fresno State at the time and admitted that at one point their mother became so concerned that they contacted their coaches.

Now, both Haley and Hanna say they are shocked when they look back at how little they ate and can’t believe how far they’ve come.

“We’re still 100 percent on our journey, but it’s like we’re only seeing little growths and (the) little victories,” Hanna added, recalling the first time they both had their first ‘untracked’ meal ate.

“Intuitive eating is something that is very new to us,” she admitted.

The women said they are passionate about sharing their journey, especially if it helps others.

“We’re super passionate about sharing it and love sharing our journey with Kat,” Haley added

Kat advised anyone who may be struggling with an eating disorder to try to adopt healthy daily habits and seek help where necessary.

Hanna and Haley were born in South Bend, Indiana, but moved to Phoenix, Arizona at a young age.

They both started playing basketball before they even entered kindergarten – and dominated throughout middle and high school.

After graduating from Gilbert High School, the sisters attended Fresno State, where they both broke a slew of records.

The twins rose to fame by providing a glimpse into the many glamorous perks that come with NCAA star success.

They grew in popularity online — and by the time they transferred to the University of Miami in 2022, they were the most followed athletes to have played college basketball.

In June 2021, as the NCAA officially began allowing its athletes to make profits off their name, image and likeness, the social media sensations became the first college athlete to land a brand deal, signing with Boost Mobile within minutes.

Since then, they have landed more than 40 sponsorship deals with the likes of Champs Sports, food brand Six Star, sports shoe and clothing line Eastbay and finance company SoFi, netting them $1.7 million as of July 2022, according to Forbes.