I’ve always loved food - it’s been one of my favorite things about life. But for the past few years, I had a complicated relationship with food that led me to an eating disorder. No matter how hard I tried, I just felt like I was failing and couldn’t get out of a never-ending cycle of guilt, shame, and worry.
It wasn’t until recently that I finally began to understand how powerful my thoughts were when it came to this issue. By changing my mindset and treating myself with kindness and learning how to be present in moments related to food, I slowly started feeling better.
Beginning to trust and acknowledge my needs around meals has helped me a lot in getting where I am today. Instead of feeling anxious when planning ahead or overwhelmed in the moment, learning how to set boundaries between myself and what felt expected from others allowed me more freedom when it came time to eat. It also opened up conversations about body image that ultimately made me stronger mentally as well as physically.
In addition, focusing on nourishing my body instead of punishing it through restriction or over-eating gave me a newfound sense of control while surrounding myself with non-judgmental people who listened without trying to “fix” anything truly opened new doors for healing.
Since then, I have seen monumental changes within myself—both externally and internally—and it’s an incredibly gratifying experience being able to enjoy food again without fear or guilt creeping up in moments that should be shared with joy and satisfaction.