10 Ways I Fight My Eating Disorder and Body Dysmorphia

Having an eating disorder is not uncommon in America today. 30 million Americans have some version of an eating disorder: Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge eating, etc. Of those 30 million Americans, 20 million are women. The likelihood of having an eating disorder increases even more when you have a mental health diagnosis such as an anxiety disorder, mood disorder, or substance use disorder [1].

Knowing the statistics I do today, I'm not surprised that I have an eating disorder, but there once was a time when I would have fought tooth and nail to prove that I was healthy and fit. I didn't realize I had struggled with eating disorders until after my athletic career was over, and I was able to focus on my health and well-being.

My daily routine had become skipping breakfast, skipping lunch, having a small snack, and then binging all my calories at dinner. Sometimes this is followed by a lot of guilt and purging after. I did this throughout all of high school and the beginning of college. At the time, this was normal and okay for me. I was working out before school, attending school all day, going to practice at my school, and then going to another practice with my travel team before eventually coming home and eating. No one had ever taught me about the importance of food as fuel. All I knew was that the more you ate, the fatter you got, and I didn't want to be fat. So in my mind, I was burning hundreds of calories throughout the day so that I could earn my dinner when I got home. This excessive working out and the absence of food was only being enforced by being told how "healthy", "toned", and"in shape", I looked, but I was dying. The lack of nutrients and proper health education had caused me to wither away. Eventually, the scarcity of nutrition caught up with me, and my body stopped being able to serve me.

It's been five years since my body gave out, and I've been slowly healing it ever since. The process of recovering from an eating disorder is hard work and isn't a journey you should have to take alone. I'm constantly learning from others in my field and those battling with their own eating disorder.

SO... Here are my 10 favorite tips for fighting ED and BD

1. Eat intuitively the best you can- You should eat when you start feeling you're hungry. This is an easy way to avoid skipping meals, avoid binging, and will satisfy the hunger so that food won't take over your thoughts. For some people, this may be a struggle. If you take certain medications, it can curb your appetite and make it to where you don't feel hungry. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't eat at all, your body still needs fuel regardless if the desire is there or not.

2. No punishments for eating- Food is not something you need to earn or have as a reward, it's a necessity for your body and mind. Eating should be a process where you pick foods that nourishes and fuels you. You shouldn't be thinking about the exercise that is needed to burn it off or the food you will have to skip to "afford the calories". Life is too short to question whether you should enjoy the cupcake at a birthday party or the pizza slice with a friend.

3. No negative self-talk- This is definitely one of the hardest for me. I was someone who constantly made negative comments about my body. Some jokingly, some serious, but all negative. We embody the beliefs we have about ourselves, so by eliminating these negative beliefs and thoughts as they arise, we can start to make room for the positive ones.

4. Stand naked in the mirror- This one may feel silly at times, but I swear by it. The trick is you have to stand naked and only promote positive self-talk. Even if it is fake or insincere, negate any negative comments that may arise and only fill them with things with positive ones. Eventually, the thoughts we have about ourselves will begin to change as our emotions and behavior toward our bodies begin to change.

5. Allow all foods- Many of us get stuck in a dieting culture that restricts us from foods; sugar, carbs, fats, etc. When recovering from an ED it can be hard to restrict certain foods without over-restricting. In moderation, you shouldn't have to restrict yourself from any category of food. Eat what feels good and right for you without worrying too much about the contents.

6. Remember sizes don't matter- In the U.S., men's pant sizes are sized by the number of inches around their waist. 38 inches around, size 38 pants. Makes sense right? Well, women's sizes are almost always at the discretion of the company making them. You may have a 34 waist and you could be a size 6, 8, 10, or even 12. Imagine how detrimental it could be to your confidence and ED if you think you are a size 6 and go in and only fit into a size 12. THIS is why it's so important to not place any importance on the size you wear, it's all bullshit.

7. No comparing- At 5'11 I'm much taller and have a bigger frame than the majority of my friends. When weight comes up or I find myself looking at their bodies when we go to the beach or out on the town, I have to remind myself that all bodies are made differently. My body will hold weight and distribute it differently than the person beside me, and she will be different than the person beside her and so forth. All bodies look different, and just because someone looks differently than you doesn't mean that their body is better or vice versa. Love the body that serves you.

8. Don't hold on to clothes that no longer fit- This goes for clothes that have gotten too big or too small. Your body isn't meant to fit your clothes, your clothes are meant to fit your body. There's too much importance placed around being able to fit in "your old jeans" or that "favorite bathing suit". Sometimes it can be painful to have to let go of items that no longer fit our body, but nothing is more painful than hating the body that continuously serves you.

9. All the prep at once- For someone like myself I have a hard time finding foods that I actually want to eat in the moment and I usually lack the motivation to prepare the foods. Oftentimes this leads to me eating out or eating foods filled with tons of salt, sugar, and other bullshit chemicals simply out of convenience. One thing that has really helped is prepping everything all at once. Whether it be when I first get home with the groceries, or whenever I find a spurt of motivation, preparing everything and having foods that I like ready to go makes meals much more pleasurable and maintaining my eating habits easier.

10. Drop the all or nothing mentality- Food and exercising doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing. You can cheat one day and not have to give up the healthy patterns you've created. You can skip a workout during the week and not have to feel like you've failed. Consistency is key, not an all or nothing mindset. As long as you continuously show up for yourself, give yourself grace.

References

1.Eating Disorders. (n.d.). National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Retrieved May 15, 2023, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/eating-disorders