Eating disorder doesn’t define you

For years I thought that eating disorder was me. That this is the way I was, my nightmare and constant fight. I was waking up in the morning hoping for a good day. When ED is asleep.

It took me seven years to recover, when I actually realised that recovery exists. WHO you are is who you want to be. And if you are not there yet, the journey is yours to take. Step by step, accepting ups and downs.

One is definite: You are YOU. Not your nightmares, not the things you don’t want, not the anxiety, not the fear, not the guilt. You are the beautiful person you want to be and you don’t realise that it is really you.

Here I want to share a few tips for you to try and practice every day:

1. The priority is to have healthy relationship with food. Food is food and most important to remember is that no food is bad. So, eliminating the bad list is crucial. How you can do that? Introduce all the food back to your diet, no guilt. It may be hard at first, but it is important that you do it. I remember eating cake for dessert for the first time, as part of my meal and trying not to shake inside. Practice that. Make a meal your meal. No food is bad.
2. Structure you eating and build new habit. Eat six meals: 3 mains and 3 snacks/dessert. You will build trust with your body. Your body doesn’t know there is food at every corner. So when you eat every three hours, your body and mind will eventually start trusting you. “There is food again soon, we don’t need to panic”.
3. Accept relapses. Remember that your brain has that pathway, which is easy to follow, because it is there. A new pathway needs time to reinforce. Trust this process.
4. Read a book called “Chimp Paradox”. It can be part of your theraphy and journey to full recovery.
5. Your past is an experience. You become stronger after what you have been through. Be a winner, not a victim.
6. Take focus of things which trigger your mind. I stopped exercising for one year during my recovery. I know that exercising and moving is good, of course. But – would you run with a broken leg? Heal first, run later.

I am sending you love and light. Stay strong

Kasia