At our last meeting, we had a young lady share with us her journey through anorexia and bulimia. She has been behavior free for one year. However, the Holidays were a time of great angst for her and as they approached, her anxiety increased which also increased her eating disorder behaviors.
The individuals present at the meeting wanted to know how she came to recover and what tips did she have for navigating the Holidays.
Her answer about recovery was quite simple -- she got sick and tired of being sick and tired. She wanted to get better. She wanted a life outside of her disorder. She stayed in treatment and worked hard to accept herself. She set boundaries with friends and kept people around her that were not toxic to her recovery. If it meant severing a friendship, then so be it. It was not easy, but she is happy with who she is and we applaud her for that.
She now looks at Holiday meals as just that -- another meal. It's a time to nourish our bodies. We do not need to stuff them beyond capacity, but if we want another piece of pie -- that's OK. She commented on how common it is for people to not eat meals prior to having a Holiday dinner. Our bodies still need food and to wait until late afternoon to nourish our body is just not a good idea. I agree. It is just another meal in our day. What is a young child thinking when he sees mom or dad not eating all day to justify eating a meal later in the day? Something to ponder, isn't it. When did they acquire labels such as "good" and "bad"? Food is food. It nourishes us, it satisfies us. It is not our enemy.
How many times have you said "oh, I'm going to be bad and have dessert" or "I was so bad today, I had a piece of cheesecake". It's just food. Be careful what messages you are sending.
People come in all shapes and sizes. When did it stop being OK to be who we are?
