Recovering WITHOUT weight gain and sugar cravings?

Can you recover from an eating disorder without gaining weight? Without becoming obsessed with sugar? Without "bingeing"?

There's not easy answer. Maybe?

Having said that, in order to recover, it's important to

• eat freely, without fear of weight gain
• stop focusing on the calories and weight gain
• stop obsessing over the scales and weight gain
• allow your body to do it's thing, even if this means weight gain  

You see, the weight gain itself is not what defines recovery. However, the ability to stop obsessing over it is what does. In the process of overcoming this obsession, it is possible and likely that you will gain weight (and crave sugar and go against everything that feels 'right' to the eating disorder), and you may need to embrace this in order to be physically and mentally healthy. But what matters is not the numbers on the scale (or on yet another packet of chocolates), what matters is the mindset change.

So 2024 is the year to start focusing on your goals, your dreams, your ambitions. Stop focusing on the weight. 

And, no, your body may not always feel like it is your friend. It didn't to me. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't treat it as your friend. Fake it 'till you make it. Because the body is hardly ever at fault...

Your worth does not depend on your appearance.

Tearing yourself down is not what’s going to help build yourself up.

You are unique and valuable as you are.

Your body deserves respect, regardless of its shape or size.

It would be a lie to say that this was always easy, but there are definitely some things I have done over the years that have helped me tremendously, such as...  

• striding straight into the fear (to prove, through experience, that the outcome really isn't that bad)
• wearing clothes that fit, are comfortable, and make me feel genuinely ME (and that take the focus off of my appearance)
• daily gratitude journalling, and shifting my attention to the positives in life and in my day-to-day  
• giving myself breaks and allowing myself treats (including sufficient rest and nourishment), in essence telling my body it deserved these things even on days where I didn't feel like it did  

Nowadays, even when I do feel a bit bleh in my body (it happens -- I'm human!) it also simply holds a lot less power over me than it did back then, and it most definitely no longer temps me to return to the eating disorder. The process of gaining weight (and gaining mental clarity alongside this), the process of shaking off the ed... it all means that a bad day no longer gets blown out of proportion. I notice the thoughts and then move on to other, better things. It no longer consumes 99% of my brain space.

So here's what I want you to take away as we head into a new year: change takes time. It feels uncomfortable. But you have to change your behaviours to change the outcome. You have to push through (and you can!)

Now go do it xx

PS. For a daily dose of motivation, find me on Instagram here. Or, for that big nudge in the right direction, sign up to a free 15 minute call with me here and let's see if coaching could be the key to your 2024 success!