Good morning!
Today is a very exciting day…
- 24’s new season starts tonight and it is 2 hours
- The Golden Globes are on (I love the fashion pre-shows mostly!)
So fun. :) Is anyone watching?
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5 Things That Helped Me Beat My Obsession With Weight
Yesterday was one of those days that I really appreciated how far I have come with my Road to Health. It occurred to me that I haven’t weighed myself for about a year and a half now. I haven’t counted calories, and I generally haven’t obsessed about food for a very long time. Sure, I have my moments now and then like anyone, but for the most part I have been able to leave my eating disorder in the dust!
1) I Ditched The Scale
I have written about this countless times over the past year and for a good reason. Ditching the same, for me, was one of the most important steps in my Road To Health. I struggled for years in figuring out how to stop obsessing about my weight and what I ate. I finally figured out that for as long as I weighed myself everyday, I would never get past my focus on these issues. I don’t think weighing in is a bad thing for everyone, but for my personality it surely was. Once I stopped weighing myself, I was able to focus on other aspects of my health and take my mind off the numbers.
2) I Stopped Counting Calories
I counted calories from the age of 12 until about 25. That is a very hard habit to break! I always get emails from readers asking me how I did it and the truth is, it is not easy. While I do see the value in counting calories for some, for me it was not a good thing in my life. It took me a few years to finally stop counting calories all together. Many failed attempts. I started with not counting one meal a day, and then worked my way up to a full day, very slowly. I was quite ridden with anxiety at first, but I got over it. Much like ditching the scale, stopping calorie counting allowed me to take my focus off the numbers and onto bigger things, like my overall health.
3) I Learned About Nutrition
Before I learned about nutrition, I used to think that living off apples and ice burg lettuce was ‘healthy’. In university, I took a few advanced nutrition courses and they really changed the way I viewed food. I learned about the components of food, digestion, physiology, etc. and it really made a light bulb go off inside my head. I no longer viewed food as simply how many calories it had. I appreciated how complex nutritious foods are and what they could do for my body. These courses were instrumental in my love for nutrition.
4) I Set Goals
Goals are so important to me. As you may know, I have goals in all areas of my life for 2010. They keep me motivated, inspired, and challenged. Prior to beating the disordered eating, I never set any health related goals. Last year I set goals of running my first races- a 10k, 10 miler, and 2 half marathons (recaps here). I realized that having health and fitness goals showed me that fitness could be FUN, inspiring, and exciting. Finding something that I enjoyed made it seem less like ‘work’ and more like ‘play’. Even when I am sweating it out on the treadmill on cold winter days, I think about my spring time goal of running another race, and that instantly inspires me to train consistently.
5) I Stopped Comparing
I used to be horrible for comparing myself to other women. She has skinnier thighs, a tiny waist…she is prettier…taller…more fit. It is a vicious cycle that will never end unless you put a stop to it. There will always be someone out there who you will perceive to be ‘better’ than you in some way. I had to commit to accepting myself for who I was at this very moment in time- not 10 pounds from now. It took me a very long time to accept a few things about myself that were never going to change. Learning to love myself was one of the hardest things that I have ever done, especially after years of being my own worst enemy. Seeing a counselor while in university helped me plant the seeds and start a new journey.
It is a long road, but one that us surely worth traveling.
Have you ever made any changes in your life that helped you stop obsessing about food or your weight?
Updates:
- I changed around a few blog colours yesterday- I think it is a bit easier on the eyes now.
- Women’s Post selected me as Women of the Week- check out my interview here.
I have a full day of baking orders today…but first, a workout is in store!
Make it a good one! :D
Insist on yourself. Never imitate.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
You are one of the people who inspired me to write – thank you for inspiring my continued recovery: talesofarecoveringrecoverer.wordpress.com/
I would be interested to know about your thoughts on my recovery, given your experiences…
Great article! Although this is from a few years ago, I think it will always be a good and educational read. I too suffered from an eating disorder. I would count my calories and make sure that I was taking as low a number as I possibly could while still living basically! If I ever did have a treat or went above my max number of calories (which was still ridiculously low) I would excercise enough to burn it off. I was obsessed with calories, my weight and food and it was all I thought about. It took over my life, ended relationships and I was miserable. I always thought, if i just loose a bit more i’ll be happy but that never happened. There was always a new # I wanted to see on that scale. My family and friends gave me the courage and support to speak to a counselor which helped and slowly but surely, I gained some much needed weight and improved my relationship with food. It’s been about 5 years now. I have educated myself on nutrition, fitness and overall health and although I have come a long way, I still struggle. Sometimes I can feel my old habits creeping back in and I do my best to push them aside and read positive articles (such as these) which helps. I have never tried a vegan diet and I’m giving it a lot of thought. I also deal with very high sensitivities to Dairy, Eggs, Fish and Soy so I think becoming Vegan wouldn’t be too hard. I struggle with anxiety and control which I think stems from my past eating disorder. Wow, sorry for blabbing on here, long story short I wanted to thank you for posting such motivational articles and recipes. It’s great to read these and feel that I’m not alone and that i’m not a failure. I strive to live a healthy and happy life everyday and this blog is sure to help. I also just received your new Cookbook as a birthday gift and i’m very excited to try some recipes! I would love to hear your thoughts on how you deal with old feelings/habits coming back into your mind and life.
Thanks!
Wow! Read this at the perfect time in my life. I’m in college right now; I have been clean eating for about 1.5 years, and recently decreased my animal product intake). Lately I’ve been struggling with body image, binge eating, and restriction. I am trying to remember how to just eat when I am hungry, stop when I’m full, and be happy with myself. This post speaks volumes to me! Thanks!
My cookbook is coming in the mail tomorrow- can’t wait :)
I really want to get to this point,
I have recently acknowledged that I have a problem with weight and weight loss. I count all my calories, I am constantly on a strict diet and I do not allow myself any treats because I cant stand the guilt afterwards.
I weigh myself everyday and this dictates my daily mood and how I feel in my clothes. I feel it is getting out of hand and is causing a lot of arguments in my relationship.
It does not help that my friends all talk about being skinny and losing weight – its just everywhere. I used to be a size 14 and now I am a size 8-10 but I am still not happy and I view myself as that fat girl still.
Its just horrible. I am just scared I will put the weight back on.