Feb25

Eating disorders Awareness Week – Becoming Ordinary Vlog – Day 2

Posted on by
Standard

Today I am dealing with an issue VERY close to my heart – the way we talk about food.  Often we use words like: “guilty pleasure”, “being bad”, “I cheated!”, “I’m going to have to work this off tomorrow”.  Without meaning to we make certain foods & even eating itself a MORAL issue.  Am I being ‘good’ or am I being ‘bad’ by putting certain foods into my mouth.  It wasn’t until I entered into recovery for my anorexia that my own family had to confront some of the loaded language we used in regards to food and eating.

We needed to learn to see food as fuel.  It was a gift that provided the nourishment, strength and energy we used throughout our day.  We no longer ‘treated ourselves’ but incorporated all types of foods in moderation.  I still hold strong and fast to this belief, as I have seen countless times how restriction in ANY form OFTEN is a breeding ground for addiction, and paves the way into disordered eating.

8 responses »

    • Thanks Amy! Nice to meet you too!
      The reblog is much appreciated as I would like to reach as many people as possible with the message “food is fuel”. And we MUST encourage each other and hold each other accountable fo our loaded language. Blessings!

      Like

      Reply ↓

  3. Pingback: Eating disorders Awareness Week – Becoming Ordinary Vlog – Day 2 | Shirley's Heaven

  4. I haven’t been able to watch your vlog as my internet connection is too slow but you’ve definitely got me thinking a lot about language and food. I have problems with food as part of my BPD diagnosis, I either forget to eat genuinely or I don’t eat because I “don’t deserve it” or… There’s a multitude of reasons. It’s not a body image thing at all, I know I’m too thin. It’s a self love thing mainly. Anyway, I have been checking in with myself to say I HAVE BPD as opposed to saying I AM, so as not to identify with my diagnosis and now I’m going to really think about the language I use for food too. Thank you 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • Alicerose91,

      YES! so many people think EDs are attached to appearance but more often than not, its an issue about control, or self hatred.

      Mental health/well being and eating was always very closely tied for me. I struggle with clinical depression and when my depression was at its worst, so was my eating or lack of eating. I also found that in a strange way it made me FEEL more, engage in life more and when I wasn`t doing well emotionally that always scared me, so I would begin to withhold food in order to `feel better` (sounds strange I know).

      I think choosing to see food as neutral and as FUEL is essential to restoring a healthy relationship with food and to RE-learn how to listen to our bodies. I genuinely had to make a conscious choice to not attach eating to my feelings (eating when I felt good or not eating when I felt bad) or morality (whether I felt I deserve it or not). I also surrounded myself with people who ate for fuel, and who werent emotional about it.. I saw the free that they had and that motivated me towards change.

      Lalainia ❤

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • I’m so sorry I haven’t replied sooner, I can be so rubbish at keeping up with comments. You’re so right about the underlying reason behind ED’s. Isn’t crazy isn’t it how food is such an emotional experience for so many of us? I am so sorry to hear about your depression. That doesn’t sound strange to me, I completely understand.

        I’m so glad that you’re on a journey towards a healthy relationship with food. Your advice is awesome ❤

        Like

Join the conversation! What are YOUR thoughts on this post?