As I look back on my recovery, I’ve identified some key aspects that helped me to silence the eating disorder voice. My eating disorder voice was at times deafening and my healthy voice was trampled by the loud volume. With recovery I was able to slowly nurture my healthy voice and move past my eating disorder and strengthen the soulful part of me.
Creating a peaceful relationship with food, connecting with and respecting my body, rejecting the diet culture that is so prevalent today and challenging the “thin commandments”—food rules that I had to adhere to or my world would fall apart, were critical aspects of my recovery. I needed to throw myself into recovery and fight the eating disorder every step of the way. As I did fight, fall and get back up, my healthy self was strengthened and my anorexic, bulimic and over-exercise rituals stopped serving me. I eventually had more drive to create meaning and purpose in my life separate from body, weight and shape.
A few year ago I read the book, Intuitive Eating, written by Evelyn Trioble, MS, RDN and Elyse Resche, MS, RDN. I had also read it over 20 years ago, however at that time I was not able to process the book and internalize the recovery principles it highlights. I imagined I read it and then mindlessly and desperately clung to my eating disorder even more. Now with some recovery under my belt I was able to truly connect to the principles. I also was able to understand that the core of my recovery was built up of them. Ironically this book that I read a long time ago and was not able to take in, were the principles that saved my life and led to recovery. The ten principles of Intuitive Eating are:
- Reject the diet mentality
- Honor your hunger
- Make peace with food
- Challenge the food police
- Feel your fullness
- Discover the satisfaction factor
- Cope with your emotions without using food
- Respect your body
- Exercise- feel the difference
- Honor your health – with gentle nutrition
Throughout all of the principles is the thread of self-compassion. Self-compassion is practicing kindness instead of ugly criticism and having a neutral perception and understanding instead of a judgmental one. So much of my life was based on all or nothing thinking and this program helps to move away from a pass or fail mentality and create new eating experiences that lead to opportunities to learn about your body.
So on your next trip to your local bookstore or more likely the next time you hop on Amazon to “get a few things,” I suggest you get this book. The authors have also created a workbook to use in conjunction to help guide you with concrete exercises to complete. In addition to the exercises I recommend you practice daily mindfulness to help you to connect your awareness to your thoughts, body sensations and feelings.
Recovery is possible.
Serenity Always,
Meredith
*Please note that for those in early recovery from anorexia their hunger and fullness meter is often broken so you will needed sustained weight restoration and recovery before using this book effectively.
