Trigger Warning: Mention Of Disordered Eating, Calorie Counting, Weight, Macros, And Binging
My health journey started off as something innocent. High school was the start of my fitness journey where I learned the basics of the gym world including nutrition and calorie counting. As a newbie, these normalized habits were things I believed had to be followed in order to reach my physique goals.
What had started as a harmless attempt to keep my body healthy and active quickly became an unattainable and obsessive relationship with the gym and food. It was a puzzling scenario because diet culture allowed me to believe that my actions contributed to living a healthier lifestyle, but in reality, I have never felt worse. I fell into a viscous binge-restrict diet that ultimately led me to gaining weight despite all my effort to become strong and lean. I was not listening to my body and I was not taking care of myself… I was lost. All of my unhealthy dietary habits left me with consistent bloat and stomach pain. I sought out help, but nobody could provide me the relief I needed. My body was depleted of nutrients and energy, so I knew I needed to do something.
I knew this was not “health”. My first step towards finding balance was throwing away the food scale and deleting My Fitness Pal. As I broke away from that type of restrictive lifestyle, I realized just how much I was missing out on and better ways to direct my energy and attention. I knew I needed to find balance and not let food or exercise control my life. This was not something that flipped overnight. I still struggled to listen to my body and not subconsciously count calories, but I was slowly improving along the way. All of these practices eventually led me to where I am today; an intuitive eater. It is not an easy or quick process, but I have never felt healthier or happier. Never again will I let food, exercise, or weight determine my quality of life.
If you want to hear more details about my health journey and 9 tips I would recommend to anyone on their own journey, check out my podcast episode here.
