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👻 I shared something terrifying with the internet…

This week’s episode of The Well Path Podcast was probably the most vulnerable thing I’ve ever shared on the internet. My journey through disordered eating, binge eating and body dysmorphia is something I’ve held tight to my chest for a very long time. But I realized recently that it would be extremely inauthentic for me to tell the story of my path into wellness without sharing this part, too. Because in many ways, overcoming disordered eating was the very first step I took on my journey back to myself.

As much as I love and value the nuts and bolts of fitness and nutrition, wellness has as much to do with our heads and hearts as it does to do with our bodies. So my commitment to you is this: I won’t leave out the messy parts. 

If you’re someone who has struggled or is currently struggling with food anxiety, disordered eating, or a difficult relationship with your body – this episode is for you. If someone you love is on this journey, feel free to share this newsletter or the episode with them, too. And remember: you are not alone – things can and will get SO GOOD as soon as you decide that you want them to. You have SO MUCH POWER!

In case you missed it 

⛓️‍💥 What is food freedom?

Food freedom is about breaking free from food anxiety, feeling at home in your body, and being able to enjoy all food groups (yes, even carbs and dessert) without feeling emotionally triggered. It means developing an open line of communication with your body, nurturing it, trusting its queues, and making peace with it.

If you’re someone with food anxiety, then achieving this will be a journey, but IT WILL HAPPEN. I am not a licensed therapist and I highly recommend working with a professional to help you move through this process. With that said, for anyone who isn’t quite ready to take that leap yet, I hope this week’s edition provides you with a starting point. These are the tools that I used on my journey, and that worked for me. Everyone is different, so feel free to take what resonates and leave what doesn’t.

Here it goes:

1. Step 1: Emotional work – get to the root of it

The first step in healing your relationship with food and your body is to dig deep into the emotional triggers behind your patterns. Disordered eating is rarely really about food. Often times, what we seek through these patterns is an illusory feeling of control or temporary relief from negative emotions. Therapy is a truly life-altering tool for unpacking these layers and uncovering the limiting beliefs or subconscious patterns that might be driving unhealthy, destructive habits in your life. If therapy isn’t accessible to you right now, journaling can also be a powerful way to start exploring your thoughts and emotions. Here are some prompts you can use to get started: 

• What situations or environments trigger your disordered eating behaviors?

• Think back to approximately when this pattern started for you. Was there something going on in your life at that time that felt outside of your control?

• What emotions tend to lead you to eat when you’re not physically hungry?

• When it comes to foods you are afraid to eat – what are you afraid of? Play this out logically and try to be specific. 

• How do you want to feel in your body?

Step 2: Body work – reconnect with your body

Rebuilding a healthy relationship with your body requires reconnecting with it through mindful, embodied movement. If you are not currently exercising, start today. This can be something as simple as going for a 20 minute walk every day, or signing up for a digital body-weight workout program.

If your current workout routine leaves you feeling disconnected from your body (like running or intense HIIT/cardio), try switching things up. Opt for forms of movement that encourage presence and awareness, like yoga, pilates, or strength training. The goal is to move in ways that help you tune in to your body’s sensations and feel gratitude and appreciation for what it can do, rather than disassociating from it.

Step 3: Soul work – who are you, really?

The next step is reconnecting with your real self and a higher power. There is no substitute for this journey – as long as you lack a relationship with your inner self, you will continue to try to fill that void with external things. That may be food for you right now, but it could just as easily be alcohol, drugs, excessive exercise, overthinking, or really any addictive cycle or pattern presenting itself in your life.

Wiser people than me have articulated this far better than I can, so I highly recommend starting with the following books:

• The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer

• Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch

• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Step 4: Baby steps – start making changes, today

Ultimately, if we don’t change anything, nothing will change. As hard and anxiety-inducing as I know it can be, you have to start taking baby steps toward your new relationship to food and your body, and the best time to start is today.

Lean on your support system for encouragement and start incorporating new habits. This might mean pushing yourself to try foods you’ve historically held off-limits, starting to eat 3 meals per day, swapping one of your weekly runs for a yoga class, or dedicating 10 minutes of your morning to meditation or journaling.

Change won’t happen overnight, but once you commit, you’ll be amazed at how quickly it will come, both internally and externally. Stay patient and consistent, and remember that small, intentional steps WILL add up over time.

If anyone wants to chat, I’m always here and I love to hear from you!

🫶 ICYMI

Tune into this week’s episode ↓

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That’s all for now. Thank you for being here.

See you next week!

Love, Brooke