And the dangers of aspiring toward any number less. — If you haven’t said it yourself, you’ve likely heard someone make a comment like, “Only 12 more pounds to go before I reach my goal weight.” Ah, the almighty goal weight. It’s a number most everyone seeking to shed some pounds has in mind. …

An attempt to bring some levity to the often daunting recovery process. — This past fall, I finally jumped on the sticky sourdough bandwagon so many endeavored at the peak of the pandemic. Before attempting my starter (a mixture of flour and water that produces natural yeasts and serves as a leavening agent for baking bread), I thoroughly researched the whole bread-making process…

How to overcome the black-and-white thinking you have about food and your body. — No one asks to be at war with their body. No one asks for a life where the remorse from drinking a milkshake feels more intense than forgetting your best friend’s birthday. No one asks to drop gobs of money on rapid weight loss programs that inevitably fail you every…

Feb 27–March 3, 2023 is Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Thank you for tuning in. — Eating disorders are strikingly deadly and debilitating. They are also all around us. Whether you realize it or not, you know someone who spends their days chastising their body or abusing it through food restriction, binge eating, and/or purging. It could be someone you’ve only seen in passing or had…

Your role as a parental figure can make a difference in a child’s body image. — I’m not a parent. However, I was raised by a parent who outwardly projected her anti-fatness within my purview. And I was always listening. Whether my mother was pointing out someone on TV, in the car at the stoplight next to us, or asking me directly if I was getting…

They might be benefitting from it, but are you? — To some extent, we’re all victims of a diet-ridden, image-centric society. What sets some of us apart from others, however, is whether we choose to buy into — or even profit from — that construct. Open up your TikTok or Instagram feed, and you’re beckoned to stumble upon a nutrition…

My personal experience with body dysmorphia and what I recommend to others suffering from it. — Wearing a crop top and cutoff jean shorts, the slender body of a twenty-something-year-old woman glistened beneath the shining sun. I watched as she jovially mingled with her friends at the craft beer festival we both attended. Radiating in confidence, she flashed a captivating smile and made eye contact with…

Even 5 minutes can have tremendous healing power. — Body image distress — also commonly referred to as body dissatisfaction, negative body image, or body image disturbance — shows up for the majority of living, breathing humans at some point and time in their life. Some, however, experience that distress to a more debilitating degree than others. You’re most…