Life is Happier Eating the Foods You Love… Part 2
February 20, 2023
Author: Megan Hoying
Editor: Chloe Sinel
I wrote “Life Is Happier Eating The Foods You Love” over one year ago on October 15, 2021. At the time, I was almost a year into recovery. Now, being over 2 years into recovery, I would like to make some revisions. Food is more than just fuel; it is an amazing way to connect with others, experience laughter, find a reprieve from the day, and feel joy. Not only will our health suffer, but our happiness will also suffer without the joy of food.
Here is the wisdom I have learned a year later. No one really talks about how hard it is to rewire your brain. The battle with food is one of the hardest, because you are battling yourself. I thought I was going to have to settle for a life of restriction and hatred towards my body. I am thankful every day that I had the resources and strength to rewrite my definition of health and beauty. I had no idea if I was ever going to find that happiness and love towards myself again, but that was my first step in recovery. To start your journey, you don’t need to automatically and fully understand the mindset of “food is happiness,” you just need to understand that living in a place of fear and hate is not a way to live, and start there.
I found that the best way to heal my relationship with food was to reform the way I talked to myself and thought about your body. Who knew such a simple sentence could be such a difficult one to live by. You are not alone if this seems impossible some days. I think almost everyone has looked in the mirror and felt disappointed in what they see. It takes determination and bravery to start changing those negative thoughts to positive ones. But, that is my encouragement. Start one day at a time, one step at a time. You are not going to make it to the top of the staircase the moment you start striving towards recovery. It takes one step at a time. Complimenting your body and feeding your mind with words of encouragement will help you move up one step at a time. Begin to erase the fear in your mind, and replace it with gratitude.
Recovery, while we’re still comparing it to a staircase, is a staircase that you never see the top of. Each step is a different steepness – you might fall down a couple stairs, run up a couple stairs, and you might just have to stop and take a couple breaths. After two years, I still feel like I take a couple steps back sometimes. Some days it might be harder to eat a snack than others. Some days it might be scarier to look in the mirror.
Remember, everyone is just trying their best to keep climbing. It takes consistency and strength to keep going, but it is worth it. It doesn’t matter if you fall down a couple stairs and keep going. It only matters if you fall down a couple stairs and decide to give up.
If you are wanting to start recovery, I am proud of you. That is the biggest first step to take. You are stronger than you think. If you have been through recovery, help those around you. The process can feel so isolating and overwhelming, but I promise, you are not alone. NEDA week proves that. There are so many people celebrating their courage and resilience this week. We have been through it. We know life after recovery is something worth celebrating.
Image: Julia Bonanno
