Learning & Unlearning: Eating Disorder Recovery
Megan Sherer is the founder of Be More and a certified nutritionist, yoga teacher, cognitive behavioral therapist and mental health advocate. A few weeks ago I chatted with Megan about her experience living with and recovering from an eating disorder. Her story is one of many, and we hope it serves as a reminder that recovery is possible and worth the journey.
Graphic By Raquel Wilkins
New Ways of Thinking
Yoga is a huge part of Megan’s life, having first been introduced to the practice at just fourteen years old. She admits that she “initially approached it as more of a physical activity,” but when she entered recovery she “began to see that it had so many mental, emotional and spiritual benefits as well.”
Yoga has become an invaluable resource for Megan. She became “more grounded and physically present in [her] body” as yoga helped her appreciate her body “for all the amazing things it does for [her], rather than just what it looked like.”
This is an important lesson! Eating disorder recovery is absolutely possible, and with recovery comes new, healthier ways of thinking and processing. There can be joy in activities that may be difficult to navigate during the turmoil of an eating disorder.
Shame & Social Media
While Megan didn’t grow up with social media—a fact she is thankful for— social media has still impacted her relationship with her body. Participating in fitness competitions simply meant social media became another way of comparing her body to other’s bodies.
When Megan eventually left the world of fitness competitions, she gained weight and was flooded with shame. She felt like a “fraud” as a health coach and was embarrassed to post on social media at all, not wanting people to see that she “didn’t measure up to some arbitrary standards.”
Social media can be a toxic and damaging environment, but as we grow and recover it can be used for community building and learning to love ourselves and our bodies.
Megan’s History
As a child, Megan gravitated towards “body-centric sports like gymnastics and dance,” and as a result she was “hyper-aware” of the way her body looked.
Growing up in an environment that placed such heavy importance on the size of her body was one of the reasons Megan struggled “with anorexia for about 6 years.” After this time she sought out treatment and worked to recover from her eating disorder.
However, she then spent her early 20s participating in fitness competitions, which again brought her body to center stage and reignited her body-image issues. Megan’s involvement in fitness competitions caused her to develop “an over obsession with healthy eating and working out,” a condition commonly referred to as orthorexia.
Megan has an on-going relationship with recovery and learning to maintain a healthy body image. She has come to recognize that her time spent “obsessing” over her weight, the food she ate, and how much she exercised was simply “a distraction from all the other things that mattered so much more about [her].”
Someone’s body is nowhere close to being the most interesting or important thing about them. We all have personalities and histories, unique perspectives and interesting insights. When we reduce ourselves to just a body, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to see all the wonderful things that make us who we are.
Graphic By Raquel Wilkins
Graphic By Raquel Wilkins
Body Fluctuations
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: body fluctuations are natural! People get acne from stress, from hormones, from life. We carry water weight, and our weight may fluctuate day to day. Even how much we love our bodies can fluctuate on a daily basis. This is all entirely normal, and every person experiences these changes.
But Megan said something that I found super interesting. She is in-tune with herself enough to recognize that “Focusing on the daily or weekly fluctuations just isn’t healthy or productive for me.”
We encourage accepting your body's natural fluctuations, but it is also valid—and even healthy—to not allocate so much energy to focusing on those daily fluctuations. Because body fluctuations are going to happen, there is no point obsessing over them or trying to fight them.
Megan also does not weigh herself, and has not done so for about six years. Instead, she chooses to consider how her body feels and her clothes fit. On days when her clothes are a little snug, she finds comfort in cozy sweatpants.
Low body confidence days for Megan also means showing extra care for her body, whether that includes taking enzymes to soothe her chronic health issues or allowing herself to relax and watch a good movie, she gives herself reasons to feel better.
Megan practices two other healthy habits. On tough body image days, she thanks her body for everything it does for her, and she actively reminds herself that everything she is feeling and experiencing is temporary. Our bodies and minds are resilient, and everything will get better.
Graphic By Raquel Wilkins
Resources
Eating Disorders Anonymous: EDA is a free fellowship for people that are ready to begin the process of eating disorder recovery. There are meetings, in-person and virtual, where people share their own experiences and connection is made. EDA is a mentorship-based program, with sponsors supporting their sponsees as they complete the Twelve Steps.
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders: The ANAD website offers a range of services, from free support groups to peer mentors, as well as a directory for treatment facilities in your area. ANAD also has a Helpline you can call Monday-Friday, 9am to 9pm CST, to discuss the possibility that you or someone you know may have an eating disorder, to seek emotional and mental support, to get referrals for treatment, or simply to learn more about eating disorders.
National Eating Disorders Association: The NEDA website also lists a number of reliable resources. NEDA runs three Helplines, you can find their respective operating days and hours here. They also have a Crisis Text Line for emergencies, text “NEDA” to 741741 for this service. Additionally, their website has a treatment facility directory, a screening tool to help people know when the need for professional help is urgent, and resources specific to low income individuals.