The National Eating Disorders Association reports that 1 in 3 dieters progress into pathological dieting, and 1 in 4 dieters develop an eating disorder. These statistics clearly show us the addictive nature of dieting. I would argue that most people don’t set out on a diet because they want to develop an addiction; they are more likely just seeking stability and control.

So what happens when we restrict our calories?

The metabolism slows down, stress hormones go up, the body conserves energy by burning less calories, hormone production shuts down to suppress fertility, and fat cells prepare themselves to rapidly grow and multiply when food is available (aka “cheat day”). The body senses that it is in a famine, it no longer feels safe, and survival is prioritized. If calories are restricted low enough, severe damage can occur to our stress response system, metabolism, thyroid, & reproductive system.

This is the brave story of one of my clients, Chelsea, who came to me in a severe calorie deficit. She was having a hard time losing weight (especially stubborn belly fat), and she didn’t understand why her lifestyle of clean eating and frequent exercise weren’t working. They weren’t working because she was eating less than 1,000 calories a day. Her body was in a state of chronic stress. The belly fat now made sense because belly fat = survival fat. We reversed her diet by slowly increasing her caloric intake each week, and the stubborn belly fat started melting off of her. The picture on the right is the same girl consuming almost 1,000 more calories a day, and guess what… she LOST weight. She is now living in complete freedom, happily eating well over 2,000 calories a day, and boldly sharing her story. I hope this story touches you today and inspires you to live a life of freedom and healing!

Can you tell us a little about your dieting history?

As a young girl in high school, I never cared about my weight. I was always the “skinny sister,” so weight for me was never an issue. I didn’t get an eating disorder until I began dating my high school boyfriend. We started dating when I was 16 years old. He was overwhelmingly controlling and abusive. His sisters and mom were all so tiny, I figured he would love me more if I looked like them. I began skipping breakfast and lunch, I would snack on goldfish and drink a weight loss drink (something like Ensure or Premier Protein Shakes), and I would eat dinner with his family almost every night, which was always very healthy. I got down to 98 pounds. After a year of living this unhealthy life, I finally got up the courage to break up with him. I started eating normal again, and gained my weight back, in a healthy way.
Fast forward through college, marriage to my college sweetheart, and a precious baby girl, I wanted to lose the last bit of pregnancy weight. I didn’t have much to lose, but I thought maybe the last 5-10 pounds would make me happier. My journey to lose those last few pounds became extremely unhealthy. I got on a program that had me eating a maximum of 900 calories a day. I was so depressed, irritable, my sex drive was gone, and I lost my period. After months of doing terrible damage to my body, I reached out to Kori to help me balance my body. I’m so thankful I did!

How did you develop your eating disorder?

I think the pressures of society on women these days is driving force behind eating disorders, at least it was for me. I was consumed with what society thought a woman should look like, rather than what my body was happy with. I slowly became obsessed with counting calories, counting macros, and counting each & every crumb that went into my body. I didn’t realize that this slow developing obsession would turn into a disease.

What steps led you to freedom?

My daughter (3 years old at the time) was my “ah ha” moment. One day I told her I would take her for an ice cream date. She asked me if I would be eating ice cream with her. For some reason, that one small question made me realize the damage I was doing, not just to my mind and body, but to my daughters extremely innocent mind. That moment I realized I needed healing and help.

Were there any stumbling blocks that set you back during your healing journey?

The biggest stumbling block for me was social media. I found that numbingly scrolling through my Instagram feed, looking through pictures of celebrities and health coaches with unrealistic lifestyle affected my thinking about my body and food. I decided to unfollow every person I didn’t know personally, and others that I did know personally but who I felt were triggers. It has helped me so much in my every day thinking about food consumption and body confidence.
Of course there are other triggers that played a large role in creating some set backs, but social media was my biggest trigger.

What is the best thing we can do to support others around us that might be struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating?

The best thing we can do is talk about it. I have found that my posting on social media about body positivity and my eating disorder has led to many women expressing their thankfulness for my shining a light on the issue. It makes others feel like they aren’t alone in this struggle. Any person experiencing an eating disorder or body dysmorphia truly benefits when we talk about the disorders. Talking about it takes away its power. Our minds are our worst enemy and when we face and fight our disorders, we see that the issue slowly becomes smaller and smaller!

Where is your mindset now around food and your body?

I am still healing and continue to experience triggers, BUT my mindset on food and my body have changed completely. For a long time, my mind was more focused on health that it took away from everything else in my life. I’m so thankful that I chose to heal sooner than later or I would have missed my baby girl growing up and would have let my marriage take a back seat.

I see food now as something to nourish my body. I honor what it craves. Some days, I notice I crave more carbs than others. Other days, I want more fats. If I crave sugar, I give it sugar. When you honor your body’s cravings, you’ll soon see that your body honors you back.

At the beginning of my healing journey, I noticed my body grabbing at any extra weight. After weeks of honoring my cravings and eating wholesome, non-processed foods, my body’s weight naturally balanced out. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good slice of cake or pizza nights with my family. The beauty of being able to have those nights again shows my body that it’s not in “fight or flight” mode anymore.

My body is a gift. It got me through all the past body issues I placed on it, it got me through pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding for almost 2 years. It is a gift and I don’t punish it anymore, I celebrate it, no matter what it looks like.

Take care of your body. Don’t treat it like trash. Nourish it, exercise it, celebrate it. It’s the only one you will have!

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.

-Kori

How One Woman Lost Weight By Eating More | Eating Disorder Testimony