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So many of us make rules for drinking: only a certain amount, only certain types of alcohol, only at certain times. We do the same thing with food: planning to eat only a certain amount, only certain foods, or only at certain times. And then, in both cases, those plans fall apart and we feel awful. We are racked with shame, anxiety, confusion, and self-loathing.   Many people assume these experiences are separate problems: difficulty controlling food and difficulty controllin

The question “Is food addiction real?” is more complicated than it might seem. Many people feel out of control around food and wonder if they’re addicted—but what does “addiction” actually mean? What Do We Mean by “Addiction”? There is no single universal definition, but here are two widely accepted ones: “Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences.” — A

On the outside I looked like the picture of health because I was eating all the "right" things, not eating all the "wrong" things (at least in public), and exercising intensely (because more is always better, right?).   But behind the scenes I was anxious and depressed, having panic attacks on a regular basis. I was unsettled in my life, spending all my extra energy on obsessing over what I did and didn't eat, and how I planned to exercise. I was smoking to suppress my appeti

When our bodies are in an energy deficit (i.e., don't have enough calories), our brains interpret that to mean that resources are scarce (even if they aren't), and we can feel compelled to steal food and other resources.    It can feel incredibly confusing and shameful to find yourself stealing food (and maybe other things too), if you don't know that it is an understandable and not uncommon aspect of dieting/disordered eating.   When my disordered eating first began in high

Restricting our food puts a tremendous amount of stress on both our bodies and our minds. It is emotionally and physically taxing. It leaves us in a depleted state.  It is even more likely to lead us to a “fuck it” state of mind when it comes to drinking.   This is the opposite of what we need if we are trying to quit drinking or to stay sober.

Do you remember “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”   The truth?   Nothing wastes as much - Joy, Energy, Pleasure, Connection - as Diet Culture steals.   Let's stop equating weight with health. Let's stop forgetting about mental health in the whole equation. Let's stop praising weight loss and shaming weight gain. Let's stop viewing "fat" as anything but a neutral descriptor.

Whatever you did to keep yourself safe, it brought you here. And for that, I am so grateful. I hope you give yourself all the grace you deserve.

I have often heard people in recovery voice the concern that they've moved from using an addictive substance to cope, to using food to cope. And they are worried that the two are the same.   They are not.   You need one to live, and not the other. One can cause real harm, and not the other.   What is often not said aloud, is that people are worried about using food to cope because they are worried about it causing weight gain. In those cases, the problem is not using food to

If your body has changed such that you no longer fit comfortably in the clothes you keep wearing, continuing to wear them doesn’t keep you at that former size, despite what your diet culture/disordered eating voice is telling you. It just keeps you uncomfortable. Please remember this.