Top 3 Eating Disorder Lies And What To Do About Them

Eating Disorder Lies Truth Sign

The eating disorder lies and the ED voice is LOUD and STRONG. When you hear this voice, you don’t question it. Eating disorder lies are sneaky and trick you into thinking YOU created these thoughts. The truth is that ED lies are unoriginal and easy to recognize.

 

If you’ve heard one of these ED lies, you’re not alone. You may have even thought one of these lies was a truth; the eating disorder voice can be powerful and convincing. It’s time to call these lies out and recognize them for what they are.

 

Top 3 Eating Disorder Lies

 

Lie #1: “It’s not that bad.”

 

LIE: I’m not super underweight or overweight. I’m going to school or working part-time. I only having behaviors x times per week and I manage just fine.

 

TRUTH: If you have an eating disorder, it IS that bad. The disorder is stealing love and connection from your life. It’s stealing your relationships. Your potential and your dreams. Most of all, it is consuming your thoughts and changing your relationship with your body and food and exercise.

 

Life was not designed so that we overthink every aspect of our lives and live in our heads. Life was designed to be LIVED. Don’t let eating disorder lies tell you otherwise.

 

Lie #2: “Now is not a good time.”

 

Eating Disorder Lies - not a good time, not enough money

 

LIE: I have a paper due in a month. We’re moving soon, so maybe after that I’ll find a treatment team. I’m taking a vacation soon so it doesn’t really make sense to start recovery now. The eating disorder will stop after I get into grad school. I’ll wait until I change jobs. After I get married. I can’t afford it.

 

TRUTH: ED has packaged this lie up in a pretty package with lots of bows. Inside is a big LIE. Every minute you put off recovery, ED wins. ED convinces us that now isn’t a good time because it allows the eating disorder to tighten its grip.

 

There will always be SOMETHING. Some excuse to put recovery off. ED will make sure of it. The truth is that you can’t afford NOT to recover now.

 

Lie #3: “Recovery isn’t possible.”

 

LIE: I’ll always have the eating disorder so why should I even try? I’m in control with the eating disorder and without it I won’t be accepted. I’d rather stay with the eating disorder because I don’t want to fail. It’s easier to just go to appointments every week and manage the disorder. I am too scared of what I’ll look like without the eating disorder.

 

TRUTH: Recovery is possible. FREEDOM is possible. I understand why you don’t believe it; you haven’t experienced it yet. Even though you haven’t seen it, could it still be possible?

 

Have you seen others find freedom? If there’s an ounce of you that believes it’s possible for others, then it IS possible for you too. Of course it’s scary to feel fear around who you’ll be without ED and to feel fear around failing.

 

Fear is a good thing. FEAR is a sign we need to move towards what we are scared of. Move into it and don’t believe these ED lies.

 

Eating disorder lies are unoriginal

 

Keep going. Keep fighting. Recognize these eating disorder lies and give them the finger. Everyone with an eating disorder hears these lies. ED is not original; ED is boring and spouts the same lies over and over. You’re smarter and braver than ED. Show ED who YOU are.

 

Our thoughts create our reality. At the least, we need to recognize them and the ED lies. At the most, we need to shift or stop them.

 

I love this piece on how we can have control over our thoughts and the power that can have.

 

How to overcome ED lies in Digital Coaching Program

 

As you start to recognize the eating disorder lies, do the opposite. The eating disorder’s voice will get weaker. YOURS will get stronger.

Three keys if you are stuck in eating disorder recovery hell

stuck in recovery move to recovered

Feeling stuck in eating disorder recovery?

 

Staying BUSY in eating disorder recovery can often lead to staying STUCK in eating disorder recovery and not moving to recovered.

 

After I finally accepted I had an eating disorder, I started to look for help. This can be a daunting task, but I finally found some people and scheduled appointments.

 

I thought to myself, “Hey, I’m recovering.” This is what people with eating disorders do.

 

I’ll do therapy. Check.
Perhaps I’ll try a dietician. Check.
Hmmm, how about group therapy. Check.
Psychiatrist appointment. Sure, okay. Check.
Maybe I need more. Okay, must do residential. Check.
Wait! It’s not working. I need alternative therapies. Meditation. Yoga. Check.

 

I kept handing my fate over to others hoping it would move the needle. The more appointments I made, the more dependent I was on therapy and the more permanent RECOVERY HELL became. I was stuck.

 

I guessed my way through, and those around me did too. At no point in seven years, did my team collaborate to come up with a multi-faceted game plan for me. Moreover, no one asked for my input in creating a roadmap.

 

3 Keys to Moving to “Recovered”

 

Read the 3 keys below to walk towards recovered and get out of recovery hell.

 

1) If you’re getting comfortable with your treatment, it’s not working.

 

I’d go to appointment after appointment, seeking something magical. But the only magic that came was a false sense of security. I felt comfortable. This is what I am supposed to be doing, I’d tell myself.

 

stuck in eating disorder recovery

 

Occasionally, I’d feel good leaving an appointment and I’d uncover some major truth about the eating disorder. However, hours later, I’d find myself totally stuck in eating disorder recovery, behaviors and eating disorder lies.

 

You need to be pushed like you never been pushed before if you are going to move towards recovered. You will feel uncomfortable and question the hell out of recovery, but this is where it happens.

 

2) Freedom isn’t something you stumble upon. It requires a real eating disorder recovery action plan.

 

If you are in therapy, working with a coach, dietician or any other professional, DEMAND a plan. What are you working towards; how will you get there?

 

Together, CREATE a plan and a map to get to where you want to go. Without one, freedom is just an idea.

 

3) The only way to shape your destiny is to be involved in the plan.

 

You must have input in your eating disorder recovery plan. USE YOUR VOICE.

 

As a result, you are invested in your recovery and the probability of freedom is HIGH. On the other hand, when you just follow orders or shoot in the dark, recovery is a needle in a hay stack.

 

I’m NOT suggesting you ditch appointments, but I am suggesting you take a hard look at what those appointments are doing for you.

 

Are you going because you’re making progress? Or are you going because that’s what you think the road to recovered looks like?

Digital Coaching program

Do the work

 

Work like hell in between appointments. Don’t rely on an hour long appointment each week. DEMAND homework and demand steps or action items before your next appointment. Start to use your voice and advocate for yourself.

Finally, stay uncomfortable. This is the path from being stuck in eating disorder recovery hell to recovered. If you’re ready to make meaningful progress, reach out to a coach today.