Hey there! This is my first blog post dedicated to momma's who want to be in the know about helping their child overcome negative body image, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. Woot woot! I'm excited to chat and write to you today =)
Looking back on my eating disorders and years of crazy dieting, my mom didn't know what to do. She really didn't have the tools to help me, nor really understand what I was going through.
God love her, I know it was tough seeing me not eat at the dinner table anymore, find candy wrappers under the bathroom sink towels, and loosing weight constantly like Tom Hanks in Castaway.
Realistically, my mom is my best friend, I'm the only child and we have always been close. But during those times, we weren't really as close as I could have been with her. I was self-absorbed, depressed, and angry (all at the same time!)
Of course, being 15, stuck in my ways, and hormones didn't help....Yet, if I could turn back time, I wish I would have told her how I really felt. My anorexia and binging made me lie A LOT to her and everyone else in my life.
I say all that to tell you this....My coaching has now taken a turn towards getting mom's unstuck about their child's eating habits and gaining their power back to help them connect with their teen suffering diet world and low self-worth.
It's my passion to give back tools, offer support, and tips on mindset where I struggled for so long.
If you find yourself a lone, or unsure of how to help your kiddo on ANY of these subjects: low body image, negative self-esteem, diets, mindset, or eating disorders, let me help you.
I want to share a bit of my weekend WITHOUT diet world attached. Please keep in mind, this has been a journey for me. My eating disorders lasted 10 years, and only in the last 3-5 years, have I seen a major impact and shift on how I show up to the world. Heck, this year alone, I have again, noticed other changes on my mindset, which we will discuss at another time.
But before recovery, I was always number crunching. My days and weekends would have been stressed to the max, worried about the next meal, and concerned about not getting enough exercise.
Flash forward.....Vroooom Vroooom into my real-life recovery world, and learning how to love/listen to my body, I'm able to enjoy the moment much more freely, most of the time. I say "most of the time" because I still have to hold myself accountable just as much as the next person. Let's be real, don't we all?
It doesn't feel like I've been recovered for 7 years, but I'm grateful and NEVER looking back!
So, this weekend for me, was all about food, family, and friends. (My special F words)
Friday : Made some Greek food, my toddler likes olives (YAY!) spent time with a friend, and opened her be-laded Christmas presents. We hadn't seen each other in awhile. It's Christmas in March somewhere, right?!
Saturday: Breakfast with my family, went to my cousins new house, took Mr. Finley (my toddler) to see his new cousin for the first time (baby Astrid), and ate leftovers (because I don't like wasting my food-ha!)
Sunday: Went out for breakfast with the hubs and son at Denny's, (I so felt the nostalgia coming back here) came home and done some meal prep, had my parents over for comfort food,(beans, cornbread, taters) and went to bed with the chickens. (Seriously, like 9:30 was my shut off time). I was tired.
Regardless, if you didn't do anything this weekend, or had major plans, I want you to see how ditching the diet will help your child embrace those moments and help you teach them by being a support system for them every step of the way.
I was the girl who feared foods....hated potatoes, bread, even milk and cheese scared me to death! I get it, I honestly, really, do get it.
Letting go of the food rules is scary but necessary. It now allows me to pay attention to the important things in life (go back to my special F words above).
Ditching diets, enables me to enjoy real conversations, without number crunching, worried about what I just ate or didn't eat, AND allows me to have a social life.
Is your child going through this? Maybe you're not sure? I'm here to support you....You're not alone. I promise you aren't the only one.
My mom didn't know. She didn't understand what my mind was telling me or how to help me heal from the inside, out.
I hated myself and it made her scared, sad, and angry that she couldn't do ANYTHING to make me listen.
Instead of putting a band aid on eating disorders and negative body image/self-esteem, it's time to learn the tools to save your child break free from body shaming and get OUT of diet culture.
Ready?
I will be in touch again soon momma!
Love,
Kayla
