What I have Learned from Anorexia

Having anorexia has taught me to have a healthy relationship with my body and self-image, to
have a healthy relationship with working out and the gym, as well as a healthy relationship with
food and the importance of food. Firstly, I have learned to have a good relationship with my
body and self-image. Before I went into recovery I, had very poor self-image and a bad
relationship with my body. I was always looking for a way to become skinner and for new ways
to be changing my body. Once I began the recovery process, I was given strategies such as
saying positive affirmations in the mirror to myself and leaving positive notes around for myself.
Having the scale and measuring tapes hidden from myself helped with the constant need to want
to change my body. I am now able to look in the mirror or step on a scale without it affecting
what I do or how I feel about myself. Secondly, I learned to have a good and healthy relationship
with going to the gym. Before recovering I would constantly be working out to speed up the
weight loss process. Near the end of my recovery, I was given permission to join a gym and
begin working out again. I have now learned the importance of rest days and how important it is
to give your body breaks. I have also learned there are workouts to do to target specific muscles
and that you will see progress when doing only the necessary workouts. As a result, I see muscle
growth and improvements in lifting weights. Finally, I have learned the importance of eating and
to have a good relationship with food. Before recovery, I was eating less than 500 calories a day
and would feel terrible. I was angry, tired, feeling weak, and dizzy. When I went into recovery, I
was forced to eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day which improved how I was feeling incredibly. From
that I had learned that the importance of eating was to fuel our bodies, so we could feel good. I
can now eat a balanced meal every day, as well as enjoying treats without feeling guilty or
betraying myself. In conclusion, although my experience with anorexia has been a hard one, I am
grateful for the lessons I have learned. Those lessons Include Having healthy relationships with
my body, working out as well as being able to eat guilt free.