For the better part of my life I have engaged in a sad and ridiculous cycle with food.

The cycle can be best summed up as: I Ate That. I Hate Me.

As a stressed out adult, I welcomed alcohol into the mix as well, which turned an over-indulgent night at Mexican with margaritas into a morning of:
I Ate That. I Hate Me.  I Drank That. I Hate Me Even More. 

I don’t know how it happened, but food became an extension of me.  From a very young age, food was a sort of “frenemy” – something that I liked loved, but then feared, hated after I was done shoving it into my body.

One of the defining moments of my life came about in first grade, when this kid in my class called me Fatty Fatty Two By Four Can’t Fit Through the Kitchen Door.  I was on the swings, and I distinctly remember thinking:

can get through the kitchen door.  Wait a minute…. I am FAT?

I had no idea that I was fat… and that was what I called the death of “Body Image Innocence”—my made-up term, that I define as the time in our lives when we realize that we have this body, that there are certain societal expectations surrounding our own bodies, and that some people are actually judging it.  Then we internalize, act on and act out depending how we interpret those results.

Sound confusing?  Well, I’m not the scientist in the family…

Summary:  Someone comments on our body for the first time, while we are young. We realize: “Oh. The way my body looks is something to think about?” And then we think about it, act on those thoughts, and go forward with it always in the back of our minds.  The ones who are okay with this, go on about their lives, healthy and happy—with “good” body image.  Others who maybe learned that they weren’t “okay”–by a kid, a parent–well, that’s where the trouble starts.

I think I always loved food, until I realized that (sometimes) food translated to something bad—fat.

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And so it started with that kid on the playground. A label. I was fat. I was fat, even when I wasn’t fat. Even when I was perfectly fit, healthy.  In my mind, I was fat.

(And I do recognize that body image issues swing both ways —being thought too skinny.  I just don’t write about that, because I can’t. I have no experience in that end of the spectrum. So feel free to add your comments. 🙂 )

“Girls developed eating disorders when our culture developed a standard of beauty that they couldn’t obtain by being healthy. When unnatural thinness became attractive, girls did unnatural things to be thin.”  ― Mary Pipher, author of “Reviving Ophelia”

And I love the adult women who say:  I never had any body image issues.

To that I say, “You are so effing lucky.  You really just had a nice stroke of luck in life, didn’t you?”

I firmly believe that those women flew below the radar, and lucked out.  To “never have any body image issues”?  I’m sorry.  You lucked out. You did. And hell, you should be thankful that you didn’t have anyone pick on you. That You didn’t have a parent who shamed you. Or You didn’t have a boyfriend who commented on your body in a negative way. Or a million other things out there that people go through. You were able to keep your incredible confidence afloat your whole life, with no one to break it.  The list goes on and on… I think the women who have managed to “never have an issue” really just lucked out.  So, congrats. You’re amazing.

Of course, many of us are able to rise above, learn to adapt, and overcome the body image issues. And some of us, like me, have spent years (and continue to work tirelessly) on developing ways to carve our way into a healthy realm of body image.

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I think we are on a body image upswing, with the “Like a Girl” and “Strong Girls” projects—I think (hope) that this generation of mothers is a little more cognizant of how we talk to our young girls.

But as adults, long after the damage is done and we do the ritual:  I Ate This. I Hate Me…

How do we rise above our past?  How do we rise above the demons that have been a part of our psyche for so long? How do we eat to fuel, eat to live, eat for pleasure… without losing our minds?

The simple answer is I don’t have the answer. But I can share what I have learned, and what seems to help snap me out of that mentality.

Right now, I am on a week-long sugar infusion.  I have been really great with my sugar intake for months and months, but lately–due to some added stress in my life–I have found myself retreating back to the sugar demon.  (And let me tell you, sugar is a serious addiction…. wow).

Last night (after a four hour workout—I deserve it!!!), I finished off a pint of gelato (very similar to my Ice Cream incident of a couple of months ago).

Afterwards, I realized that something had really changed in me. And it went like this:  I Ate That.  And I Actually Don’t Hate Me.

I got ready for bed, and I said to myself: tomorrow is sugar detox day.  I planned what I was having for breakfast in my mind. I thought about lunch, and I remembered I had salmon in the fridge for dinner.  And I went to sleep.

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I woke up this morning, to my puffy ice-cream eyes, and I made breakfast, had my coffee, and sat down to write.  After, I am going for a swim.

The main difference in progress over the body image that I can point to over the last two years is one thing:  immediate conscious decision-making, immediate forgiveness.

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I do these three things every single day, and with every single thing I put into my body:

1) I decide what I am going to eat.  

Full-conscious decision-making.  I don’t mindlessly eat.  I open my eyes, and I eat with a purpose, with knowledge.

Usually, because I am conscious of what I am eating, I will make better choices. I know how my body feels after a hard workout when I feed it good things like salmon and avocado, salads…

So when I consciously decide to eat the gelato – I do it with the full knowledge of what I am doing.  That I am ingesting 100 grams of sugar. That I will NOT be burning fat in my sleep tonight, thanks to that.  And if with that knowledge, I can live with it?  Then I eat it.

(Moderation and I don’t agree… it’s a pint or nothing.  Much like alcohol – I can’t have one drink, ipso facto, I no longer drink).

2) I forgive myself. Immediately.

If I slip up and eat some garbage, I say, “No biggie.”  And I mean it.

Just because I ate something, does not mean I am a terrible person. It does not mean that I am worthless.

And this:

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I am not fat. I am not fingernails.

3) I subsequently take action.

Number Three, has been a massive thing, because it’s an action to take.

If I eat trash at lunch, I do better at the very next snack or meal–and feed my body something good, something to make my insides happy.  If I have something less than ideal for lunch, I have a really healthy dinner.  I don’t wait until Monday.  I don’t wait until the New Year.  I do it immediately.

Over time, these immediately changes and actions —add up.

Previously, if I had messed up on Friday night, I would have previously said, “Oh it’s the weekend, screw it – I’ll start on Monday,” I came to the realization just how bad that is.  If I did that… then I would have SIX more unhealthy meals and snacks before I feed my body something good on Monday morning.

That’s too long to wait!  The subsequent action (next thing I put into my mouth will be good!) mentality pays massive dividends over the long run.

Oh, and I forgot a fourth one:

4) I am patient. To a fault.

Nothing worth having comes quickly. Losing fat, true fat, is a slow process.  I have crash dieted 16 pounds off my body in a month before.  That’s not fat loss. That’s a whole lot of metabolic mess.

Taking the time and energy and dedication to fix myself, to learn to fuel my body, and take care of me… well, that has been a sixteen month process.

It’s slow, and still in progress.

Sixteen months to lose 22 pounds of weight is pretty slow, in the scheme of things, and especially in the way society presents weight loss.  And while 22 pounds is awesome and I am stoked, it doesn’t tell all.  The fact that I have lost tons of inches. Dropped three clothing sizes (from a size 16 to a 10).  The muscle gain. The strength. The workout performance. The way I feel. How I sleep.  Really the list goes on and on…

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January 2016 to August 2016
Being patient and taking action have been key (for me).

I don’t have all the answers.

I am in a complete learning process every day with myself, my body.  But I have learned a lot about what is working and what doesn’t over the past year plus. And what I had done for the first thirty-six years didn’t work. 

These small actions have worked for me, so I wanted to share them with you.

#JustKeepMovingForward #WithPatience

20 Responses

  1. Love this!! I suffered with “I ate that… I hate me” for a LOOOOOONG time! I have to say that Swim-Bike-Fuel helped so much to quiet the demons. 80/20, Baby! <3

  2. Thank you for sharing a syndrome that so many of us battle with. Love the practical tips that you shared and will refer to this the next time I fall into the same rabbit hole. I especially like the “forgive yourself immediately” to help break the cycle of negative thinking and behavior.

  3. “Fatty Fatty Two By Four Can’t Fit Through the Kitchen Door.”

    Kids are ridiculously cruel. I was in six grade when a girl in my class asked my best friend if I looked like the Stay Puft Marshmallow man from Ghostbusters in a bathing suit. I’m 40 now and still remember it.

    I’d really like to see that girl accomplish half of the physical activity I can do now 🙂

    You’ve done great and inspire a lot of women myself included. Keep on being you! ?

  4. I HAVE NEVER BEEN OVER WIEGHT, SO I CAN’T COMMENT ON THAT. BUT I HAVE SKINNY, WEIRD LEGS. MY SISTER CALLED ME LEGS , LEGS,,, LEGS…. GROWING UP. THEN MY EX HUSBAND DRILLED INTO MY HEAD THAT MY LEGS WERE HORRIBLE.
    SO I CAM CONSTANTLY FEARFUL TO SHOW MY LEGS. I WOULD LOVE STRONG THICK THIGHS TO POWER UP A HILL ON A BIKE, BUT I WILL NEVER HAVE THAT. YES I CAN PUT SOME MUSCLE ON MY THIGHS THAT WILL HELP.
    BUT I HAVE THE OPPOSITE PROBLEM ON THIS ONE.!! LOVE YOURSELF… GOD CREATED YOU

  5. I was in 3rd grade when I realized I was fat. It still sticks with me, even though I know it’s not true. You know me. That’s insane thinking. Right?

  6. Meredith, I’ve had a crappy relationship with food and my body my entire life. I’ve dealt with anorexia, bulimia and obesity. I believe the answer lies in “The Pleasure Trap” by Dr. Doug Lysle, PhD. I have stopped “dieting”. I eat when I want and I don’t count calories…I feel FREE…AND I’m finally liberating myself of the excess weight! He also has a video on YouTube called “How to lose weight without losing your mind”.

  7. I was always called “skinny minny” and “monkey arms” growing up- those words hurt just as badly. I still have “skinny arm” complex. My wingspan is wider than my height, but I am trying to use this to my advantage in swimming. Most people (men included) have food issues and body image issues. If they say they don’t, they are liars. Just keep doing what you are doing….it’s working right?

  8. I am currently sitting in my car outside the pool in the midst of a I hate me because I ate that scenario. I decided to check my email and noticed this blog. I am so happy I did! Meredith you are real and that is what is amazing about you. No overwhelming fake positivity, just the real story! Thank you for writing this. Now I’m off to patiently crush this workout!

  9. Oh. My. Goodness… This speaks to me!! I have/do struggle so much with body image and self loathing after meals… UGH!!! Thank you for bringing the “closet topics” out into the open. It helps keep others from feeling alone as well as provide encouragement for change.
    Oh, and you’re top photo really freaking rocks. Keep doing you. You do it well. 🙂

  10. I think you are overly obsessed with your weight. There are starving people in the world who would love to have your “problem.” A lot of your posts seem to be centered on how unhappy you are with your body. Be grateful that you can do triathlon! Many people don’t even have legs so count your blessings instead of belly aching.

  11. Thanks Ellen! 🙂 Oh, you will enjoy our Virtual Race benefiting ALS.net – in honor of our own tri friend, Andrea, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2014—we are launching it tomorrow.

  12. This speaks to me so much. I also had a similar pattern like that for years. My major issue always went back to low self esteem. Deep down, I didn’t believe I was good enough, for anything, ever. At some point post-college, I decided enough was enough and I was going to rebuild myself. I bought some self-help books (this was pre social media days!) and went to work on myself. Over time, I learned how to not beat myself up because of one mistake or misstep. An exercise in one of those books was to look in the mirror and tell yourself what you would tell your best friend in the same situation. So you ate a pint of ice cream. Who cares! Big deal, you’re still an amazing person, thoughtful, smart, energetic, kind, etc. Let me tell you, standing in front of the mirror giving yourself the pep talk you’d give your best friend… life-changing. I felt like a complete a tool at the time, but looking back, it was a game changer for me. I just want to say that I’ve been there too, and for anyone who is there now, you can make it through to the other side! I promise! 🙂 Great article, Meredith.

  13. Oh, and also – during a rough patch one day I shared my feelings with my friend, who literally said the same thing, “I’ve never really thought about my weight at all.” She was a size two. I can’t believe I didn’t smack her. (Probably because she is an incredibly kind person and just had no idea what she was saying. But still.)

  14. Completely stealing your fat/fingernails thing. LOVE it. Reminds me of the truism, “Just because someone calls you a chair doesn’t mean you’re a chair”. I went on a sugar rampage for about a week not long ago. Repeated the eat/regret/forgive cycle each time, and it passed. And I don’t have it and I don’t miss it. Until I do, and then I likely will.

  15. This is so fantastic. You have got the magic formula! And what a real, honest, helpful, SUPPORTIVE message. I wish almost everyone I knew could read this. Thank you for writing. And cheers to you on your journey. Life is short…too short for self loathing anymore. Love and forgiveness is all I want in my life. Take care and best to you.

  16. Thank you for this…I needed it today. I, like many others, have that love/hate relationship with food and my body. Still remember being teased/bullied in 5th grade about it…a very vivid memory. This post really spoke to me – I was in the midst of a bad week for food choices and working to get back on track, the timing was ideal. Thank you!

  17. Thank you! A lot of us have gone through the same things. I am 65 and still dealing with issues of body image but I am still trying to learn.

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