After some advice please!

Jacqui, First off, I want you to completely remove any judgment from yourself. Every experience that we have in life is a learning experience - and the only reason that this is coming back up is because there is something deeper that you need to learn, that perhaps was bypassed before. There is nothing wrong with that.

Kudos for having the awareness to catch it and reach out.

What is going on in your life? How fulfilled are you in career/family/your relationship?

To me, food and body is like a metaphor for how we feel inside. I actually think that we are lucky to have the experience of disordered eating, if for no other reason then when a problem arises in our lives we will notice it and act it out soon thereafter. It is like a GPS that is letting us know, "YOU MISSED YOUR TURN. REROUTE, REROUTE!"

For start, I just want you to play around with saying this little phrase to yourself, "I listen to my body's messages with love and respond with joy." Lets start there.

Sending you many good thoughts.

Thanks for your thought provoking response, natsnourishment. I think the fact that I'm aware makes the situation so frustrating, because I'm not entirely sure how to get out of it! I think you hit the nail on the head when you ask how fulfilling my life is. I'm a stay-at-home mum to our two children, who are aged 3 and 5. The youngest is only at school for 3 hours a day, and during that time, I'm usually doing the cleaning, washing, ironing or food shopping! I love my children so much, and wouldn't want to be anything but a stay-at-home mum. I just feel there's so much else I could do, like write a children's book, which is something I'm starting on. My relationship with my husband is really good, as it is with his mum. I don't have a great relationship with my parents, as they deny so much of the past, like me becoming anorexic when I was 17. I went down to 6 1/2 stone, and they claim they don't remember it, and tell me I must of imagined it!

I like your metaphor too, and I get what you mean. In a way we are lucky that we get the signs, it just scares me that my children will pick up on mummy's disordered eating.

I'll have a go with that phrase and let you know how it goes.

Thanks again for responding

One thing that I have learned is that when I try to get out of it, I am pulled right back in. As Einstein said, “You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. You must learn to see the world anew.”

Thank your body for giving you a signal that something is off in your life. Give it love.

I view myself as the queen who is beautifully responsible for the citizen cells of the kingdom of my body. They want and need food like a baby would, and they need love and excitement.

I agree that being a stay-at-home mom is a special and fulfilling job.

I would also say that the best way you can take care of your children is teaching them how important it is to follow your dreams and be so elated and happy that when you wake up in the morning you have a smile on your face for what you are going to do.

Here are some starter suggestions (take what feels good and leave the rest):

#1. Make eating a time of self-love. I light candles, choose beautiful dishes, and imagine that every delicious bite I eat is making the citizen cells of my body radiant with beauty and joy. I imagine that this fuel will enable me to follow my dreams. I have a collection of cards and books that are inspirational that I will read during my meal. Treat every time you eat like a investment for achieving your dreams, by feeding yourself vibrant foods and positive thoughts.

#2. Make an action plan for following your dreams. There is no point in eating if we feel that there is no point in living. I think that is something that disordered eating is telling us. WE ALL HAVE A REASON FOR BEING HERE. I believe that our dreams and fantasies were implanted in us as our destiny - and if we do not follow them our body and our life will reflect it. So, writing a children's book may be the first step in becoming an author of not only good-feeling books, but books on how to love your body, feed your body and (with the issues with your parents) understand that others can never define your experience.

Jacqui, if your dream is to write for children, begin seeing every day as the legwork for figuring out how to love your body like it were a child and what you would want to say to the child version of you. Become your own teacher by doing trial and error of what makes you feel loved, cared for and excited about being in your body.

I would buy a children's book in a second for my daughter that taught her how to love and take care of her body.

Start there, and you will be amazed at how you will succeed, in body and in life.

And remember: "I listen to the cells of my body with love and respond with joy, knowing that feeding them healthy foods and thoughts will take us to the places of my dreams."

Hi natsnourishment, and thanks for your thoughtful reply again. It's funny you mention following my dreams, because I have a mental wish list of things that I will do in my life time. I think, like many parents, I devote so much time to my children, I get left on the back burner, which is really the way it should be, especally while my children are so young.

At the moment, my eating is what I'd call pretty normal, though food is still constantly on my mind.I'm definitely listening to my body, and giving it what it needs rather than what I want.

natsnourishment wrote:One thing that I have learned is that when I try to get out of it, I am pulled right back in. As Einstein said, “You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. You must learn to see the world anew.”

Thank your body for giving you a signal that something is off in your life. Give it love.


Jacqui, if your dream is to write for children, begin seeing every day as the legwork for figuring out how to love your body like it were a child and what you would want to say to the child version of you. Become your own teacher by doing trial and error of what makes you feel loved, cared for and excited about being in your body.

I would buy a children's book in a second for my daughter that taught her how to love and take care of her body.

Start there, and you will be amazed at how you will succeed, in body and in life.

And remember: "I listen to the cells of my body with love and respond with joy, knowing that feeding them healthy foods and thoughts will take us to the places of my dreams."

What a wonderful post! natsnourishement!!!
I agree with you!
We have to love what we want to change first!

Jaxie40 please keep us updated and let us know how's going!
We support you!!!