Food is an essential part of our daily lives.
But most people have a complicated relationship with what they eat and how they eat.
So today we’re talking to R29ers about how they’ve come to love their bodies and make
their relationships with food work for them.
But it’s important to remember that their relationships with food are very unique.
So keep that in mind while watching the video.
Hey guys, I’m Joe.
I have a love, love, sometimes hate relationship with food.
Sometimes I overdo it, sometimes I eat too much.
I have the biggest sweet tooth out of anybody you’ve probably ever met.
But I’ve definitely struggled with food at the same time.
I like to eat a lot.
I like to eat a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot.
The kind of foods I’m consuming aren’t the healthiest.
And then I guess the way I’m consuming them also aren’t the healthiest.
About a year ago I was pretty unhappy with my life situation on the whole.
One kind of unexpected turning point in the whole process was a stranger on the street
said,
“Get out of here, chubby little bitch boy.”
I don’t really know where he wanted me to go but the chubby part kind of stuck.
My weird relationship with food really started through cheerleading.
I would always have to wear a crop top uniform and even though I was always working out and
eating normal, come competition day when I had to put that uniform on, I would always
eat the minimum because I didn’t want to feel like I looked bad in any way.
Which food wouldn’t have done.
My relationship with food stems from my relationship with my dad.
And one aspect of our relationship that I loved is we both like to eat.
We both like to snack.
And it got to the point where my mom, she said, “Okay, we’re cutting out snacks,
we’re cutting out sweets.
You guys can’t have them anymore.”
Did that stop us?
No.
We just had to become sneaky with it.
So we would be like, “Oh, yeah.
We’re going to the gas station.”
But then of course moms know all.
So she finds out even again.
So he kind of stopped the snacking as much as he used to.
But me?
It only got worse.
After that I started to really take a good hard look at what I was eating and how much
I was eating and when I was eating it.
And lost 20lbs since then, which was kinda cool.
It’s reassuring.
I thought food was bad for my body but actually it was nourishing for my body.
It was good for my body and I needed it to survive.
And I should never have had that crazy idea.
I’m kind of in a place where I’m trying to find the right balance.
It’s just kind of finding a healthier alternative.
So I can have my cake and eat it too, but be healthy about it.
It’s important to know that restricting our diets against what our body is telling
us can be just as harmful as binging junk food.
I did ballet and I would see ballerinas smoking cigarettes so they could suppress their appetite.
Sadly the media did influence me pretty heavily growing up.
You’re cool if you eat this and move this way.
You’re not cool if you eat this way and look that way.
There’s so many things in life you can’t control.
So controlling my food is something that I still do.
There was a really specific time where I would only eat a bowl of steamed broccoli for dinner.
I felt like my body wouldn’t allow me to be any skinnier and I still didn’t feel
good.
I felt like this is the lightest I’m going to be and I’m still not happy with it.
Everyone has a different relationship with food.
But when does your relationship become dangerous?
When I was 12, I saw a young woman in a magazine and I really, really, really wanted to look
like her.
I picked it up and I was like, “Mom, I really want to look like this girl.”
And she was like, “You’d have to lose a ton of weight to be able to look like that
girl.”
I started looking at other magazines.
And this girl was telling a story about her sister who had died.
She was bulimic and she was making herself throw up.
But my brain didn’t even care that her sister died.
All my brain heard was, “Oh, her sister lost a ton of weight.”
I could do that.
I could stop myself before I die.
So from when I was 12 to when I was about 24, I’ve had this very intense up and down
bulimia life and journey.
That being said, these illnesses are treatable.
So I’m 24, maybe 25, and I’m going to a figure drawing class.
In comes this woman.
The most beautiful plus size woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
She came up to me and she was like, “Hey!
You would be great at this!”
And I was like, “N-No.”
I’m too ugly and gross and too fat to do this.”
And she was like, “People love to draw curves and people love to see curves whether they’re
willing to admit it or not.
But if you admit it to yourself, then everything will be great.”
She understood where I was in the world.
I remember being like, “What I am doing to myself is not a way to live.
It is a way to die.
And I’m going to end up just like that girl in the magazine when I was 12.”
So I remember, the next day, my goal is that I’m just gonna eat something and I’m not
going to throw up.
I didn’t have a choice at that point.
I was gonna die.
We are here to tell you that you can overcome an eating disorder.
At the end of the day, we think that all body types are beautiful.
Lean into it.
Lean into your body and be really proud of it.
And confidence will take you further than any single digit jean size you’ll ever have.
I think we need to encourage people and young girls to just love themselves and live their
lives.
If you’re insecure about your body I would try and figure out where those insecurities
stem from.
You have to feel good about yourself.
Food is not going to be the enemy for you.
You can eat food.
You can eat whatever you want.
I think it’s important to just look yourself in the eye every day and be happy with what
you put in your body.
Educate yourself in a smart way.
Don’t limit yourself.
If you want to eat something amazing, go for it.
I have a s’mores cookie sitting on my desk right now.
Moderation is the best way to go about living your healthy food lifestyle.
As long as you are healthy and happy, you’re doing things right.
If you or a loved one might be suffering from an eating disorder, call the National Eating
Disorders Association
for confidential help at 1(800) 931-2237.
Thank you so much for watching and we’ll see you next time.