Eating Disorder Recovery Quotes: The Hope And The Fight


In order to get from what was to what will be, you must go through what is.
~Anonymous

Why shed tears on failures long forgotten when hope looms on the horizon?
~Charles Casha

When the heart is enlivened again, it feels like the sun coming out after a week of rainy days. There is hope in the heart that chases the clouds away. Hope is a higher heart frequency and as you begin to reconnect with your heart, hope is waiting to show you new possibilities and arrest the downward spiral of grief and loneliness. It becomes a matter of how soon you want the sun to shine. Listening to the still, small voice in your heart will make hope into a reality.
~Sara Paddison

One of the most difficult things everyone has to learn is that for your entire life you must keep fighting and adjusting if you hope to survive. No matter who you are or what your position is you must keep fighting for whatever it is you desire to achieve.
~George Allen

Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.
~Clarence Darrow

 But there is suffering in life, and there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it's better to lose some of the battles in the struggles for your dreams than to be defeated without ever knowing what you're fighting for.
~ Paulo Coelho

When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.
~Pauline R. Kezer

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
~Oscar Wilde

You've gotta have hope. Without hope life is meaningless. Without hope life is meaning less and less.
~ Unknown

To be nobody but yourself in a world that's doing its best to make you somebody else, is to fight the hardest battle you are ever going to fight. Never stop fighting.
~ E. E. Cummings

Patience and perseverance surmount every difficulty.
~Unknown

What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life.
~Emil Brunne

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle. ~ Plato

 Your hopes, dreams and aspirations are legitimate. They are trying to take you airborne, above the clouds, above the storms, if you only let them.
~William James

When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
~Unknown

Kind words, kind looks, kind acts and warm handshakes, these are means of grace when men in trouble are fighting their unseen battles.
~ John Hall

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. ~Martin Luther King, Jr

 Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it.
~ Eliza Tabor

Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting.
~Napoleon Hill

Nothing worth having in life was ever gained easily.
~Unknown

Better to fight for something than live for nothing.
~George S. Patton Jr.

That is the whole secret of successful fighting. Get your enemy at a disadvantage; and never, on any account, fight him on equal terms.
~George Bernard Shaw

You cannot love a thing without wanting to fight for it.
~Gilbert Keith Chesterton

When you're in the battlefield, survival is all there is.
~Sam Fuller

There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning.
~ Thornton Wilder

Don't let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was.
~Richard L. Evans

Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope.
~Unknown

Once you choose hope, anything's possible.
~Christopher Reeve

A lost battle is a battle one thinks one has lost.
~Jean-Paul Sartre

The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
~Allan K. Chalmers

Don’t be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps. ~ David Lloyd George

What we do not see, what most of us never suspect of existing, is the silent but irresistible power which comes to the rescue of those who fight on in the face of discouragement.
~Napoleon Hill

The natural flights of the human mind are not from pleasure to pleasure but from hope to hope.
~Samuel Johnson

When you are down on your back, if you can look up, you can get up.
~Les Brown

You cannot solve a problem until you acknowledge that you have one and accept responsibility for solving it.
~Zig Ziglar

The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope.
~Barbara Kingsolve

In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins- not through strength but by perseverance.
~H. Jackson Brown

The only real failure in life is the failure to try.
~Unknown

There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something better tomorrow.
~Orison Swett Marden

The only real failure in life is one not learned from.
~Anthony J. D'Angelo

Those who wish to sing always find a song.
~Proverb

There is no failure except in no longer trying.
~Elbert Hubbard

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all.
~Dale Carnegie


I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.
~Aristotle

Try.
Fail.
Try Again.
Fail Better.
~Samuel Beckett

We acquire the strength we have overcome.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Consider the postage stamp; its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there.
~Josh Billings

On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow.
  ~Friedrich Nietzsche

Defeat is simply a signal to press onward.
~Helen Keller

How long should you try? Until.
~Jim Rohn


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There Is Honor In The Fight: One Woman's Story



For years I was sick, but didn't understand with what, or what to do about it. I couldn't eat, everything I was able to eat made me sick. I got a little better, then a lot worse. Finally what had apparently been clear to my friends became clear to me, I had an Eating Disorder.

My first intake appointment at the Emily Program (where I am currently getting treatment) was hell. The therapist was as sweet and as supportive as anyone could hope for, but I was terrified. It all got much easier after that, after admitting that I was sick and asking for help. I decided very soon after that first appointment that I was not going to hide the fact that I have an illness, and that I am fighting it.

When anyone asks what I have been up to, or what I do, I tell them, with my head held high that I am in treatment for an eating disorder. Its interesting to see the different reactions I get from people. Some of them get uncomfortable and look for any other topic to turn to, some of them get curious and ask me all manner of questions.

I'm not sure why I am so open about having and fighting this illness. I think it has something to do with knowing I will win. Also, I wonder, if people had been this open about their eating disorders when I was sick and confused, if I would have sought treatment sooner. Also, I recognize the courage and strength it takes to fight this. I know that what I am doing is more than most people do for themselves at any point in their lives. I know that I am taking the time I need to lay the groundwork for the rest of my life. I know that I am facing demons so terrifying and sneaky that many people prefer to just live with them, rather than try to eradicate them once and for all. I know that this disease is not my fault, there is no shame in it, in fact, there is honor in the fight. I hope other people see that too.

written by: anonymous





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Body Image Statistics


Video by:H2Oh518

Statistics from video:

  • 8 million people in the US suffer from an ED
  • 90% are women/girls
  • 8 out 10 women are not happy with their reflection
  • 80% of children are afraid of being fat
  • more than 50% of 10 year old girls wish they were thinner
  • Americans spend more than 40 billion a year on diet and beauty products
  • The average American woman is 5'4" and 140 pounds
  • The average American model is 5' 11" and 117 pounds
  • In your lifetime 50,000 people will die as a direct result of their Eating Disorder
  • The current media ideal of thinness is achieved by less than 5% of the female population

It's Time To Talk About It: I Used To Know A Girl



I used to know a girl

A girl who was happy and free

That girl was me

But then ED hit

And she willingly welcomed it

Thinner and thinner she became

Anorexia was the blame

Faster and faster she would run

Killing herself before she was done

The girl soon became too ill

No longer did she have the will

To the life she had been handed

Anorexia had landed

I used to know a girl

Who could not feed herself a bite

Who knew she thought that wasn’t right?

The girl became so weak

Her life was truly bleak

But she did not see the failure

Just only the ED’s allure

Down her throat her hand slid

Nothing. So she cut her wrist and bled

The girl I knew did not flaunt

Because her life had no want

The girl you see

Is shamefully me

No longer is she a stick

Recovery left her stomach thick

Still, the girl has no want

And her ED is back to haunt

Really, she’s trying

But she can’t help the crying

Recovery hurts

But the

ED burns

Written by: Kourt
age 14


Body Image and Self-Esteem Links: National Eating Disorders Awareness Week


Body Image and Self-Esteem Links:

Letters To My Body

The Body Image Project

We Bite Back's Post-Its Project

Body Image Tests

Self-Esteem Tests

Self Worth


Video:

Body Image and Self-Esteem


Organizations:

Children's Body Image Foundation

Reflections The Body Image Program

Body Image Health Org

The Now Foundation


Related Quotes:
Self-Love
Self-Worth
Believing In Yourself
Our Bodies

*If you know of any Body Image/Self-Esteem Organizations/Foundations, please let me know and I'll add them to the list.

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I Choose Sanity: A Journey To Recovery



I Choose Sanity

i walk slowly to the light
knowing the journey will not be easy
but i refuse to sit and do nothing
because i am worth every step i take

i may fall backwards
and want to give up
to give in
but these fleeting thoughts i will let go

i will let go of the desire to be perfect
to accept who i am in this journey
to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel
that i am worth the journey

it may be hard
i may cry
i may feel pain
but these moments to shall pass

a little walk is better than sitting frozen
i may take two steps back and one step forward
but this is ok
it is ok to be who i am

for these are just moments
and they too shall pass
i refuse to give up
and be defined by it

for i am more than i can see

i choose to see me in my loved ones eyes
to see what they see
to believe in that
and to one day get back to that place in my own mind

written by: Kendra Sebelius via A Voice In Recovery.



*See sidebar menu for more ED poetry and writings

*Click here to have your Eating Disorders/Body Image poetry/writings featured on Weighing The Facts

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Dear Body, I'm Sorry: ED Recovery Video


Video by: lilmover

Helpful Links For National Eating Disorders Awareness Week


The mission of NEDAwareness Week:
"Our aim of NEDAwareness Week is to ultimately prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment. Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses — not choices — and it’s important to recognize the pressures, attitudes and behaviors that shape the disorder."

Questions PSA from NEDA on Vimeo.


Find Events In Your Area
NEDA Tool Kits
Activity Of The Day Schedule
Parents, Family & Friends Network
Coordinate a Walk In Your Area
Hosting an event? Post it here.
View pictures of 2009 NEDA week
Key Message

National Eating Disorders Association from NEDA on Vimeo.


National Youth Advocacy Coalition
Webinar

EDC (Eating Disorders Coalition) College Students Looking For an Easy Way To Raise Awareness? Host a letter-signing campaign for the EDC to support the FREED Act!!

BEAT (Beating Eating Disorders) turns 21 and opens it's helplines for 21 hours starting Feb 22nd:
"To launch Eating Disorders Awareness Week and our 21st birthday celebrations, we will be opening our helplines for 21 hours on Monday 22nd February. We will open at 00:21 and continue through to 21:21. You can find out more about our helplines and the contact details here."

ED Hotlines, Organizations, Websites
Do I have an Eating Disorder (test)
ED Self-Assessment Tests
What Parents Can Do
More for Parents
Seeking Diagnosis
Tools For Health Calculators

*Please see sidebar for additional tools/links

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Virtual Candlelight Vigil: National Eating Disorders Awareness Week


The Alabama Network For Eating Disorders Awareness (ALNEDA) has brought back their Virtual Candlelight Vigil again this year. They invite you to light a candle to honor individuals whose lives have been touched by an eating disorder.

The colors of the candles have the following meanings:
  • White candles: Remembrance, for individuals who have lost their lives to an eating disorder.
  • Silver candles: Support for individuals who are struggling with an eating disorder.
  • Gold: Celebration for individuals who are in recovery or who have recovered from an eating disorder.
Candles will be on display today through the 27th.

Why not start National Eating Disorders Awareness Week by lighting a candle for a loved one and/or yourself...

Light A Candle

View Lit Candles

ALNEDA's homepage

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National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2010


Tomorrow starts National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. The theme this year is, "It's Time To Talk About It," so that's what we'll be doing here.

Among the things Weighing The Facts will be featuring this week are:
  • Personal stories from readers
  • Eating Disorders and Body Image Bloggers
  • Links to resources for information, help, and recovery
  • Recovery Quotes
There's still time if you'd like to share your story or poem here for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

Recovery Quote Of The Week: February 19th, 2010



"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." ~Winston Churchill

*Click on picture to make it bigger

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Hungry For Love: A Valentine To Yourself



Ah, Valentine's Day. The celebration of love. The demonstrations of affection. The heady, sweet confirmation that we are loved, special, unique, and deserving ... a confirmation we sometimes take too seriously, and place too much emphasis on. The truth of the matter is that no matter what the outside world does, or doesn't hand us today, we are already all of these things.

So for this Valentine's Day, make yourself the first recipient of your love and affection. Celebrate yourself, love yourself, and renew your relationship with yourself. Take a few moments to give yourself a valentine.

Affirmations:
  • Loving myself heals me; body, mind, and soul.
  • I deserve love and respect as I am.
  • I love my body, care for it, and appreciate it.
  • I choose happiness, no matter what my circumstances.
  • I believe in myself and so do others.
  • I am beautiful in mind, spirit, and body.
  • I am unique, special, and deserving.
  • I accept my body as it is.
  • I honor, respect, and appreciate myself.
  • I listen to and trust my inner wisdom.
  • I treat myself with kindness.
  • I create my thoughts and my reality.
  • My beautiful body is home to my beautiful spirit.
  • I lovingly create my own reality.
  • I love and accept myself.
  • Everyday gets better and better.
  • My possibilities are endless.
  • I am worthy.
  • I release the past and live in the present.

Write:

Put it into words. Make a list of all the things you appreciate about yourself. No matter how small or unimportant it may seem to you at the time, write it down. Do you find this difficult to do? Pretend that someone you really care about has asked you to write down their positive attributes. Now, pretend that you are that someone. Take a step back and see yourself without any of the negative internal dialogue influencing your vision ... and write.

Write a letter to the negativity, that part of yourself that whispers or screams. Acknowledge it's existence. If you know why it exists, tell it so. If you don't, let it know that, too. Make it aware that no matter the reason for it "being," it is a separate entity from yourself and you don't need it around anymore ... then mentally pack it's bags for it and kick it out the door.

Write positive affirmations on pieces of paper and tape them to places you will see them often, throughout your day; the mirror, the dashboard, your pillow, the backdoor, over the kitchen sink. Read them aloud, with conviction. Stay in the moment and let the truth of those words sink in. Feel them.

Reaffirm what recovery means to you. Write down what you have gained (or will gain) from your recovery. Tuck the list in your wallet to take out and read when you need reminding.

Choose a small, positive change you'd like to achieve and make it your goal for the month. Write it down in a pocket calendar. Set aside time each day to give to that change. Even the smallest of changes can make a big difference in your life.

Write a letter to your body and let it know that you're grateful for all it has done for you.

Keep a gratitude journal. Each night, before bed, write down something (big or small,) from your day that you're grateful for.

Write down the things that you keep to yourself, the scary things, the nagging secrets of truth or imagination that we are all familiar with. Those things that haunt you, tug at you, and surface to suck the life and joy out of life. Bring them out from their hidden places. Write them each on their own piece of paper. Whether they be real or imagined, read each one and acknowledge that they are what they are but they do not define you. Then tear them into tiny pieces, flush them down the toilet... whatever will have the most significant impact for you.


Speak up. Speak out. Say it aloud. Say it with kindness:

Speak kindly of yourself when talking to others. Be positive. Be confident. Speak kindly to yourself, too. If you wouldn't say it to someone you love and respect then don't say it to/about yourself. If you have a hard time doing this, fake it. Yes, fake it! How do things become a part of our everyday lives, become second nature? Practice. Repetitiveness. As the recovery quote goes... fake it until you make it.


Quotes:

It is not selfish or narcissistic to love yourself. It is your first and foremost responsibility.
~Alan Cohen

The first thing is to convince yourself that life's more fun if you love yourself. Don't worry about trying to find other people to love you. Love yourself first.
~Dr. Lynn Cutts

Loving yourself allows you to see the beauty in others. It opens your senses to the brilliance of divine light, to the sweetness of your own life experience and to the power of your focused incarnation. Loving yourself allows your consciousness to assume the shape of love, which makes you at once loving and lovable. But most of us are very stingy with the love we offer ourselves. ~Rebbie Straubing

Respect yourself and others will respect you.
~Confucius

Love yourself—accept yourself—forgive yourself—and be good to yourself, because without you the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things.
~Leo F. Buscaglia

Love yourself unconditionally, just as you love those closest to you despite their faults.
~Les Brown

Remember to be yourself, can't think of anyone better qualified.
~Pharnell Raines

When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
~Lao-Tzu

Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not you go out and look for a successful personality an duplicate it.
~Bruce Lee

Trust yourself. Think for yourself. Act for yourself. Speak for yourself. Be yourself. Imitation is suicide.
~Marva Collins

An individual's self-concept is the core of his personality. It affects every aspect of human behavior: the ability to learn, the capacity to grow and change. A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success in life.
~Dr. Joyce Brothers

Nobody will think you're somebody if you don't think so yourself.
~African-American proverb

Self-love is not opposed to the love of others.
~Dr. Karl Menninger

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.
~Maya Angelou

Happy Valentine's Day!

Check these out:
Starting To Love Yourself
Making Me Magazine. Written by Melissa of Finding Melissa.


Valentine's Day Doesn't Have To Suck Again
To Write Love On Her Arms

Self-Worth: The Unconditional Love Of Self
Using Affirmations
Believing in Yourself
Self-Love Quotes
Self-Worth Quotes
Our Bodies



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Recovery Quote Of The Week: February 10th 2010



"When the world says, 'give up,' hope whispers, 'try it one more time."
Author Unknown


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Eating Disorders: Seen Around The Web



Why It’s Time to Change Our Thinking About Weight: A Q&A with Linda Bacon


Margarita Tartakovsky, MS


Fat is vilified in our culture. That, unfortunately, is a fact. We think that weight loss will lead to many a splendid thing, including health and success. We think diet and lots of exercise will help us lose weight and maintain it. We’re always on the lookout for the next secret to weight loss, some pill, supplement, new workout craze, anything that’ll bring us closer to reaching our goal.

But there’s a reality that we rarely hear about that seems overshadowed by shows like The Biggest Loser, which illustrate big losses, and media attention, fear and unhelpful regulations about the obesity epidemic. Schools ban cupcakes while grocery stores reward thinner employees. Our assumption of larger bodies being unhealthy is deeply ingrained.

That’s why I’m so thrilled to present part one of my interview with Linda Bacon, Ph.D, author of Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight, a book that reveals the reality behind weight loss and dieting. Linda is a nutrition professor and researcher in the Biology Department at City College of San Francisco. She’s also part of a movement called Health At Every Size, which emphasizes health, not weight. It doesn’t demonize fat and it doesn’t encourage weight loss. Instead, it encourages honoring and listening to our bodies, moving our bodies and eating in a flexible way.

Below is part one of my eye-opening interview with Linda, where she presents solid research about the many, many weight-loss misconceptions that we accept every day as facts.

1. Q: Can you talk about some of the biggest misconceptions about weight loss and the so-called obesity epidemic?

Read Q &A in full here.

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Toxic Levels Of Self-Hate

Melissa Groman LCSW /Hope Forward

....There are, I think, a thousand possible causes of eating disorders. And there are a thousand cures. There is no one explanation, and no one path to recovery. We can rage at culture, analyze family dynamics, hang our hopes on genetic markers. Each story is uniquely crafted by biology, experience, environment and development. But this much I know to be true, each person that I have ever worked with who has an eating disorder suffers from toxic levels of self hate. Sometimes its obvious, and sometimes its swimming around like a shark just below the surface.

Read in full here.

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Question #16: Forbidden Foods & What It's Really About

Actively Arielle: A Voice With A Commitment

"In these years of anorexia, I've stopped eating a lot of different foods (most of them, except fruits, vegetables, yogurt and meat), and some of the foods I've stopped eating, they have become some kind of 'forbidden': I still can't eat some of them (such as pizza, ice-cream, hamburgers, wrustel, etc...), while I eat hardly some others... So, I wanted to ask you: have you lived something similar? If yes, have you solved the problem, or are there 'forbidden' food to you, right now? Moreover: how did you solve this problem? How can you resist to put out again some foods from your nutrition?"
It may surprise you to know that I have no "forbidden" foods. I also have no "safe" foods. I eat everything, and I do mean everything. I'm not even a picky eater. There are a few foods I naturally dislike like creamed corn, french onion soup, and scallops, but I've disliked them since childhood. Other than those and a very few others, I eat anything and everything. When I was dealing with my anorexia...

Read in full here.

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What The Eating Disorder World Wants Mrs. Obama To Know

Laura Collins Lyster-Mensh /The Huffington Post

In the eating disorders world, putting any child on a diet is not only unacceptable but appalling.

In the eating disorders world, a father referring to his child as "chubby" and commenting on her eating habits is not only frowned upon it is reviled.

In the eating disorder world a mother who felt her children were "perfect" should not be corrected by a doctor who points to the children's weight as altering that.

In the eating disorders world it is well-known and embraced that healthy children rapidly gain weight as they approach puberty.

Read in full here.

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Dove and Diversity: Not Just For Women

Sharon Haywood

Ads for cars, beer, and action movies typically dominate the costly airtime during Super Bowl. But during The Big Game of 2006, it wasn’t another Bud Light commercial that captivated viewers. Instead, the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty reached an estimated 90.7 million football fans via a 45-second spot that promoted Dove’s Self-Esteem Fund. Dove's manufacturer, Unilever, created the hard-hitting video, True Colors, enlightening the audience—many of them parents—to the importance of fostering a positive body image in girls. And this year, they will do it again.

On Sunday, February 7th Super Bowl XLIV airs another spot that celebrates body diversity. This time, men are the focus:

Read Dove and Diversity in full here.

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Body fat- it's not a bad thing

Carrie Arnold/ ED Bites


A new study confirms previous research that a higher percent body fat is associated with better outcomes for anorexia, and that lower body fat percentages are associated with relapse (Bodell and Mayer, 2010). The research isn't exactly groundbreaking, nor is the science--it's a pretty straightforward statistical analysis--but the results bear repeating. For most of my treatment, I've had clinicians low-ball my weight. They'd use some sort of plug-n-chug formula and tell me what I needed to weigh. Only twice was I asked what I weighed before the eating disorder during these "What should healthy Carrie weigh?" conversations. The second time, I lied because that is what people with eating disorders do when they are terrified of gaining weight and want to avoid it at all costs. Nothing egregiously inaccurate, but still.

Read in full here

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The Strength Is In The Foundation

Elisabeth from Letters To My Body.com

February 26th will mark my 4th year in recovery from my eating disorder. Four YEARS! Can you believe it?

In anticipation of this four year mark, I’ve been very thoughtful lately about my past, where I’ve been, how I arrived there, and how I have come to the place where I am now. And where is this ‘place’ that I’m talking about?

The place is happiness.

The place is peace.

It is a place filled with the knowledge that I don’t need to obsess about every morsel that passes my lips, and the confidence to know the difference between hunger and pain (or hurt or boredom or anxiety).

It is also a place where I trust in my own body to tell me what it needs, and have the ability to forgive myself in advance for any over-indulgences that may occur on occasion.

I no longer live in a state of instability and chaos (inevitably dictated by the number on the scale each morning). Oh, what a total relief THAT is!

Above all, I’m coming from a place of love, kindness, and compassion.

This place was not discovered easily. It took a lot of work, self-doubt and determination. In all truth, much of the time, I faked it till I made it. It’s still not easy at times, and I have my own personal struggles just as anyone with past (or present) disordered eating does. However, the bottom line is this…

Read Foundation in full here.

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Trimming The Budget-Not Just For The Arts & Music Anymore

Tracey Mere /The Givens That Are Our Graces


Albany's governor proposed budget eliminates funding for eating disorders in order to keep the focus on obesity and diseases related to obesity.
"In comparison to obesity and diabetes, eating disorders affect relatively few New Yorkers," said Claudia Hutton, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health.
The governor's budget will end the $1.7 million annual subsidies to the state's three eating disorder centers, including $500,000 to Albany Medical Center. The cut would eliminate Albany Med's entire budget and close the eating disorder program.
"It creates a huge void in the services we've been able to develop," said Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer, medical director of the Northeast Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders at Albany Med.
The program serves about 2,000 people through outpatient services and 50 people who need to be...

Read in full here.
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BEFORE SIZE ZERO: THE WAY WE WERE...

Medusa


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Unattainable Beauty: The Decades Most Egregious Retouching Scandals

Newsweek

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Girls' favorite cartoon characters get make-overs (not good ones)

feministing.com

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Mom Camps Out To Get Spot In Mental Ward For Son

Newsobserver.com

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Eating Disorder Recovery Quotes: Acceptance



Understanding is the first step to acceptance,
and only with acceptance can there be recovery.
~Joanne Kathleen Rowling

There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.
~Denis Waitley

Accepting does not necessarily mean liking, enjoying, or condoning. I can accept what is—and be determined to evolve from there. It is not acceptance but denial that leaves me stuck.
~Nathaniel Branden

We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.
~Carl Jung

Only by acceptance of the past, can you alter it.
~T.S. Eliot

We must accept life for what it actually is -- a challenge to our quality without which we should never know of what stuff we are made, or grow to our full stature.
~Ida R. Wylie

Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgment of the facts of a situation. Then deciding what you're going to do about it.
~Kathleen Casey Theisen

Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.
~Albert Einstein

The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect springs.
~Joan Didion

The greatest success, is successful self acceptance.
~Ben Sweet

The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are, and not who people think you are.
~Goldie Hawn

Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness, those are life-altering lessons.
~Jessica Lange

Happiness can exist only in acceptance.
~George Orwell

Accept everything about yourself -- I mean everything, you are you and that is the beginning and the end -- no apologies, no regrets.
~Henry Kissinger

When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.
~Peace Pilgrim

Some people confuse acceptance with apathy, but there's all the difference in the world. Apathy fails to distinguish between what can and what cannot be helped; acceptance makes that distinction. Apathy paralyzes the will-to-action; acceptance frees it by relieving it of impossible burdens.
~Arthur Gordon

Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
~Saint Francis of Assisi

To succeed, it is necessary to accept the world as it is - and rise above it.
~Michael Korda

Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future.
~Fulton Oursler

Acceptance of one's life has nothing to do with resignation; it does not mean running away from the struggle. On the contrary, it means accepting it as it comes, with all the handicaps of heredity, of suffering, of psychological complexes and injustices.
~Paul Tournier

Belief consists in accepting the affirmations of the soul; unbelief, in denying them.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.
~ William James

You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.
~Eleanor Roosevelt

That is the definition of faith ~ acceptance of that which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot prove.
~ Dan Brown

One must have the adventurous daring to accept oneself as a bundle of possibilities and undertake the most interesting game in the world, making the most of one's best."
~Harry Emerson Fosdick

Acceptance of others, their looks, their behaviors, their beliefs, bring you an inner peace and tranquility -- instead of anger and resentment.
- Unknown

Failing doesn't make you a failure. Giving up, accepting your failure, refusing to try again does!
~ Richard Exely

The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.
~Nathaniel Branden

If I could define enlightenment briefly I would say it is 'the quiet acceptance of what is'.
~Wayne Dyer

Happiness can exist only in acceptance.
~ Denis De Rougamont

But there isn't any second half of myself waiting to plug in and make me whole. It's there. I'm already whole.
~ Sally Field

You are wholly complete and your success in life will be in direct proportion to your ability to accept this truth about you.
~ Dr. Robert Anthony.

Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.
~Unknown

You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don't win, at least you can be satisfied that you've tried. If you don't accept failure as a possibility, you don't set high goals, and you don't branch out, you don't try-you don't take the risk.
~ Rosalynn Smith Carter

Serenity comes when you trade expectations for acceptance.
~Unknown

Acceptance of one's life has nothing to do with resignation; it does not mean running away from the struggle. On the contrary, it means accepting it as it comes, with all the handicaps of heredity, of suffering, of psychological complexes and injustices.
~Dr. Paul Tournier

The fruit of self-understanding is self acceptance. The fruit of self acceptance is self-love.
~Russell Rowe

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.
~Dolly Parton

Where you are and what you are right now has to be made right, even if you don’t like it that much. Nevertheless, it is you. By criticizing and negating the current circumstances, what you are saying is that you are not okay. What is around you is only an extension of who you are. Look at those things and realize that they are what they are, imperfect though they may be. By accepting the truth, you propel yourself into better circumstances. By resisting, you live in the constant negativity of your own dissatisfaction.
~Stuart Wilde

A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.
~Mark Twain

Self acceptance comes from meeting life's challenges vigorously. Don't numb yourself to your trials and difficulties, nor build mental walls to exclude pain from your life. You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory..
~J. Donald Walters

Give love and unconditional acceptance to those you encounter, and notice what happens.
~Wayne Dyer

When you're a beautiful person on the inside, there is nothing in the world that can change that about you. Jealousy is the result of one's lack of self-confidence, self-worth, and self-acceptance. The Lesson: If you can't accept yourself, then certainly no one else will.
~Sasha Azevedo

Always fall in with what you're asked to accept. Take what is given, and make it over your way. My aim in life has always been to hold my own with whatever's going. Not against: with.
~Robert Frost

Perhaps the most important thing we can undertake toward the reduction of fear is to make it easier for people to accept themselves, to like themselves.
~Bonaro W. Overstreet

My definition of success is total self acceptance. We can obtain all of the material possessions we desire quite easily, however, attempting to change our deepest thoughts and learning to love ourselves is a monumental challenge.
~Franki

A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.
~Mark Twain

Self-acceptance comes from meeting life's challenges vigorously. Don't numb yourself to your trials and difficulties, nor build mental walls to exclude pain from your life. You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory.
~J. Donald Walters

*Related posts:
Quote Of The Week: August 28th

Please see sidebar for more recovery quotes, and quotes of the week.

picture source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiegall/ / CC BY 2.0

Recovery Quote Of The Week: January 30th, 2010



Mistakes are merely steps up the ladder.
Paul J. Meyer

*See sidebar for more quotes of the week and inspirational recovery quotes.


picture souce:

Eating Disorder Poll: Are You Talking About Your ED?



Are You Talking About Your Eating Disorder?

Are you talking about your ED? Are you keeping it a secret? Are you selective about who you tell?

This poll is closed.

Poll Results:

When it comes to my ED, I ...

(choose all that apply)

speak openly
29 (19%)
am afraid to tell anyone
46 (31%)
want to tell but haven't
30 (20%)
am ready to speak up
23 (15%)
have told friends
77 (52%)
have told family
62 (41%)
have told therapist
62 (41%)
only tell other pro ED
14 (9%)
have told no one
10 (6%)
want recovery
60 (40%)
do not want recovery
44 (29%)
am in recovery
54 (36%)

Votes: 148

see more poll results here.

picture source:

Let's Talk About Eating Disorders: Break The Silence



It's Time To Talk About It
...is what this year's National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is all about.

Secrecy plays a major roll for most with an eating disorder and hinders recovery. Whether you're an ED advocate who openly speaks about your eating disorder, or someone who has never spoken about it before, I'd like to invite you to share your experience on Weighing The Facts.

I'm looking for your stories and poems about your personal experience with EDs.

Topics can be about (but are not limited to):
  • the role secrecy has played in your eating disorder
  • how talking about it has affected your ED and recovery
  • your story
  • your journey
It can be about whatever is most important to you.

If you'd like to participate and be featured here during this year's National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (February 21st-27th) please email your submissions to MrsMenopausal@yahoo.com.
Please specify if you'd like to remain anonymous or have your name (or alias) included.


*Please see sidebar menu for ED/Body Image poems and writings

picture source:

Recovery Quote Of The Week: January 20th, 2010


People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross


*More recovery quotes of the week and inspirational recovery quotes can be found listed in the sidebar.


picture source:

A Letter To My ED: I See You For What You Are



I would love to call you names, hurl abuse, but I'll keep this clean. (im sweet like that)
Up until a few weeks ago, I thought you had only been in my life on and off.
But you are tricky, you changed forms so many times. The times I thought you were gone, you actually had a bigger hold on me. I was just pretending you weren't there, and I didn't know why I was so miserable, and I hated myself just as much.
But you, have robbed me of so many things. I hate you. My family hates you. My ex-boyfriends hate you. You are poison.
How ever many years ago now, you came to comfort me because I was sad, I thought you were helping. I thought you were teaching me to control my life, to feel better about myself.

That summer was probably the last summer I really loved being intimate with anyone. You took that from me.
When my friends want to go have fun going out, you told me I couldn't. When people told me I was talented, you told me they were lying.
When I walked into a room, you told me everyone thought I was disgusting.
When I see other girls, you told me they see me as masculine and different.
When people organise events and fun activities.. you think of excuses to get out of them.
You are the first voice I hear in the morning, and the last voice I hear at night. And I am so sick of the sound of you.
You have affected every avenue of my life and you own all of my mental real estate.
Well guess what?
I see you now.
I see you for what you are, and I am going to get rid of you. In fact I have already started. It is my main goal in life, I really don't think you stand a chance.
And I am going to tell people about you.
And I am going to get help to do get rid of you.
As much as I hate you, when I am better I'll move on from that hate, I wont be bitter, because you don't even deserve that much energy. Instead I will be happy!
And when you are gone I am going to nourish my body, and love my soul, and go out with friends, and walk around with my head held high. Every morning when I wake up I am going to be grateful that you are gone. Every night I am going to sleep sweetly knowing that you have been beaten!
And I am going to try and help other people know exactly what you are, and I want to prevent people from befriending you, and I want to make sure when I have children they never even hear you speak.
I'll be free!
Fuck yeah!

Written by: Lou Lou
Lou Lou says on her blog, Boost Forward, "I am on a path to becoming a woman enjoying wellness and I have a lot of hope."

*See sidebar menu for more ED poetry and writings

*Click here to have your Eating Disorders/Body Image poetry/writings featured on Weighing The Facts

Picture source:

Recovery Quote Of The Week: January 9th, 2010


You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. ~Buddha


picture source:

Recovery Video: Reflections On Anorexia



Video by Holdingon
Holdingon has amazing recovery videos.
Be sure to check them out: Holdingon's youtube channel.

see also:
Inspirational Recovery Quotes:
Our Bodies
Self Worth


*Note to Anonymous ... Thank you for the comment you sent. The original video posted that you were referring to was no longer linked and I was not aware of the change. It has been removed. I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. Thanks again!