Gaining weight is difficult emotionally and physically, but sometimes it’s necessary for us to bring back our health.

I used to compete in a sport which only scored you on how you looked. So, learning to detach my sense of self-worth from my body and re-attach it to who I am as a person was an extremely hard process. I had to remind myself that even if I started to look different, it doesn’t mean I looked worse I had body dysmorphia.

This is really hard for most people to believe while it’s happening, because it usually doesn’t become apparent until far later on. For me, I had to constantly remind myself that I couldn’t trust my perception of myself in the mirror. It took years for me to look back and realize that at times when I felt “chubby,” I was still very lean. I can see that now, but at the time I had a totally different perspective.

To fully heal I had to do the following:

1. STOP WEIGHING MYSELF.

The number on it means nothing. A scale can’t tell you how you feel or when you’ve reached true health. Scales are all different, and most of them are inaccurate anyways. Don’t let a piece of metal define your self-worth. Scales really do nothing but increase anxiety and cortisol levels.

2. Throw /give away clothes that no longer fit me.

Trying to squeeze into clothes that aren’t your size is uncomfortable and looks much worse than wearing clothes that fit you. Wearing clothes that are too tight and uncomfortable just make you constantly aware of your body throughout the day. There is nothing wrong with wearing a bigger size than you used to. If anything, it’s a good sign that you’re making progress. Guess what? No one else knows or cares about the number on the tag. What they might notice, though, is if you’re acting self-conscious and uncomfortable in whatever you’re wearing.

3. Stop measuring and counting.

All numbers – just stop. No calories, macros, ounces, sizes, pounds, etc. Numbers should not control you. #moderation365 allowed me to relearn hunger and fullness cues, and I will never go back.

4. Stop looking in the mirror so often.

I realized that I used to look in the mirror a lot. Every time I passed a mirror, I analyzed myself. I body checked constantly.

This is a very important habit to break.

5. Stop looking at old photos of myself at my leanest.

It’s easy to look at old pictures and romanticize the past. Guess what, though? We can’t move backward, and you probably weren’t as happy in that photo as you’re imagining you were. Doing whatever you were doing then is what got you to the place you’re in now.

6. Stop looking at so many photos of other people! This means spending less time on social media and unfollowing people who post a lot of photos of themselves and trigger you to compare yourself to them.

Photos are highlight reels, taken when people look and feel their best. It is ridiculous to compare yourself to another person’s body, because no matter what, it is physically impossible for you to look exactly like that person.

7. I focused on loving how I wanted to FEEL!

Think about how lucky you are that your “prescription” for health is to CHILL OUT. Eat more food. Relax. Lay off the workouts. Walk more. There are a lot of people out there who are told they have to RESTRICT more to get healthier, but my path to health was the OPPOSITE!

You have permission to free yourself – don’t fight that! Embrace it! Eat the food! Ditch the workouts you dread! Relax!

I am happy to have added 15lb to my body frame in exchange for NEVER having to go back to the food obsession I used to have in addition to the extreme anxiety around gaining weight. Healthy mind AND body > weighing 15lb less.

I hope this was helpful to even one person out there.

If you need help to quit dieting, I am here to support you.