Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol | Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast — Less Food Noise. More Life.

Hey girlfriend, happy day after Thanksgiving.

Maybe yesterday was really hard for you. Maybe you broke a boundary. Maybe you're beating yourself up right now. Maybe you barely survived Thanksgiving dinner and you're exhausted.

You made it through. You're here. And today, we're going to talk about gratitude anyway.

In this special mini episode, host Lindsey Nichol gets vulnerable about a season when she couldn't feel grateful for anything - when she was so trapped in her eating disorder that gratitude felt impossible. She shares what she's genuinely, deeply thankful for this season, and invites you to find your own gratitude too - even in the mess, even in the middle of the struggle.

Because here's the truth: Gratitude doesn't require perfection. It doesn't require having it all together. It doesn't require that yesterday went well.

Gratitude just requires being willing to look for the light, even in the hard.

Plus: A special Black Friday opportunity to invest in yourself and your recovery (because the best investment you'll ever make is in your own healing).

This is a quick dose of hope, vulnerability, and possibility for the day after Thanksgiving. You survived yesterday. Now let's find the gratitude together.

If Yesterday Was Hard

When Gratitude Felt Impossible

What Lindsey Is Thankful For This Season:

#1: Her Clients and Listeners (YOU)

#2: Recovery Is a Journey

#3: Keeping Promises 

Your Gratitude Invitation

Black Friday Investment Opportunity

What You Get:

This is for you if:

Join here: www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective 

What You Get:

This is for you if:

Go to www.herbestself.co and fill out a client application.

These offers are ONLY available through Sunday.

Limited spots available.

If you're thinking:

Black Friday isn't just about buying things. It's about investing in what matters.

And YOU matter. Your recovery matters. Your freedom matters.

✨ You made it through Thanksgiving - even if it was hard, you're here

✨ Gratitude doesn't require perfection or having it all together

✨ There was a season Lindsey couldn't FEEL gratitude - she was too numb, too consumed

✨ Recovery gave her the ability to feel gratitude again - that's possible for you too

✨ Lindsey is grateful for: her clients/listeners, recovery as a journey, keeping promises to herself

✨ You can find gratitude even in the struggle - even if it's small

✨ Recovery isn't a destination, it's a journey - constantly evolving and growing

✨ Keeping promises to yourself builds self-trust and proves you're worth showing up for

✨ The best investment you'll ever make is in your own healing

✨ Black Friday offers available through Sunday: Recovery Collective $47/month or $500 off 1-on-1

Write down 3 things you're thankful for this season.

About Yesterday:

About Gratitude:

About Your Recovery:

About Black Friday:

This mini episode is for you if:

Timing: Released the day after Thanksgiving when:

Message: You don't have to be perfect to practice gratitude. You don't have to have a "good" Thanksgiving to find things to be thankful for. And you don't have to do recovery alone.

Opportunity: Special Black Friday offers make this the PERFECT time to invest in yourself and get the support you need so next year is different.

Don't Wait Until Next Thanksgiving to Get Support

You just survived another Thanksgiving trapped in the eating disorder. You made it through, but was it how you want to live?

Next year can be different. But only if you get support NOW.

Two Options Available Through Sunday:

Group support, bi-weekly calls, texting community. You're not alone anymore.

Personalized support, weekly sessions, custom plan for YOU. Finally get the guidance you need.

Apply now at herbestself.co

Offers end Sunday. Limited spots available.

This is your sign. This is your moment. Invest in yourself.

.

If this episode resonated with you—please subscribe to Her Best Self wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review. Your reviews help other women who are tired of perfectionism and living trapped in their mind and body find this show and realize they're not alone.

Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear the truth!

Lindsey Nichol is a former competitive figure skater turned God-led entrepreneur, boy mom, and digital CEO. She understands how core beliefs formed in childhood can create and maintain eating disorder patterns, and she's passionate about helping women identify and transform these beliefs to find lasting freedom.

If this episode helped you feel hopeful again and remember your worth isn't found in your body or on your plate, please share it with someone who needs to hear this message. Your support helps more women break the chains of limiting beliefs.

*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

Your family doesn't understand your eating disorder. They make comments about your food. They trigger you at every holiday gathering. You're walking on eggshells, feeling attacked, and wondering if recovery is even possible around them.

Girlfriend, this episode is for you.

Host Lindsey Nichol shares an incredibly vulnerable moment - her mom called crying after listening to the podcast for the first time, saying "I had no idea what I was doing during your recovery. I just knew I needed to help you." This emotional conversation revealed a profound truth: families don't understand because they're trying to understand while dealing with their own pain.

In this powerful episode, Lindsey addresses both sides of the struggle - what to do when your family doesn't understand your eating disorder, AND what loved ones need to know about supporting someone in recovery. Because the truth is, hurt people hurt people. And your family's "attacks" might actually be their way of coping with fear, denial, and their own feelings of helplessness.

Whether you're dreading Thanksgiving dinner, anxious about Christmas gatherings, or just trying to survive family events without being triggered - this episode gives you the boundaries, scripts, and strategies you need to protect your recovery while staying connected to the people you love.

This is for you if you're struggling. This is for you if you're supporting someone. This is for all of us navigating the complexity of family, recovery, and the holidays.

Lindsey's Mom's Tearful Phone Call

The Truth About Family Not Understanding

Why This Matters for YOU

The Reality: Your ED Affects Everyone

Why Your Family Seems Unsupportive

The Walking on Eggshells Reality

The Phases of Denial

Hurt People Hurt People

Brené Brown says: "When we are busy pleasing and perfecting and performing, we end up saying yes a lot when we mean no."

Why This Matters: If you're a people pleaser, this is hard. But if your support system is trying to fix or please you, they actually NEED something to do. Give them something to do that makes them feel like they're helping.

What to Say:

As you go into the holiday season with family gatherings and events:

Lindsey's Example: Even YEARS after recovering from anorexia, she'd go to Thanksgiving wondering:

The Truth: That was HER stuff. Even if they ARE watching, you're strong in your decision-making. You're strong in your truth. You know you're for YOU.

If you're going to be around someone super triggering:

The Reality: When you're stuck in the disorder, you can't have dreams because it robs you of thinking further along than the current moment. All you can think about is what you can eat next or can't.

Take care of YOU. Spend time with people who understand where you are.

But even if they DON'T understand - boundaries provide healthy structure.

The Truth: You're a structure queen. Structure is essential in building anything that lasts and thrives. You've got to have healthy structure.

Boundaries = valuing you + bettering you

If You're Supporting Someone With an ED:

"I feel like there is something going on with you. I want to support you. I'm seeing changes in you. I want to help you, and right now maybe I don't even know what that looks like, but I just want you to feel seen and loved by me. I want to hold your hand. When you need me - and we all will have that breakdown mode - I'm here."

Sometimes when somebody pulls away, it means they need space to process.

Lindsey's Truth: She knew what her mom was telling her was the truth because she loved and looked up to her. Part of her heart already KNEW. Part of her was searching for someone to say it. But she was feeling all these different feelings.

Whether you're the one struggling OR the caretaker - brain dump all those feelings. That's part of healing.

Remember: Hurt people hurt people.

✨ When your family doesn't understand, it's paralyzing - but love doesn't always know how to show up correctly

✨ Your eating disorder affects EVERYONE close to you, even if it feels isolating

✨ People that love you usually mean well - they're just not sure HOW to mean well

✨ Your family's "attacks" are often their way of coping with fear, denial, and helplessness

✨ Hurt people hurt people - pain gets passed on generation after generation

✨ Use your voice - share where you are with SAFE people and ask for what you need

✨ Boundaries value you and better you - they create space to heal

✨ Have an exit strategy for triggering holiday situations

✨ Pre-plan your self-care practices before family gatherings

✨ Setting boundaries isn't pushing family away - it's creating space you need to heal

✨ Your recovery journey deserves respect and protection

✨ If you're a supporter, your boundaries are just as important

✨ When someone pulls away, they often just need space to process

About Your Family:

About Your Boundaries:

About Your Growth:

If You're a Supporter:

Don't Face the Holidays Alone

If you need support this season because you don't have that support person, or no one understands you, or you feel like no one does - Lindsey doesn't want you to go at this alone.

Even with a healthy support system, you should work with somebody who's been there and gone through an eating disorder.

Why It Matters: How do we teach our kids to ride a bike if we've never ridden a bike before? It's so important to work with a professional who understands right where you are.

How to Get Support: Visit www.herbestself.co to fill out a client application and get on the books for the new year.

You deserve to have a wonderful holiday. Focus on setting personal boundaries for yourself AND for your loved ones.

Option 1: The Recovery Collective Join Lindsey's group coaching program where you'll get:

Option 2: One-on-One Personalized Coaching work directly with Lindsey for:

Learn more about both options at www.herbestself.co

You don't have to navigate this alone. Let's walk through recovery together.

.

If this episode resonated with you—if you saw yourself in Lindsey's rejection story—please subscribe to Her Best Self wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review. Your reviews help other women who are tired of perfectionism and people-pleasing find this show and realize they're not alone.

Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear the truth!

Lindsey Nichol is a former competitive figure skater turned God-led entrepreneur, boy mom, and digital CEO. She understands how core beliefs formed in childhood can create and maintain eating disorder patterns, and she's passionate about helping women identify and transform these beliefs to find lasting freedom.

If this episode helped you feel hopeful again and remember your worth isn't found in your body or on your plate, please share it with someone who needs to hear this message. Your support helps more women break the chains of limiting beliefs.

*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

Okay girlfriend, we're going there. We're talking about the thing nobody talks about when it comes to eating disorders: sex, intimacy, and what's happening (or NOT happening) in your bedroom.

If you've noticed your sex drive has disappeared, you're avoiding intimacy with your partner, you can't be present during sex because you're too busy worrying about what your body looks like, or your relationship is suffering and you don't know why - this episode is for you.

Host Lindsey Nichol gets incredibly vulnerable about her own experience with blocked intimacy during her eating disorder - how she was physically shut down, emotionally unavailable, and performing instead of experiencing. She shares the research-backed reasons why eating disorders completely sabotage intimacy (spoiler: your body is literally in survival mode), and gives you practical tools to address it.

This isn't just about emotional connection - we're talking about SEX. Physical intimacy. The bedroom. Your relationship with your spouse or partner. Because your eating disorder isn't just stealing your relationship with food and your body. It's stealing your relationship with your partner too.

In this episode, you'll learn:

This is real talk. This is vulnerable. This is the conversation we need to have. So grab your favorite Tarjay journal and let's get into it.

Content Note: This episode discusses sexual intimacy and eating disorders openly. Best listened to in a private space.

Lindsey's Vulnerable Truth

The Research Nobody Talks About

The Question We're Answering Why is intimacy blocked when you struggle with an eating disorder? And what can you actually DO about it?

What This Means:

The Truth You Need to Hear: This is not a personal failure. This is a SYMPTOM of your eating disorder.

Just like:

The Hope: Research shows that as women recover from eating disorders, sexual function, desire, and satisfaction improve SIGNIFICANTLY. Recovery doesn't just give you food freedom - it gives you intimacy freedom too.

If your relationship is suffering, recovery is the answer. Not just for food. Not just for your body. But for your relationship too.

Get honest with yourself. On a scale of 1-10, where is your intimacy RIGHT NOW?

Not where you think it should be. Not where it used to be. Where is it TODAY?

Ask yourself:

Get real about what's actually happening. You can't change what you won't acknowledge.

Stop blaming yourself. Stop thinking you're broken or wrong or failing.

This blocked intimacy is a SYMPTOM of your eating disorder.

Your body is depleted. Your hormones are disrupted. You're disconnected. You're consumed.

This isn't about:

This is about your eating disorder stealing one MORE thing from you.

Name it for what it is: An eating disorder symptom.

This is the scariest step, but it's the most important.

You have to talk to your spouse or partner about what's going on.

When to Have This Conversation:

What to Say (Script): "Hey, I need to talk to you about something that's been hard for me. I've been struggling with my relationship with food and my body, and it's affecting our intimacy. I want you to know it has nothing to do with you or how I feel about you. My body is depleted, my hormones are off, and I'm having a hard time being present. I'm working on it, but I need you to know what's going on."

You Don't Need:

You Just Need:

You don't have to fix everything overnight. Start somewhere small.

Ideas:

Just start. Somewhere. Anywhere.

You don't have to LOVE your body to be intimate.

But you do have to accept that your body is allowed to:

This is work:

The more you work on accepting your body (not loving it, just ACCEPTING it), the more available you'll be for intimacy.

If you want intimacy back in your relationship, you MUST prioritize recovery.

Because the eating disorder is the blocker.

What This Looks Like:

Recovery gives you:

✨ Your ED isn't just stealing food freedom - it's stealing intimacy too

✨ Blocked intimacy is a SYMPTOM, not a personal failure

✨ Your body is in survival mode - sex is not a priority when you're starving

✨ You can't experience pleasure in a body you're disconnected from

✨ Body shame follows you into the bedroom and paralyzes intimacy

✨ You're emotionally unavailable because the ED consumes all your bandwidth

✨ Control issues with food show up as control issues with intimacy

✨ Research shows recovery improves sexual function, desire, and satisfaction

✨ You need to talk to your partner - bring it into the light

✨ Start small: reconnect with non-sexual touch first

✨ Body acceptance (not love) opens the door to intimacy

✨ Recovery gives you your relationship back

Sexual Dysfunction & Eating Disorders:

Hormone Disruption:

Body Image During Sex:

Recovery Improves Everything:

About Your Intimacy:

About Your Body:

About Your Partner:

About Your Recovery:

This episode is essential listening if you:

The Script: "Hey, I need to talk to you about something that's been hard for me. I've been struggling with my relationship with food and my body, and it's affecting our intimacy. I want you to know it has nothing to do with you or how I feel about you. My body is depleted, my hormones are off, and I'm having a hard time being present. I'm working on it, but I need you to know what's going on."

Why This Works:

What Happens Next:

Your Libido Disappearing is NOT Your Fault: It's biology. Your body is in survival mode. Sex is not essential for survival. Your hormones are disrupted. This is a symptom.

You're Not Broken: Your body is responding exactly as it should to starvation and restriction. This is protective, not defective.

Your Partner Isn't the Problem: Even if you're attracted to them, your body can't prioritize sexual function right now. This isn't about attraction.

Shame is the Enemy: The shame you feel about your body during intimacy is what's blocking connection. The body itself isn't the problem - the shame is.

Recovery Restores Everything: This isn't permanent. As you nourish your body, your hormones will regulate. Your libido will return. Your ability to be present will come back. Intimacy can be restored.

You Deserve Intimacy: Even with an eating disorder, you deserve connection, pleasure, and intimacy. But you have to do the recovery work to get there.

Work with Lindsey One-on-One: If you're ready to prioritize your recovery - not just for food freedom, but for your relationship too - Lindsey offers personalized recovery coaching where you work through:

Your relationship deserves you showing up fully. Your partner deserves you being present. YOU deserve to experience intimacy without shame, anxiety, or the ED blocking it.

Recovery gives you that. And Lindsey is here to help you get there.

Option 1: The Recovery Collective Join Lindsey's group coaching program where you'll get:

Option 2: One-on-One Personalized Coaching work directly with Lindsey for:

Learn more about both options at www.herbestself.co

You don't have to navigate this alone. Let's walk through recovery together.

.

If this episode resonated with you—if you saw yourself in Lindsey's rejection story—please subscribe to Her Best Self wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review. Your reviews help other women who are tired of perfectionism and people-pleasing find this show and realize they're not alone.

Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear the truth!

Lindsey Nichol is a former competitive figure skater turned God-led entrepreneur, boy mom, and digital CEO. She understands how core beliefs formed in childhood can create and maintain eating disorder patterns, and she's passionate about helping women identify and transform these beliefs to find lasting freedom.

If this episode helped you feel hopeful again and remember your worth isn't found in your body or on your plate, please share it with someone who needs to hear this message. Your support helps more women break the chains of limiting beliefs.

*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

Girlfriend, if you're struggling with self-worth, feeling like you'll never measure up, or can't separate yourself from your eating disorder - this episode is for you.

Host Lindsey Nichol shares an incredibly vulnerable and inspiring episode about finding worth from within and discovering your true identity beyond the eating disorder. After a powerful moment during yoga listening to Lauren Daigle's "You Say," Lindsey was reminded of a truth that changed everything: You are not your eating disorder. Your true, authentic self lives underneath all of that.

In this encouraging episode, Lindsey walks you through:

This isn't just inspiration - this is an invitation to remember who you are beyond the eating disorder. To find worth from within. To practice self-compassion on the hard days. And to stop settling for a false version of yourself.

If you're having a down day or need encouragement, grab your favorite Tarjay journal and let's sit together. You are worthy just because you are.

The Yoga Moment: Lauren Daigle's "You Say"

The Worth Trap: Measuring Yourself by External Things

Identity Consumed: You Are Not Your Eating Disorder

Finding Worth From Within (And Above)

Creating Awareness: The Identity Shift

The Self-Compassion Research

Mindful Awareness Practice

The Self-Compassion Exercise: Hand Over Heart

The Truth About Your Worth

What You're Worth

✨ You are not your eating disorder - your true self lives underneath the disorder

✨ Eating disorders consume identity over time - healing requires separating yourself from the disorder

✨ Worth measured by external things is a trap - weight, appearance, achievements, others' opinions don't define you

✨ You're worthy just because you ARE - you cannot earn worth, it's inherent

✨ The voice on repeat is not YOU - that critical voice is the eating disorder, not your true self

✨ Self-compassion is research-backed - Kristin Neff's work shows its impact on mental health

✨ Feelings and thoughts aren't truths - they're temporary, not facts

✨ It's okay to not feel enough right now - this moment doesn't mean you aren't enough

✨ Your true identity lives underneath - beyond the false identity of the eating disorder

✨ Healing means choosing you daily - and that's okay, that's the work

✨ You're designed for more - there's a radical need for your uniqueness in this world

From Lauren Daigle's "You Say":

From Lindsey:

Step 1: Identify Your Biggest Challenge Think about your biggest challenge right now - the one thing you're most terrified of. Maybe it's weight gain, taking the next step, letting go of control, being honest, or something else. Name it.

Step 2: Place Your Hand Over Your Heart If you're able (not driving or operating machinery), place your hand over your heart. Feel:

Step 3: Acknowledge Your Worth Say to yourself:

Step 4: Let the Heaviness Be Acknowledge that the challenge feels super heavy. That's not wrong. That's not bad. It just IS. Allow it to be there. Allow the feeling of heaviness. Let it wash over you.

Step 5: Breathe Breathe in deeply. Then breathe out the heaviness. This is just a season.

Step 6: Talk to Yourself with Compassion Say these words to yourself:

Let that feeling sit there. Don't push it away.

Step 7: Breathe It Out Breathe in. Exhale it out. It is just a temporary emotion. This moment is not permanent.

Step 8: Practice Self-Compassion Tell yourself:

Step 9: Offer Kindness As though you're speaking to your best friend or your daughter:

Step 10: Remember the Truth When you challenge and change what's inside of you, everything changes around you.

Who is Kristin Neff? Recognized worldwide as a leading expert on self-compassion and its impact on positive mental health and psychology.

What is Self-Compassion?

Why It Matters in Recovery:

The Connection: Eating disorders are framed around exaggerated, glamorized negative beliefs. Self-compassion creates the space to observe these beliefs without identifying with them.

About Your Identity:

About Your Worth:

About Self-Compassion:

About Your Uniqueness:

The Big Questions:

Option 1: The Recovery Collective Join Lindsey's group coaching program where you'll get:

Option 2: One-on-One Personalized Coaching work directly with Lindsey for:

Learn more about both options at www.herbestself.co

You don't have to navigate stomach hate alone. Let's walk through this together.

.

If this episode resonated with you—if you saw yourself in Lindsey's rejection story—please subscribe to Her Best Self wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review. Your reviews help other women who are tired of perfectionism and people-pleasing find this show and realize they're not alone.

Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that her rejection story can become her redemption story.

Lindsey Nichol is a former competitive figure skater turned God-led entrepreneur, boy mom, and digital CEO. She understands how core beliefs formed in childhood can create and maintain eating disorder patterns, and she's passionate about helping women identify and transform these beliefs to find lasting freedom.

If this episode helped you feel hopeful again and remember your worth isn't found in your body or on your plate, please share it with someone who needs to hear this message. Your support helps more women break the chains of limiting beliefs.

*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

"Lindsey, I hate my stomach. I can't stop thinking about it. It's ruining my day, my mood, my recovery. What do I do?"

If your stomach is your biggest trigger in recovery - if you can't stop looking at it, obsessing over whether it looks bigger, spiraling every time you see your reflection - this episode is for you, girlfriend.

Host Lindsey Nichol gets real about stomach hate in recovery and shares something her client needed to hear today: "I may not love my stomach every day, but if I'm being honest? I didn't love my stomach every day when I was in the trenches of my eating disorder either."

So here's the question: Which hard do you want?

Hard #1: Hating your stomach while you're restricting, obsessing, body checking, over-exercising, and missing your life.

Hard #2: Sometimes not loving your stomach, but being FREE. Living your life. Eating with family. Being present. Having energy.

Both are hard. But only one leads to freedom.

In this episode, Lindsey shares her own stomach struggles - how she used to search for evidence it was "blowing up," how it would send her into spirals of restriction and over-exercise, and what she does NOW on the days when she doesn't love her stomach. Plus, she gives you 7 practical tools you can use on your hardest days.

This is real talk with practical help. No toxic positivity. No "just love yourself." Just honest truth and actionable tools for when your stomach triggers you.

Lindsey's Stomach Story: The Disorder Days

The Truth Bomb: Choose Your Hard

Why the Stomach Specifically?

What Lindsey Does NOW on Hard Days

The Shift That Changed Everything

7 Tools for Your Hardest Days

✨ You didn't love your stomach in the disorder either - so what are you really choosing?

✨ There are two hards: choose yours - trapped with stomach hate OR free with occasional stomach discomfort

✨ Your stomach is not the problem - it's a symptom, a distraction from real feelings

✨ Restriction makes stomach issues WORSE - bloating, digestion problems increase with restriction

✨ Stomachs are supposed to change - throughout the day, after meals, when sitting vs standing

✨ The stomach is an easy target - easier to hate your stomach than deal with underlying fears

✨ You'll never be satisfied at any size - if stomach hate is really about control and self-sabotage

✨ Body checking makes it worse - the more you look, the more you spiral

✨ Function over form - your stomach's job is to digest food, not be flat 24/7

✨ Little girl you didn't care - the goal isn't loving your stomach, it's living without it controlling you

✨ You don't have to love it to live - freedom doesn't require stomach love, just stomach acceptance

When you feel the urge to look in the mirror, pull your shirt tight, or analyze your stomach - STOP. Literally stop. Walk away. Do something else. Put on baggy clothes. The more you body check, the worse the obsession gets.

Stop asking "Why does my stomach look like this?" and start asking "What am I really feeling right now? What am I avoiding?" Get to the root. Your stomach is almost never the actual problem.

Common real feelings underneath stomach hate:

Remind yourself: Your stomach digests food. It nourishes you. It expands when you eat because that's its JOB. It's not supposed to be flat 24/7. That's not realistic, healthy, or even possible.

You didn't care about your stomach as a kid. You just lived. You played. You ate. You didn't analyze your body. THAT is the goal - not loving your stomach every day, just LIVING without it controlling you.

Also remember: When you were pregnant (if applicable), you LOVED watching your stomach grow. You celebrated what your body could do. Why do you hate it now?

On the hard days, say this out loud: "I can hate my stomach and be trapped in restriction, obsession, and isolation - OR I can sometimes not love my stomach but be FREE to live my life. Which hard do I want?"

Stop punishing yourself with restrictive clothing. Stop wearing things that make you hyper-aware of your stomach all day. Wear what feels good. Your comfort matters more than how your stomach looks. Baggy clothes aren't "giving up" - they're choosing peace.

When that critical voice says "Your stomach is too big," you talk back with truth:

About Your Stomach Hate:

About the Real Feelings:

About Your Choices:

About Your Little Girl Self:

This episode is essential listening if you:

Stomachs Change Throughout the Day:

Restriction Makes It Worse:

Stomach Hate Is Usually About Something Else:

You Didn't Love It at Your Lowest Weight Either:

Function Over Form:

Morning Routine:

After Meals:

On Triggering Days:

Clothing Choices:

Hard Option #1: Hating Your Stomach While Trapped

Hard Option #2: Sometimes Not Loving It But Being Free

The Question: Which hard do you want?

The Truth: You're going to have hard days with your stomach either way. At least in recovery, you get your LIFE back.

Option 1: The Recovery Collective Join Lindsey's group coaching program where you'll get:

Option 2: One-on-One Personalized Coaching work directly with Lindsey for:

Learn more about both options at www.herbestself.co

You don't have to navigate stomach hate alone. Let's walk through this together.

.

If this episode resonated with you—if you saw yourself in Lindsey's rejection story—please subscribe to Her Best Self wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review. Your reviews help other women who are tired of perfectionism and people-pleasing find this show and realize they're not alone.

Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that her rejection story can become her redemption story.

Lindsey Nichol is a former competitive figure skater turned God-led entrepreneur, boy mom, and digital CEO. She understands how core beliefs formed in childhood can create and maintain eating disorder patterns, and she's passionate about helping women identify and transform these beliefs to find lasting freedom.

If this episode helped you feel hopeful again and remember your worth isn't found in your body or on your plate, please share it with someone who needs to hear this message. Your support helps more women break the chains of limiting beliefs.

*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

Hey sis, here is hope. You can turn your worries and your wishes into your true realities, and you can surely find freedom from the debilitating disease of an eating disorder and disordered eating.

In this powerful episode, host Lindsey Nichol speaks truth directly to your heart, spirit, and mind. If you're stuck in the same place year after year - same worries, same wishes, same Thanksgiving anxiety, same holiday struggles - this is your wake-up call.

Lindsey reveals why your worries and anxieties can actually HELP you move forward (or keep you stuck in the safe zone), and why your wishes and dreams must become greater than your fears. She introduces her 3-step battle plan for turning wishes into reality: align with your biggest challenge, align with your greatest dream, and study your enemy - that nagging voice keeping you in the cycle.

This isn't just another motivational episode. This is a strategic battle plan for warriors ready to stop wishing and start living. Because girlfriend, warriors don't go into battle without a shield, a sword, or a plan. And you're not meant to go alone.

If you've been waiting for the "magic pill" to create peace in your life, this episode will show you that YOU have the power to transform everything - starting right now.

Why Worries Can Help You (Or Keep You Stuck)

Why Wishes Aren't Enough

The Biggest Challenges Women Face in Recovery When Lindsey asks her one-on-one clients "What is your biggest challenge?" she hears:

The Greatest Wishes Women Have When Lindsey asks "What is your greatest wish?" she hears:

The Bridge: Freedom IS Your Reality

The Hard Truth You Need to Hear

Study the enemy like no other:

✨ Worries can work FOR you or AGAINST you - they can propel you forward or keep you stuck

✨ Wishes without action keep you in the same place - year after year, holiday after holiday

✨ Feelings aren't forever - no matter how stuck you feel right now, it can change

✨ You have to stop loving the drama of the cycle - the cycle only continues if you participate

✨ Your wishes must become GREATER than your worries - this is the tipping point

✨ Warriors don't go into battle unprepared - you need a shield, sword, helmet, and plan

✨ You're not meant to do this alone - going solo into battle is a losing strategy

✨ YOU have the power to transform your life - no one else can do this for you

✨ Freedom is already yours - it's been granted to you, you just have to claim it

✨ Commit to ONE action today - your future self will thank you

Zechariah 10:5-12 (paraphrased):

You shall be mighty in battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets. You shall fight because God is with you and you will put to shame the riders on horses. He will strengthen you. He will save you. He will bring you back because he has compassion for you.

And you will be enough. You won't be rejected. For he is God and he will deliver you. You shall become a mighty warrior and your heart will be glad and your children will see it and rejoice.

God will whistle for you and gather you in because he is redeeming you and you shall be as you were before. He will bring you home from the desert land and gather you. He will pass through the sea of troubles with you and strike down the waves, and all the depths will dry up.

The enemy shall depart. He will make you strong and you shall walk in his name.

About Your Challenges:

About Your Dreams:

About Your Enemy:

About Your Battle Plan:

The Big Question:

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If this episode resonated with you—if you saw yourself in Lindsey's rejection story—please subscribe to Her Best Self wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review. Your reviews help other women who are tired of perfectionism and people-pleasing find this show and realize they're not alone.

Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that her rejection story can become her redemption story.

Lindsey Nichol is a former competitive figure skater turned God-led entrepreneur, boy mom, and digital CEO. She understands how core beliefs formed in childhood can create and maintain eating disorder patterns, and she's passionate about helping women identify and transform these beliefs to find lasting freedom.

If this episode helped you feel hopeful again and remember your worth isn't found in your body or on your plate, please share it with someone who needs to hear this message. Your support helps more women break the chains of limiting beliefs.

*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

Girlfriend, if you've fallen in your recovery - if you've had a setback, slipped back into old behaviors, or feel like you're not where you "should" be - this episode is for you.

This morning, Lindsey was walking her 7-year-old son Blake to school when he fell hard while skipping in Crocs. Through his tears, he looked up and said, "I guess I shouldn't skip so fast to school." And in that moment, Lindsey realized something profound: Sometimes the fall is required. Not because we want to hurt, but because without the fall, we wouldn't learn any other way.

In this vulnerable episode, Lindsey shares her own painful fall in recovery - when she was lying to her treatment team, telling everyone she was "doing the things" while secretly still restricting out of fear. Her results weren't matching her actions, and she felt defeated. But that fall? It became her turning point.

Drawing from her figure skating background (landing her first double loop took countless falls), Lindsey reveals why falls aren't failures - they're required education. She addresses the shame that comes with relapsing, gives you permission to be right where you are, and shows you how to get back up without beating yourself up.

If you've been too afraid to risk falling or too ashamed to get back up, this episode will change everything.

Blake's Fall: The Morning Walk to School

Lindsey's Recovery Fall: The Painful Truth

The Figure Skating Metaphor: Landing the Double Loop

The Shame of Falling in Recovery

You Are Right Where You Need to Be

✨ Sometimes the fall is required - without it, we wouldn't learn any other way

✨ Falls aren't failures, they're required education - each one teaches you something

✨ Shame isn't about the fall - it's about what you're making the fall mean about you

✨ You are right where you need to be - not where you want to be, but exactly where you need to be to learn and grow

✨ You can't change what you won't acknowledge - getting honest is the first step to getting back up

✨ The fall is setup for your breakthrough - not a setback, but preparation for progress

✨ Recovery is learning a jump you've never done before - of course you're going to fall multiple times

✨ Staying stuck is its own kind of fall - it's just slower, more painful, and doesn't teach you anything

✨ You don't have to get up alone - reach out for help, let someone stoop down to your level

Step 1: Stop Beating Yourself Up Stop making the fall mean something about your worth. The fall is data. It's information. It's feedback. It's not a judgment on who you are.

Step 2: Get Honest Really honest. With yourself first, then with your treatment team, support system, and your people. Say: "I fell. Here's where I am. Here's what I need."

Step 3: Reach Out for Help Just like Lindsey stooped down to Blake's level to dust him off - you don't have to get up alone. In fact, you shouldn't. Let someone help you back up.

Step 4: Take the Lesson Forward Blake learned not to skip so fast. What are YOU learning from this fall? What does this fall need to teach you that you couldn't have learned any other way?

Step 5: Keep Moving Forward Maybe a little slower. Maybe a little more carefully. Maybe with more honesty this time. But keep going. Because recovery isn't about never falling - it's about learning to get back up.

About Your Falls:

About Growth:

Specific Scenarios:

The Risk Question:

This episode is essential listening if you:

Falls Are Not Failures: They're required education. Each fall teaches you something you couldn't learn any other way.

The Length of Your Struggle Doesn't Matter: Whether this is your first fall or your hundredth, you can still get back up and keep going.

Results Not Matching Actions Is a Sign: It means you're not being fully honest - with yourself or others. That realization IS the breakthrough.

You Can't Skip the Lesson: Just like Blake couldn't skip learning to slow down without falling, you can't bypass the lessons recovery requires.

Honesty Is the Turning Point: Once you get real about where you are, you can finally do something about it.

Blake was skipping too fast → You might be rushing recovery, trying to do it perfectly

Lindsey kept warning him to be careful → Your body, treatment team, loved ones have been giving you signals

He fell hard and got hurt → You've had a setback, relapse, or painful realization

He reached out for help → You don't have to get up alone - reach out

Lindsey stooped to his level → The right support meets you where you are, doesn't shame you

She dusted him off → You can clean yourself up and start fresh

He learned the lesson → "I shouldn't skip so fast" = awareness leads to change

He got back up and kept going to school → You get back up and keep moving toward recovery

Just like Lindsey fell countless times before landing her first double loop jump - and it became her favorite jump BECAUSE of all the falls - your recovery falls are teaching you:

And eventually, when you land it, recovery will become your favorite part of your story. Not in spite of the falls, but because of them.

You have permission to:

If you need support getting back up after a fall, Lindsey has spots open for one-on-one recovery coaching. She'll meet you exactly where you are - no judgment, no shame - and help you find your footing again.

Visit www.herbestself.co to book your complimentary consultation.

Let's turn your fall into your breakthrough.

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If this episode resonated with you—if you saw yourself in Lindsey's rejection story—please subscribe to Her Best Self wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review. Your reviews help other women who are tired of perfectionism and people-pleasing find this show and realize they're not alone.

Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear that her rejection story can become her redemption story.

Lindsey Nichol is a former competitive figure skater turned God-led entrepreneur, boy mom, and digital CEO. She understands how core beliefs formed in childhood can create and maintain eating disorder patterns, and she's passionate about helping women identify and transform these beliefs to find lasting freedom.

If this episode helped you feel hopeful again and remember your worth isn't found in your body or on your plate, please share it with someone who needs to hear this message. Your support helps more women break the chains of limiting beliefs.

*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

Girlfriend, maybe you've been struggling with disordered eating for decades and you don't want to put your life on hold to go into a full-blown treatment facility. Maybe you have kids at home, aging parents to care for, or a career you can't walk away from. Or maybe you don't even know what options are available, so you just stay stuck thinking you'll manage it all by yourself.

Girl, you weren't meant to do this alone.

In this episode, host Lindsey Nichol breaks down the 6 different levels of eating disorder treatment and care - from outpatient support to acute medical stabilization - so you can understand what's available and what might be best for YOUR unique situation and life circumstances.

Lindsey shares her own treatment journey through IOP and day treatment, and why finding the right level of care that fits your life is so important. Whether you're a busy mom, working woman, caregiver, or someone who simply can't leave home for residential treatment, this episode will help you understand all your options - including recovery coaching as a personalized support option.

You deserve a life free from the chains of disordered eating. And it starts with knowing what treatment options are out there.

The 6 Levels of Eating Disorder Treatment:

Level 1: Outpatient Care

Level 2: Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

Level 3: Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) / Day Treatment

Level 4: Residential Treatment

Level 5: Inpatient Hospitalization

Level 6: Acute Medical Stabilization

Plus: Recovery Coaching as a Treatment Option

✨ Treatment is personalized - what works for someone else may not work for you, and that's okay

✨ You don't have to choose residential - there are multiple levels of care that allow you to stay home

✨ Recovery is NOT black and white - you can get support at various levels based on your life circumstances

✨ You weren't meant to do this alone - even if you can't go to residential, you need SOME level of support

✨ Everyone's recovery is their own - your journey is unique and valid regardless of which level of care you choose

✨ Recovery coaching is a valid option - especially when layered with other care team members

✨ You owe you, sister - putting yourself first isn't selfish, it's necessary

✨ More options exist now - compared to years ago, there are so many more treatment options available

Not therapy: Coaches don't diagnose or address trauma - they focus on forward action

Accountability structure: Weekly sessions keep you committed to your recovery goals

Actionable support: Focused on practical steps like facing fear foods, getting off the scale, eating out with family

Virtual and flexible: Fits into busy lives with kids, work, caregiving responsibilities

Layered care: Works alongside dietitians, therapists, and medical professionals

Relapse prevention: Helps maintain recovery after intensive treatment

This episode is essential listening if you:

National Alliance for Eating Disorders: Information on treatment levels and resources

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): Comprehensive treatment information and support

Recovery Coaching with Lindsey: One-on-one virtual support, weekly sessions, actionable recovery tools

Her Best Self Facebook Community: Support group for women in recovery

Lindsey is NOT a medical professional. The information in this episode is based on her personal experience and education but should not replace consultation with a licensed healthcare professional. Always speak with your doctor, therapist, or treatment team to determine which level of care is most appropriate for your specific situation.

Lindsey Nichol is a former competitive figure skater turned God-led entrepreneur, boy mom, and digital CEO. She understands how core beliefs formed in childhood can create and maintain eating disorder patterns, and she's passionate about helping women identify and transform these beliefs to find lasting freedom.

If this episode helped you identify the core beliefs feeding your eating disorder, please share it with someone who needs to hear this message. Your support helps more women break the chains of limiting beliefs.

*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

Happy Halloween, girlfriend! But let's talk about what's TRULY scary - the lies your eating disorder has been telling you that keep you trapped, paralyzed, and missing out on your life.

In this special Halloween episode, host Lindsey Nichol unmasks the 5 scariest stories your eating disorder tells you and reveals why they're complete fiction. If you're a woman over 40 who's been haunted by food fears, candy panic, and the belief that you've been struggling "too long" to ever find freedom, this episode is your wake-up call.

Lindsey shares her own triggering Halloween experience - dressing up as a plastic surgery victim in her mid-20s, complete with bandages and circles marking her "imperfections" - and how that costume revealed just how deep her denial really was. Then she walks you through each scary story, debunking the lies and replacing them with truth.

This isn't just a Halloween episode. This is permission to finally unmask your eating disorder and step into the freedom you deserve - no matter your age, no matter how long you've been struggling.

Lindsey's Halloween Confession:

The 5 Scary Stories (Lies) Your ED Tells You:

Scary Story #1: "If I Eat Candy, I'll Lose All Control"

Scary Story #2: "I'll Gain Weight Immediately If I Stop Restricting"

Scary Story #3: "I Can't Trust Myself Around Food"

Scary Story #4: "Everyone Will Judge Me If I Gain Weight (And So Will I)"

Scary Story #5: "I've Been Struggling So Long, I'll Probably Always Be This Way"

The Unmasking:

✨ The ED convinces you the horror show is normal - it puts a mask over your eyes so you can't see reality

✨ Fear of losing control actually CREATES loss of control - restriction is what makes you feel out of control

✨ Your body has a set point - fighting against it is what's exhausting you, not the weight itself

✨ You CAN trust yourself - but trust is rebuilt one choice at a time after years of external rules

✨ The people who matter want you present, not perfect - they're judging your obsession, not your body

✨ It's NOT too late - recovery is possible at ANY age after ANY amount of time struggling

✨ You're already miserable - the ED isn't protecting you from misery, it IS the misery

✨ Today is your "sooner" - stop waiting for the perfect time to unmask and get free

Part 1: Identify and Unmask Your Scariest Lie

Write down the SCARIEST lie you've been believing - the one that has the most power over you.

Then unmask it by writing the TRUTH next to that lie.

Examples:

Part 2: Face One Food Fear This Halloween Weekend

Take one action that scares you:

One unmasked lie. One fear faced. That's how recovery starts.

This Halloween episode is for you if:

EPISODE 250! This milestone episode falls on Halloween, making it the perfect time to unmask the eating disorder and celebrate how far you've come. Whether this is your first episode or you've been listening since day one, thank you for being part of this community. Recovery is possible, girlfriend - and it starts with unmasking the lies.

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. This isn't small. This is life and death. If you're trapped in the cycle of food fear, restriction, and believing you've been struggling "too long" to ever find freedom, please hear this: It's not too late. Recovery is possible. And you deserve to live without being haunted.

Lindsey has spots open for one-on-one recovery coaching. If you're done being haunted by scary stories and ready to live in truth, visit www.herbestself.co to book your complimentary consultation.

Let's make this the last Halloween you spend trapped in these lies.

💝 Rate and review to help more perfectionists find freedom 💝 Share with a friend who's stuck in the perfection trap 💝 Join the Facebook community for recovery hugs and support 💝 Apply for 1:1 coaching if you're ready for personalized guidance

🎉 Subscribe to the email list at www.herbestself.co to get your free recovery journal download 🎉 Free FB Community at www.herbestselfsociety.com 

Lindsey Nichol is a former competitive figure skater turned God-led entrepreneur, boy mom, and digital CEO. She understands how core beliefs formed in childhood can create and maintain eating disorder patterns, and she's passionate about helping women identify and transform these beliefs to find lasting freedom.

If this episode helped you feel hopeful again and remember your worth isn't found in your body or on your plate, please share it with someone who needs to hear this message. Your support helps more women break the chains of limiting beliefs.

*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

Girlfriend, it's time for some real talk. If you keep saying you want recovery but your actions don't match your words, this episode is your wake-up call. Host Lindsey Nichol delivers tough love with compassion as she breaks down the truth: there are two types of people in this world - those with reasons and those with results. Which one are you?

In this powerful episode, Lindsey shares her own struggle with desperately wanting recovery while still restricting, lying to her treatment team, and choosing the "safe" option every single time. She'll teach you how one simple shift - replacing "I can't" with "I won't" - can completely transform your recovery journey by helping you own your choices and reclaim your power.

If you're tired of making excuses, breaking promises to yourself, and staying stuck in the same cycle, this is the episode that will challenge you to finally show up for yourself and your family.

The Two Types of People Framework:

The "I Can't" vs "I Won't" Truth Bomb:

Lindsey's Personal Story:

The Reality Check You Need:

✨ There are two types of people: those with reasons and those with results - you get to choose which one you'll be

✨ "I can't" is a lie - what you really mean is "I won't" and that's a choice you have power over

✨ Wanting recovery and DOING recovery are completely different things - listening to podcasts isn't the same as taking action

✨ You cannot want recovery more than you want the eating disorder - your actions reveal what you truly want

✨ Your recovery isn't just for you - it's for your family too - they need to see you model what keeping promises looks like

✨ Every action you take is a vote for who you're becoming - what are you voting for today?

Brené Brown: "You either walk inside your story and own it, or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness."

James Clear (Atomic Habits): "Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become."

Mel Robbins: "You are one decision away from a completely different life."

Did you know? Eating disorders have the HIGHEST mortality rate of any mental illness. This isn't small. This is life and death. If you're stuck in the cycle of wanting recovery but not doing recovery, it's time to get honest about what's at stake.

For the next 24 hours, every time you catch yourself saying "I can't," PAUSE. Take a breath. Replace it with "I won't."

Examples:

Notice how different that FEELS. When you admit it's a choice, you suddenly have the power to make a different one.

Just ONE. Not ten. Not a complete recovery overhaul. ONE promise.

Maybe it's:

Write it down. Then DO IT. Prove to yourself that you're someone who keeps promises.

This episode is your wake-up call and reality check if you:

You have everything you need to recover. You have the desire. You have the resources. You have the support. The only thing standing between you and freedom is YOU.

Your family needs you. Your future needs you. And most importantly, YOU need you.

So stop playing small. Stop breaking promises. Stop saying "I can't" when you mean "I won't."

Because those with reasons stay stuck. But those with RESULTS? They change their lives.

Which one are you going to be?

Lindsey has spots open for one-on-one recovery coaching. If you're ready to stop making excuses and start getting results, visit www.herbestself.co to book your complimentary consultation.

Let's make this the season where everything changes.

Now let's talk support:

Ready to sign up for our recovery support group? www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective 

📧 Email Lindsey: [email protected] 

Limited spots available for fall coaching - only 2 slots remaining

🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms

💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!

Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.

Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.

*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.