In this powerful episode, Lindsey gets vulnerable about the connection between trauma and eating disorders, sharing why sometimes it's okay to look at our past to catapult us into our future. If you've experienced trauma and are wondering how it connects to your eating disorder, this episode will provide hope, healing insights, and practical steps forward.

Discover the 6 essential things to remember about your past that can transform your recovery journey and help you move from survival to thriving.

Note: This episode addresses sensitive topics around trauma. Lindsey emphasizes that as a recovery coach, she focuses on the here and now of recovery, while encouraging professional therapy support for trauma processing.

💔 The trauma-eating disorder connection: Why 81% of people with eating disorders have experienced trauma

🧠 Understanding trauma types: Acute vs. chronic trauma and how it relates to ED development

🛡️ Eating disorders as coping mechanisms: How restriction becomes a false sense of control

🌅 6 powerful reminders about your past that can transform your recovery journey

🕊️ The role of forgiveness in healing and moving forward

💪 Why your deepest pain can become your greatest triumph

📊 25% of those with eating disorders also meet criteria for PTSD

📊 81% of people with eating disorders had at least one traumatic experience

📊 68% experienced trauma before any eating disorder symptoms appeared

These numbers show you're not alone and that the connection between trauma and eating disorders is real and valid.

⚡ Childhood abuse (physical, emotional, sexual) ⚡ Bullying or social ostracism ⚡ Body shaming and weight stigma ⚡ Loss and grief experiences ⚡ Accidents or medical trauma ⚡ Intergenerational or cultural traumatic events

Remember: Trauma is subjective - what's traumatic for one person may not be for another, and that's completely valid.

🔍 Eating disorders as control: When the world feels chaotic, restricting food can feel like the one thing you can control

🔍 Numbing mechanism: ED behaviors often serve to numb overwhelming emotions from traumatic experiences

🔍 False sense of safety: The eating disorder creates an illusion of control and perfection

🔍 Survival strategy: You turned to these behaviors because you needed to survive in that moment

💭 "The deepest, hardest, darkest pain you've been through is most often what's going to catapult you into your highest, best, and truest version of yourself."

💭 "Your wound is not your fault, but your healing is most certainly your responsibility."

💭 "You do not need to judge your past self with your current wisdom."

💭 "You now know better, so you can now do better."

💭 "You aren't damaged. You're not broken. Nothing needs to be fixed, including your body."

✨ Trauma-informed care is crucial for eating disorder recovery ✨ Professional therapy support is essential for processing trauma ✨ Recovery coaching focuses on the here and now, not digging up past trauma ✨ Forgiveness is part of the healing equation ✨ You're worthy of a life free from pain, regardless of your past

🤔 What am I holding onto and why? 🤔 What can be released from my past? 🤔 What needs to be forgiven? 🤔 How can my past serve as a teacher rather than a prison? 🤔 What version of myself am I ready to let go of?

If you're ready for accountability, support, and freedom from your eating disorder, and you're done playing small, Lindsey would love to connect with you.

Next Steps:

What You'll Get:

🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Private Facebook Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com  🌟 Email List: Join at www.herbestself.co for upcoming announcements about new services

💕 Rate and review the podcast to help more women find freedom 💕 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear about trauma healing 💕 Join the private Facebook community for ongoing support 💕 Connect on social media and let Lindsey know how this impacted you

🎉 Podcast Anniversary Coming! Her Best Self Podcast anniversary is 10/10 - don't miss out on joining the Recovery Collective! You can find more details on how you can join our special support group for women here: www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective 

Remember that whatever you've experienced, whatever trauma you're carrying, you're still worthy of a life free from pain. Your past has served a purpose, but it doesn't have to define where you're going.

You have the power to take what you've learned and use it to catapult yourself into your highest and best self. Your healing journey matters, and you deserve nothing less than complete freedom.

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.

Are you experiencing intense hunger in recovery and wondering if something is wrong? Feeling like you can't get full no matter how much you eat? In this essential episode, Lindsey breaks down everything you need to know about extreme hunger in eating disorder recovery - why it happens, what it looks like, and most importantly, that it's completely normal and necessary for healing.

Whether you're early in recovery or experiencing hunger waves after years of healing, this episode will help you understand your body's wisdom and navigate this phase with self-compassion instead of fear.

Today's Truth: Extreme hunger is your body's way of healing and honoring it is one of the bravest things you can do in recovery.

🍽️ What extreme hunger actually is - The different types and what they feel like in your body

🧠 Why extreme hunger happens - The science behind your body's need for extra nourishment

⏰ When it can occur - Early recovery, years later, or anytime your body needs healing

🚫 Myth-busting - Why extreme hunger isn't binge eating and doesn't mean you'll "blow up"

💪 Practical coping strategies - How to navigate extreme hunger with confidence and self-compassion

🤝 Dealing with others - How to handle comments from people who don't understand recovery

🔹 Mechanical Hunger: Physical growling, gnawing sensations, feeling like a bottomless pit

🔹 Mental Hunger: Obsessive food thoughts, inability to concentrate on anything but eating

🔹 Reactive Eating: Eating large amounts quickly, especially previously restricted foods

🔹 Primal Hunger: Desperate, urgent need to eat that feels impossible to ignore

What this might look like:

Remember: All of this is your body's wisdom in action.

✅ Metabolic restoration - Your metabolism needs extra energy to speed back up to normal levels

✅ Physical repair - Your body is repairing damage to organs, bones, hair, skin, and tissues

✅ Replenishing stores - Restoring depleted fat stores, glycogen, and energy reserves

✅ Trust building - Your body needs to learn that food will be consistently available

Key insight: Extreme hunger can happen at ANY stage of recovery - sometimes years later when your body feels safe enough to ask for what it really needs.

❌ Myth: "Everyone experiences extreme hunger in recovery" ✅ Truth: Not everyone does, and that's okay - every body is different

❌ Myth: "Extreme hunger is bad or means something is wrong" ✅ Truth: It's your body's intelligence and healing in action

❌ Myth: "Extreme hunger means you're binge eating" ✅ Truth: This is biological necessity, not psychological binge eating

❌ Myth: "If you honor it, you'll gain too much weight" ✅ Truth: Your body will settle at its natural weight when fully nourished

🌟 Honor Your Hunger - Eat when hungry, as much as you're hungry for, whatever you're craving

🌟 Challenge ED Voice - Replace "This is too much" with "My body is healing"

🌟 Don't Compensate - No extra exercise, meal skipping, or restricting the next day

🌟 Include All Foods - Your body often craves calorie-dense foods for important reasons

🌟 Practice Self-Compassion - Remember your "why" and thank your body for its wisdom

🌟 Handle Outside Comments - You don't owe explanations for nourishing your body

🌟 Remember It's Temporary - Extreme hunger normalizes as your body heals and trusts

✨ Hunger cues become more predictable ✨ You can go longer between meals comfortably

💝 Your hunger is not your enemy - It's your body's wisdom guiding your healing

💝 This is normal and necessary - Extreme hunger is part of recovery, not a sign of failure

💝 Trust your body - It knows exactly what it needs to heal, even when it feels scary

💝 You're not binge eating - This is biological necessity driven by your body's needs

💝 It's temporary - Hunger will normalize as your body heals and learns to trust

💝 You don't need to justify nourishing yourself - To anyone, ever

What NOT to say:

What TO say:

Finally, a recovery community that normalizes experiences like extreme hunger.

If this episode resonated with you, you're exactly who The Recovery Collective was created for. This is where women in all phases of eating disorder recovery come together every other week to normalize confusing experiences like extreme hunger, support each other through scary phases, and celebrate victories along the way.

What You Get:

Special Founding Member Pricing:

Imagine having a safe space where you could share that you're experiencing extreme hunger and receive understanding and practical support instead of judgment or confusion.

Your body's wisdom deserves to be celebrated, not questioned.

Ready to learn more? Join us in the collective! www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective 

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.

*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 hunger is not your enemy. Your body is not trying to trick you or hurt you. When extreme hunger shows up, it's your body saying "I trust you enough now to ask for what I really need."

Honor that trust. Honor that hunger. Honor that incredibly wise body of yours that's working so hard to heal.

You deserve nourishment, you deserve recovery, and you deserve to trust your body's wisdom. Progress over perfection, always.

Have you ever felt completely alone in your eating disorder recovery? Like you're the only one dealing with food thoughts, body image struggles, and the exhaustion of pretending you're "fine"? In this vulnerable episode, Lindsey shares her personal story of trying to recover mostly in isolation and why she's now passionate about creating healing communities for women.

Discover the research-backed reasons why community isn't just nice to have in recovery—it's essential. Plus, learn about The Recovery Collective, a new support group launching in October 2025 specifically for women in eating disorder recovery.

Today's Truth: You were never meant to heal alone, and community isn't just nice to have in recovery - it's essential.

🤝 Lindsey's personal story: What it felt like to recover mostly alone with limited community support

🧠 The science behind community healing: Research-backed evidence of why support groups transform recovery

💔 The isolation trap: How eating disorders thrive in secrecy and why healing alone is harder than it needs to be

✨ What community provides: Normalization, accountability, shared wisdom, and hope

🌟 The Recovery Collective: A new support group launching October 2024 for women in all phases of recovery

📊 Support groups reduce symptoms: Studies show support groups helped reduce post-meal distress in young people with anorexia and can prevent disordered eating

📊 Connection drives recovery: Research confirms that eating disorder recovery is largely influenced by the individual's sense of connection to self and others

📊 Isolation increases struggle: When socially isolated, you lack the support and connection that can help protect against negative self-perception and low self-esteem

📊 Community decreases stigma: Eating disorder support groups offer safe spaces that decrease isolation and stigma while increasing engagement and motivation

📊 29 million affected: Nearly 30 million Americans will experience an eating disorder at some point during their lifetime

💬 Language for your experience - Finally having words for what you're going through instead of feeling "crazy"

🔍 Perspective and reality checks - Others who can distinguish between your eating disorder voice and your true self

💕 Accountability that feels like love - Gentle support that comes from care, not judgment

🌈 Proof that recovery is possible - Seeing women further along in recovery living free, vibrant lives

🛡️ Protection against isolation - Regular connection that prevents the dangerous spiral of being alone with ED thoughts

🎯 Practical wisdom - Real-life strategies from women who've faced similar challenges

✨ You don't have to heal alone - Recovery was never meant to be a solo journey

✨ Community isn't replacement for therapy - It's the ongoing support that helps you live your recovery, not just survive it

✨ The right kind of community matters - Led by someone with lived experience who understands both clinical and personal aspects

✨ Consistency is crucial - Regular, ongoing support rather than crisis-only intervention

✨ Isolation fuels eating disorders - Breaking the cycle of secrecy and shame is essential for healing

Finally, a recovery community that truly gets it.

The Recovery Collective is where women in all phases of eating disorder recovery come together every other week to lock arms, share real struggles, and heal together in a safe, supportive environment.

What You Get:

What Makes This Different:

Special Founding Member Pricing:

Who This Is For:

Recovery is possible, and it's so much sweeter when you're not doing it alone.

Ready to learn more? www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective 

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.

💕 Share it with a woman who's feeling alone in her recovery journey 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help other women find hope and community 💕Reach out if you're interested in The Recovery Collective founding member spots

You were never designed to heal alone. The exhaustion you feel from battling thoughts by yourself, the loneliness of feeling like no one understands - that's not how recovery has to be. Community changes everything, and you deserve to be seen, heard, and valued in your healing journey.

Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you recover alone. Healing is meant to happen in relationship, with support, and with women who can look you in the eye and say "I've been there too, and you're going to be okay."

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.

What does recovery actually look like years later? Do bad body image days ever completely disappear? In this vulnerable episode, Lindsey pulls back the curtain on her life after eating disorder recovery and shares exactly what she does when difficult body image moments show up - because yes, they still do sometimes.

If you've ever wondered what to expect from recovery or you're struggling with perfectionism around your healing journey, this episode will give you hope and practical tools you can use today.

Today's Truth: Recovery doesn't mean perfection - it means having the tools to navigate difficult moments with love instead of war.

🌟 The reality check: Do bad body image days ever completely stop?

🌟 Why having difficult moments doesn't mean you're "not recovered enough"

🌟 The difference between struggling in active eating disorder vs. recovery

🌟 8 practical tools for navigating bad body image days

🌟 How thoughts about your body directly impact how you feel in your body

✨ Give Yourself Grace Upon Grace

✨ Throw on Comfy, Baggy Clothes

✨ Get to the Root: What Am I Trying to Control?

✨ Resist Mirror-Checking Temptation

✨ Honor Yourself with Mindful Eating

✨ Notice Exercise Compulsions and Pause

✨ No Social Media Scrolling

✨ Ask "How Do I Want to Feel?"

💝 Recovery isn't about never struggling - it's about struggling with love instead of war

💝 Bad days don't mean bad weeks or months - you have tools now

💝 Your humanity doesn't disqualify your recovery - difficult moments are normal

💝 Progress over perfection, always - you're exactly where you need to be

💝 You can do hard things - including sitting with uncomfortable feelings

Studies show that when we focus on how we want to feel in our bodies rather than how we think we look, it directly impacts our actual body image experience. Our thoughts about our bodies influence how we experience being in our bodies - which means we have more power than we realize!

Finally, a recovery community that gets it.

If this episode resonated with you, you're exactly who The Recovery Collective was created for. This is where women in all phases of eating disorder recovery come together every other week to normalize the messy parts of healing, celebrate victories, and support each other with practical tools and genuine understanding.

What You Get:

Special Founding Member Pricing:

Imagine having a safe space where you could share that you're having a difficult body image day and receive understanding, practical support, and gentle reminders of your worth instead of judgment.

Recovery is possible right now, and it's so much more beautiful when we do it together.

Ready to sign up? 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.

Are you tired of self-help books that sound good but don't create real change in your recovery journey? In this episode, Lindsey shares 7 current book recommendations that she's actively using with clients and in her own healing - books that will meet you right where you are and support your next brave step toward freedom.

Whether you're just beginning to question your relationship with food and your body, or you're years into recovery and ready for that next level of freedom, there's something here for you.

Today's Truth: You deserve resources that support your healing, and recovery is possible right now....but sometimes you just need an extra boost of belief!

📚 "Feed Yourself" by Leslie Schilling

📚 "You're Not Enough (And That's Okay)" by Allie Stuckey

📚 "Goodbye Perfect" by Homaira Kabir

📚 "Already Enough: A Path to Self-Acceptance" by Lisa Olivera

📚 "Don't Believe Everything You Think" by Joseph Nguyen

📚 "A Crown That Lasts: You Are Not Your Label" by Demi Tebow

📚 "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brené Brown

✨ Recovery is possible right now - You don't have to wait until you're "ready enough"

✨ You are not your eating disorder - Your thoughts and diagnosis don't define your worth

✨ Progress over perfection - Healing isn't linear, and that's completely normal

✨ You can do hard things - And you don't have to do them alone

✨ Your journey is unique - What works for others might look different for you, and that's okay

Finally, a recovery community that gets it.

The Recovery Collective is where women in all phases of eating disorder recovery come together bi-weekly to share wins, navigate challenges, and build lasting freedom in a safe, supportive community.

What You Get:

Special Founding Member Pricing:

Recovery isn't a destination - it's a journey best taken together.

www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective

🌟 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 you're reading any of these books!

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.

Core beliefs are the fundamental, deeply held beliefs we develop in early childhood that shape how we see ourselves, others, and the world around us. In this eye-opening episode, Lindsey breaks down how eating disorders stem from and reinforce negative core beliefs that can take years to heal from. Learn about the three types of core beliefs that are secretly feeding your disordered eating patterns and discover how to identify and transform these beliefs to break free from the cycle keeping you stuck.

What It Includes:

How It Feeds EDs:

How to Change It:

What It Includes:

How It Feeds EDs:

How to Change It:

What It Includes:

How It Feeds EDs:

How to Change It:

The Connection:

From: "I'm not good enough" To: "I am a warrior becoming someone I've never been before"

From: "I must be perfect to be loved" To: "I am worthy of love exactly as I am"

From: "The world is unsafe" To: "I can create meaning and purpose beyond my fears"

Be the Change:

If you're ready for personalized support in transforming the core beliefs keeping you stuck, Lindsey has one slot available for personal coaching, plus amazing support coaches on her team.

Fill out a client application at herbestself.co and get the help you need to see yourself, others, and the world differently.

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.

What if the fear you feel about getting help for your eating disorder isn't a warning to stay away - but actually your internal compass pointing toward freedom? In this powerful episode, Lindsey shares wisdom from her 7-year-old son who said, "When I feel those flutters in my tummy, I just know I'm about to do something really brave." If you're feeling afraid to ask for help, scared to gain weight, or terrified of actually getting better, this tough-love episode will show you why those butterflies are your invitation to do the bravest thing you've ever done.

The "Safety" Illusion:

Reality Check - How "Safe" Is:

Children: Feel scared → Do the thing anyway Adults: Feel scared → Analyze, overthink, research, wait

Adult Excuses:

Questions to Consider:

The Reality:

Not perfection, but:

Two Choices:

The Truth:

Stop waiting to feel ready. Ready comes AFTER action, not before.

Those butterflies you feel about getting help aren't your intuition telling you to wait - they're your soul telling you you're about to change your entire life.

Stop analyzing your fear and start acting despite it. Go to www.herbestself.co right now and apply to work with Lindsey.

Feel the fear. Apply anyway. Your freedom is waiting.

Lindsey Nichol is a former competitive figure skater turned God-led entrepreneur, boy mom, and digital CEO. She believes the butterflies you feel about recovery aren't warning you away from help - they're pointing you directly toward your freedom.

If this episode gave you the push to finally take action, share it with someone who needs to hear that fear is their compass, not their enemy. Your support helps more women discover their brave.

"I'm fine." "I don't have a problem." "Everyone else is overreacting." Sound familiar? If people around you are expressing concern about your relationship with food but you genuinely feel okay, this episode is essential listening.

Recovery coach Lindsey Nichol gets raw about the difference between denial and anosognosia—and why your malnourished brain might literally be unable to recognize the problem. She shares her own story of feeling "on top of the world" while struggling with anorexia, and introduces one powerful question that can break through the fog of eating disorder denial.

This episode is for you if:

✨ The difference between denial and anosognosia (and why it matters for your recovery)

✨ Why malnourishment literally impairs your ability to recognize disordered eating patterns

✨ Lindsey's personal story: How she felt superior and in control while her body was failing

✨ The science behind eating disorder awareness and brain function

✨ One crucial question that can shatter the illusion and start your healing journey

✨ How to tell if your eating patterns are actually normal or adopted behaviors

Anosognosia: "Without knowledge" - physiological brain damage that creates complete unawareness of the problem. You literally cannot perceive your disordered behaviors.

Denial: Knowing you have a problem but refusing to address it. Using defense mechanisms to avoid facing the truth.

"When I was struggling with anorexia, I felt like I was on top of the world. I had this superiority complex, like everyone else was just jealous that they didn't have the willpower that I had. The more I restricted, the more satisfaction I achieved and the more in control I felt."

"How are you? No, but how are you REALLY?"

🚩 Constantly telling yourself you don't need to eat

"That voice is not you. With a healthy brain, you can assume positive intent from your internal voice. When you have a malnourished brain, it's important to challenge your mind with every tiny little thing."

"You can't change something you can't name. You can't change patterns and behaviors that you can't accept are patterns and behaviors."

"You are not a failure for getting help and support. The only way you fail is if you quit."

📧 Email Lindsey: [email protected] 

Limited spots available for fall coaching - only 2 slots remaining

💡 Malnourishment literally impairs your ability to recognize eating disorder symptoms

If this episode helped you recognize patterns you hadn't seen before, please leave a 5-star rating and review. Your support helps more women break through denial and find the help they deserve.

Feeling stuck in the "waiting room" of recovery? You're not alone. If you've been telling yourself you'll start living your life "when you're better," this episode is for you.

Recovery coach Lindsey Nichol gets real about why your eating disorder wants you to wait—and why you don't have to. In this intimate 10-minute conversation, she shares three concrete steps you can take today to start pursuing your dreams, even in the messy middle of healing your relationship with food.

This episode is for you if:

✨ Why waiting for "perfect recovery" is just another way your eating disorder controls your life

✨ The mindset shift from "waiting to recover" to "living your recovery"

✨ Real client story: How one woman realized she was using recovery as an excuse to stay small

✨ 3 immediate steps you can take today to start making life happen instead of waiting for it

✨ Permission to pursue your purpose even when healing isn't linear

Get honest about one thing you've been telling yourself you'll do "when you're better." Don't judge it—just name it.

Not the perfect step, not the biggest step—the smallest step. The eating disorder wants all-or-nothing; recovery is built on tiny, consistent actions.

Shift from waiting to live until recovery is complete to understanding that living IS part of your recovery.

"Your eating disorder wants you to wait. It wants you to believe that you need to be 'fixed' before you're worthy of pursuing your dreams."

"Life doesn't pause while you figure out your relationship with food. Your dreams don't go on hold. Your purpose doesn't wait."

"You don't have to wait until those hard days are gone to start living. You don't have to have it all figured out to take up space in this world."

"Your eating disorder is not your whole story. It's not even the most interesting part of your story."

Hear from one of Lindsey's current clients who had a breakthrough realization: "I keep thinking I need to wait until I'm 'recovered enough' to apply for that role, to book that trip with my friends. But I'm realizing that waiting for perfect recovery is just another way the eating disorder is controlling my life."

💫 Recovery isn't linear—and that's okay. Four steps forward, two steps back is still progress.

💫 Living your life IS part of recovery, not something you do after recovery.

💫 You're allowed to want things, dream, and take up space even in the middle of healing.

💫 Struggling doesn't mean you're doing recovery wrong—it means you're human and doing something brave.

💫 Your life is happening right now, not when you're thinner or "better."

"What is one dream I've put on hold, and what's the smallest step I can take toward it today—not when I'm 'recovered enough,' but right now?"

Ready to stop waiting and start living? Here's how to connect:

📧 Email Lindsey: [email protected] 

If this episode gave you hope or helped you take that first small step, please leave a 5-star rating and review. Your support helps more women discover that they don't have to wait for permission to start living.

*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.

Struggling with exercise addiction? You're not alone. If you're working out every single day, feeling intense guilt when you miss a session, or using exercise to compensate for food intake, this episode is your roadmap to freedom.

Recovery coach Lindsey Nichol, who overcame her own compulsive exercise patterns (working out twice daily at her worst), shares the exact 5-step framework that helped her and countless clients break free from exercise addiction and develop a healthy relationship with movement.

This episode is essential if you:

✅ The Hidden Connection between eating disorders and compulsive exercise patterns

✅ Lindsey's Recovery Story: From cardio queen doing 2-hour daily sessions to finding movement freedom

✅ Real Client Success: How one woman reduced her routine from 7 days/week (1 hour 45 minutes daily) to just 3 days (30 minutes each)

✅ The Science Behind Exercise Addiction and why it's so common in eating disorder recovery

✅ 5 Proven Steps to Overcome Exercise Addiction (detailed action plan included)

"Rest is required in recovery—it's non-negotiable."

"We don't even realize we're doing this to our body because we get so trapped in the cycle."

"I didn't start working out two times a day overnight. It was the disorder that came on over time."

"If you're listening to me and you're on the treadmill, get off of it."

Hear from Sabina, Lindsey's client who worked together for over a year to overcome people-pleasing, perfectionism, and exercise compulsion. Her powerful testimony demonstrates that recovery from exercise addiction is possible with proper support and guidance.

Sabina's words: "Lindsey gave me feedback on how to reframe with positive intent rather than staying stuck in negativity... Since working with Lindsey, a new concept of myself is emerging, one free from deprivation and restraint."

Physical Signs:

Emotional Signs:

Behavioral Signs:

Ready to Break Free from Exercise Addiction?

📧 Email Lindsey: [email protected] 

Your Permission Slip for Today: Choose one workout to skip this week. Use that time for:

If this episode expanded your vision of what's possible, please share it with someone who needs to make peace with exercise. Your support helps more women discover the abundant life waiting beyond their eating disorder.

*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.