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

By Lindsey Nichol - Certified Health Coach, ED Recovery Coach, ED Intuitive Therapy CertifiedAlternative Health Health & Fitness Mental Health Religion & Spirituality Christianity

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

October 30EP 317: How to Eat When You’re Not Hungry ~ The TRUTH About Hunger & Eating Disorder Recovery
Lately I’ve been hearing the same thing from so many of my clients, and maybe you’ve whispered it too: “Lindsey, I have a really hard time eating when I’m not hungry.” Sis, I get it — for the longest time, the eating disorder had me convinced of one specific lie: that I had to be hungry to be allowed to eat. Today, we’re busting that wide open.
The myth: You have to be hungry to eat. For years that was gospel to me — if I wasn’t hungry, I hadn’t “earned” it. But here’s the truth: hunger is only one of many reasons we eat, and you do not need to be hungry to nourish your body. We eat because it’s time, because food is connection, because something’s delicious, to fuel our day, to steady our energy, to be in the moment. Hunger is just one seat at the table — it was never meant to be the bouncer at the door.
Why this matters in recovery: When you’ve spent years in a disordered relationship with food, your hunger cues are often silent — your body stopped asking because it learned you wouldn’t answer. So if you’re waiting to feel “hungry enough,” you could be waiting a long time while under-fueling the very body that’s trying to heal. This is why, especially in recovery, we eat by structure, not just by signal — regular meals and snacks, on a schedule, whether or not hunger has shown up. That’s not ignoring your body. That’s rebuilding trust with it.
When hunger feels scary: For some of you, hunger doesn’t feel like nothing — it feels foreign, even panic-inducing as your cues wake back up. Hear me: hunger is not an emergency and it’s not something to fear. It’s your body coming back online — a sign of healing, not danger. It feels foreign because it’s new, not because it’s wrong.
The reframe: Food is not a reward you unlock with hunger. It’s your medicine, your fuel, your body’s most basic right — not something you qualify for. You don’t make your car prove it’s empty before you give it gas. Your body deserves that same steady care, because it’s yours, and it carries you through this whole beautiful life.
Your comeback arsenal — one-liners to say right back to that voice when it tells you that you don’t “need” to eat:
“Hunger isn’t my permission slip. I don’t have to earn food.”
“I don’t need to be hungry to deserve to eat.”
“My cues are still healing — so I nourish by schedule, not by signal.”
“Not feeling hungry doesn’t mean my body doesn’t need fuel. It means my body stopped asking because I stopped answering.”
“I fuel my car before it’s running on empty. I can fuel my body the same way.”
“Eating right now is me rebuilding trust with my body.”
“This is my medicine, and I don’t skip my medicine.”
“Future me is so grateful I ate this.”
Pick the one or two that hit hardest, and put them where you’ll see them — a sticky note, your phone, the pantry door.
“You don’t have to be hungry to be worthy of nourishment. You never did.”
Your one thing this week: Eat your meals and snacks on schedule — hungry or not — and notice what comes up without judging it. If hunger is quiet, feed yourself anyway. If hunger feels scary, feed yourself anyway, gently. You’re rebuilding trust one meal at a time.
Come join our free community at www.herbestselfsociety.com — Lindsey would love to get to know you and walk with you through this.
I believe you belong recovered — not just because I'm recovered, but because if I can do this, so can you. If this episode blessed you, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with someone you love. 💛
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 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.
21 min
October 27EP 316.5: 8 Simple (& Basic) Resets for an Eating Disorder Recovery Slump ~ When You Can’t Go Another Day
Sis, recovery isn’t one straight line. It has ups, it has downs, moments of progress, and periods where you feel like you simply cannot go another day. If you’re in a slump right now — stuck, depleted, back in your own head with that voice — this episode is your gentle but powerful reset.
No complicated protocols. No overwhelming strategies. Just a return to your most basic human needs, because sometimes the most healing thing you can do isn’t pushing harder — it’s tending gently to the fundamentals.
Think of a struggling plant. Before exotic fertilizers or complicated routines, a good gardener checks the basics first: water, sunlight, soil. Often that’s enough to bring it back to full vitality. The same is true for you, girl. When you’re slipping into old patterns, step back and check your foundation.
The 8 basics to reset when you’re stuck:
Nourishment. When you’re in a slump, the pull is toward restriction, skipping, irregular eating — which is exactly when consistent fuel matters most. Your body needs it not just to function, but for brain chemistry, emotional regulation, and clarity. Tip: temporarily simplify your meals (not restrict them) to reduce the mental load — a go-to plan for a week or two so you’re not agonizing over every food decision.
Hydration. Dehydration is common in recovery and quietly worsens mood, energy, and focus. Sometimes what feels like a slump is partly dehydration. Keep water visible and accessible, and make it a small act of self-care — herbal teas, infused water (I loved strawberry-blueberry-lemon), water-rich fruits and veggies.
Sleep. Non-negotiable. Sleep repairs your body, balances hormones, and processes emotions — and lack of it makes recovery so much harder. Protect consistent sleep and wake times, a restful environment, less screen time, and a calming pre-bed routine.
Rest. Different from sleep — genuine rest means moments of simply being, not producing or achieving (not even “working on recovery”). A quiet cup of tea, looking out the window, 10 minutes on your mat noticing your breath. If you’re a high achiever, this feels hard — start small and build tolerance. Your worth is not measured by your productivity.
Movement. Gentle, intuitive movement disconnected from calories, weight, or the mirror — yoga, stretching, a slow walk, Tai Chi, swimming. The key: movement that feels nourishing, not depleting. (For me, that meant removing compensatory exercise entirely and starting with yoga.)
Nature. Time outside lowers stress hormones, supports vitamin D and your circadian rhythm, and shifts your perspective. Step outside for a few minutes a day and notice the temperature on your skin, the sounds, the colors — a simple grounding practice that brings you into the present.
Human connection. Eating disorders thrive in isolation; recovery flourishes in connection. In a slump you’ll want to withdraw — that’s exactly when to reach out. It doesn’t have to be big: a text, a short call, a coffee shop, a support group. Authentic connection means being honest that you’re having a hard time.
Stress reduction & regulation. Stress spikes in a slump and makes everything harder. Calm your nervous system with free, accessible tools: deep belly breaths for one to two minutes to shift from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest, a hand on your heart with kind self-talk, cool water on your face, or counting backward from five.
How to actually use this (without judgment):
Assess — gently notice which needs are getting neglected right now. No shame, just awareness.
Start small — pick one or two, not all eight. A glass of water by the bed, five minutes of morning light.
Build simple rituals instead of ambitious goals you’ll keep raising on yourself.
Notice how tending to a basic need shifts your mood, energy, and motivation — jot the patterns that work for you.
Be compassionate — some days you’ll just survive, and that’s not failing. Tomorrow is a new chance to return to the basics.
“Recovery isn’t about becoming a different person. It’s about reclaiming the person you were always meant to be. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
If your slump is telling you that you need more support, that’s not failure — it’s wisdom. I’d love to walk with you.
Come join our free community at www.herbestselfsociety.com — Lindsey would love to get to know you and walk with you through this.
I believe you belong recovered — not just because I'm recovered, but because if I can do this, so can you. If this episode blessed you, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with someone you love. 💛
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 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.
22 min
October 23EP 316: Anxiety in the Grocery Store? Why It Feels So Overwhelming in Eating Disorder Recovery (+ What to Actually Buy)
Sis, let’s talk about a place that can feel like a full-on battlefield — and nope, not a restaurant, which is also terrifying - today we are talking about the grocery store. The fluorescent lights, the endless labels, the hundred little decisions, that low hum of anxiety the second you grab a cart. If the store has ever made you want to cry, freeze, or turn around and walk right back out, you are not broken, and you are so not alone.
Today I’m sharing my own story and a handful of tangible tools to make grocery shopping feel safer, easier, and a whole lot less scary.
My story (because I lived this):
There was a season where I’d walk into the store and just get stuck. I’d spend hours in there — not shopping, scanning. Up and down every aisle, picking things up and putting them back, flipping over every package, reading every label, doing the math in my head over and over, paralyzed by the next decision. I’d leave one of two ways: empty-handed and defeated, or clutching something I grabbed in a panic that would sit untouched in my pantry until I threw it away weeks later.
That’s what the eating disorder does — it turns a basic human errand into hours of dread. If that’s you right now, stuck scanning labels or avoiding the store altogether, I see you. I was you. And it doesn’t have to stay this way.
The reframe: The store isn’t the problem, and the labels aren’t the problem. The eating disorder has turned shopping into a test — of willpower, discipline, being “good.” But you’re not there to pass a test. You’re there to feed the woman you love — and that woman is you.
5 tangible tools to make the grocery store easier:
Let the list be the boss. Decide what you’re buying before you walk in, in a calm headspace at home. When the list runs the trip, you’re not making a hundred anxious decisions in the aisle — you already decided, you just execute. Pre-deciding takes the disorder out of the driver’s seat right when it wants control most.
Give yourself permission to skip the labels. If flipping over every package and reading every number sends you spiraling, that’s not information — it’s the compulsion. Challenge yourself to put one or two items in the cart without turning them over. You’re proving you can choose food without auditing it first.
Shop the “safe enough” middle. You don’t have to jump from restriction to your scariest fear food in one trip. Pick something that’s a stretch but not a panic — one step braver than yesterday. Recovery is built on small, repeatable reps.
Don’t shop hungry — or alone, if alone is too hard. Eat something before you go so you’re not shopping from a depleted, fear-driven place. And if the store is just too much right now, bring your person, or let a loved one go for you while you build up to it. Backup is strategy, not failure.
Set a time boundary. Remember me scanning those aisles for hours? Give yourself a window — “I’m in, I get what’s on my list, I’m out in 20 minutes.” A time boundary stops the endless put-it-back, pick-it-up loop.
The heart of it: Every time you walk in and put nourishment in your cart — even shaking, even scared — you cast a vote for the recovered version of you. The woman who used to scan the aisles for hours and leave with an empty cart isn’t free because she got it perfect. She’s free because she kept showing up, one brave, ordinary trip at a time.
“You’re not going to the grocery store to pass a test. You’re going to feed the woman you love — and that woman is you.”
Your one thing this week: Take the list, set the timer, and go get the food your body needs. Messy, scared, imperfect — all of it counts.
You don’t have to white-knuckle recovery alone. If the grocery store — or any of this — feels too heavy to carry by yourself, that’s exactly what I’m here for.
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 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.
23 min
October 20 EP 315: The 5-Minute Ritual That Pulls You Out of the Eating Disorder Thought Spiral **Must Listen Fav!**
Sis, here’s the truth: most of us wake up and immediately go into reaction mode. You react to how your body feels. You react to the number on the scale. You react to what you see in the mirror, to the anxiety about what you’re going to eat today. You’re constantly reacting to life like it’s happening to you — and when you’re in recovery, living in reaction mode keeps you right where the eating disorder wants you, because it feeds off the panic, the fear, the overwhelm.
Today I’m handing you a simple 5-minute ritual that interrupts that pattern and shifts you from reaction to intention. Grab your journal — this one’s a keeper.
Why this works (it’s not just woo):
When you shift from reacting to practicing intention and mindfulness, you’re literally changing your brain — moving out of the amygdala (the fear-based, reactive part the eating disorder hijacks) and into the prefrontal cortex, where you make conscious, value-based decisions. Research in positive psychology also shows gratitude practices meaningfully reduce anxiety and depression and build real well-being. This little ritual puts the power back in your hands.
The ritual — three questions to ask yourself:
1. What am I grateful for? Not toxic positivity — evidence of goodness, even on hard days. And get specific to recovery: “I’m grateful my body digested food yesterday without me obsessing.” “I’m grateful I sat through dinner with friends and was present.” “I’m grateful for the energy I had because I nourished myself.” You’re training your brain to find proof that your recovery is working. On the really hard days, start tiny: I’m grateful I woke up. I’m grateful for this breath. I’m grateful I get to show up even when I don’t want to.
2. What am I focused on gaining? This is the game changer — shifting from avoidance motivation (I’m scared to gain weight, I don’t want to lose control) to approach motivation (moving toward something). Instead of “I’m trying not to restrict,” ask “What am I gaining by nourishing my body?” — freedom from food thoughts, energy for your kids, mental clarity, peace in your own skin. We’re not running away from fear. We’re running toward our best self.
3. What am I choosing to release? You can’t gain what you named in question two while gripping the old beliefs and behaviors. Releasing might sound like: “I’m releasing the belief that my worth is tied to the scale.” “I’m releasing the need to know every calorie.” “I’m releasing comparison to how I looked five years ago.” “I’m releasing the expectation that recovery should look perfect.” Naming what you release creates awareness — and awareness gives you the power to say, “No, I already put that down,” every time it tries to sneak back in.
The heart of it: When you live with intention instead of reaction, recovery stops being something you’re just trying to survive and becomes something you’re actively creating.
“You’re not white-knuckling your way through recovery anymore. You’re intentionally choosing what you want to gain. We are going toward our very best self.”
Your work this week: Use the ritual — at the start of your week, in the morning, when you’re triggered, or when you feel yourself slipping into old patterns. Five minutes. Write down one thing for each: what you’re grateful for, what you’re gaining, what you’re releasing. Intention over reaction.
You don’t have to do this alone. This ritual is even more powerful in community — which is exactly why I created the Recovery Collective, where we gather to ask these intentional questions together, celebrate the wins, and tell the truth when the lies get loud. Find more: www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 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.
19 min
October 16EP 314.5: Dreading the Upcoming Holidays? Your 6-Step Plan for When Food & Body Comments Trigger You
Sis, we’re heading into the season of triggers — and if you’re already spiraling about how you’ll handle all the food, all the people, and all the comments about bodies and what’s on your plate, this episode is your armor.
You know the moment: you sit down at the table, and your aunt says “you look so healthy, are you eating more?” or “wow, you’ve lost so much weight!” — and just like that, your chest tightens, your throat closes, and before you even realize it, you’re making plans to restrict tomorrow or add an extra workout this week. I’ve been there (Thanksgiving was the trigger for me). So today I’m handing you the real-time game plan I walk through with my clients — including one, “Allison,” who texted me mid-panic from a family gathering this week.
The 6-step plan for when you’re triggered:
Notice your body. Drop out of your racing head and into your body. Is your chest tight? Shoulders at your ears? Jaw clenched? Holding your breath? Don’t judge it, don’t fix it — just notice. Your body is giving you all the information you need.
Breathe. Hand on your belly, deep breath through your nose, slow exhale. This isn’t woo-woo — it’s how you re-regulate your nervous system. You’re safe. You don’t need to run, fight, or freeze. Breathing creates space between the trigger and your reaction — and that space is where your power lives.
Name the sensation. Where’s the tension? Chest, stomach, shoulders? When you name what feels overwhelming, you make it make sense — “this is what’s happening in my body right now” — so you can address what comes next.
Name the emotion. Not the story your mind is spinning, not the restriction plan — the actual emotion. Scared? Ashamed? Not good enough? Say it out loud if you can. You can’t heal what you won’t feel and acknowledge.
Give it compassion. That emotion exists because at some point it kept you safe — a time you learned your worth was tied to your appearance or how little space you took up. But that old experience isn’t happening now. You’re not that former version of you anymore. Put your hand on your heart: “I hear you. I see you. I know you’re trying to protect me — but I’m okay now.”
Meet your now needs. This is where action happens. Not what the disorder says — what does your body need? Maybe fresh air. Maybe texting your person. Maybe eating because you’re actually hungry. Maybe doing the opposite of what your brain screams — when you want to run from the table, you stay.
The heart of it — act as if you’re already her. Your future, recovered self already knows how to move through this. So ask: would she leave the table and restrict? Would she over-exercise tomorrow to “make up” for tonight? Or would she trust her body, rest, and know this trigger is just a blip? You have to stop operating from an unhealed place if you want healed results. Wounds cannot make decisions. She’s not so distant, sis. She’s you — making the choice right now.
“Triggers just bring you toward your testimony. Keep showing up for yourself, and one day you’ll look back and barely recognize that those things ever triggered you. That recovered version of you is going to wrap her arms around you and say, ‘See, sis? You did it. You made it.’”
Don’t head into the holidays white-knuckling it alone. This is exactly the work we do together — walking through real triggers with live coaching, tools, and a community of women who get it in the Recovery Collective. And if you know you need deeper, one-on-one support, I have a few limited private coaching spots. Find both at www.herbestself.co (and the Recovery Collective at www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective.
Come join our free community at www.herbestselfsociety.com — Lindsey would love to get to know you and walk with you through this.
I believe you belong recovered — not just because I'm recovered, but because if I can do this, so can you. If this episode blessed you, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with someone you love. 💛
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 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.
21 min
October 13EP 314: Why Does Recovery From an Eating Disorder Feel So Hard? The #1 Blind Spot Keeping You Stuck in the Fight
If recovery from an eating disorder feels so hard right now that you're white-knuckling your way through it — "why do I have to do this? why me?" — sis, I've been exactly where you are. But there's a blind spot keeping you stuck in that fight, and one shift in how you see it can make the whole thing feel lighter. Not because the work changes. Because you do.
In this episode:
The lie that makes recovery feel unbearable. When my treatment team told me exercise "had to go," it felt like the ultimate punishment — because exercise was my control, my identity, my reward. And because I believed the eating disorder's lie that I was being robbed, it felt impossible. That's the blind spot: when you believe recovery is a punishment, of course it feels like one.
The shift that changed everything for me. I had to completely flip how I saw rest and reward. Not exercising wasn't a punishment — it was a privilege. It was the exact thing that taught me a healthy relationship with movement for life. What felt like it was being taken from me was actually being given to me.
Everything the disorder calls "losing," recovery reveals as "gaining." The meal isn't a punishment — it's a privilege your body's been begging for. Rest isn't a punishment — it's a coming home to yourself. Feeling your feelings isn't a punishment — it's the privilege of finally learning to heal.
You can do anything you put your mind to. Same action, completely different experience — the only thing that changed was my perspective. You can't always change the hard thing in front of you, but you can always change how you see it. And how you see it determines whether you keep going or give up.
Your work this week: Every time "this is so hard" shows up, pause and ask the flip question — What if this isn't a punishment? What if this is a privilege? The meal, the rest, the fear food, the hard conversation. Not because it's easy — but because every one of those things is giving you your life back.
"The women who find freedom aren't the ones for whom it was easier. They're the ones who decided to see it differently — who stopped believing recovery was happening TO them, and started believing it was happening FOR them. You get to recover, sis. That's not a punishment. That's the greatest privilege of your life."
Your turn: Head to our free community at www.herbestselfsociety.com and share your True Up Tuesday — what are you tuning up this week? What do you want more of, and less of?
Ready for personalized support? I'm opening a waitlist — fill out a client application at www.herbestself.co so we can get you scheduled for a quick connect and see how I can help you.
If this blessed you, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with a woman who needs this shift in perspective today. 💛
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 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.
17 min
October 09EP 313: Will This Ever Change? 5 Things Eating Disorder Recovery Taught Me (That No One Talks About)
Sis, let's start with something true, and a little bit hard.
When we first start down the long road of an eating disorder, we could never have imagined what we'd give up to become the smallest version of ourselves. It doesn't happen all at once — it's a slow sacrifice, one tiny concession at a time, until one day you look up and wonder, how did I ever let it get this far?
And then, when you finally get out of denial, you ask the two questions: Will this ever change? And how do I change it?
Today I'm answering that — with five things recovery taught me. And they're probably not the five you'd expect. Because recovery was never flashy. It wasn't the compliments or the "what do you do to be so skinny?" It was quiet. It was ordinary. It was doing the right thing when no one was watching and no one was clapping.
The 5 things recovery taught me:
What you do in the ordinary is what makes you extraordinary. Recovery isn't won in big cinematic moments — it's won in the mundane ones. Having the meal when you're not hungry. Choosing rest over the workout, even when everything in you wants to move. No one sees those choices. No one hands you a trophy. But those unseen, no-applause reps are the work.
No one is going to clap for you — and that's okay. In the disorder, you got noticed. In recovery, you'll do the bravest things of your life in total silence. Let that be okay. Work you do when no one is watching, for no reward except your own freedom, is the holiest work there is. You're doing it for her — the recovered you.
Recovery is lived in action, not analysis. You can't think your way out of this. Freedom isn't found in understanding it perfectly — it's found in doing the next ordinary right thing before you feel ready, before it makes sense. The doing comes first. The belief catches up later.
You are only as happy as your heart allows you to be. I read a journal entry on this episode that I wrote back in October of 2007 — one line, written in the middle of my own mess, that I'm still unpacking all these years later. Your heart can't let happiness in when it's clenched shut around control and fear. Recovery is the slow opening of your heart — giving it permission to be happy before everything is perfect.
You're probably going to have to gain weight — and it WILL be okay. I'll love you enough to tell you the truth: the sooner you move out of denial and into acceptance, the better off you'll be. You cannot truly live in a body that's malnourished and restricted — that's not reality, and that body can't carry the life you actually want. Acceptance isn't giving up. It's where freedom starts.
The heart of it: Living in recovery means living in this moment — not the future one you're so afraid of. Not the "what if it's too hard, what if I can't do it" moment that hasn't even happened. Just this one. The meal in front of you. The rest you need right now. The ordinary choice, today.
"Recovery was never going to be flashy. It was always going to be built quietly, in the mundane, when no one was watching — one ordinary, extraordinary choice at a time. You are only as happy as your heart allows you to be. So let it."
Ready to find your own freedom? If you saw yourself in this conversation, I'd love to walk with you. Find coaching and community at www.herbestself.co or come join our free community at www.herbestselfsociety.com
If this episode blessed you, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with a woman — or a daughter — who needs to hear it. 💛
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 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.
24 min
October 06EP 312: You Can Do Hard Things, But You Can't Do All Things ~ The Weekly Check-In That Resets Your Mind & Your Recovery
How's your week starting off, sis? Because mine? My Monday was a blur. The weekend was crazy, I got thrown into the week, and I needed a level set — a true up. So if you're feeling that too, this episode is your reset.
Today I'm sharing a simple, repeatable weekly check-in — I call it True Up Tuesday — that realigns your goals with your authentic self so one chaotic Monday doesn't hijack your whole week (or your recovery). Because freedom doesn't happen overnight, but it also doesn't happen without tangible tools you actually use.
The truth at the heart of this episode:
In a recent therapy session, my therapist told me something that stopped me cold: "Lindsey, you have a faulty notion that you can get everything done. You can't be everything to everybody." And listen — I'm the doer, Miss High Standards (I know you are too, or you wouldn't be here). But here's what I had to hear, and what you might need today: you can do hard things, but you can't do all things.
The True Up Tuesday check-in:
Grab your journal and fill in the blanks:
My number one priority this week is ______
I want to do more ______
I want to do less ______
I want to feel ______
To true up and feel this, I'm going to ______
If you get stuck on the more/less part, here are mine to spark yours: more connection, less isolation. More gratitude, less comparison. More joy, less negativity. More intention, less habituation. More self-love, less judgment. More peace, less chaos. More belief, less doubt. More creating, less procrastinating.
Why this works:
Doing more actually requires committing to less. You don't have to be the queen solver or fix everything. To raise your standards, you have to narrow your focus.
Analyze less, reflect more. Post less, take action more. Complain less, pray more. You don't need to be doing-doing-doing. You need to focus on the less.
As Peter Drucker said: "Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient what should not have been done at all." Half the things on your to-do list don't need to be there — they're just there for the hit of checking them off.
The reminder you might need today: You're allowed to heal and to grow. You're allowed to forgive, to grieve the time this disorder has taken, to let go, let be, and let in. You're allowed to love other people while also honoring yourself. You are the boss of your week — the question is just how you want to show up in it.
"You can do hard things. You just can't do all things. Narrow your focus, and I promise you'll see what you want come to fruition."
Your turn: Head to our free community at www.herbestselfsociety.com and share your True Up Tuesday — what are you tuning up this week? What do you want more of, and less of?
Ready for personalized support? I'm opening a waitlist — fill out a client application at www.herbestself.co so we can get you scheduled for a quick connect and see how I can help you.
If this blessed you, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with a woman who needs this reset today. 💛
16 min
October 02EP 311: What We Pass Down ~ A Mother-Daughter Conversation on Body Image, Worth & the Truth About GLP-1s (with Her Healthy Body)
Today I'm sitting down with Crysanne and Coryn, the mother-daughter duo behind the Her Healthy Body podcast — a show where faith and health meet. This conversation went places I didn't expect, and I'm so glad it did. We talk honestly about body image, self-worth, the generational patterns we pass down (and the healing we can pass down instead), and the truth about the GLP-1 era we're living in.
If you've ever wondered "did I cause this for my daughter?" or "is it too late for me?" — this one's for you.
In this episode:
Two stories, one thread. Crysanne grew up a "high cardio, low fat" girl of the '80s whose teenage weight loss turned into an eating disorder, then decades of "orthorexia" — an unhealthy pursuit of healthy. Coryn grew up inside that environment, fell in love with the gym, then spiraled into bodybuilding, lost cycles, and disordered patterns of her own. Same damage, different faces — restriction for one, binge patterns for the other.
What we pass down — and what we can pass down instead. The hard truth Crysanne names: what I said to my daughter and what I did were two different things. But the conversation flips the script — we don't only pass down the curses. We can pass down the hope and the healing too. When you honor and nourish yourself, you become the model, not the warning.
When worth comes from the world. Crysanne's most vulnerable share: a marriage ending, rock bottom, and realizing her self-worth had been built entirely on the world's approval — "look how skinny you are" — which left her empty and always chasing. Everything shifted when she started seeing herself through God's eyes instead of the world's. You are worth more than rubies — and God doesn't view you as a label.
Letting go of control. Both women land in the same place: surrender. You get to the end of yourself, stop future-tripping, and finally let God have it. That's where the peace lives.
The truth about GLP-1s. We go there honestly. "Do you really have your dream body if it's a nightmare to maintain?" We talk about why GLP-1s can function like "an eating disorder in a shot," the muscle loss nobody mentions, what happens when the insurance runs out — and the difference between chasing fast weight loss and building a body that's genuinely healthy. (There's a place for support and healthy habits — but a shortcut that creates a worse situation isn't it.)
The side effect of healthy. The big reframe: looking good isn't the goal — feeling good is, and looking good becomes the side effect. Imagine waking energetic, sleeping through the night, getting dressed without mirror-checking, enjoying the meal without the shame. That's freedom. That's "God food," presence, and joy.
What it means to be your best self. I asked them both — and without missing a beat: being present, and letting go of control. Present with God, with your kids, with your clients, with your food. Because if you're obsessing over the scale or the menu, there's no way you're living as the best version of you.
"When you realize you're a daughter of the Most High — worth taking care of, worth loving — you walk differently. And whether you're an extra-extra small or an extra-extra large, it doesn't make a difference, because God doesn't view you as a label."
Go follow Crysanne and Coryn — the Her Healthy Body podcast is on all platforms. They keep it real, raw, and rooted in faith, and we need more of that.
Ready to find your own freedom? If you saw yourself in this conversation, I'd love to walk with you. Find coaching and community at www.herbestself.co or come join our free community at www.herbestselfsociety.com
If this episode blessed you, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with a woman — or a daughter — who needs to hear it. 💛
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 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.
42 min
September 29EP 310: How to Finally Believe You Deserve to Recover ~ The Mental Conditioning Secret That Changes Everything
Let's start with a question that might sting a little: What are you missing out on right now because you don't believe you deserve it?
Because here's the truth, girl — your mind has so much power. What you believe, you become. And so many women are stuck, not because recovery isn't possible for them, but because deep down they don't believe they belong recovered. Today we're changing that.
In this episode:
The belief that's keeping you stuck. You won't ever end up somewhere your mind doesn't believe you belong. For years, Lindsey missed out on a life of freedom because deep in her spirit she felt unworthy of it. Sound familiar? The first shift is asking: Do I actually believe I belong recovered?
What mental conditioning really is. Just like conditioning your body builds stronger muscles rep by rep, mental conditioning trains your mind to modify your thoughts and rewrite the negative beliefs keeping you trapped. Without it, it's incredibly hard to break out of years of disordered patterns. The difference between the woman who takes action and the one who doesn't? The force of certainty behind her.
The four-minute mile. Before 1954, everyone believed running a mile in under four minutes was physically impossible — until Roger Bannister trained his mind as much as his body, visualizing the finish line until it became impossible not to happen. Within two years, 37 more people did it. That's the power of a transfer of belief — and it's available to you.
How to put yourself in your dream. Define your dream. Visualize that it will be hard. Get so familiar with the recovered version of you that not becoming her feels like the failure. And reject the old you — the one who's been agreeing with the lies that recovery is "possible for her, but not for me."
Holding your thoughts captive. Mental conditioning is learning to say "not today" to the negative self-talk — catching the thought when you reach to check a label, when you start to put your body down — and replacing it with intentional, positive dialogue. "How can I honor my body today? That version of me is going to be so proud of the version choosing better right now."
Your work this week: Write a list. What do I want? What am I missing out on because I don't believe I deserve it? What does my dream of freedom actually look like? The more your brain becomes acquainted with your dream, the more you'll believe you belong in it.
"You won't ever be somewhere your brain doesn't believe you belong. Your past is not your potential — you belong in your dream. That's why you're here."
Ready to condition your mind alongside women who get it?
Come join our free community at www.herbestselfsociety.com — Lindsey would love to get to know you and walk with you through this.
And if you're ready for personalized support, coaches help you with the here and now. Find out how you can partner together at www.herbestself.co
I believe you belong recovered — not just because I'm recovered, but because if I can do this, so can you. If this episode blessed you, follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with someone you love. 💛
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 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.
15 min

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

From the publisher's feed

Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is the eating disorder recovery podcast for women who are completely exhausted from food noise and food restriction. If you are ready to finally break free from food obsession, body anxiety, and the mental prison of ED - this show is for you.