New Year: If Not Now, When?

Ever found yourself waiting for the “right time” when life is calmer, motivation is higher or everything feels more certain, to start recovery? Be that a new meal plan, a challenge, reaching out to a coach or medical profession, targeting exercise compulsions — this episode is all about this common ED trap, and how that moment rarely (if ever) properly arrives.

We talk about how ambivalence is normal and explore what actually helps you start moving forward: tackling perfectionism, working with (not against!) uncertainty, and understanding that recovery often creates the conditions you’re waiting for, rather than requiring them first.

Topics covered:

* Why the “right time” feels necessary – and how the ED benefits from delaying

* The cost of waiting while life keeps moving

* Ambivalence as a normal part of early recovery

* Perfectionism and the search for “perfect conditions”

* What it really means to start recovery

* Reframing “not ready” and taking those first steps forwards

* The key takeaway – imperfect action builds momentum

Connect with us:

Meg

Instagram: @megsy_recovery

YouTube: Megsy Recovery

TikTok: megsy recovery

Safia

Instagram: @safia_edrecoverycoach

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.safiaed.com

Em (copywriter & editor)

Instagram: @em_schone

DISCLAIMER

Please keep in mind we’re not medical professionals, and the podcast content reflects our own experiences and opinions, as well as that of our guests, so it shouldn’t be taken as medical advice. If you’re struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating, please reach out to a medical professional to discuss your own situation and get professional help with your own unique recovery.

Loneliness is often one of the quietest but most painful parts of an eating disorder. In this episode, we talk honestly about how isolation can show up during an eating disorder and why so many people feel alone, even when they’re not physically by themselves…
We explore how eating disorders shrink your world, sometimes even without you realising, and how recovery can sometimes feel lonelier before it feels better. Drawing on our own experiences of disconnection (and the grief that can come with it), we’ll share what helped us begin rebuilding relationships.
Also, we’ve got an exciting update! Introducing ‘Rewired in Action’, a new community we’ve created for people who want connection, support and shared understanding as they navigate recovery. A place to ask questions, hear from others, and hopefully feel less alone in the process.
Topics covered:

• What loneliness looked like for us during our eating disorders• How eating disorders create isolation

• The emotional cost of disconnection / feeling left behind• Why isolation isn’t a personality flaw or a failure

• Why recovery can feel lonelier at first

• Gentle ways to begin reconnecting without pressure

• Why you don’t have to be fully recovered to reconnect

• Rebuilding identity and meaning outside of the eating disorder

• You’re not alone – and your world can grow again

• Introducing ‘Rewired in Action’ community and how it can support you
If you’re curious or would like to find out more, please get in touch (contacts below)! 
SOCIAL HANDLES
Connect with us:
MegInstagram: @megsy_recoveryYouTube: Megsy RecoveryTikTok: megsy recovery
SafiaInstagram: @safia_edrecoverycoach

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.safiaed.com
DISCLAIMER Please keep in mind we’re not medical professionals, and the podcast content reflects our own experiences and opinions, as well as that of our guests, so it shouldn’t be taken as medical advice. If you’re struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating, please reach out to a medical professional to discuss your own situation and get professional help with your own unique recovery.

Chrissy is an incredible recovery coach, currently training to be a counsellor, and has experience working at a clinic as both an eating disorder recovery coach and mentor. She has a passion for ED recovery, mental health, body-image and self-compassion since she started her own recovery journey seven years ago. At the start of Chrissy’s journey, she was in treatment for an eating disorder, describing these as one of her symptoms, but in fact was really in recovery for all areas of her life. Since then she has also delivered workshops on body-image and the history of diet-culture, the science behind why diet culture tells us lies and why fatphobia and body ideals are just plain wrong. Her core message is that no one deserves to feel that they are inherently unlovable for whatever reason; their body, their soul, their voice or anything. She speaks about the fact that sadly there is much trauma that we, individually and societally, are hurting from and self-hatred is a huge product of that. Her biggest hope is to help others realise that they are worthy of love and a good life, as she  was helped to discover on her own journey. She has a particular interest in the relationship between self-image and body-image, how the two exist in parallel and impact each-other.

Topics covered:

• Chrissy’s own recovery journey and how she became interested in body image
• History and origins of diet culture, and how racial, patriarchal, healthcare and all sorts of systems play a part.
• Our bodies having their own ‘genetic set range’ and how respecting this impacts living a fulfilling life 
• Detaching her own sense of ‘lovability’ from body aesthetics
• Connection between body image and trauma
• Navigating diet culture and body expectations we are surrounded by  
• Where to start in developing a better relationship with our body and self as a whole

Find Chrissy here:

Instagram: @chrissy_shroomie 

You can find us on social media:

Tallulah Self (editor and Producer)

Instagram: @tallulahself

Meg:

Instagram: @megsy_recovery

YouTube: Megsy Recovery

TikTok: megsy recovery

Safia: 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: @safia_edrecoverycoach

Member of the Beyond Body Coaching team: https://www.beyondbodycoach.com

Please keep in mind we’re not medical professionals, and the podcast content reflects our own experiences and opinions, as well as that of our guests, so it shouldn’t be taken as medical advice. If you’re struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating please reach out to a medical professional to discuss your own situation and get professional help with your own unique recovery.

Leading Sports and Eating disorder specialist dietitian Renee McGregor joins us on the podcast. With 20 years experience working in clinical and performance nutrition, with Olympic (London, 2012), Paralympic (Rio, 2016) and Commonwealth (Queensland, 2018) teams she comes with a wealth of experience. She is also the author of five brilliant books and the co-founder and director of #TRAINBRAVE, a campaign raising awareness of eating disorders in sport. In this episode, Renee speaks openly and bravely about the childhood trauma she experienced and how that led to her battle with an eating disorder. She also shares her thoughts on eating disorder treatment today and how it could be improved. 

Topics covered:

• Eating disorder treatment today and how it could be improved.  
• Reasons why people relapse. 
• Why teaching about emotions in schools is essential for preventing eating disorders.
• The pedestal we put the top level athletes on and how that can put too much pressure on the younger generation to achieve.
• Social Media’s impact on mental health.
• Orthorexia 
• What healthy eating truly is.
• Why the pandemic has resulted in eating disorders rising. 
• The importance of human connection. 
• How your metabolism adapts but can’t be broken. 

Find Renee here:
Instagram: @r_mcgregor
Website: https://reneemcgregor.com
Twitter: @mcgregor_renee

You can find us on social media:
Tallulah Self (editor and Producer)
Instagram: @tallulahself

Meg:
Instagram: @megsy_recovery
YouTube: Megsy Recovery
TikTok: megsy recovery

Safia:
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @safia_edrecoverycoach
Member of the Beyond Body Coaching team: https://www.beyondbodycoach.com

Please keep in mind we’re not medical professionals, and the podcast content reflects our own experiences and opinions, as well as that of our guests, so it shouldn’t be taken as medical advice. If you’re struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating please reach out to a medical professional to discuss your own situation and get professional help with your own unique recovery.

We chat about how we challenged our fear foods and food rules in recovery. How we had to repeat food challenges, several times a week, in different settings and contexts, and without compensating around the food, until they began to neutralise. And then, crucially, keeping all these foods in as permanent parts of our diets.

• What process we used to challenge food rules/fears
• Not compensating
• Not treating challenges as a one off
• Food obsessions
• Did we go all in?
• Tools we used during challenges
• Coping with feelings of anxiety, guilt, frustration etc...
• Mantras
• Challenging in different contexts

You can find us on social media:

Tallulah Self (editor and Producer)

• Instagram: @tallulahself

Meg:

• Instagram: @megsy_recovery
• YouTube: Megsy Recovery
• TikTok: megsy recovery

Safia: 

• Email: [email protected] 
• Instagram: @safia_edrecoverycoach
• Member of the Beyond Body Coaching team: https://www.beyondbodycoach.com

Please keep in mind we’re not medical professionals, and the podcast content reflects our own experiences and opinions, as well as that of our guests, so it shouldn’t be taken as medical advice. If you’re struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating please reach out to a medical professional to discuss your own situation and get professional help with your own unique recovery.

Hope Virgo is a multi-award winning campaigner, speaker and author of three amazing books: ‘Stand Tall Little Girl’, ‘Hope Through Recovery’ and ‘You Are Free (Even If You Don’t Feel Like It)’. In this inspiring episode, she candidly shares her own personal experience of suffering from an eating disorder and offers lots of great practical recovery tips to stay motivated. With her super cute newborn cuddled up on her throughout this is an episode not to be missed.

Topics covered:

• Hope’s experience of pregnancy and motherhood, the overwhelming gratitude for her little one as well as the more challenging messaging around food and body that she received when pregnant. 
• Her concerns regarding calories being put on menus and the prevalence of diet culture in children that she has become aware of from speaking in schools.
• The campaigns she has spearheaded: #DumpTheScales and #ChangeTheStory
• Her beautifully written, raw and relatable memoir: ‘You Are Free (Even If You Don’t Feel Like It)’ in which she includes reflective exercises, insightful interviews and advice from her own experiences.
• Why to fight for full recovery and how to break out of the halfway house, stuck-in-the-mud stage of recovery.
• The role her faith has played in her recovery.
• Advice for how to reach out to others you can be vulnerable with for support and motivation.
• Great ideas for supporting loved ones suffering from an eating disorder on their recovery journey. 

Find Hope here:
Instagram: @hopevirgo_

You can find us on social media:

Tallulah Self (editor and Producer)
Instagram: @tallulahself

Meg:
Instagram: @megsy_recovery
YouTube: Megsy Recovery
TikTok: megsy recovery

Safia:
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @safia_edrecoverycoach
Member of the Beyond Body Coaching team: https://www.beyondbodycoach.com

Please keep in mind we’re not medical professionals, and the podcast content reflects our own experiences and opinions, as well as that of our guests, so it shouldn’t be taken as medical advice. If you’re struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating please reach out to a medical professional to discuss your own situation and get professional help with your own unique recovery.