Gaining Weight. The Reverse Transformation from ED to Healthy
Gaining Weight. The Reverse Transformation from ED to Healthy
Hey guys,
Many people who start exercising are doing it to lose weight. Makes sense right? But did you know that there are a set of people who are looking to GAIN WEIGHT? Nope I’m not talking about bodybuilder mass gainer types…I’m talking about thin girls.
Some girls are born naturally thin and can’t gain weight no matter they eat! I have some Asian girl friends that can eat In n Out like no tomorrow (4×4’s anyone?) and have been the same size 00 since high school with NO workout regimen! Jelly? Yes and no. But we can get into that later!
But then you have another type of thin girl. The one that purposely denies herself of food to achieve a waif-like runway model body. Why?
Today I want to introduce you to POPsters Jaime and Stephanie who both struggled with a serious eating disorder (ED) – sometimes only eating 300 calories a day. I want you to see first hand how they ended up GAINING WEIGHT and restructuring a healthy body image.
In her own words…
POPster Jaime’s Story (picture above)
My name is Jaime and I’m 19 years old. I started having body image issues in high school. I was the super over achiever – captain of the cheerleading team, all honors classes, and a bazillion clubs. I had a lot of pressure to be my very best all the time.
I eventually started taking this pressure and started applying it to my body. I wanted to be the best Flyer I could be in cheerleading my senior year. I assumed better = lighter weight.
The extreme dieting began when I started to follow thinspo accounts. I looked up the fastest ways to lose weight online. I eventually began skipping breakfast and lunch, going to a 3 hour cheer practice, coming home to run, and only eating dinner so my parents wouldn’t get worried.
I weighed myself as much as I could. Eventually my life became revolved around how I could lose the next pound. Every time I lost another pound, it would make me feel extremely accomplished and motivated to keep going.
In college, I no longer had my group – I was no longer “the cheerleader”. I felt pretty lost so I decided maybe I could be “the fit girl”. I wanted to be the girl that you saw running around campus all the time and eating salads in the cafeteria. My long term-boyfriend noticed a problem.
That summer, I began skipping meals and exercising A LOT. I lost about 12 pounds which was very significant on my already small frame.
In the fall of sophomore year, my boyfriend and I got into more arguments about my health and it broke my heart to see him so upset. So one day I woke up and said, “I’m not going to do this to myself any more. I deserve to be healthy AND happy.”
I stopped counting my calories cold turkey and I went on a somewhat of a personal journey to find my niche at the gym. I took every class possible. If there is one thing I’ve learned from fitness it’s if you don’t love what you’re doing, you won’t stick with it. I found out that I actually LOVED lifting weights. I love feeling stronger. I loved what it was doing to my body. I also fell in love with yoga and Pilates through YouTube. I began doing Blogilates videos daily.
Blogilates is a fabulous support system because everyone on the app is striving for the same goal – health and happiness! It makes my whole day when someone comments on one of my posts. Everyone is so positive and supportive in the Blogilates community.
Since then, I’ve gained about 15 pounds and my body fat percentage has not changed. I FEEL AMAZING. I have so much energy.
I now do Blogilates videos 4 times per week before class, I do Crossfit twice a week, and yoga when I have time. I also love to walk and hike. I have YOLO meals without regrets and I find joy in eating healthy in fitness.
Today my major is exercise-science and pre-occupational therapy.
Jaime’s Advice for battling your ED…
I have two equally important pieces of advice.
1.) You NEED a support system. While YOU are going to have to work for recovery, it helps so much to have people supporting you. No one has to go through this alone. The more I looked for healthy support, the more I found it.
2.) Get rid of all negative influences. I had to go through all of my social media and unfollow all unhealthy sources of motivation. I unfollowed any account that posted thinspo or unhealthy dieting. I began to follow accounts that showed girls that had recovered and accounts that posted pictures of yummy healthy food.
Jaime’s Daily Diet Snapshot!
And this isn’t even all of it haha. I try to focus on whole foods and thats about it :)I eat about 6 times per day.
Fave YOLO food: I LOVE FRIED PICKLES. I also love cheesecake too!
Fave Blogilates videos:
The Beyonce Bootylicious Bum Butt Badonkadonk Bonanza!
and POP Pilates: Back on Fire! (and like all the rest duh)
If you have any questions for Jaime or want to add her to your support system, here are her social media accounts:
Jaime’s Insta: @healthyjaime
Jaime’s Blog: www.healthyjaime.tumblr.com
POPster Stephanie’s Story
I fell into an eating disorder when I moved to Orlando with my ex boyfriend. I had no friends or family there and I was very alone. I became depressed and felt worthless. He would ignore me very often and I had it set in my mind that my weight was why. So I stopped eating.
It got so bad – I only ate exactly 300 calories a day. It was one Grilled chicken pita and nothing else! I had severe body dysmorphia and was convinced I had so much fat on my body at only 89 pounds. It was hard for me to get through this as I had no one there.
But one day I told myself I needed to eat, and slowly, with my own willpower, I started to get myself back on track. Now, don’t go thinking I’m some superhero. I relapsed about 7 times where I dropped weight again. Then I yoyo’d up. It was a constant battle.
My heaviest weight was 134 before I found Blogilates. I was working out but not as effectively as I should have. I was also very self-conscious. Once I found Blogilates and how beautiful and confident Cassey was, I went on her website and found a clean eating 90 day meal plan for FREE! I figured this would be a perfect way to teach me how to eat healthier and cook healthier.
So that’s exactly what I did.
I completed the whole 90 day challenge and dropped 14 lbs to to 121 lbs!!! My abs were toning up and my legs were getting so muscular! My confidence was through the roof.
I constantly posted before and afters of myself on my Instagram as motivation to other women that YES WE CAN DO THIS! WE ARE ALL AMAZING AND STRONG!!
Then I did the 12-Week New Body Makeover Program, ate clean, delicious, filling meals, and guess what? I am now down to 109 with muscle all over! I’m at 18% body fat and am absolutely in heaven with how much my body has transformed.
I feel sooooo energetic, confident and happy. People actually ask me for advice on my workouts and how I eat now!
Stephanie’s Advice for overcoming your ED…
My best advice for anyone with an eating disorder, is to seek help. No one who loves you will judge you. They want to help you, not hurt you. I wish that I had someone there to talk to and help me through it. I do now with my family whenever I feel like I am going to relapse. Seek support from recovering people. We have been through it and we can help you! We understand what you are going through! What really helped me was seeing pictures of super fit and curvy women. It made me want to be more fit and less skinny 🙂
Fave YOLO meal: PANCAKES!!! Omg I love pancakes. Usually during the week I make the 2 eggs and 1 banana pancakes, but on the weekends I add flour and cinnamon and blueberries and syrup and it’s OH SO GOOD!!!
Fave Blogilates video: Well first it was Applause Arms, but NOW I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HOT SUMMER!!!! I don’t look nearly as elegant but I love the sweat!!
If you have any questions for Stephanie or want to add her to your support system, here are her social media accounts:
Stephanie’s Instagram:@stephaniehvsn2
Stephanie’s Twitter: @stephaniehvsn
Stephanie’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephaniehvsn
I hope you guys know that the Blogilates Community is made up of people who are here to be your friends and help you reach your goals – sincerely, genuinely, and jealousy aside. So take advantage of this! You can find so many amazing POPsters in the App, at all exercise levels.
Love hearing your stories guys. If you have a transformation you want to share with me, please send an email to POPsterPost@gmail.com with pics.
Stay inspired.
<3 Cassey
136 thoughts on “Gaining Weight. The Reverse Transformation from ED to Healthy”
There are Array136 comments posted by our users.
Hey I’m 17 years old / female, 5’1 and weight 90 pounds. I been under eating for a long time and want to get back on track but I’m afraid to gain weight. Special on my face. I also lost a lot of muscle mass and my booty. I want to start going to the gym but i don’t know how to start or if that’s a good idea? Plus i don’t know what foods i should be eating or how many calories 🙁
hey, I guess I’m in trouble I’ve been consuming 600-800 calories and I’m not happy I want to increase my intake calories and keep losing fat pls help me usually I’m out of energy should I increase calories 50 or 100 each week and I really don’t want to gain weight.
I would start by slowly eating more food, and then when you reach a point where you’re comfortable, you can eat bigger and fuller meals.
Just do every video once, and if you’re worrying about school you could wake up earlier and do PIIT 28 or still do normal beginner workouts but just set aside a time after school or early before to do them. And don’t give up! Blogilates took me from 125 pounds to around 107-110. P.S. I’m younger and I am not underweight.
I cannot even believe the transformation. I have tried to lose weight many times in the past. Some things were somewhat successful, but it just seemed that I kept hitting a brick wall over the last year or so. I was pretty desperate by the time I made the choice to try this program what helped me lose 21 pounds in about 6 weeks
Watch the video on this website: http://leanbellybreakthrough1.club/lose-40pounds-fast
You all still have EDs. Do you not see how disordered this is?
Me being a skinny person, I honestly hope you will come up with workout plans to help us gain muscle and strength. You’re an inspiration.
Hello.
My name is Sallie O’Malley and I am 5’4 and 86 lbs. I am naturally skinny. I have an extremely fast metabolism, but I also skipped breakfast and lunch when I was younger…it got so bad that I went down to 75 pounds. Leggings and tights would even be baggy on me!
I didn’t realize what a problem this was…and I didn’t skip because I wanted to be skinny. I just wasn’t hungry! I would eat really unhealthy foods like french fries all the time! And I didn’t gain one pound. I just kept losing pounds. ButI I felt so unhealthy…I have even had anxiety and depression for a while. I was insecure about how thin I was and people would always compare themselves to me, picking me up just to see how light I am. Some even wondered if I was anorexic.
I decided to change that. I want to be strong and healthy. Now I am following on the August calender and eating every two hours including protein shakes. This post inspired me to keep going…thank you, Cassey!
This is my problem, I’m naturally skinny but I find it so hard to eat more because I’m just not hungry. What was your secret?
some one help me please!! i have been trying to gain weight and i dont know what workouts i should do. please someone who will give me their advice… i dont want to do cardio, i want to tone my muscles and gain weight.
Hi. I’m 16, and we’re the same, I’ve been trying to gain weight because I’m underweight, and it makes me really really insecure that I fell into depression and anxiety a year ago, I’m getting better now though. And, way better actually because I started working out last 24th of May. I researched a lot about gaining weight and what I got from that were; eating 6 healthy meals per day and increase your calorie intake, doing strength training exercises as well as cardio. Now, you mentioned you don’t want to do cardio, but cardio can help your heart get stronger and increase bone density. It’s important to include cardio in your workouts, but make sure not to overdue it as your goal is to gain weight 🙂 Oh and as for toning your muscles, just follow through Cassey’s beginner workout or any strength exercises videos 🙂 xx
Hi… I am 25 and 5’1″ ft. tall. My weight is 83 pounds. I have tried all kinds of proteins and health drinks in past 10 years. Had complete body check up and found out that my metabolism is abnormally high so the nutrients get flushed out of the body instead of getting absorbed. I am very depressed and not sure how to gain weight.
okay i am 14 years well turning 15 and i have this problem. in my class people call me long butt because its long i’m very confident but hearing that name makes me feel a how. my butt is not small but i would like some shape. i also want to lay off the junk but it it soooooooo hard. if anybody have any advice for me plzzz tell. so i could walk with my head held high knowing that my butt is long.
Hey rule of thumb (and you’re probably sick of hearing this) is that people in high school can be dumb and insecure about their own things. Kids in my school could have made fun of a VS model with no problem. (I’m not old I’m only 20 so this is still relevant). Your butt is probably not long at all. If you want to get in shape work for it! Squats are always good for a bootay! But, if you want to eat junk now and then, you get YOLO meals too. You’re young, live without regret, be kind to yourself and others, and remember we’re all in this together!
I’m the same age 🙂
You can try the 30 day butt lift challenge!
My favorite butt moves are bridges and squats- they help a ton.
If you are really insecure about it then you can do what I used to do which is wear long cardigans that cover my butt of tie a jacket around my waist.
Good luck! <3
(Also, as far a junk cravings go dark chocolate is a great way to kill your sweet cravings. Or dole has dark chocolate covered strawberries or bananas that come in boxes with packs of 4 each.)
Im currently just getting out of one through blogilates n Cambria joy, i m 84 pounds n 5’3, I am currently not counting calories as much and just eating healthy my goal is 100 by summer at least and I’m happy to say after reading this I’ve never been so motivated<3
good for you! you’re doing well just WANTING to be healthy. you’re awesome, you’ve totally got this c:
Totally agree! Well done Ashya, I hope everything is still on track!
Hi guys
I have been struggling with an eating disorder for the past six years. My weight always fluctuates because of binging and purging but ever since I started doing blogilates my weight has gone up, and has stayed up. I have not been binging or purging since before Christmas. I am trying not to let this weight gain get to me, my clothes still feel the same and I usually feel pretty good about myself, but the number on the scale really gets me down. To a point where it ruins my day. I am wondering if the weight gain is just muscle, not actual body fat? I have never done muscle toning exercises before beginning blogilates. Let me know what you guys think, I need some support because I am starting to really get down on myself. Thanks ladies!
First, Im so proud of you for not binging or purging since before Christmas!! Thats amazing, and you should be proud of it too! The weight youre gaining should be muscle, especially considering you have started doing blogilaties, or any workouts. Also, because you are eating regularly now, instead of your body being confused as to whether it will be getting its nutrition any time soon, your weight should stay relatively constant. But because you are working out, you should gain some weight. When you look at te scale and the number upsets you, remember that Muscle weighs more than fat, and you are extraordinarily beautiful no matter what the scale or your mind says. eventually, they will come to an agreement, that you are perfect and you dont need to change (: Keep up the healthy lifestyle, im so proud of you, as im sure so many other people are. And you should be proud of you too!
If the scale gets you down throw it out. You don’t need to weigh yourself. Just eat healthy and work out in moderation. Your weight is just a number and you really don’t need to know it. I promise.
I’ve not weighed myself in like 6/7 years and I promise you it has not had any negative impact in my life.
Definitely throw out the scale. Weight is a weird thing, you can work out like crazy and still gain weight. Don’t worry, you’re not getting fatter 🙂 muscle weighs much more than fat does, that’s why you’re gaining weight. You’re losing fat and gaining muscle. It shouldn’t be about the number on the scale, that doesn’t matter one bit. What matters is how you feel about your body, looking at yourself in the mirror and being proud of yourself. Keep working hard and you can gain the body that you want. ^.^
I’m a skinny girl. I don’t even have any fat to be burn, and oh my god it’s a disaster if i loss any pound of my body. but i’m willing to join next Calender because i think it will make me stronger. (imagine a weak-skinny girl walk in front of you, you will think i’m a zombie). Anyone have a tips for my problem? to be fit but also gaining weight? (for example, what time to eat, what time to exercise, etc)
We’re the same, I’ve been trying to gain weight because I’m underweight. I started working out last 24th of May. I researched a lot about gaining weight and what I got from that were; eating 6 healthy meals per day and increase your calorie intake, doing strength training exercises as well as cardio. Cardio can help your heart get stronger and increase bone density. It’s important to include cardio in your workouts, but make sure not to overdue it as your goal is to gain weight 🙂 Strength training is very important- you would gain muscles instead of fat. There’s no specific time to eat or exercise, just make sure you increase your calorie intake to 500 – 1000 calories a day. As for exercise, you can do it anytime of the day whenever you’re free. Goodluck! We can do this xx
Your videos have really inspired me to lose weight healthily. but I’m still struggling a bit, I know I should be eating more, especially to lose weight. for a while i was intentionally not eating enough to lose weight and I don’t know how to stop. Even though I’m eating way more than before. how can I convince myself to eat enough? it’s more difficult than it should be, it’s mostly my own mind that I need to fight.
It’s good to keep telling yourself that what really matters is that you stay healthy in all that you do. Find time not to think about weight and food and eating right and spend an hour or so a few times a week to yourself doing something relaxing and pleasant. You don’t want to be in and out of hospital and you want to treat your body right. Stay strong and try stay away from mirrors if you can help it, we spend time assessing every little thing that we don’t like about ourselves that we perceive it as bigger than It is.
Last thing is to surround yourself with motivational people
Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m 12 years old. I’m turning into a woman. And the side effect of growin up is being self conscious of your body. But I had self confidence issues when I was 7, and now I grew out of it! I don’t know what or how that happened. Is this normal?
In my experience most people have their self confidence issues well into their later years, but if you have started to feel good about yourself, more power to you! Have you changed how you take care of yourself? Are you eating better? therefore seeing positive changes??:) whatever be it, normal or not, if you’re happy with your body and you’re healthy, you’re good:)
Yeah of course it is. Its just hormones changing. And I’m happy at least one of us can grow out of that stuff.
I’ve lived with anorexia and bulimia on and off for 10 years. I’m currently “on” with anorexia and am 5’3 and an embarrassingly low 80 lbs. I’m 22-years-old and am so thin that I can only shop in the children’s section. I’m sorry, but what 22-year-old wants to shop in the kid’s section!? They don’t have clubbing dresses for Hollywood and West LA in the kid’s section! I’m slowly recovering for the millionth time it seems.
Sweetie, if I were in your shoes, I’d explore the root cause behind the pattern. This probably goes deeper than looks.
Really inspiring and hopeful. Loved this.
I’m so happy these girls are doing better and are no longer in the depths of their eating disorder, but I also want to point out that focusing so much on exercise and eating clean is often a way to “symptom replace”. After my first time in treatment for my anorexia, I turned to eating clean and exercising in order to feel “okay” with my body. To this day, I struggle with exercise addiction (not in the sense that I work out hours on end each day, but that I feel obligated to exercise and look “fit” in order to be okay) and the perception that I need to eat as healthy and clean as possible. I definitely do not want to project my experience onto these girls, but from meeting many girls who have experienced the same thing, it’s very common to go from severe restriction and wanting to look emaciated, to controlling your body in a “healthy” way, by eating clean and striving to look “fit”. I just wanted to point this out, because technically this is still a way to be in control of your body and can quickly become just as obsessive as restricting and losing weight. Again, not saying that’s the case for these girls, but I think light needs to be shed on this issue!
I had/have the same feeling although I still loved this post. If you don’t mind me asking, how do you deal with it?
I’m going to sound pathetic, but this post made me cry and feel so many emotions, and it was just the thing that I needed to see at this moment yanno. It’s nice to know that I’m not so alone and that other people have done it and gotten muscle and have recovered and not had a breakdown over muscle weight (because I know I do, everyday). Knowing others are alright helps me and other suffers know that it can happen. It helps.
…
And for some reason I felt the need to post that.
It is far from pathetic hun! You are never alone with your struggles, I promise you. There’s no need to feel bad about muscle gain, it means you are now stronger and fitter than you could have ever been before you started recovery
Stay strong and everything will work out fine <3 <3 <3
can i just point out that everyone’s natural body shape/build is different so as long as you feel healthy and happy with the way you look, its all good 😉
Hii,
At the moment I am trying to recover from mij ED. It is really hard but Blogilates gives me the strength and the fun I needed. Just like the first story! It really inspired me. I love these two stories. Amazing 🙂
Cassey, let me start by saying I absolutely love your work outs – they make challenging exercise fun with plenty of variety!
However, the problem with these stories is that it seems that the girls’ happiness still depended on the way their body looked. I disagree with doing posts about body transformations in general because the results of all the transformations I’ve see so far would NEVER be possible for me if I were to keep a balanced life. My BMI is in healthy range but I am by no means a ‘fit’ person.
My aim in exercising is to get my cholesterol levels down because I have a bad family history for heart disease (I’m 24 years old). Any changes to my body would only be a bonus. Health is not always about the way your body looks. Exercise is not always about losing weight. When I achieve my goal, I may still look untoned and will not look the picture of fitness! This does not mean that I was not a success. My success will be preventing or at least delaying any possible heart disease.
I agree with the earlier posts not to include numbers – exercise for strength, to pump yourself up with endorphins, lower your blood pressure or cholesterol, help your sleep cycle, whatever, but if you only focus on the way your body looks, you will never stop comparing yourself to others.
You’re right, your happiness shouldn’t be determined on how your body looks.But on this post, Cassey focused on a subject much more emotional and deeper than just a regular before&after. It’s about the girls who used to think that they DO need to have a good body to be happy. Eating disorders are much more complicated and emotionally oriented than you think. But when you read the girls stories, they say they used to be sad and depressed and lonely BECAUSE they cared too much of how their body image looked. Afterwards, however, they are saying how happy they are with overcoming their disorders and being HAPPY and HEALTHY. Happiness comes from within. If your body is not healthy, you won’t be happy. No matter how much you deny that, it’s the truth!
Also, everything you said in your post is absolute nonsense. Getting and after photo for yourself IS possible. If you say otherwise, you’re just coming up with excuses to not workout. Our body weight is only 10% genetics so you CANT blame it on your family. And yes, losing weight would definitely decrease the risk of you getting a heart disease. It might not completely abolish it, but it will most definitely be a higher chance of you being healthy. Cardiovascular diseases are caused by an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, being overweight and smoking. All of these are major risk factors for developing atherosclerosis and, in turn, cardiovascular disease.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/
So really, heart disease’s biggest risk factor is your weight, and whether you’re overweight or fit and healthy. These girls at the top aren’t skinny, they are FIT, which is what you, and everyone else, should strive to be.
I think it’s important to remember that losing weight can take a long time for some people, and that getting fit really is a good enough goal, as long as it gets someone moving. Many times, people who had health issues and are trying to get back into shape don’t lose weight immediately. Sometimes they gain weight because of muscle vs fat. It’s important that we celebrate the small goals, as well as the big one (which may or may not be to be skinny). Some women cherish their curves, and just want to be more fit. It doesn’t mean we won’t work out. It doesn’t mean that we’re looking for excuses to stop. Rather, it can be extremely frustrating when you’re starting to work out, and the number on the scale doesn’t reveal it. A focus on being skinny can lead heavier people to give up, especially when the people you look to for support (like in these posts) get mad at you for trying to be healthy instead of skinny.
Also, can we note the irony of berating someone for not focusing on being skinnier on a post about ED and gaining weight for health?
a very inspirational and encouraging story! I have struggled with anorexia for 3 years, but all i want is to be healthy with involves gaining around 20lbs! i want to gain weight with healthy foods and gaining muscle as my dream is to be a professional dancer! any advice on food and exercise would be greatly appreciated!
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Im sorry Cassie can you please post a trigger warning? Being a person with anorexia, it was really hard to see those pictures and see numbers. Thanks and thank you for everything you do!
Well, considering the title stated this was about eating disorders, I think she figured people who’d be triggered by that type of content would avoid reading the article.
Thanks so much for sharing this! And thanks to the two very brave girls, who shared their stories! I have a friend who has an ED and I just wouldn’t know how to help her. I guess this has made me understand her better.
This post sends the wrong message. Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome that these girls recovered from their unhealthy lifestyles. But this essentially simplifies eating disorders into eating wrong and working out too much, when they’re really so much more than that. Anorexia and bulimia are mental disorders that cannot be changed simply by deciding to be comfortable in your body or eating more. It’s fantastic, what a transformation these girls made, and I’m not trying to take that away, but this is no better than tumblr blogs romanticizing ED and self-harm.
SLAY GIRL, SLAY.
An ED is way more than just eating & exercise.
Not all people with anorexia &/or bulimia are stick thin, and not all binge eaters are chubby.
So true, I read this and all I could think was how freaking simple they made it sound. Bulimia is the reason I am currently overweight. I don’t like how so many stereotypes were jammed into this and while I get that its supposed to encouraging all I got from it personally is that its so easy to just be healthy and ‘get over’ your ED. If its so easy then why on earth has it been three years since I started trying to recover and I’m still not even half way there?
I don’t like how its becoming a trend to recover from a ED by becoming fit- being fit can become just as addicting and dangerous as an ED. Mental Illnesses are real illnesses and need real treatment. Don’t get me wrong, clean eating and working out has definately helped me but its only been a small part of what’s got me to where I am now and I know at times I had to take a reality check and remind myself to not get too obsessive over ‘clean’ foods.
Caitlin – I wish you all the best in your recovery!!!! God Bless you – you have tremendous value and worth and I hope you’re learning how to love yourself better just the way you are!
I totally agree with you! I’ve never had an ED per se, but have had disordered eating and deal with body image, weight issues (managing my weight, life, and stress, etc has been difficult in med school, oh boy!). Sometimes, it seems like the journey will never end
This ED–>FitSpo trend is something I find highly disturbing. The best way to recover from an ED/mental illness is through targeted supportive therapy. Of course, learning to love and appreciate your body with the right foods and exercise is important too, However effective psychological treatment is the #1 priority!
Becoming obsessed with fitness may seem healthy but rather is a way to displace ED into something else and can become a hide-out! Though I am happy for these girls and truly hope they have had proper mental recovery and continue to have psychological support. Some of the things listed still seemed to maintain similar qualities (the 4x/wk +crossfit+yoga,etc. and the all the numbers and lots of ‘losing weight’ language) and can be dangerous if not put into perspective or are taken out of context. Sometimes FitSpo looks good but can be another version of ED/Disordered eating (Similar to Bigorexia – if you’ve heard of it) but is just more socially acceptable outlet.
I have lived with or around my ED for over half my life (for most of you that is longer than you have been alive, or close to it).
I have had 5 wonderful children, and was able to maintain a healthy weight for most of those pregnancies.
I have never been “fully” anorexic to the point of bones protruding, or any of the behaviors most see to be the symptoms. I was always careful to have one meal (or part of one) a day, even at my worst point. I can not say what living with it has done to me over the years.
I understand the comments about seeking therapy, getting the needed help but it’s not always an option for some. Finding the support of a group online (as some have said they did before fighting their ED) is a start and it’s better than nothing.
I know when I feel in control of my healthy eating, instead of my withholding, it helps. I do not feel that my ED is “curable”, it comes and goes with the stress of life. I have had times of normal and times of knowing what I was doing was wrong. In my eyes, my ED is similar to any other addiction, it will never fully go away but with determination and support, the love of those around me, I can work every day to keep myself well each day.
I am currently part of an online group. It makes me feel like everyone else, but in a good way. Gaining the feedback that I do when I post, it tells me to go on, to fight for a healthy, normal me, even if I don’t have a therapist and dietician planning my days for me. While I am sure it is easier and better that way, some just can’t and to put that out there as the be and end all could end up scaring a person off recovery.
Any way a person can find help in fighting their ED, whether it be over or under eating, just knowing there is hope and it can be done, that it’s not easy but it’s possible, knowing that is what keeps me going each day. So for any of you out there, keep trying. Know that you may not see it but you are loved and valued and worth learning to love the self you are as well. Find the support where ever you can.
This comment is so beautiful, I’m in a very similar situation with bulimia but I’ve never taken my condition seriously enough to get help because I’ve never got ‘thin’. But it’s wonderful to know that there is someone else out there like me fighting to overcome this illness with ups and downs. I have a beautiful son and he is the reason I keep trying.
I really like these stories because it is different than just the stories about people who want to lose weight.
These stories always warm my heart! I have been fortunate to never struggle from and ED but have friends that have/do. Thank you, Cassey for allowing Jamie and Stephanie to share their stories with all of us.
It’s such a gift to give to the world when we do work that we love. Cassey- because you love your work, you are litterallly changing peoples live! That’s the beauty of it all!
As someone attempting to recovery from anorexia, these stories are very empowering! It is a rough road, and it’s great to see these two girls are powering down it! I love pilates and blogilates! Keep it up – the videos are awesome.
BRAVA LADIES!!! This could not come at a more perfect time for me as I begin my own recovery journey (battle more like!). Its great to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
But Casey you totally framed it incorrectly!! Especially for someone who is eating disordered and NEEDS to change – the title ‘gaining weight’ omg I had an anxiety panic ED-tack (attack) just reading it. A week ago there is no way I would have clicked on the link. I have been passively following this blog and doing the videos every once in a while because they’re so awesomely crafted, motivational, and your energy is so spunky! But when you are literally starving yourself and thin by sheer fact that your body has given up on you and just exerting as little effort as necessary to sustain your damn life, attempting these workouts are SO HARD. Which is why I finally – FINALLY – am eating real people whole foods. If I’m going to fight this thing and become fit and healthy and happy and unwrap my mind from its disordered state I’m going to need ENERGY (food) to fight this uphill war. But I have to avoid your posts about your YOLO because theyre super triggering :\
Such an inspiration. You go girls! You both look so beautiful and strong. I’m happy you both had the courage to share your journey with us, thank you <3
you guys are such an inspiration. WELL DONEEEEEEE ! from my deep heart core .
I had an ED in high school but i never calorie counted because i didnt know how and involved the tiniest bit of exercise because I wasn’t any good. I was the nerd who never did sport but was thin and pretty anyway. I did it to be able to control my life but it only made me feel more out of control than ever before, which made me keep going. My boyfriend at the time insisted I get help but I finally came out of it last year. The last 3 years out of high school made me see how life really is and i try to live to the fullest.. I learnt how to do Pilates, found blogilates on youtube and found I was good at weight lifting and core workouts. (thanks Cassey!) I don’t do the meal plans but i always use cheap clean eats for my dinner and snacks, never replace a meal with protein powder and I always eat breakfast – its my favourite meal of the day.
I had an ED over the summer. I only ate 300 cals or under. I didn’t work out that much. Recently though, I decided that what I was doing was stupid. I started doing Cassey’s workouts again and now I’m so much happier..and healthier! I hope that soon, I can send her some before and after pics 🙂
So great to see this! I’m trying soooo hard to gain weight, only 3 lbs so far but will keep going! This is very motivational for me because I don’t want to be just skin and bones anymore, I want to be fit and healthy 🙂
This post gave me chills and made me want to cry for these girls. To see their bones sticking out to the extent that they were made me so sad! I’m happy they have found a middle ground and a sense of self love. I starved myself in high school, not entirely on purpose but it did become a problem. I told myself I would never starve myself again. Currently, I’m heavier than I would like to be, but I refuse to do it the unhealthy way. Trying to form healthy habits is a slower process than starving myself, but I love myself too much to do my body harm again. Good luck to you all out there. xoxo
I have found out I have an ED last Thursday, pretty recently. Now I know lots of girls use fitness to overcome their ED, but I’d like to tell the otherside of fitness… Because I created an ED with fitness. I worked out around 2 hours a day and started to eat less and less. I’m on day 8 of esting normally again. But all the fitness and obsessingly wanting to eat healthy can also cause you an ED. My doctor told me your body needs at least 2000 calories, just to live. When you don’t work out and stuff, you still won’t gain weight. When you do workout you need to go over the 2000 calories.
I just hope y’all to stat healthy and don’t become obsessive by losing weight. It’s no fun. And I hope that in a while I can proudly say I won the battle. But right now it can go either way.
So fitness is not always the solution…
Right now I’m a fighter, hoping to become a winner.
I know you POPsters support me, that’s great.
Xxxxxxxx
Thanks for sharing! It is important that people know that obsession with fitness can lead to a downward spiral into an ED or disordered eating. Wishing you the best in your recovery! God Bless
Cassey,
I like you a lot but this is not what you should be using to show as healthy transformations. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses (look up the DSM-5) that are not cured by simply eating and working out (which this article -whether you meant it or not- portrays). It’s almost like saying someone cured their bi-polar disorder with long walks on the beach and green juice. I agree with the others that think it’s harmful and deceptive to show these transformations. I hand it to the ladies for gaining weight but it also takes guts to get diagnosed and work with a therapist. I hope they continue their journey but with the proper professional help that they need.
While that may very well be true, we really have to take into account that both of these beautiful ladies have indeed had a change of heart and lifestyle, and it is completely in their power and how people like us support them to keep it going!
Not *all* eating disorders are mental illnesses. Some are a side affect of depression and feelings of worthlessness, which, like in these two cases, can be done away with simply by being surrounded by loving support ad people who love you. I personally used to worry about my weight all the time. I counted my calories relentlessly, wore weight loss patches, took diet pills, and exercised so I weight 87 pounds. I was only twelve. But I didn’t have a mental illness! I was just a lonely and depressed person.
I think people are way to quick to call everything a mental illness or a disorder that needs clinical therapy. Part of life is learning to overcome these things, and I had to do so almost all by myself because to this day no one knows about it but me and God. So we worked on it together. 🙂
Heather,
I appreciate what you’re saying, but I don’t think that that is what Cassey is trying to portray here. It is not just with exercise and eating more that an ED can simply be cured. The purpose of this segment is more to show girls that it is possible to overcome ED and that a healthy diet and exercise are part of that. She never stated anywhere against getting professional help and the first segment even highlighted that part of her transformation was a great support system. Also, with Cassey showing this, she is inspiring people to get help or to simply get ideas on how to break the cycle. Some people simply do not have access or cannot afford to get the “proper professional” help that they need and turn to the internet to try and help themselves. With people like Cassey, those people may take that first step in improving their lives, which is better than no steps at all.
Well said Jia! I completely agree. There is a huge amount of pro-ED information all over the internet and even if one girl who is suffering from it looks at this article and thinks “wow maybe I should talk to somebody about this” or just realises that they might have a problem, which is nothing but positive 🙂
Yes, unhealthy eating can be a side effect of other life stresses, but clearly some of the girls in this post had serious eating disorders. Also depression IS a mental illness.
You’re right that people need to learn to overcome issues in their lives – but a big way for a lot of people to learn how (especially when it’s having this much affect on your life) is through therapy. Therapy isn’t just for people who “have something wrong with their brain.” People who are considered “healthy” go to therapy all the time. As someone who struggled with unhealthy eating as a young adult, I can’t tell you how important it was for me to seek help and figure out WHY I was doing these things to myself. It wasn’t always clear to me that the reason I was hurting myself was because I felt so awful (as obvious as it seems – I was practically a kid). I have a very loving mother and friends, but never told them about it – which is where therapy came in for me. So just having a support system isn’t always the answer (especially if they aren’t sure what support they are supposed to be giving – they aren’t experts after all).
With that said, I totally acknowledge that what works for some people doesn’t work for others. And the means and privilege of a person may mean that therapy isn’t an option for them.
Sorry that reply was for Allie.
Not trying to plug my blog…just wanted to share that I was so inspired that I reblogged this post. Thank you so much for shedding light on eating disorders. I’ve suffered with bulimia and body image my entire life. It thrills me to see folks talking about healing!
hey, I had an eating disorder too. I was just wondering if anyone had lost their period and ever got back?
That means you don’t have enough fat on your body to produce enough estrogen to get your period back. You are still very underweight for your body and need to eat more and stop exercising.
You both look absolutely gorgeous! Congratulations on winning the battle over your eating demons – you’re both an inspiration, I’m so pleased for you both 🙂
http://www.ceejayell.blogspot.co.uk
Congratulations ladies. Your stories are an inspiration to so many women. Jaime – I hope you are enjoying your undergrad! I am almost finishing up my Masters in OT and it was the best career choice I could ever had made. I hope you love it too!
This post made me cry [: I loved it. Thank you so much for posting, Cassey.
Jamie story is so great and inspiring. Such a beautiful healthy girl. Id like to share my fitness story and how I got healthy.
http://www.inallofhersplendor.com/2014/02/24/fitspiration-my-fitness-story/
I’m battling an eating disorder currently in my life and this stories show me that I can do this, that if I work hard I will overcome this horrible disease and be healthy and happy!!!! Thank you Cassie, you and every single popster out there is an inspiration for me to get better.
I read these stories with tears welled up in my eyes. God bless and fight the good fight
Much Love from Maryland <3
Speaking from experience, EDs are fundamentally a mental health issue. The physical recovery is great, but folks need to remember that a healthy body starts with a healthy mind and spirit. Sometimes people recover from restricting and purging, but then channel their issues into other negative behavior (including exercise addiction!) I’m glad for the progress made by the ladies on this post, but I hope they are also working on the issues that got them on an unhealthy path in the first place.
I really love this post. I struggled with an exercise disorder and Bulimia for two years. I refused to get help from my family. It hit a point where my parents would stand outside the bathroom to make sure I wasn’t throwing up. I moved away interstate with the defence force, where people didn’t know me well enough to notice a problem.
I ate very little, mainly things like chicken stock with mushrooms so I felt full. I hit rock bottom when I tore the ligaments off my ankle and was no longer able to run and had an ankle reconstruction. Being unable to exercise and being forced to come and rehabilitate with my family honestly saved me from getting any worse. I had so much time to talk about it with my mum and being on crutches prevented me from quickly slipping away and throwing up. In April 2013 I hired a body building coach, she told me what to eat and encouraged me to eat more and more healthy food. I felt confident in her and her weight training and very limited cardio program. It didn’t happen overnight by any means, but bit by bit my goals changed and I became happier. I no longer worry about what I eat, food and eating out no longer causes anxiety and fear. I was so worried I’d never get over my disorders, it took a lot to even admit to myself there was a real problem.
Michelle
These are such wonderful stories and often something we miss in every day life. These girls are full of more strength, courage, and beauty than most. Keep being inspirations!
Wow! Such amazing stories! It’s so inspiring when people stop listening to society and start listening to their bodies. I love before and after pictures like these because you can see how much healthier and happier people are when they take care of themselves. This among other things is what inspires me to be a fitness instructor. I want to be able to help people overcome their struggles like Cassey has. Our bodies deserve to be fed the right amount of nutrition. Thank you!
Jaime and Stephanie congratulations on your ED recoveries and thank you guys SO much for sharing your stories! I immediately connected to both your stories of personal empowerment through the love and support that we get here within this wonderful Blogilates Community. Both of you inspired me to never give up on my personal goals to find inner strength and courage.
This is actually such a nice thing to read. Im petite, some even say im too skinny. Im not, im perfect the way i am, you always hear stories about bigger girls trying to get smaller, but its rare that you hear small girls trying to get bigger through sports… motivated.
Amazing stories! keep going, thanks cassey for being such an inspiration 🙂
CongratulationsJaimy! You have come a long way, you can be very proud of yourself!
“2.) Get rid of all negative influences. I had to go through all of my social media and unfollow all unhealthy sources of motivation. I unfollowed any account that posted thinspo or unhealthy dieting.”
THIS. IG is full of accounts that claim to promote healthy eating and a healthy body image, while they are not. It has a huge effect on women and young girls, of which the latter participate with each other on dieting apps who ate the least calories 🙁
Thanks for posting something like this, Cassey 🙂
Love this post! It shows that theres no reason to become too skinny and thats it’s okay to not be stick thin. I just started my own fitness blog and I would really appreciate it if you would check it out.
http://mosfitnessadventures.blogspot.com
I think the example set by these two is that they found ways of eating and exercise that were guided in a much more healthy way than what they had before. I can’t imagine that having that kind of self control to diet and exercise for such a long time then being told my a therapist to go cold turkey and sit on a couch and eat would help reframe the situation in a way that the sufferer would feel proud of, connected to and in control. If you’ve been dieting and exercising to such an extreme, and you find a positive role model who guides you to eating healthy but more than you were, and exercise but less than you were, that seems like a more gradual and reliable transition. And yes, having the community of people that discuss these conditions openly so it’s not something to be ashamed of and hidden but brought in to the light and discussed can only be a good thing. Starving yourself or sitting on the couch gorging yourself are both extremes, and the middle ground found on a site like this might be the baby step people need to find their way back to health.
I struggled with an anorexia about two years ago. Even though I was already quite slim, I had a feeling that I has too much fat on my body, and I started eating less and less, skipping lunch at school and lost a lot of weight – so dangerous as I didn’t even have that much to loose.
Luckily, I do not have any disordered thoughts or anything anymore. I eat quite a lot, focusing on healthy fats, and drink some nutritional drinks that my dietitian recommended me for extra calories, fat and protein. I’m so happy, but there’s one big problem: I cannot gain weight!
I’ve tried and tried for so long, my dietitian and doctor both say I eat enough, and I have no idea what’s going on. My cholesterol is also too low (yes, too low!) even though I eat quite a lot of eggs, cheese and such! what’s hard for me is that even though I’m all recovered mentally, my body is just not following along. I feel trapped in my body
When I used to see thin girls I used to think how lucky they were to not be overweight. But I had a friend who had this same problem and I realize now that we all go through struggles with body image but these girls are inspirations because they have become healthy and comfortable in their own skin. congratulations girls you look fantastic!
I find this so inspirational! I’ve always had trouble gaining weight because I have a small appetite and I’m naturally thin, but not a nice thin, a skinny thin. I love how you’re showing the other side to body transformation! Lots of people don’t realise gaining weight is just as hard as loosing it, if not, harder. I’ve started the beginners workout calendar and i’m hoping this will help me.
<3
I’m so very glad the girls found ways to overcome and become stronger and healthier in both mind and body. We all face very traumatic challenges throughout our lives, and we can all make it through with the right support and a positive outlook!
<3
~Marliese~
Dear Cassey, could you please post a warning in the title of posts that have photos like this in the future? It is very triggering for some girls, and right now it has kind of rattled me. Please, this is very important. I think you are amazing, but please can you edit the title of this on all your social media and post a warning that this may be triggering for those suffering from an ED? Thank you. I really don’t even want to get inside my head right now….it terrifies me.
I agree.
Sameee, please put a trigger warning in your posts!
Agreed. Cassey, check out NEDA (http://nedawareness.org/) for guidelines on posting about ED in a way that isn’t triggering.
I totally agree.
I know the intentions were really good Cassie and I really respect those girls and aspire to get there someday. Right now I am knee deep in recovery and seeing specific numbers and hearing about people’s “lows” was really hard. If the specifics of the disorder could be less of the focus and pay more attention to healthy food and body relationships that would be great. Eating disorders are hard to get passed and easily triggered. Or if you don’t want to change the content, could you post a trigger warning?
Thanks!
It is great you are making people aware!
It’s so great that you’re showing the other side as well! Gaining weight is just as hard!
http://mividabonitaa.blogspot.nl/
I am a recovered ED survivor and also agree…its best to have professional help. Cassey I LOVE your program dont get me wrong…I am actually using it while trying to gain right now due to illness, however I am working with a nutritionist and put on limits. Working with a professional and being able to let go of the control is VERY important wityh ED…recovery centers won’t let you exercise at all. That being said, i am so happy for these girls and glad you are bringing awsreness to it cassey!! I just want to caution others with ED not to use it as their next system of control.
Thanks for speaking up, Jennifer. This is really important. Blogilates probably isn’t something someone with an ED should do immediately during recovery.
At the moment I am struggling with an eating disorder – anorexia and it is very difficult for me to recover and enjoy my life again. I weigh 38 pounds and I am very weak. But I decided to beat anorexia and begin to eat healthy and exercise, I want to start loving my body again. Blogilates is really helpful for me, although I can never finish all the videos from the calendar. Sometimes I still starve, but I know it’s not good…
38 kg, sorry!
Hi ! First i think you should start to eat more and do no exercise too much…when you will have gained a bit of weight do light exercises such as walking, biking… don’t hurt your body more than it already is ! And talk to an adult about this or a friend, someone you trust ! You may not want it but i promise it’s the best thing to do ! A friend of mine went through anorexia thanks to her doctor, parents and friends, otherwise she probably woudn’t manage to go over it. So PLEASE talk !
Lots of love and hope you’ll recover soon, I believe in you <3 Manon
Thank you very much! <3 Unfortunately, my mom does not want to admit that I have an eating disorder. I have to find the strenght and overcome this by myself.
Do you have a teacher or friend mom you can talk to?
Crystal, you need help! I’m so sorry to hear that your mom isn’t able to support you. Is there a doctor at your school who could possibly put you in touch with a professional? No one should have to go through this alone. Take it from someone who’s been struggling with Anorexia for 9 years.
Right now you need to focus on getting help gaining some weight before anything else. Gaining weight as well as therapy will make it easier for you to deal with the mental stress which you are experiencing. A psychiatrist and a dietitian can help you regain your balance in life. THEN you will be able to focus on exercising to get a healthier and stronger body. Please seek help, girl. You deserve to be happy and in control of your own body and mind.
<3
I think my mom is afraid. She doesn’t want to hear that her little girl might be struggling with something like this. Even if I tell her again, she won’t want me to go to therapy. She believes I can overcome it by myself.
Crystal, you are not alone! Even if your mom can not see it, there are friends and family and so many others that would be there if only you feel safe enough to talk to them. Maybe with their help you can get it through to your mom. Whether or not she wants to admit there is a problem, it’s there.
Find a support group that you can turn to.
Stop focusing on what she wants and focus on what you need to feel the beautiful girl you are.
No cardio until you reach a healthy weight! Your body is depleted so weight bearing exercises are best, you need to build your muscle, right now your fat is so low cardio will just deplete your stores more. Someday you will be able to do it again, but right now your body needs restorstion!
Thanks very much for your answers and support! 🙂 Should I drink some protein drinks? Would it help me?
I recommend drinking ensure or something like that to help gain weight also. My friends doctor had her drink that to help gain weight. You can find it at your local grocery store. You can get through this!! 🙂 praying for you!
Cassey I would love to if you write something about naturally skinny people and how they can gain weight. I was always very thin and it is so hard, when people call me anorectic and I am not. I started exercising and it is a little bit better now, but I alway wanted to be a curvy woman 🙂
Sorry if my english is bad. I am from Czech Republic 🙂
I agree with marga and Elle… This is not recovering from an ED buth changing the focus. I’ve been in the same position, but I realised that was just swapping my anorexic mind for an orthorexic one. I was still obsessed with food, but now in an other way. Now I’m seeking help to get rid of all the obsessed thoughts so I can have a normal life again. Exercising is fun, but you should do it when you’re weight restored and clean eating may be a huge trigger.
I’m sorry to say so, but those stories are deceiving. I’m happy for those girls and their effort to get healthy and recover, but if you go see professional help for and ED, you WON’T be told :”Go follow blogilates, it’s so fun and effective :)”, you probably will be told to sit on a couch and don’t you dare to burn a single calorie until you’re weight-restored. Recovering on your own it’s a hard thing and those girls did great, but a recovery process involves some commitment too, for example you have to commit to avoid compensating your intake in any way, that means pruging, but that means working out too. Jumping from a restricted intake to a “healthy meal plan” is not so wise either, because the whole goal is to feel free to eat WITHOUT having to stick to a plan and eliminating any feeling of guilt associated with food. A yolo meal once a week does not serve this purpose, I’m afraid. You’ll have to face your fear foods constantly without the safety net of a workout to compensat them. Recovery is ugly too, weight restoring is terrible and triggering and a lot of stages do not involve a positive body image. I’ve been struggling with an ED for over 10 years and I assure you and beg you: seek help and be prepared to face ugly situations, and please keep in mind that if you swap your ED-rules with a meal-workout-training plan, you’re still living according to a control system, and most EDs are about control of your body. My request is to correct this post and please be a little more precise about what an ED actually is. Other than that, I really like Blogilates and the community. xoxo
What you said is almost exactly word for word what my psychiatrist told me. I have been fighting bulemia for 7years , on my Own. Because i WANTED to win this battle and recover, i started eating very healthy and working out, i thought it will free me from guilt, bulemia and end this nightmare. Although i got definetely better (less purging) i am Still in a “food restriction mode” (i must only eat healthy, just healthy frood, eating unhealthy is bad for me…) , consequently i Still feel guilty when i eat something which doesńt fit in my “ok food ” catégorie which leads to binge eating and purging… To break the circle of bumimia it is nevessary to STOP RESTRICTING FOOD (diet, meal plan) to free yourself from the guilt each Time you “mess up”
We CAN do it , i Will fully recover
Totally agree!!
I can relate to everything you just said. Thank you! With that said, I don’t wish to take anything away from these girls. Just as you said, it’s very positive that they were able to turn their lives back around and they deserve so much respect and recognition for that! But these certainly aren’t typical recovery stories and I would advice any person struggling with an eating disorder to seek professional help.
I completely agree. When I went into my recovery I was told I wasn’t allowed to exercise at all. They didn’t even want me to do the walking I had to do to get from A to B at school, but that was a little harder to prevent. I found Blogilates as a way to rebel in my crazed, eating-disordered thinking while I was on exercise restriction. it wasn’t until I stopped following what Cassey promoted as “clean eating” that I actually truly recovered, because I’d just went from one type of restriction to another with “clean eating”.
That being said, great job to these girls because I know that recovering is a huge challenge, especially on your own as I left doctor’s care after a year because of financial issues. Although, just the way this was written and having been anorexic for 10 years it didn’t really sound like they had EDs so much as ED behavior. But, I don’t want to take away from the weight restoration and finding what they believe to be healthy. Great job for them, but if anyone honestly thinks they have an ED they need to seek medical care.
I understand what you mean. However, I have also had an eating disorder and when I trusted my current boyfriend enough to admit everything, I finally realised I needed to start loving myself and treating my body better.
I didn’t stop exercising, but did a lot less and ate more. I gained weight and wasn’t too upset about it.
However, I also didn’t feel proud of myself.. Like I wasn’t achieving enough.
Since I became vegan and started doing blogilates, I am feeling great. I weigh the same as when I started doing Blogilates, but I became stronger and healthier and only now I am happy with who I am.
I did not just overcome the ED, I came out so much stronger than I was before that.
That being said, I realise Blogilates isn’t a typical way to overcome an ED. But some people will manage better with some exercise. Therapies might want to change too much all at once (which is something lots of people with EDs need, but not everyone). Blogilates is not just about ‘not being ill’; it’s about feeling amazing, proud, loved.Those are things people with eating disorders struggle with.
<3
I wanted to add that the recovery did not go as smooth as I portrayed in the last comment.
I was already trying to get better for 2 years before I met my bf. Only then I started to improve and now, 3 years later, I feel that I really got rid of my anorexia/bulimia. Been feeling completely recovered since 2 years ago.
Exactly what marga said.
Thank you for being brave enough to support and post these stories Cassey. I am sure you will get a number of comments both positive and negative but as someone who has been in a similar place – working out and calorie counting until I was unhealthy and underweight (but successfully and proudly coming out the other side!!!) – it’s valuable to me to see both extremes of the weight journey acknowledged by a fitness professional like yourself. I agree with Elle that each experience is complex and not necessarily black and white but the most important thing has been said by yourself, Jamie and Stephanie and that is the value of finding support in whatever way works for you.
Be kind to yourselves girls x
I didn’t want to say anything about these girls specifically as they have obviously done a fantastic job, just to point out basically what Marga (above) says – it’s not going to be the right way to solve the problem for a lot of girls (and boys!)
Stephanie: you have a BEAUTIFUL BODY! I’m glad you’re not struggling anymore but I just had to tell you that your body looks beautiful in every pic.
Thank you, to both of you for sharing!
I don’t want to make a specific comment about these girls as I think it would be unfair. However, I do think you need to be really careful about what kinds of story you associate with “eating disorders” and such, as a lot of young girls are obsessed with their body image and some can eat minimal calories a day but not all of these will have an eating disorder. It is a much more complex relationship between body and mind than simply not eating. I would also maybe point out that this may be triggering for some so you may want to post a warning. Finally, if some people have an eating disorder or body dysmorphia then doing a lot of exercise and eating Cassey’s meal plans probably aren’t the best way to go about solving the problem, as the meal plans are very restrictive and limited (sorry, but they are) and some could get addicted to exercise, which isn’t as fun as it sounds.
I agree a trigger warning is needed on such posts!
Just YES. Everything you said. You put what was in my head into words. I couldn’t truly recover from my ED until I stopped following Cassey in terms of whatever she said about food because it is very restrictive. And I’m sorry, but unless you were officially diagnosed you didn’t have an ED because so many people will associate anything with EDs today, so I hold them to that standard. You have to fit a very specific criteria to get diagnosed.
I also completely agree. I love Cassey’s meals, but a lot of them worry me simply because there aren’t enough calories in them to sustain me, and in her videos what appears to be a single serving seems more like a half a serving. I actually used some of Cassey’s videos when I had anorexia—both exercise and food videos. Until someone recovers from their ED, they shouldn’t be exercising or watching what they eat.
I think that depends on your ED. I was bulimic for ten years, and part of what I did was re-learn how to eat. And that started with meal plans. I don’t know about Cassey’s plans because I am pretty confident now that I know a way to eat that’s good for me, but if you are bulimic than learning a “normal” portion size is helpful and learning about nutrients is helpful (at least it was for me). And the idea of the yolo meal is also one that was basicaly on my meal plan — that you can eat something that isn’t an everyday food, but it’s okay.
I don’t want to say anything about other EDs because they’re different and treated differently. I knew people who were anorexic who had different treatment plans.
YES YES YES. In my ED I was obsessed with Blogilates videos and meal plans. I ate 1500 calories a day (which is what some of her largest meal plans are!!) and lost 30 pounds to a very unhealthy BMI of 17 (I was still thin before). Personally I think that this site can exacerbate EDs and does not promote a healthy relationship with food, exercise, or one’s body. At all.