Advanced_Workouts

[AWJen]

To anyone who has read my blog, you know that in the past I've suffered from anorexia. My success story is not one of weight loss, but rather weight gain.

It's beyond miserable to be engulfed in the tragedy of an eating disorder. All thoughts are taken up by food, weight gain, etc. These swirling and obsessive thoughts never let up, all day long. Not pleasant, to put it mildly, an eating disorder consumes all aspects of social and emotional well-being.

My first experience with anorexia came at age 13; with the support of my mother, I was able to recover and was fully weight restored within the year. I was fine until the age of 28, when I was faced with divorce. Shortly thereafter, I became involved with a man who was emotionally and verbally abusive. As a chef, he took pleasure in forcing me to eat anything and everything he cooked. If I didn't--if I was simply too full to eat every single drop of cream sauce, fried fish tacos, and everything else he cooked ... well, it simply wasn't a good situation to be in, to put it mildly. He enjoyed my discomfort with food and often made disparaging remarks about my struggle, which only deepend the issues.

I spiralled downward but as is so common with eating disorders, it didn't happen suddenly and I didn't realize everything that was going on until my ED was well established. Getting out of the "habit" of an eating disorder is one of the most difficult things a person can do.

I never would have made it through without the love and support of Amy Bento. Amy could see what was going on, not just with my eating but with the abusive relationship, and she did all the right things only a true friend can do to help support me. The turning point was when she asked me to be in her Slo-Mo Strength Challenge workout--but I had to eat enough to sustain the training period, and had to look and be in top health.

With that motivation, and with Amy's constant friendship and support, I was able to recover from my eating disorder. After meeting an incredibly kind and suportive man, I'm now finally in an equal and stable relationship. All those issues combine to now make me a solid, healthy person. Honestly, I still struggle with obsessive food thoughts every day--but now I have the tools to overcome them.

Eating disorders are genetic in nature, and my 10-year-old daughter recently became anorexic. I was there by her side to fight this demon, and I'm proud to say that after several urgently difficult months, she's nearly recovered. Completely weight-restored, she's back to her happy, social self.

Fitness played a huge part in my and my daughter's recovery; finding that healthy, energetic balance not only helps feed the body with necessary strength and energy, but it also serves to feed and strengthen the mind. Many people with eating disorders take exercise to the extreme, so finding that balance (within myself and again with the help of Amy) made all the difference in the world.

If anyone else has any success stories about overcoming personal difficulties, meeting certain fitness goals, or anything else ... well, please share. I'd love to hear from you.
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Advanced Workouts -- Your Source for Advanced-Level Home Fitness DVDs. http://www.advancedworkouts.com

[afirmrose]

Jen - Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I am glad to hear that you and your daughter are doing better. Good friends make the world of difference. I am glad that Amy is there for you. She is a warm caring person and you are too.
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Wendy

[ldy_solana]

i can't say i have had the extreme experience you have had but i do have an unhealthy relationship with food. not sure why, but i am a very very emotional eater. if i have a bad day i KNOW in my head its unhealthy to eat more then one brownie or to eat the entire half gallon of peppermint stick ice cream but i do it anyway!!!! then the cycle repeats that i feel terrible for eating like that, then i get depressed more b/c i lost control not so much that i fear gaining weight(although that thought does come to mind).

i would think with all i have in my life that i can't control, i should be able to control my impulses to eat comfort food just to feel better instead of savoring a healthy amount for a treat. when i lose that control it feels like a lost a lot.

a lot of anxiety and depression i deal with that i am getting help for so i am hoping those coping tools i am being taught will help me over in my eating department. i workout plenty with variety of workouts and even when i am low on energy i find SOMETHING to do. but my results lack b/c i can't handle stress in a proper manner. not sure why FOOD of all things is my comfort. maybe b/c the later years of life i was raised by my grandparents, and you know grandmas, a cookie makes it all better LOL. they mean well but maybe that had something to do with it.

as you can of course understand,with a child with autism, many of days are crazy!!! mine is 9 and its hard to gauge where she is at mentally but her behavior is that of defiance so take a normal child's temper tantrum and magnify 1000 times and i just lose it!!! i do my best to keep that stuff out of the house but dh acts like i should control my impulse and "why should he suffer" b/c i don't want to eat it. to dh i am perfect and all this just has to do with me "feeling fat" but there is a little more to it than that.

not the same experience as you i am sure but i can kind of get the thoughts and emotions that boils down to unhealthy relationship with food in the other extreme.

kassia

[jp44]

Hi Jen,
Wow! What a powerful post! I've not read your blog and was unaware of your eating disorders. Thank you so much for sharing this! I'm glad you and your DD are on the road to health together. Amy is such a sweetie--I'm glad she was able to help you and I look forward to seeing you in more of her workouts!

JP44 (Joan)

[Mibandibee]

Thank you so much for sharing that Jen! And praise God you are doing well and are HEALTHY!! Praise God also for finding someone who is loving and compassionate and supportive! I am also glad your daughter is doing well- I too have a 10 yr old daughter and she is not going through anything like that ( and I hope and pray she never does) but when I was 14 I too had this slight eating disorder which I overcame. So I need to be very inclined to what may daughter is going through at all times- thanks for opening my eyes to that!
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Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

[AWJen]

Thank you so much -- all of your -- for your positive support. It means a lot to me!
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Advanced Workouts -- Your Source for Advanced-Level Home Fitness DVDs. http://www.advancedworkouts.com

[DirtDiva]

Wow...count me in with much respect for what you went through and triumphed over!