Eating and Anxiety: What Helped Me

Lots of Anxiety Sisters have been emailing me about my eating and anxiety blog series to ask “what helped you?” I won’t keep you in suspense any longer–what helped me learn to manage my eating issues (and my anxiety) is an extraordinary place in the mountains of Vermont called Green Mountain at Fox Run, which is the nation’s oldest retreat exclusively for women who struggle with weight, emotional eating, binge eating, and feelings of food addiction. Their program is based on science and a non-diet approach to life and is run by the most compassionate, knowledgeable and committed staff I have ever come across.

This coming April 5-8, the Anxiety Sisters are teaming up with Green Mountain to offer a special weekend retreat for women struggling with eating and anxiety. Click here for more information about Green Mountain and the program we are offering.

Now for the backstory:

I have suffered from an eating disorder my entire adult life. Like most overweight women, I felt a lot of shame and anxiety surrounding my eating issues and allowed my life to revolve around cycles of deprivation (diets) in an attempt to “fix” myself followed by periods of overeating in response to my extreme restriction. The result: more weight, more shame, more feelings of failure, and more self-loathing. I am being painfully honest when I say that at least 75% of my energy was focused on food – what to eat, what not to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, etc. If this isn’t obsessive thinking, then I don’t know what is! I was a prisoner to these thoughts, which added substantial anxiety to my already overflowing bucket. I tried everything—weight loss programs, fads, pills, shots, soups, shakes, food combining, hypnosis, trainers, acupuncture, boot camps, nutritionists, and spas. Even when I managed to get really thin, I was still in in prison — obsessed and anxious about not regaining the weight (which I always did).

Green Mountain at Fox Run saved my life. After spending time there and working with the amazing staff, I have gotten my life back. I am no longer in a food “prison” obsessed with everything I eat (or don’t eat). And I am experiencing joy in my body and in my life — two things which had not been part of my world before Green Mountain.

So many of you have responded to my first 2 blogs in this series (Eating Disorders and Anxiety, Part One and Part Two) by saying “this is my story” or “this could be me.” I appreciate your support because writing about my eating disorder has made me feel vulnerable and naked. Your comments have once again assured me that I am not alone, and I am so grateful for this Sisterhood. If my story resonates with you, please consider joining us for this wonderful weekend. We look forward to seeing you there!