My Journey

I have struggled with an eating disorder for over 20 years of my life!  There, I’ve said it!  I am sharing with the world to hear, that I have struggled!  And I have struggled for a long time!  But I will NO LONGER struggle in silence!

Recently, I was looking at photos of myself before I got pregnant with my son, Liam.  I found the photos to be shocking!  I was 25lbs lighter and I almost didn’t recognize the person that I saw.  These photos also took me down memory lane.

I’ll never forget the day that I stopped eating lunch!  I was in Grade 7 and my desk was on the right side of the classroom.  I was in the second row with another desk on my left and it was facing the door.  At lunch time, I took a bit of my white dinner roll with Chez Whiz and it tasted like mold.  That was the day, that my 12-year-old self, made the decision to stop eating lunch.  This event was one of the triggers that has impacted my life.

Another thing that also impacted me around the same time was receiving nicknames like, Skinny Minnie and Olive Oil (from the show Popeye).  I was called these “nicknames” from both friends and adults.  Sure, we might think that they are innocent but they truly affected me deep down.

We don’t understand the power of our words and how they can have an impact on a person’s life, both positively or negatively.  Those words, which seemed innocent, impacted my life in a negative way. Have you ever caught yourself doing the same? I know that I have.

Today, I am sharing this with you so that you can findHOPE when it seems like all hope is lost. I am breaking free from the chains that have held me back. I am breaking free from all the negative words that have been spoken over me. I am standing up and speaking out, when others are silent. I am giving a voice to the silent.

Today, I stand proud, having gained 25lbs! And the eating disorder no longer controls me.

I AM FREE!!!!