Her Best Self | Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast, Disordered Eating, Anorexia, Bulimia, Orthorexia, Body Image, Food Freedom, Calorie Counting, Obsessive Exercise, Food Restriction EP 219: The Body Story That's Keeping You Trapped with Poor Body Image (+ How to Change It & Write Your Next Chapter!)
In this episode, Lindsey speaks directly to the exhausted high-achieving woman, who's spent decades restricting food and over-exercising while trying to lead in every area of life. Drawing from her personal recovery from anorexia and years of coaching experience, Lindsey helps you understand how your "body story" - those deep-rooted messages about what your body should look like and what it means about your worth - was written by diet culture, not by you. Learn how to identify the costly messages you've been carrying and discover a framework for rewriting your relationship with your body from shame to self-compassion.
What You'll Learn in This Episode- How to identify the specific cultural messages that shaped your relationship with your body
- The hidden costs of carrying shame-based body stories (energy, presence, relationships, dreams)
- Why your body became a "project to control" rather than a "home to inhabit"
- The difference between health and size (and why conflating them keeps you trapped)
- A practical framework for rewriting your body story starting this week
- Specific daily practices to shift from body criticism to body appreciation
Opening (0:30-2:00) Lindsey speaks directly to exhausted high-achievers ready to break the restrict-exercise cycle
The Body Story Begins (2:00-5:00) "When did you first learn that your body was a problem to be solved? You didn't start out hating your body. You learned to."
Cultural Messages That Shaped You (5:00-8:00)
- "Good girls don't take up too much space"
- "Your body is your responsibility to control"
- "Thin equals healthy, healthy equals worthy"
- "Successful women have it all together, including their bodies"
The True Cost of Body Shame (8:00-10:30) What carrying these stories has cost you in energy, presence, authentic self, health, relationships, and dreams
Rewriting Your New Story (10:30-13:30) "Your body is not a problem to be solved. It's a miracle to be appreciated."
Powerful Quotes from This EpisodeOn Learning Body Shame: "You didn't start out hating your body. You learned to. You learned from a culture that profits from your insecurity."
On the Prison of Control: "That same control that felt like freedom was actually building your prison, brick by brick, year by year."
On Exhaustion: "You're successful in every other area of your life. You lead teams, you manage budgets, you solve complex problems... But when it comes to your body, you still feel like that confused young girl who learned that her worth was tied to her weight."
On True Health: "True health includes your mental well-being, your energy levels, your ability to do the things you love, your hormonal balance, your sleep quality, your stress management. None of these things require you to be a certain weight or size."
On Taking Up Space: "As a leader, as a woman, as a human being - you are allowed to have needs, to have desires, to exist fully in your body without apologizing for it."
This Week's Body Story Rewrite Actions- Morning Body Appreciation: Thank your body for something it did for you yesterday instead of immediately focusing on what you don't like
- Intuitive Nourishment: Ask "What would feel good and nourishing right now?" instead of "What should I eat according to my rules?"
- Joyful Movement: Choose movement based on how you want to feel, not calories you want to burn
- Compassionate Self-Talk: When you catch body criticism, ask "Would I talk to my best friend this way?"
Old Story: "My body is a problem to be solved through restriction and exercise" New Story: "My body is a miracle to be appreciated and cared for with compassion"
Old Story: "My worth depends on my size and what I eat" New Story: "My worth exists because I exist - my body is the vehicle for my life, not the determiner of my value"
Old Story: "I must control my body to be successful" New Story: "I honor my body's wisdom and treat it as I would treat a dear friend's body"
Ready for Personalized Support?One-on-One Coaching with Lindsey If you're a high-achieving woman ready to break free from the restrict-exercise cycle and rewrite your body story with expert guidance, apply for Lindsey's coaching program at www.herbestself.co
This intensive program is specifically designed for women who:
- Are exhausted from decades of fighting their bodies
- Lead successfully in other areas but struggle with food and body image
- Want to reclaim the energy they're spending on food rules and exercise obsession
- Are ready to model body peace for their families and teams
Join Our Community
- Her Best Self Society Facebook Group: Connect with hundreds of women rewriting their body stories www.herbestselfsociety.com
- Email List: Sign up at www.herbestself.co for exclusive resources, workshops, and offers for women breaking free from diet culture
Follow Lindsay
- Instagram: @thelindseynichol
- Website: www.herbestself.co
- Email: info@lindseynichol.com
Please rate, review, and subscribe to the Her Best Self podcast. Your support helps more women discover that they have the power to rewrite their body stories from shame to self-compassion.
Share this episode with a woman who needs to hear that her body story doesn't have to end with restriction and exhaustion - the best chapters are yet to come.
Remember: You are not too much, you are not too little, you are exactly enough, exactly as you are. Your body story is still being written, and you get to hold the pen.
xo,
lindsey
Coach with Me -＞Client Application
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Email me directly -> lindsey@herbestself.co
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Join the free FB community -> www.herbestselfsociety.com
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Need a helping hand guiding you girl!? You don’t have to do this alone!
Step 1: Go all IN! Decide to commit to yourself & your future! Do it scared girlfriend. Just do it!
Step 2: Apply for limited 1:1 & let’s work together -> Client Application
Step 3: Leverage the FB community for support & stay tuned for all the resources up & coming to help serve you!
YOU TOTALLY GOT THIS!
* While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.