I love my body.

When I say this, I frequently hear lots of clapping and even cheers. I give talks across the country about my personal recovery from an eating disorder, and people in the audience are often fed up (no pun intended) with assaults against women's bodies. It is...

Thirteen years ago, when I was 22-years-old, if I wasn't sleeping, I was with Ed. I am not talking about a guy, but my eating disorder. In therapy, I was taught to treat anorexia/bulimia like a relationship -- naming it Ed, short for "eating disorder" -- rather than an illness...

I have heard that 90 percent of an iceberg lies below the water. I saw this phenomenon firsthand on a recent boat ride near Juneau, Alaska. Traveling solo, I signed up for the boat ride, in part to think and reflect on the next steps in my life, specifically in...

Now that I am fully recovered from my eating disorder, I finally know the truth. I realize that eating disorders are serious, life-threatening mental illnesses. I also know that eating disorders are not "just a phase" but instead require professional help. I finally understand that no one chooses to have...

I have two copies of the book, "Bulimia: A Guide to Recovery" by Lindsey Hall and Leigh Cohn. One is over 10 years old, the cover is worn and handwritten notes mark the pages throughout. The other copy just arrived in the mail. My name is...

This is the quote on a decorative towel that hangs in my home (see image below). After calling off my wedding about five years ago, I bought this towel on a shopping trip with a friend. At the time, the quote and the picture of the woman made me smile...

I am grateful that Facebook did not exist when I was a teenager. Trying to deal with dating back then was challenging enough without the added pressure of social networking. I remember being stressed beyond belief about whether or not my big-time crush liked me. I was devastated to discover...

I am sitting here eating a piece of cake my mom made for my birthday. I am enjoying it. Zero guilt. Why is eating cake a matter of discussion? Because eating -- for me -- used to be a matter of life or death. For much of my life, I...

I am a codependent cook. It makes me nervous to cook for someone else. What if they don't like what I decide to cook? Even worse, what if they don't like how I cook? To avoid these uncomfortable questions -- and the even more uncomfortable answers -- I have simply...

I was sitting in a coffee shop in Burbank, California the other day with my friend and colleague, Jess Weiner.* You might know Jess from her work with body image, self-esteem, or from one of her multitude of other talents! What you might not know is that she is my...

I am free. I feel liberated. I canceled my online dating account.

Let me clarify: I deleted my account entirely. I did not just hide it, put it on hold, or some other variation of not fully committing to the deletion process. Ignoring the online dating service's warning that I...

Lately, my mantra is: "I'm bad at dating." Part of my identity seems to be wrapped around this idea. Sometimes, I think I enjoy being the person in the room with the funniest (aka "most pathetic") dating stories. On a recent night out with friends, another woman was about to...

It is 2 p.m., and I am talking to my sister-in-law on the phone. I am telling her how excited I am about the guy I recently met online. Well, maybe I shouldn't use that word, "met," since we have never actually engaged with one another in person.

This is...

Do you have a New Year's resolution? As the last seconds of the year tick away, we often become introspective and think about ways that we can improve our lives. Some of the most common promises we make to ourselves each January 1st involve spending more time with friends and...

After Ed (aka "eating disorder") and I broke up, I have to admit that I splurged a little. I am not usually much of a shopper, but I was so excited about my life without Ed that I wanted to explore some new things. I was surprised to find that...

It's okay to be happy.

It took me a long time to learn this lesson, and it was a hard one to fully grasp. Like many people I know who have suffered with depression, I once believed that I was destined to be sad for life. Sometimes...

Think about your favorite, old sweater.

Now think about all of the fuzz balls on your favorite, old sweater. No matter what you do, the fuzz balls remain. No lint brush and no amount of picking the fuzz balls off one by one removes them for good. Like magic,...

A few days ago, I felt lonely. I wanted to smile and laugh with someone. Instead of calling a true friend who I knew would listen and cheer me up, I sent a text message to Spencer, a guy who predictably ignores me. I sent the message, and, of course,...

People often complain about the airlines. Not me. Not anymore.

These days, I give the airlines a big thank you for giving me the chance to practice the important concept of letting go on a regular basis.

When I check my bag before a flight, I let go,...

Now that Ed (insider nickname for "eating disorder") and I are no longer together, I am dating real people. As dysfunctional as my relationship was with Ed, at least dating him felt familiar and reliable. Sometimes what is bad (i.e. Ed) can actually feel safe and comfortable, simply because it...