Why limit yourself when there is a path to recovery that includes self-connection, compassion, and care? You may think, “Recovery sounds nice, but I have no idea where to start.” Here are five tips to help you begin your journey:

Tip #1: Build Your Team

Please remember that you need and deserve support and guidance on your journey. Building a treatment team can provide a safe space to break down the barriers that have kept you from living freely.

When assembling your team, ask providers if they are knowledgeable about eating disorders, diabetes care, Intuitive Eating, and Health at Every Size (HAES). Recommended team members may include a Registered Dietitian, therapist, primary care physician, endocrinologist, and psychiatrist. 

Seeking treatment from an eating disorder treatment center may also be a beneficial option, providing specialized care to address the complex relationship between diabetes and disordered eating behaviors. 

Tip #2: Give Yourself Permission to Be Imperfect

The first step to recovery is choosing to start. The second step is choosing to keep going when the road gets bumpy. Some people view healing, both emotionally and physically, as an upward spiral or taking three steps forward and two steps back.

Success in recovery means moving through both small victories and challenges. Practice compassion, and give yourself credit for the daily work you put into healing. Allow yourself to learn and grow through imperfection.

Tip #3: Rebuild Trust with Your Body

Here are some questions to assess if you’re in tune with your body:

• Can you tell when you’re hungry or full?
• Can you tell when your blood glucose is high or low?
• Can you tell when you’re tired?
• Do you know how your body physically responds to emotions?
• Do you trust your body to know what it needs?

If you felt uncertain answering any of these questions, your interoceptive awareness—the ability to connect to and understand your body’s internal cues—might be disrupted. The good news is you can relearn how to trust your body, and in turn, your body will begin to trust that you’ll nourish and care for it.

How to Start Building Body Trust:

• Build a consistent meal schedule that includes three meals and two to three snacks daily.
• At each meal, try to include all macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), along with some color and fiber from fruits and vegetables.
• At snack times, practice pairing carbohydrates with proteins and fats.
• Explore your cravings, desires, and any foods you’ve moralized. Work with your team to add these foods and build food freedom.

Tip #4: Challenge the Morality You’ve Connected to Food, Body, and Self

Think about what you want your relationship with food and your body to look like. If you’re reading this, you may already have thoughts about whether the foods you eat or your body are “good” or “bad.”

Spoiler alert! There is no such thing as good or bad foods or bodies.

We are human, made to eat for optimal functioning, for pleasure, to celebrate, and more. Freedom from food morality is possible! The books Intuitive Eating and Am I Hungry? Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat are two excellent resources to get started. It’s recommended to pair this education with support from a Registered Dietitian.

Tip #5: Explore Joyful Movement

Society often portrays exercise with the idea that “pain is gain.” In reality, your body deserves to be enjoyed and honored, not punished.

Whether you already exercise or are looking to start, consider these questions:

• Do you enjoy the exercise you’re doing?
• What type of exercise or movement might you enjoy?
• Do you exercise for your mental and physical health?
• Do you exercise to “burn calories” or because you feel “guilty” about what you ate?
• Do you feel “guilty” or “anxious” if you don’t exercise?
• Do you exercise even if your body is hurting?

Remember the interoceptive awareness we discussed earlier. You deserve to feel good when you exercise and to enjoy yourself. You also deserve rest, compassion, and care. If any of these are missing, take a moment to pause and reevaluate your relationship with exercise and your body.