The Day I Realized I Didn’t Have to Run Anymore
And the precious lessons I learned about my body and exercise.
I’ll be honest, so much of my eating disorder recovery is a blur, but there are those few breakthrough moments that haven’t escaped me—like realizing the 10-plus-year running routine I religiously obeyed was, largely, a hoax.
I (eh-hem, my eating disorder) told myself that my slender physique was only possible because of the dozens of miles I ran each week and that if I let up on that mileage, I’d start to see the pounds stack on.
But one day I dared myself to do the unthinkable. I dared myself not to run.
For anyone who’s struggled with exercise dependency, you know the crippling fear that comes with the mere thought of straying away from your sacred exercise routine.
But I was ready to face that fear and wasn’t going to let my eating disorder convince me otherwise.
Here’s everything I learned (and gained) from choosing not to run that day.
No One’s Body Changes Overnight
The nefarious spell my eating disorder cast on me had me convinced that even a single-day hiatus from my running routine would result in instantaneous muscle loss and weight gain.
