Sharing "Little Victories"...kind of like we're all having afternoon tea together!
How has the week been for you? Whatever the week has been like for you, hopefully you are able to appreciate or recognize some Little Victory in your journey to get saner about food and body stuff. (If you are new to this whole “Little Victories” idea, check out some of our past weeks.)
The “Little Victories” Fridays are quickly becoming some of my favorites posts to write, because of all the incredible things you share. (This week especially, I’m feeling a lot of HealthyGirl.org love all around!)
I’ll start us off: This week I had kind of a big argument with a close friend, something that had been building up for a while. I’m someone that rarely gets in real arguments or fights, and in the off chance that I do, I often back down and let it slide because I am not the best with confrontation. This time, however, I knew it was important for me (and my friendship) to have a real conversation and SPEAK UP! It felt particularly good because in the past, I might have avoided this, and it would have most likely lead to me bingeing or emotionally eating to get rid of all the uncomfortable feelings that come along with this. Also, knowing that I didn’t honor and respect myself by saying what I needed to say would have fueled the fire and perhaps lead to more self-sabotage.
Even though it was initially difficult for me to have the important conversation, it was totally what needed to happen and I felt really positive about it afterward. My Little Victory that was kind of like a preemptive strike against feeling out of touch with myself and my food and body.
Alright, time for yours…What were some of your “Little Victories” this week? You know you had some! —Morgan
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My victories this week included having treats throughout the week (a single lindt truffle or a slice of cake), enjoying them and NOT letting them turn into full-out binges. I ate healthy (and delicious!) meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, enjoyed small indulgences for dessert and was able to leave it at that; no overeating, no uncomfortable fullness and most importantly, NO GUILT!
I’ve been in recovery for a couple of months now, but this week, I *finally* got to know what being in charge feels like. It’s empowering! Just knowing that I have the ability to make better choices for myself several days in a row has given me a confidence boost that I haven’t felt in a looooong time.
I was eating small handfuls of homemade granola-really just mindlessly snacking-and then I thought, “Why am I eating this? Am I really hungry?” It made me put the handful BACK and put the lid back on and walk away-and I didn’t obsess about going back for more. I’ve been trying to increase my self-awareness about WHY I’m eating things and refraining if I’m not hungry, so this was a big (little) victory for me!
Congrats everyone! I went out to dinner with my parents tonight, which is usually an indulgent meal because they love to treat me since they rarely see me during the school year. I ordered apple cobbler for dessert — and did not even come close to finishing it!! I was full, and I looked at the half-eaten dessert, and put the spoon down feeling fully satisfied and happy that I no longer feel the need to finish everything in front of me! Woohoo!
While I was watching tv the other night I kept feeling the urge to eat, but couldn’t tell if I was really hungry or not. I told myself I would make a small bowl of cereal and a cup of tea to try and see if I needed food or just something comforting. I had 2 bites of cereal and figured out that I was not really hungry, so I went for tea instead! This is a big victory for me - I am not sure I have ever left a bowl of cereal uneaten! I am proud of myself for listening to my body and giving it what it really needed instead of just turning to food without thinking.
I went to a music festival and instead of having 6 pre-drinks and another 6 while there and eating festival junk food - I ate a healthy lunch just before going in and stayed sober the entire day. Not only did I have a much better time, I can remember all the bands I saw!
On the McDonalds run on the way home while everyone ate burgers and fries I had some sliced apples and a yogurt!
One evening this week I had a few drinks with friends, and being 18 years old and all (I’d like to specify that I live in Quebec, where the legal drinking age is 18. No illegal activity going on here folks ;)), we always stop at McDonalds after an alcoholized night out. While my friends were indulging, I was tempted to join in but decided to pass. When I got back home I had a whole wheat toast with almond butter (which I debated on having, because I was afraid it would turn into a binge. But after some thought I realized I actually was hungry and needed to eat a little something.)
It may not seem like much, but to me it’s a really big victory because #1, when I drink even a little bit I tend to have huge cravings for junk food after, and #2, usually when I’m in a group where everyone is eating junk, I tend to either go along with them, even if I’m not hungry, or I use up all my self-restraint by eating nothing in front of them, but then I binge when I get back home.
Baby steps.
I love this! I used to binge after drinking all the time. Burgers and fries at 3 a.m. after a night out-even if no one else was around. But it was so great that you were able to tune in to your true hunger and give your body something to eat-it’s normal to be hungry after a night out. You’ve gone lots of hours without food, and alcohol tends to spike blood sugar then crash it—so your body naturally craves something to even that out. Good for you Olivia!
this is totally huge!!! don’t knock your progress, girl! i think that’s a huge step — trust me, i know how hard it is to pass up the fast food ESPECIALLY when all your friends are eating it, but that’s awesome that you made the right choice for YOURSELF! Props to you and keep up the good - no, GREAT - work!
[…] is “Little Victories” Fridays, you can check out these past posts on what it’s all about. Basically, “Little Victories” are what I call the small (yet important) steps, moments, […]