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“If I Wasn’t So Preoccupied with Food and My Body…”

Consider the following statement: “If I wasn’t so preoccupied with food and disliking my body, I would spend my time……” Without judging yourself for being preoccupied with food/your body, consider this statement. How much time to do you think you spend every day obsessing about what you’re eating (or not eating), how much you exercised (or didn’t exercise), what you dislike about your body, how you look in pictures, etc.? How would you rather be spending that time?

If you’re not sure how you would spend your time, that’s okay (and normal!). Brainstorm about things you enjoy (or used to enjoy), activities you want to try, places you want to go, people you want to see/spend time with, something you want to produce or create, things that make you relax, and so on.

When I was early in my recovery I didn’t realize just how much time I spent trying to squelch my perpetual hunger, how preoccupied with food I was, or how much time I spent exercising alone. It wasn’t until much later in my recovery, when I had started living a fuller life that I realized how small my life had become.

How would you answer this question? Here are some of my answers to “If I wasn’t so preoccupied with food and disliking my body, I would spend my time…..”

Laughing and joking with my husband

Traveling more, especially to places out of my comfort zone

Cultivating existing friendships and making new friends

Going out to dinner and to football games, concerts, movies, golfing, bowling, etc.

Laying out on the beach in my bikini

Allowing people to really know me

Meditating and doing yoga

Going to parties and other social events