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Feeling Fat at Any Size: Embracing Your Body and Self-Worth

Feeling Fat at Any Size: Embracing Your Body and Self-Worth

by admin | Jun 15, 2024 | Body Image, Intuitive Eating, Personal Growth, Self Care, Self Love, Weight

This will rock the boat a little, but there is such a struggle with feeling “fat” at any size. I wrote that correctly, at any size can go down to size 0. it is a phenomenon that’s more common than you might think. This feeling stems from a complex...

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  • Feeling Fat at Any Size: Embracing Your Body and Self-Worth
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  • Understanding Women’s Metabolic Health
  • Embrace the Wisdom of Intuitive Eating Over Calorie Counting: A Mindful Approach to Nourishing Your Soul

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    Joanna Heffernan | Nutrition | Body Image | Binge Eating | Tests

    themindfulnutritionist
    Body image isn’t really about how you look. It’s about how you feel in your body, and that feeling is shaped by your story, your identity, your lived experience, and the world around you. Body image touches everything: how you show up in relationships, how you carry yourself at work, how much joy you allow yourself, how safe or unsafe it feels to be seen. If you’ve experienced trauma, marginalisation, or hold identities that the world doesn’t celebrate, your body might not feel like a safe place to be. And when you don’t feel safe in your body, eating becomes one of the few ways to cope, control, or numb. This isn’t about vanity. It’s about survival. It’s about how deeply your sense of worth has been entangled with your appearance. But you can start to change that. With small acts of care, with softer self-talk, with moments of connection, you begin to reclaim your body as yours. Try this: → Thank your body for what it’s done for you. → Offer a moment of kindness in the mirror. → Nourish yourself without punishment or apology. You are more than a reflection. You are allowed to take up space. #bodyimagehealing #bingeatingrecovery #identityandhealing #traumainformednutrition #embodimentpractice #emotionaleatinghelp #selfworthwork #foodfreedomjourney #somaticnutrition #reclaimyourbody #bodyrespect #youareenough
    Still thinking a perfect food plan will fix everyt Still thinking a perfect food plan will fix everything? Here’s what no one tells you. 4 Key Points: Why Food Plans Alone Don’t Work and What You Actually Need 1. They ignore why you eat Food plans focus on what’s on your plate, not what’s driving your choices. Without addressing stress, emotions, and habits, they’re just surface-level fixes. 2. They create shame when you “fail” When you can't stick to the plan, you think it’s your fault. But the real issue is the rigidity, not you. 3. They don’t teach body trust You learn to follow rules, not your own hunger, fullness, or cues. Long-term healing requires reconnection, not more control. 4. You need more than a plan, you need a process A process that includes nervous system support, emotional resilience, mindset work, and practical nutrition, designed for real life. #emotional eating #bingeeatingrecovery #bodytrust #nervoussystemhealing #nutritioncoach #foodfreedomjourney #intuitiveeating #midlifewomen #bodyimagehealing #stressandeating
    Disordered eating isn’t just in your head. It’ Disordered eating isn’t just in your head. It’s also in your gut. The gut–brain axis is the two-way communication system between your digestive tract and your brain. When you’re under stress or caught in cycles of restriction, bingeing, or emotional eating, this pathway becomes dysregulated. Gut symptoms like bloating, urgency, or cramping are not random. They’re part of your body’s stress response. And they can drive the cycle of emotional eating by increasing discomfort, inflammation, and cravings. Understanding the gut–brain axis changes the way we approach healing. It’s not just about food choices. It’s about nervous system regulation, emotional safety, and the state of your internal environment. A simple first step: slow down and breathe before you eat. One calm breath can shift your nervous system out of fight-or-flight and into rest-and-digest — improving digestion, awareness, and your sense of safety with food. This is where science meets compassion. And healing starts with safety in the body. #gutbrainconnection #disorderedeatingrecovery #bingeatinghelp #emotionaleatingrecovery #nutritiontherapy #somaticnutrition #foodfreedomjourney #bodymindconnection #midlifehealth #scienceandcompassion
    Somatic healing is a missing piece in many food re Somatic healing is a missing piece in many food recovery journeys. It’s not just about what you eat. It’s about what your body has held. For many women, emotional or binge eating isn’t just a habit. It’s a way the body has learned to cope with stress, trauma, disconnection, or shame. The body stores what the mind can’t always process. Somatic healing brings the body into the recovery process. It helps you build awareness of how emotions show up physically and gives you tools to regulate your nervous system so that food is no longer the only way to soothe. This is not about fixing your body. It’s about listening to it. Reclaiming your right to feel. Building safety from the inside out. Food recovery without the body is incomplete. If you’ve tried mindset work, plans, even therapy, and still feel stuck, this could be the key. Because you don’t just think your way out of food struggles You feel your way through them And your body already knows the way #somatichealing #bodybasedhealing #foodrecovery #emotionalhealing #eatingdisorderrecovery #bingeatingrecovery #mindbodyconnection #bodytrust #embodiedhealing #nervoussystemregulation #scienceandcompassion #foodfreedomjourney
    You were never meant to micromanage every bite. T You were never meant to micromanage every bite. Tracking every calorie. Weighing every portion. Overthinking every food choice. That’s not wellness. That’s fear disguised as control. And it’s exhausting. In midlife, your body is evolving. Hormones are shifting. Metabolism changes. What used to work doesn’t work the same way anymore. But the answer isn’t more rules or restriction. It’s deeper connection. Your body doesn’t need more control. It needs nourishment. Rhythm. Safety. Trust. This is where science meets compassion. We understand insulin, cortisol, cravings, and blood sugar. But we also understand the nervous system. The emotional load. The history behind the hunger. True health isn’t about perfect eating. It’s about a relationship with your body that is rooted in respect, not control. If you’ve spent years micromanaging food and still feel stuck, there’s another way. One based on biology and built on self-trust. You’re allowed to eat without guilt. You’re allowed to stop obsessing. You’re allowed to feel good in your body. Ready to rebuild a new kind of relationship with food? #bodyimagehealing #nutritionwithcompassion #foodfreedomjourney #somaticnutrition #midlifehealth #emotionaleatingrecovery #nervoussystemhealing #eatingdisorderawareness #metabolichealth #ditchdietculture #mindbodyconnection #scienceandcompassion
    Let’s talk about body grief — the quiet sadnes Let’s talk about body grief — the quiet sadness we carry when our bodies no longer look, feel, or function the way they used to. Maybe it’s the weight gain that won’t shift. The skin that’s changed. The energy that disappears by mid-afternoon. The clothes that no longer feel like you. Maybe it’s grief for the younger version of you — the one who didn’t know how to listen to her body, only how to control it. Or maybe it’s grief for all the years spent fighting yourself, when all you wanted was to feel at home in your own skin. Body grief is real. And it deserves tenderness — not shame. Not a new diet. Not a punishing workout plan. When we honour this grief, we stop trying to fix our body like it’s a problem — and start holding it like it’s a story. A story of survival. Of change. Of wisdom. This is the body that’s carried you through it all. It might be softer, slower, different than it once was — but it’s still yours. Still worthy. Still sacred. If you’re feeling this grief right now, you’re not broken — you’re human. And healing starts by naming what hurts, without needing to erase it. ✨ Let your next step be softer, not stricter. #bodygrief #bodyimagehealing #midlifewellness #embodiedhealing #selfcompassion #healyourrelationshipwithfood #emotionalhealing #bodyacceptancejourney #somatichealing #foodfreedom #nourishnotpunish
    Somatic Sunday: A 1-minute reset for when everythi Somatic Sunday: A 1-minute reset for when everything feels too much. You know that moment — when a craving hits like a wave, or your mind is racing and your body just wants something to take the edge off? This is where we pause. Not to control it. Not to push it down. But to come back home — to your body, to the moment, to yourself. Here’s a 1-minute grounding practice you can try anywhere: 1. Plant your feet flat on the floor. Feel their weight. Let gravity hold you. 2. Place one hand on your chest, one on your belly. Notice the rise and fall of your breath. 3. Name three things you can feel. Maybe the chair under you. The fabric of your clothes. The coolness of the air. 4. Whisper to yourself: “I am here. I am safe. I can choose.” That’s it. One minute. Enough to shift the state. Enough to interrupt the spiral. This isn’t about avoiding the food. It’s about building a bridge — from reaction to awareness. From autopilot to choice. Let me know if you try it. Or save it for the next time you need a soft place to land. #somaticsunday #nervoussystemregulation #bingehealing #embodiedeating #foodfreedomjourney #emotionaleatingrecovery #bodytrust #midlifewomenwellness #groundingpractice #selfcompassiontools #somaticnutrition #cravingtoolkit
    Your gut isn’t just about digestion — it’s y Your gut isn’t just about digestion — it’s your second brain. When it’s out of balance, it speaks. Loudly. But not always in ways we expect. Here are 5 common signs your gut might be crying out for support: 1. Bloating that feels like a balloon under your ribs Not just after a big meal — but even after “healthy” foods. It’s your gut asking for gentler nourishment. 2. Fatigue that hits like a wall after eating If meals leave you feeling foggy, flat, or heavy — your digestion may be working overtime. 3. Mood swings or anxiety that come out of nowhere The gut-brain axis is real. Dysbiosis can impact neurotransmitters like serotonin, which affect how we feel. 4. Cravings that feel impossible to control Especially sugar and carbs — often a sign your blood sugar and microbiome are on a rollercoaster. 5. Skin flare-ups, breakouts, or rashes Your skin is a mirror of internal inflammation. If your gut is struggling, your skin often shows it. None of these are failures. They’re feedback. Your body isn’t broken — it’s trying to get your attention. The good news? Gut healing doesn’t start with cutting things out. It starts with listening, supporting, and responding with compassion. #guthealth #microbiomebalance #foodfreedomjourney #bingehealing #nutritionformidlifewomen #emotionaleatingrecovery #bodytrust #nourishnotrestrict #gutbrainconnection #somaticnutrition #digestivehealing #midlifewellness
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