From fear of judgment at the gym during “resolution season” to fear of failure when asking for a raise, all of us deal with fear every single day. One of my big goals at this time in my life is to live fearlessly.
Dr. Lesley Williams is a certified eating disorder specialist, family medicine physician, and positive body image advocate. She co-owns Liberation Center, an eating disorder treatment facility, in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Williams is dedicated to ensuring that all women and men who struggle with eating and body image issues receive the help that they need to overcome and live happy, healthy lives.
How much time do you have left here?
By “here,” I mean on Earth.
Don’t be alarmed.
I am simply asking you this in existential kind of way, a way that I hope will make you realize that the greatest gift you and I both have is time.
Think about it.
We each have only a certain amount of time here on earth. A certain amount of time to live out our best lives, to find out who we were created to be, and to tap into the beautiful gifts bestowed upon us to positively impact the lives around us and the greater world.
We’re over a week into the new year and you've likely encountered a plethora of diet ads telling you that happiness can only be achieved through weight loss. I'm calling BS on that idea.
So often, the prospect of the new year is poisoned by notions of creating a “new and improved” you, as if the person you were on December 31st at 11:59pm was not worthy. Well, you are, and everyone has different desires for the new year, as we should!
Everyone faces obstacles. No matter who you are, what you look like, or where you live, we all face road blocks while moving forward in life. Some of us get through them very easily while others struggle through each one, hanging on by the smallest of tree limbs. Most of us have one thing that has really affected our life. For me, that one thing was my eating disorder.
Italians love food. It may sound like a stereotype but trust me, it’s the truth.
I’d know. I was born and raised in Italy, after all.
Of course, I cannot speak for all the sixty-million plus people who live on the boot-shaped peninsula kicking the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. But I can speak for all I have experienced growing up in the land where pizza is gourmet food and where mealtimes are almost sacred.
Channel your inner champion, face your fears, and raise some money for a great cause! This January, we’re calling upon YOU to join The Fearless Challenge, a NEDA initiative in which we call upon participants to choose a fear and an activity to overcome that fear. Once you meet your personal fundraising goal, you face your fear.
Leave those diet ads in the dust and face your fears this New Year! We’re making it possible to channel your inner champion, face your fears, and raise some money to support NEDA’s life-changing programs and services.
Join The Fearless Challenge, a NEDA initiative in which we call upon participants to choose a fear and an activity to overcome that fear.
The use of food for emotional comfort is often normalized in our culture. It’s very common to see TV shows or movies portraying actresses drowning their sorrows after a breakup by eating a tub of ice cream or an entire box of chocolates. That tells us that it’s acceptable to use food to cope with difficult emotions. For some people, that may be effective and not seem problematic, but it’s far more complicated for someone with an eating disorder.
How many times have we heard variations of the motto “New Year, New Me,” as we reflect on the past year and plan for the year ahead? Admittedly, I am guilty of this mindset too! Each year, I tell myself I’ll save money, meditate when anxious, and spend less time on social media. While all of these are positive and productive resolutions, when I was in the throes of my eating disorder, there was only one (albeit empty) resolution I made each year: to lose weight.