If you've spent any time exposed to toxic gym culture—whether that's scrolling through social media, following fitness influencers, attending group exercise classes, working out at a gym, or exercising at home—you've probably heard phrases like: "No pain, no gain." "Sweat is just fat crying." "Pain is weakness leaving the body." "The only bad workout is the one you didn't do." Comments like these have become so common that many people barely notice them anymore. They are ofte

When I think about body changes after miscarriage, my mind always goes back to approximately 1:30 PM on July 10, 2023—the worst moment of my life, when I realized my baby was dead. I was lying in the ultrasound room, holding my husband’s hand. We were staring at the large projector screen, showing the inside of my uterus, which looked drastically different compared to only a couple of weeks before when all was well, and we got to joyfully glimpse our first little one (named F

Why is prenatal care important? As I learned about two years ago when I was pregnant with my son, the quality of that care matters just as much as receiving it. “You need to buy a scale” were some of the first words out of my new gynecologist’s mouth before I even conceived him. I had told my doctor I didn’t know my weight but that I did know and trust my body. Instead of inquiring more, he judged my explanation and insisted I start weighing myself. Little did he know, I spen

If you're in the middle of eating disorder recovery, you already know that some days the hardest thing in the world is just getting through the next meal. On those days, the right words can do something quiet but meaningful. They can remind you that what you're experiencing is real, that healing isn't linear, and that you're not as alone in this as it can feel. That's exactly why we put together this collection of eating disorder recovery quotes, drawn from the themes we come

Most agree—the dating world is already daunting and confusing—but dating with an eating disorder or in recovery adds another layer of complexity. I always remember the time a guy I had just started dating invited me over for dinner and said he was making chicken and salad, but was intentionally leaving carbs out of the meal. Then there was another guy who, while enjoying a hearty Mexican meal, admitted his biggest fear in life was gaining weight. At that point, I was many yea

Maybe like you, I grew up in a world of black-and-white perspectives: good food or bad food, being sedentary or excessively exercising, and hating your body or loving your body. Somewhere along the way—in the midst of my own healing process—I learned about gray areas, and, when it comes to body image, body acceptance is that in-between place. If you're someone who is working on letting go of negative body image or deep body dissatisfaction, it can feel like intense pressure t