Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol | Eating Disorder Recovery Podcast — Less Food Noise. More Life.

EP 293: When Your Body Doesn't Feel Like Yours ~ 8 Things That Help You Feel at Home Again in Your Skin

A listener wrote in recently and said the quiet part out loud — "I know I'm supposed to have this extra weight on - and I feel heathier, but it's so hard to keep eating when all I want to do is lose it. I've been cutting corners and I feel tempted to slip. How do I learn to be okay in this body and keep going?"
Sister, if that's you — this episode is for you.
Today Lindsey walks through the eight things she returns to again and again with the women she coaches — the shifts that help when your body feels foreign, when you're scared, when you don't know how to keep choosing recovery. Not quick fixes. Real ground to stand on while you find your way home to yourself.
The short version: do the next recovered you thing
Before the eight, the heart of it: just do the next recovered you thing. You don't have to figure out the whole road. You only have to take the next step the recovered version of you would take. Stop identifying with the older, smaller version of you — she wasn't your best self; she was you running on fumes. The body you're in now isn't your enemy. It's where the rest of your life gets to live.
8 things that help when your body doesn't feel like yours
1. Understand the recovery process.What you're going through is normal. Your body is healing, and healing isn't a sign you're doing it wrong — it's a sign you're doing it. Begin shifting your focus from how your body looks to how your body is healing. You're allowed to feel terrified and still take the next step. Both can be true.
2. Challenge the negative chatter.Acceptance starts with awareness. The harsh thoughts about your body? Those are symptoms of the disorder, not the truth. The mirror lies through that filter. Instead of trying to leap straight to loving how you look, aim first for respecting your body. That's the bridge.
3. Focus on body functions over body image.Your body is a vessel — it carries your soul through this life. As Glennon Doyle said: your body is not your masterpiece; your life is. Notice what your body lets you do. Appreciate it for showing up, even through the struggle. And as you move, shift from a metrics mindset to a mindful-movement one. No more exercising for numbers — movement for joy, for strength, for being alive in your skin.
4. Practice self-compassion.Speak to yourself like someone you love. Maybe write a letter to the younger version of you who started all this — apologize, tell her it's okay, let her know the wiser, stronger version of you is here now. You are a human. Struggling is part of being one. Feelings aren't facts — you're allowed to feel something hard without making it a verdict on who you are.
5. Keep making pro-recovery choices.Prioritize your meals. Prioritize your snacks. Prioritize sleep — seven to nine hours, because your body is doing real work and it needs rest to heal. Step off the metrics treadmill. Choose movement out of preference, not punishment. We're not playing small anymore.
6. Seek support.You can't do this alone, and you were never supposed to. Whether that's a coach, a therapist, a dietitian, or a community of women who get it — let people in. Vulnerability heals what isolation can't. Come hang out with us in the private community at HerBestSelfSociety.com, or reach out about working together one-on-one.
7. Practice patience and plan for the messy middle.Celebrate the small daily things — journaling, time off social media, sitting in nature, music, stillness. And plan for the hard moments before they hit. What are your triggers? Who are they? Where will you need boundaries? Planning is your friend. The messy middle is the hardest part — preparing for it makes it survivable.
8. Adopt the sunset mindset.Picture a sunset. We never look up and criticize one for being different than yesterday's — for the colors being "wrong," the shape being off. We just take in its beauty. Sunsets aren't criticized for their differences because their beauty doesn't need to be altered. Yours doesn't either. What would it be like to see your body the way you see a sunset — appreciation instead of judgment, beauty just because it exists? This planet isn't promised. Every day you have here is its own sunset. You don't have to love your body every day. But you can respect it, you can appreciate it, and you can let it be yours.
A few lines from the episode
"Just do the next recovered you thing."
"You're allowed to feel terrified and still take the next step."
"Your body is not your masterpiece. Your life is."
"Your body is a vessel — it carries your soul through this life."
"You don't have to love your body every day, and you're not going to. But you can respect it. You can appreciate it. You can let it be yours."
Your reflection this week
Pick one of the eight that speaks loudest to where you are right now and live in it for a few days. Don't try all eight at once. The shift back to feeling at home in your own skin isn't a checklist — it's a slow homecoming, one small choice at a time.
If it helps, journal these:
What is one thing my body did for me today that I didn't notice?
What would the recovered version of me do at my next meal?
Where can I trade judgment for appreciation today?
Come walk this with someone in your corner
You don't have to figure this out alone. If something in you just leaned forward — if you're tired of doing this by yourself and you want personalized support — come work with me one-on-one. You can fill out a client application at www.herbestself.co 
And big news — there's something exciting coming this fall that I've been building specifically for women who need support beyond one-on-one. Make sure you're on the email list at www.herbestself.co so you hear about it first.
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.
 

EP 292: The Messy Middle of Recovery ~ The 4 Questions to Ask Yourself When You Don't Know What's Next

You're not at the beginning anymore. You know something has to change — and honestly, you've already started. But you're nowhere near the finish line either. You're just in it. The messy middle. Tired, unsure, not certain what your next step even is.
If that's where you are, this episode is a gentle hand on your shoulder. Lindsey shares the truth that reshaped how she sees recovery and coaching — the quality of your life is a reflection of the quality of the questions you ask yourself — and in today's episode she walks through four questions she recently sat with alongside the women in her support group program: the Recovery Collective.
Not questions that fix you. Questions that get to the root.
Why you feel stuck in the middle...
In the messy middle, we start asking ourselves the same draining questions on a loop: Why can't I get this right? What's wrong with me? Why am I still struggling?
Here's the thing — your mind answers whatever you ask it. Ask what's wrong with you, and it will go find evidence and hand you a list. That's not the truth; that's just your brain doing its job with a bad question. So sometimes being stuck isn't a sign you're failing. It's a sign you're asking questions that can only ever pull up weeds. The way through isn't a better answer. It's a better question.
The four questions (and why each one matters)....
What would you do if you couldn't fail?The messy middle is ruled by fear of failure — you hold back because what if it doesn't work? Take failure off the table, even just in your imagination, and your real desire floats to the surface. Your honest answer is a clue. It points straight at the step you've been afraid to take.
How are you, really?That one word — really — changes everything. You're so practiced at "I'm fine" you can say it in your sleep. In the middle, we numb out and stop checking in because we're afraid of what we'll find. This question is an invitation to tell yourself the truth, even if you're the only one listening.
Why are you worth knowing?Not what you do. Not what you accomplish, provide, or hold together — why you, underneath all of it, are worth knowing. This is the one that undoes people, because so many women have been valued for their output for so long they've forgotten they're worth knowing just as they are. Learning to finish the sentence "I'm worth knowing because…" is some of the most important work there is.
What does freedom mean to you?Not freedom in the abstract — yours. You can't walk toward something you can't picture. For one woman it's a quiet mind. For another, being fully present at her kid's party. For another, peace at the table. Naming yours, specifically, turns freedom from a someday fantasy into a real destination you can start moving toward.
What these four have in common....
Notice that not one of them is about fixing you. Not one is a rule or a behavior. They go underneath all of that — to desire, honesty, worth, and vision. That's the difference between pulling a weed and getting to the root. And it's the heart of why being coached, and being held by other women, can move you further in one honest night than months of white-knuckling alone. A good question, asked by someone who cares, changes things.
A few lines from the episode
"The quality of your life is a reflection of the quality of the questions you ask yourself."
"Your brain will answer whatever you ask it. Ask what's wrong with you, and it hands you a list."
"The way out of the messy middle isn't a better answer. It's a better question."
"You are worth knowing — just as you are."
"The messy middle isn't where you're stuck. It's where you're becoming."
Your reflection this week:
Take the four into the middle with you. Don't rush them — let them work on you over a few days:
What would you do if you couldn't fail?
How are you, really?
Why are you worth knowing?
What does freedom mean to you?
If it helps, journal one each day and notice what surfaces. The point isn't a tidy answer. It's the honesty the question pulls up.
Come be held in the Recovery Collective!!
Every other Wednesday night, a circle of women gathers in the space Lindsey holds — and they go to the root together. They ask the brave questions, sit in the real answers, carry them between sessions, and carry each other through the messy middle. If you're tired of doing this alone and something in you just leaned forward, there's a seat here for you. Find everything at www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective 
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

EP 291: Rejection, Redirection & Recovery ~ What My 12-Year-Old Taught Me About Worth & Letting Go

Yesterday my heart broke a little — and then my son handed me a piece of wisdom I'm still carrying.
He'd worked so hard for a spot on a travel baseball team. He was sure he had it. And then the no came, and I watched my 12-year old question his worth in a way I know all too well. But after all the tears and the what-ifs were out, he looked at me and said something I'll never forget.
This episode is about the two choices life hands every one of us, every single day: to see problems, or to see possibilities. Because the difference between a heavy heart and a peaceful one is almost never the circumstance. It's the looking glass.
If you've ever stood in front of a closed door and heard maybe I'm just not enough — this one's for you.
What this episode is really about
The moment my son felt "not good enough" — and the surprising thing he understood
Why feeling your hard feelings first is part of the healing, not a detour around it
The two looking glasses: problems or possibilities, fear or faith, complaining or gratitude
How the same closed door can mean "something's wrong with me" or "something's being protected in me"
Why your worth was never up for the team, the number, or anyone's yes
A few lines from the episode
"You are chosen. You are loved. And I know this is hard."
"Mom… God must have been protecting me from something He knows that I don't."
"The difference between a heavy heart and a peaceful one is perspective."
"Same event. Two completely different lives lived from it."
"The closed door doesn't always mean something is wrong with you. Sometimes it means something is being protected for you."
A gentle invitation
If you're in a season where every looking glass seems to show you a problem — where you can't quite find the possibility on your own — you don't have to find it alone. That's what walking with someone is for. You can find me and the ways we can work together at www.herbestself.co, and come be held by the women in our community at www.herbestselfsociety.com. 
Your next steps:
👥 The Recovery Collective: Join women who are saying "no more" to eating disorders controlling their lives—group support with women who understand
www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective 
👤 1:1 Coaching: Fast-track your "no more" journey with personalized support for women ready to reclaim their lives
www.herbestself.co 
👉 Apply to work together
You don't need more time, readiness, or perfect conditions. You need to channel that same energy you use to run your life into reclaiming your life.
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.
 

EP 290.5: Stop Lying to Yourself About Your Eating Disorder ~ This Could Be Your Summer of Freedom☀️

This one comes at you hot — with so much love, and some truth wrapped in a bow.
Lindsey gets real about the moment she stopped blaming everyone and everything else and finally took radical responsibility for her recovery. If you've been waiting to feel ready, waiting for the perfect time, waiting for someone to come save you — this is your wake-up call, and your invitation.
You're not powerless. You never were. And this summer could be the beginning of your freedom.
A note of care before you press play: this episode speaks honestly about the turning point in Lindsey's recovery. If you're in a tender, vulnerable place right now, it's completely okay to come back to it another time, or to listen with a trusted person nearby. You get to protect your peace.
What this episode is really about
Why "waiting to feel ready" keeps you exactly where you are
The difference between playing the victim and taking radical responsibility — and why responsibility is actually the hopeful part
How recovered women aren't better than you; they just stopped waiting
The truth that if you have the power to choose the disorder, you also have the power to choose recovery
Why you don't think your way into recovery — you act your way into it
The come-to-Jesus moment that changed everything
A few lines from the episode
"You're not powerless. You've never been powerless."
"Recovered women aren't better than you — they just don't wait to feel ready."
"You don't think your way into recovery. You act your way into recovery."
"If you have the power to choose your eating disorder, you also have the power to choose recovering from it."
"Your future self is counting on the choice."
"You weren't meant to live small."
Your next step: The Best Self Breakthrough
If this episode hit you right in the chest — if you're tired of the excuses and ready to make changes — Lindsey is opening the Best Self Breakthrough, a 21-day summer sprint for women done playing small and ready to take radical responsibility for their recovery.
You'll work with Lindsey directly, get a real win, and start believing again that you're not meant to be controlled by these thoughts.
Apply at www.herbestself.co — and don't overthink it. Action is the whole point.
Taking radical responsibility sometimes means recognizing you need specialized, clinical support — and reaching for it is one of the bravest, most responsible choices there is. That's not failure. That's strength.
👤 1:1 Coaching: Fast-track your "no more" journey with personalized support for women ready to reclaim their lives
💛 You're not powerless. You never were. This could be your summer of freedom.
You don't need more time, readiness, or perfect conditions. You need to channel that same energy you use to run your life into reclaiming your life.
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.
 

EP 290: Is Restricting My Food Actually Hurting Me? Real Talk in the Era of GLP-1s & Celebrity Thinness

You're trying to recover. The whole world seems to be on a shot, shrinking on purpose, celebrating it loudly. And somewhere underneath all of that, a quieter question keeps surfacing in you: is what I'm doing to my body actually hurting me?
That question is the whole episode. If you've been afraid to ask it out loud — this one's for you.
In this one, Lindsey opens up about the moment "just trying to be healthy" stopped serving her life and started running it, what restriction quietly takes that no scale can show, and the truth she wants you to hold onto in a culture that keeps telling you to make yourself smaller.
This isn't a meal plan. It's not a fear list. It's an honest word, woman to woman, for the one who's wondering if she's okay.
What this episode is really about
How "wellness" can quietly become the cage
The cultural moment we're in — GLP-1s, shrinking-culture, and what it's like to try to recover in the middle of it
The real, honest answer to "is this hurting me?" — without giving the disorder one more thing to monitor
What restriction takes that no one talks about: not what you see in the mirror, but what makes you you
Why your wondering is the wisest part of you
The truth that you were chosen to be free — right now, as you are
A few lines from the episode
"A lot of us didn't fall into this through vanity. We fell in through wellness."
"You're not losing what you see in the mirror. You're losing what makes you you."
"If that question is in you at all — listen to it. That's not fear talking. That's the wisest part of you, the part that's still on your side."
"Health was never the number. It never was."
"You can feel the storm and not be the storm."
"You were chosen to be free. Not free once you fix it. Free right now, as you are, in the middle of the struggle."
If something in this episode is sitting with you
You don't have to untangle this alone — and you were never supposed to.
Lindsey works one-on-one with women who are ready to stop white-knuckling recovery by themselves, and her Freedom Formula experience is the space where you'll be supported and surrounded as you do the real work of coming home to yourself. Both live at www.herbestself.co. 
And if you're in a harder place than a program can hold right now — that's not failure, and you're still worthy of support today. Please reach for it. Talk to your doctor, a therapist, or the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline. You're worth asking for help to reach freedom.
Your next steps:
👥 The Recovery Collective: Join women who are saying "no more" to eating disorders controlling their lives—group support with women who understand
www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective 
👤 1:1 Coaching: Fast-track your "no more" journey with personalized support for women ready to reclaim their lives
www.herbestself.co 
👉 Apply to work together
You don't need more time, readiness, or perfect conditions. You need to channel that same energy you use to run your life into reclaiming your life.
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

EP 289.5: Setting Out to Lose 10 Pounds Destroyed My Life ~ The Belief That's Ruining Yours **Must Listen Fav!**

It started innocently enough—just 10 pounds. A simple goal that millions of women set every day. But for me, that decision to lose "just 10 pounds" became the beginning of years trapped in an eating disorder.
Today I'm re-sharing the story of the day my dreams were crushed by one comment, and how the belief that "something is wrong with me" became the foundation of my disordered eating. More importantly, I'm revealing why this same toxic belief might be keeping you trapped.
In this vulnerable episode, you'll discover:
The skating audition that changed everything with one cruel comment
Why believing "something is wrong with you" is your biggest recovery obstacle
How 10 pounds became 15, then 20, then 30 in a dangerous spiral
The difference between walking in the storm and being the storm
How to go back and heal your wounded inner child
Why you were chosen to be free, not perfect
The question that changes everything: "How would you live if nothing was wrong with you?"
For the woman ready to stop believing she's the problem.
THE DAY THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
I was living my childhood dream—skating at the rink I'd only watched others perform at as a little girl. The audition was going perfectly. Every jump, every spin—years of training paying off.
Then came the soul-crushing words: "Well, Lindsay, your skating is amazing. However, come back when you've lost 10 pounds."
Those words stung harder than any ice burn or fall. I left that day a changed person, believing something was fundamentally wrong with me.
The dangerous spiral: 10 pounds became 15, then 20, then 25, then 30. What started as proving I could lose weight became an obsession that consumed my life.
YOUR BIGGEST RECOVERY OBSTACLE
The biggest problem you'll face in your quest to freedom: Holding onto the belief that something is wrong with you.
Just like me, you may have received messages that you weren't good enough as you were—from people who likely didn't have their own needs met and were passing down their wounds.
Your eating disorder doesn't define who you are. It's something you've experienced, just like my crushing audition moment.
Time to let go of who you think you need to be.
THE LIFE-CHANGING QUESTION
How would you live differently if you believed there was nothing wrong with you?
For years, I lived as if I had something to prove and someone to prove it to. I spent every day trying to drop those 10 pounds just to show I could.
But here's the truth: I wasn't meant to be their version of enough, and you weren't meant to be their version of enough either.
HEALING YOUR WOUNDED INNER SELF
My breakthrough came when I went back in time—to little Lindsay who was innocent, vulnerable, trying to be perfect.
I had to talk to her, comfort her, remember when I first felt "not enough."
The day I realized I was living my life for others—built up and broken down by people who shaped my belief that I wasn't enough—was the day I chose to commit to recovery.
YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE, NOT THE STORM
You can walk in the storm and feel the storm, but you're not the storm. You are the sunshine.
The day you decide you can be good enough just for you is the day you set yourself free.
Maybe you're not thin enough, pretty enough, smart enough for someone else—but you weren't meant to be their version of enough.
My dream in recovery was to be normal. But I wasn't made to be normal, and neither are you. Being different is what makes a difference.
THE BIBLICAL TRUTH
"You were chosen to be free." - Galatians 5:13
The biggest problem you'll ever face in your quest to freedom is holding onto the belief that something is wrong with you.
There is nothing wrong with you. You just need to step out into the sunshine.
WHEN YOU FEEL TRAPPED
When I felt unlovable, not enough, like something was wrong with me—I would love on others, shine on others, serve others.
Maybe that's where you start today.
Your rock bottom has to be the bottom because that's where the living takes place.
Life is 10% what you experience and 90% how you respond. Stop responding like you are the problem.
KEY QUOTES
💛 "There was nothing wrong with me. I didn't need to lose 10 pounds. I didn't need to do anything differently."
💛 "Your eating disorder doesn't define who you are—it's something you've experienced."
💛 "How would you live differently if you believed there was nothing wrong with you?"
💛 "You can walk in the storm and feel the storm, but you're not the storm. You are the sunshine."
💛 "You were chosen to be free."
💛 "The world is the problem, not you."
💛 "Being different is what makes a difference."
💛 "Let go of who you think you need to be so you can become who you were created to be."
YOUR HEALING WORK
This week:
Go back to your wounded inner child—when did you first feel "not enough"?
Ask yourself: "How would I live if nothing was wrong with me?"
Practice responding as sunshine, not the storm
Remember: You were chosen to be free
Your next steps:
👥 The Recovery Collective: Join women who are saying "no more" to eating disorders controlling their lives—group support with women who understand
www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective 
👤 1:1 Coaching: Fast-track your "no more" journey with personalized support for women ready to reclaim their lives
www.herbestself.co 
👉 Apply to work together
You don't need more time, readiness, or perfect conditions. You need to channel that same energy you use to run your life into reclaiming your life.
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

EP 289: The Voice in My Head Won't Stop! How to Silence Eating Disorder Thoughts & Food Noise TODAY with These 2 Words

The voice won't stop. The food calculations. The weight obsession. The constant mental chatter that's been your unwelcome companion for years—maybe decades.
If you've tried therapists, treatments, and programs but still feel trapped by eating disorder thoughts, this episode is your breakthrough moment.
Today you'll discover:
The 2 words that can silence your eating disorder voice TODAY
Why saying "no more" to excuses changes everything
How to evict the voice that's been living rent-free in your brain
The identity shift from tolerating to terminating disordered thoughts
Why you're never too old to reclaim your life
Specific strategies to stop negotiating with the disorder voice
For the woman who's done living this way and ready to get her mind back.
THE BRUTAL REALITY
You've tried everything: Therapists, programs, meal plans, books, podcasts.
Yet here you are:
Calculating calories at your daughter's birthday party
Avoiding restaurants because menus feel like minefields
Letting the scale determine if you deserve to feel good today
Living with constant food noise that never stops
You're exhausted—not just from behaviors, but from the relentless mental chatter about food, weight, and what you can eat next.
You wonder if other women your age who seem effortlessly free will ever be you.
THE TWO WORDS: "NO MORE"
Most women say "no more" to food, their body, taking up space.
I'm talking about saying "NO MORE" to the voice running your life.
The identity shift: Step behind the identity of the woman who no longer tolerates this voice living rent-free in her brain.
You don't tolerate nonsense anywhere else—why are you allowing this disordered voice to be your most demanding tenant?
Time to serve an eviction notice.
NO MORE "I CAN'T"
Stop saying:
"I can't eat that"
"I can't skip my workout"
"I can't trust my body"
Start saying:
"I choose not to right now" (choice vs. restriction)
"I'm learning to trust my body" (growth vs. impossibility)
"I'm exploring what feels good" (curiosity vs. fear)
"I can't" keeps you small. "I'm choosing" gives you power.
NO MORE "I'M TOO TIRED"
You're not too tired to recover—you're exhausted from fighting the wrong battle.
You've been fighting:
Your body instead of for your body
Food instead of for nourishment
Yourself instead of for yourself
The woman who's free redirects that energy toward healing, not controlling.
NO MORE "WHAT IFS"
Stop asking:
"What if I gain weight?"
"What if people notice?"
"What if this doesn't work?"
Start asking:
"What if I stay exactly here for 5 more years?"
"What if I miss life events obsessing over menus?"
"What if I spend my golden years counting calories instead of making memories?"
The "what ifs" that should terrify you are about wasting more precious life.
NO MORE "I'LL DO IT LATER"
You know the truth about "someday"—it doesn't exist.
You've been saying "someday" for how long? One year? Five? Twenty?
Recovery doesn't happen in perfect timing. Recovery creates perfect timing.
NO MORE AGE EXCUSES
"I'm too old to change." "I should have figured this out by now." "It's too late for me."
Truth: You are never too old to reclaim your life. Age doesn't disqualify you from healing—it makes you wiser about what matters.
The woman at 25 who recovers and the woman at 55 who recovers both get the same prize: their life back.
THE EVICTION NOTICE
Write this to your eating disorder voice:
"Dear Eating Disorder Voice: Your lease is up. You've been living rent-free in my brain for [X] years, but your tenancy ends today. You are no longer welcome here. Signed, The Woman Who Says No More."
KEY QUOTES
💛 "You're not too tired to recover—you're exhausted from fighting the wrong battle."
💛 "You don't tolerate nonsense anywhere else—why tolerate this voice?"
💛 "Recovery doesn't happen in perfect timing. Recovery creates perfect timing."
💛 "You are never too old to reclaim your life."
💛 "'I can't' keeps you small. 'I'm choosing' gives you power."
💛 "The woman who says 'no more' to excuses says 'yes' to freedom."
💛 "Time to serve an eviction notice to the voice in your head."
READY TO SAY "NO MORE"?
Your next steps:
👥 The Recovery Collective: Join women who are saying "no more" to eating disorders controlling their lives—group support with women who understand
www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective 
👤 1:1 Coaching: Fast-track your "no more" journey with personalized support for women ready to reclaim their lives
www.herbestself.co 
👉 Apply to work together
You don't need more time, readiness, or perfect conditions. You need to channel that same energy you use to run your life into reclaiming your life.
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.

EP 288.5: Why You Care So Much About What Others Think & How Fear of Rejection Is Feeding Your Eating Disorder

If you constantly worry about what others think, this episode is for you sis! What you might not realize is how your need for approval is actually feeding your eating disorder.
Today we're uncovering the hidden connection between people-pleasing, fear of rejection, and disordered eating patterns. You'll discover why caring so much about others' opinions keeps you trapped—and how to turn your past rejection into your recovery redirection.
In this transformational episode, you'll discover:
Why eating disorders are bred from fear of rejection and "not being enough"
How your need for approval is actually feeding your disorder
The Eleanor Roosevelt truth that changes everything
Why rejection is actually God's protection and redirection
How to stop letting others' opinions control your recovery
The bounce-back superpower that transforms rejection into recovery fuel
How to grieve rejection and change its meaning over your life
For the woman ready to stop living for others and start healing for herself.
THE ELEANOR ROOSEVELT FOUNDATION
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
We spend every waking hour worrying:
What are others thinking?
Am I good enough? Small enough?
Will I fit in? Will they like me?
Are they okay with my choices?
It's time to stop. Time to take your power back.
The truth: No one can make you feel inferior unless you're giving them that power.
HOW REJECTION FEEDS EATING DISORDERS
Eating disorders are derived from establishing unhealthy coping mechanisms when you need control, safety, and escape.
Core ED issues:
Control and perfection
Negative coping behaviors
Disconnection and isolation
The ED voice becoming your "friend"—your worst enemy in disguise
The real trap: Eating disorders become a mask to prevent being fully seen, a false protection mechanism over your authentic self.
Over time, you don't know who you are anymore—so worried about what others think that you don't know what YOU think.
THE REJECTION-EATING DISORDER CYCLE
Maybe you learned early: Only seen when you performed well, when you sucked in your stomach, when you stood up straight.
Maybe you took pride in being liked and would do anything to make that happen.
Maybe you were: Bullied, left out, abandoned, betrayed.
So you overachieved, overworked, over-controlled to make others happy because it gave you false purpose.
This created the monster belief: If you're smaller, thinner, faster, stronger—then you're better.
Rejection validated your feelings about yourself, diminishing your self-worth.
THE "BOO VS. APPLAUSE" TRUTH
"A boo is not any louder than applause."
If you're on stage with purpose in your heart, knowing your truth, you can hear your own applause louder than the world's boos.
But when you hear that boo, you make it mean something about your worth—when it's just someone else's opinion.
THE REDIRECTION FORMULA
Step 1: Acknowledge the Rejection
You must face that it happened, grieve it, target what hurts, and sit with those feelings.
Step 2: Change the Meaning
What meaning have you allowed rejection to hold over your life? That you're not enough? Not worthy? Pluck out that root.
Step 3: Use It as Redirection
Turn rejection into your opportunity for course correction—alignment with your truth and values.
Step 4: Develop Bounce-Back Power
Get good at bouncing back. Rejection isn't fatal—eating disorders are.
REJECTION AS GOD'S PROTECTION
When you're rejected, overlooked, or feel not enough:
Remember: Rejection is actually God's protection over you.
If you were meant to knock down that door, it would have opened
If that person was meant to stay in your life, they would have
They failed to see your worth, but your worth doesn't change
Rejection is just a course correction—an opportunity to dig into your power and realign with your truth.
THE "SO WHAT?" STRATEGY
When you worry about others' judgment in recovery:
"What if I fail and my husband thinks I'm a failure?"
"What if I succeed and everyone judges my weight restoration?"
Start asking: SO WHAT?
Are they living in your skin?
Are they living your life?
Are they experiencing your daily struggle?
What others say about you is none of your business.
The regret from never moving forward is more painful than rejection itself.
EATING DISORDERS THRIVE ON REJECTION
EDs are bred from:
Fear of failure
Not being enough
Not being liked
Aloneness and isolation
But here's the good news: You can use rejection as redirection power.
The process:
Acknowledge rejection happened
Grieve it fully
Change the meaning associated with it
Step into your power like you're taking over the world
KEY QUOTES
💛 "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt
💛 "Rejection is your opportunity for redirection."
💛 "A boo is not any louder than applause—it's what you make it mean."
💛 "Rejection isn't fatal. Eating disorders are."
💛 "They failed to see your worth, but your worth doesn't change because of that failure."
💛 "What others say about you is really none of your business."
💛 "You're not afraid of healing—you're afraid you won't be enough."
💛 "Eating disorders are bred off rejection and thrive in aloneness."
YOUR BOUNCE-BACK CHALLENGE
This week, reflect on:
Where have you felt rejection and the sting of "not good enough"?
What meaning have you allowed rejection to hold over your life?
How can you use past rejection as redirection power?
What would change if you stopped seeking others' approval?
Remember: You're not rejected—you're going to be recovered.
Summer partnership opportunities:
👥 The Recovery Collective: Group support with women choosing to BE different—learn, heal, and grow in safe community - www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective 
👤 1:1 Coaching: Personalized support to embody the identity of freedom before you feel ready
👉 www.herbestself.co - Apply to work together this summer
Your transformation starts the moment you decide to BE her.
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.
 
 

EP 288: Terrified of Gaining Weight but Terrified of Staying Stuck? The Science-Backed Formula That Changes Everything🧠

You're caught between two terrors: gaining weight and staying exactly where you are forever.
You've spent years in a disordered mind with disordered thoughts creating disordered behaviors. You'll do anything to break free, but you're trying to HAVE recovery while still BEING the trapped version of yourself.
Today we're flipping the script with the Be-Do-Have formula that makes recovery inevitable.
In this transformational episode, you'll discover:
Why most people have recovery backwards (and why it keeps them stuck)
The science-backed Be-Do-Have formula that doubles success rates
How to BE recovered before you feel recovered
The identity shift that changes everything automatically
Why staying where you are is actually scarier than changing
How to stop starving for your old life and start living as your new self
For the woman ready to stop settling for survival and start choosing to thrive.
THE BACKWARDS APPROACH THAT KEEPS YOU STUCK
Most people think: "When I HAVE food freedom, then I'll DO recovery behaviors, then I'll BE recovered."
Research from Stephen Covey and modern neuroscience proves this backwards.
The truth: You must BE the person you want to become, DO what she does, then you'll HAVE what you want.
Dr. James Clear's identity research shows: People who say "I am someone who nourishes my body" have 40% higher success rates than those who say "I want to eat better."
THE BE-DO-HAVE FORMULA IN RECOVERY
BE: The woman who trusts her body completelyDO: Eat without negotiation, rest without guilt, take up spaceHAVE: Food freedom, body peace, mental clarity
BE: The woman who values nourishment over controlDO: Choose pasta at dinner, have birthday cake, skip gym when tiredHAVE: Energy, joy, presence in your own life
The scary part: You start BEING her before you feel ready, before you see results, before it feels natural.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE FORMULA
🧠 Neuroscience Evidence:
Neural plasticity: Your brain rewires based on identity-consistent actions
Stanford's Dr. Alia Crum: Identity changes create physiological changes
🔬 Recovery-Specific Research:
Dr. Janet Treasure: Identity-based recovery shows higher long-term success
Women who adopt "recovered person" identity maintain behaviors longer
Focus on "who you want to be" more effective than "what you want to avoid"
MY "WHAT I DON'T WANT" LIST
When my disordered brain had me confused about what I even wanted, I wrote what I DIDN'T want:
Calculate calories 
Avoid dinners because food feels scary
Exercise when exhausted to "earn" rest
Miss vacations because I can't control food
Feel guilty every time I eat something 
Live from constant food negotiation
That list became my roadmap. Sometimes you need to define what you're moving AWAY from to see where you're headed.
YES, IT'S SCARY—BUT WHAT'S SCARIER?
Changing feels terrifying: Eating without restriction, resting, trusting your body feels like jumping off a cliff.
But ask yourself:
What's scarier—changing or staying here for another year? Five years? Forever?
What's scarier—gaining weight or losing more years to this disorder?
What's scarier—the unknown of recovery or the known misery of staying trapped?
You're already living your worst-case scenario. Recovery is the way OUT.
HOW TO START BEING HER TODAY
Step 1: Get clear on who SHE is—how does the recovered you show up? What does she believe?
Step 2: Make one decision from her identity—"What would the free version of me do right now?"
Step 3: Stop negotiating—she doesn't debate lunch or calculate whether she "earned" rest
Step 4: Expect discomfort—your old identity will fight this. Keep being her anyway.
KEY QUOTES
💛 "You must BE the person you want to become, then DO what she does, then you'll HAVE what you want."
💛 "You don't have to wait to HAVE freedom to start BEING free."
💛 "Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become."
💛 "Your brain literally rewires to support the identity you claim."
💛 "Stop starving for your old life. Start living as your new self."
💛 "You're already living your worst-case scenario. Recovery is the way out."
💛 "Settling for starving isn't recovery—it's not even living, it's just surviving."
READY TO STOP STARVING FOR YOUR OLD LIFE?
Summer partnership opportunities:
👥 The Recovery Collective: Group support with women choosing to BE different—learn, heal, and grow in safe community - www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective 
👤 1:1 Coaching: Personalized support to embody the identity of freedom before you feel ready
👉 www.herbestself.co - Apply to work together this summer
Your transformation starts the moment you decide to BE her.
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.
 

EP 287.5: Am I Eating Enough or Eating Too Much? How to Know in Eating Disorder Recovery

If you've spent years in restriction, figuring out "normal" eating can feel impossible. Am I finally eating enough, or am I overeating? This confusion is more common than you think.
In today's coaching over coffee episode, we're tackling the question that keeps so many women stuck in recovery: How do you know if you're eating the right amount when your hunger cues are broken and everything feels foreign?
In this practical episode, you'll discover:
Why questioning if you need more food usually means YES, you do
How to tell the difference between normal eating and actual binge eating
The non-negotiable food framework that creates stability
Why what feels like "too much" is often just enough
Simple strategies to rebuild trust with your body's signals
The "two more bites" rule that changed everything
How to create mindful, honoring meal experiences
For the woman who's tired of questioning every bite and ready to trust her body again.
THE GOLDEN RULE: IF YOU'RE QUESTIONING, THE ANSWER IS YES
If you find yourself questioning whether you should have another bite or more food—the answer is YES.
When you've eaten enough food, you won't need to ask whether you've eaten enough food.
This simple truth cuts through the mental noise and gives you permission to trust the impulse for more.
THE RECOVERY REALITY: WHAT FEELS LIKE "TOO MUCH"
In early recovery, I thought I was binge eating when I was actually just eating normally for the first time in years.
The reality: After severe restriction, any increase in food feels like "too much" because you've never allowed yourself adequate amounts.
Ask yourself honestly:
Are you eating the whole cabinet in a trance-like state?
Or are you simply having more than you previously allowed?
Most likely, you're experiencing normal eating quantities that feel foreign after restriction—not actual binge eating.
THE NON-NEGOTIABLE FRAMEWORK
Start with the basics: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. Every single day. Minimum.
Coming from restriction where you skipped meals, avoided eating, or used various disorder tactics, this structure creates stability.
The volume will feel different—and that's the point. You're making up for lost time and teaching your body it can trust you again.
REBUILDING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH AMOUNTS
The Observation Strategy
Watch people without eating disorders. Notice what they order, what normal portions look like, how they eat without internal negotiation.
Not for comparison—for education. This helps calibrate what "normal" actually looks like.
The Time Check Method
When questioning if you should eat: When was the last time you ate something? If it's been over an hour, that's a good opportunity for food.
The Two More Bites Rule
When you think you're "done": Take two more bites. This creates a safety buffer while giving permission to have more than restriction previously allowed.
The Food Pairing Practice
Always combine: Carb + protein + healthy fat. This fights the "good vs. bad foods" mentality while ensuring balanced nutrition.
CONSCIOUS EATING VS. RESTRICTIVE EATING
Conscious eating means:
Electronics away, work away
Sitting with feelings and thoughts that arise
Eating even when not hungry as part of your commitment
Taking pleasure in the experience
Create honoring experiences:
Set candles, buy flowers for your table
Use beautiful dinner plates
Eat around supportive people for accountability
Make mealtime sacred, not rushed
REBUILDING HUNGER CUES
Your hunger cues may be broken from years of ignoring them. Your body learned not to signal hunger because you weren't going to respond anyway.
This is normal and temporary. As you consistently nourish yourself, these signals will return.
In the meantime: Follow your meal plan regardless of hunger signals. You're rebuilding trust.
THE FOOD JOURNAL APPROACH
Instead of calorie counting or macro tracking: Use your journal to explore the eating experience.
Track feelings, not numbers:
How do I feel before the meal? (anxious, neutral, excited)
How do I feel during? (this tastes good, I'm enjoying this)
How do I feel after? (energized, satisfied, guilty, peaceful)
This builds awareness without the restriction mindset.
CHALLENGING FOOD RULES
Example: At a barbecue with burgers and buns
Old rule: "I don't eat buns" or "I just ate before coming"
Recovery challenge: Have the burger AND the bun
Ask yourself: Am I honoring what's available, or am I following old restrictions disguised as "not being hungry"?
ABUNDANCE VS. SCARCITY MINDSET
When asking "Can I have more?" check your motivation:
Scarcity mindset: "I shouldn't want more, I've had enough, I need to control this"
Abundance mindset: "My body is asking for nourishment, I can trust this signal, there's plenty of food"
Recovery operates from abundance. There's enough food. You're allowed to want more. Your body knows what it needs.
THE NICOLE HOBBS QUOTE THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING
"I do not want to be remembered as a woman who was always exhausted, always stressed, always rushing. I would like to be remembered as a relaxed woman, a compassionate woman, a woman who works hard and rests deeply, who loves fiercely and lives peacefully. A woman who knows her worth and her power, who accepts her imperfections and embraces her possibilities."
This is your best self. This is who you're becoming through recovery—a woman who honors her body without constant internal negotiation.
KEY QUOTES
💛 "If you're questioning whether you should have more food, the answer is yes."
💛 "When you've eaten enough, you won't need to ask if you've eaten enough."
💛 "What feels like binge eating is often just eating normally for the first time."
💛 "You're making up for lost time and honoring your body."
💛 "Recovery operates from abundance, not scarcity."
💛 "Your body will learn to tell you, but right now it needs consistent nourishment."
💛 "Get exploratory—it's an experiment in learning the new version of yourself."
YOUR RECOVERY EXPERIMENTS THIS WEEK
Try one of these approaches:
When questioning if you want more, take two additional bites
Pair every meal and snack with carb + protein + fat
Create one beautiful, mindful eating experience with candles/flowers
Eat around supportive people instead of isolating
Journal your before/during/after meal feelings
Remember: This is exploration, not perfection.
Connect with Lindsey:
🌟 Website: www.herbestself.co 🌟 Instagram: @thelindseynichol 🌟 Free FB Community: www.herbestselfsociety.com 🌟Client Application: HBS Co. Recovery Coaching - Client Application - Google Forms
Love this episode? Here's how you can support the show:
💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.