As we have discussed so many times on the podcast before, finding food freedom is such a rewarding journey, but it isn’t necessarily an easy one, nor is it one that happens overnight. Social media sometimes glamorizes it, making it seem as if you’re going to easily be able to transition into eating cookies without guilt the day after you make that decision, but that unfortunately just isn’t the reality, and here to talk about the journey’s challenges is fellow SociEATy member Maren Hunt! Maren is an engaged mama of two fur-babies, and she loves being active outdoors via hiking and running. She has such an inspirational and amazing story to share and is even on her way to becoming a body image coach!

Maren shares some of her history with us, revealing that she had an eating disorder since she was seventeen years old, nearly two decades ago. Having gotten to a point at which she felt like enough was enough, her therapist hooked her up with some resources such as the Love Your Bod Pod podcast, and it was from there that Maren ultimately discovered intuitive eating, a path that she has been walking for about seven months now!

We also hear Maren reflect pretty deeply on her eating disorder and what it was like for her, and she also touches upon how pervasive diet culture was for her and how it led to the good old binge-restrict cycle. She also, however, discusses how much better her life is now seven months into her journey – proving that even though this journey isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, it is so, so worth it! We, after all, only get one life, so we might as well make the best of it and treat ourselves and our bodies right! Besides, as Maren reassures us, the obstacles are beatable, and she explains how she goes about getting through the not so great days.

Maren closes by providing us with fantastic advice and some actionable tips. She encourages us to walk this path at our own pace. Start with breaking the food rule that is easiest to break. It’s also so important to have a dialogue with yourself rather than a monologue. Give yourself grace, and congratulate yourself for your small victories! She also tells us to reach out for help and to remember your why; remember how unhappy you were before you started your journey!

Struggling with the lows of this journey is something that literally everyone on this journey can understand, so this episode will surely be helpful to listeners! I am so grateful for Maren coming on to the podcast to share her journey and give some insight! As always, I love hearing from you, so screenshot this episode and let me know that you are listening to it! I would also love it if you would share with me what you took away from this episode and what was especially helpful! Reaching out means the world to both myself and our guests!

Time Stamps

[1:25] – We learn that today’s guest is SociEATy member Maren Hunt, and we are provided with a little bit of background information about her.

[3:02] – Maren gives us more insight about her past relationship with food and how and why she found intuitive eating.

[5:34] – Colleen enthusiastically stresses the importance of having support.

[8:00] – Maren reflects upon her eating disorder and how she felt while she was struggling with it.

[9:48] – We learn what the restrict-binge cycle was like for Maren.

[13:25] – Maren discloses that binging was the biggest obstacle that she had to overcome.

[17:07] – We discover what life is like now for Maren seven months into her journey.

[20:29] – Maren walks us through the ups and downs of initially breaking her food rules.

[23:05] – Maren reveals her why to us – her biggest one being that she wants to help other women recover.

[30:40] – Colleen reiterates that the problem is not you or a lack of willpower and that having a support system can help you realize that.

[33:10] – We hear how Maren navigated through the problem of people in her life who were not supportive of her food freedom journey.

[39:14] – Maren reiterates that recovery is not linear and that everyone’s timeline is different.

[45:23] – We are provided with a few actionable tips on how to get past the lows of this journey.

Links and Resources

Colleen Christensen Nutrition – Website

The SociEATy – Become a Member

The SociEATy’s Instagram Page

Colleen’s Instagram Page

Maren’s Instagram Page

Love Your Bod Pod

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