tw: eating disorders
I would like to put a little disclaimer and say that I am not sponsored (I do not have the following for that). So this review is completely of my own opinion.
If you have ever had an unhealthy relationship with food, there has probably come a time where you downloaded MyFitnessPal or some other calorie counting app. You start to become obsessed with the numbers and you can’t stop. It’s almost like an addiction.
In my journey of recovery, I have tried to stop counting calories in many different ways. Each one has lead me right back to tracking the numbers. However, I recently discovered the app Ate. It’s a meal tracking app but it focuses on mindful eating and getting you to a goal of feeling happy and healthy. My psychiatrist that I used to see for my eating disorders, would always tell me to eat intuitively. I tried many times to just eat when I was hungry and then stop when I was full, but kept feeling the need to track my meals
I continuously fell back into old habits. I couldn't just not track what I ate. I had spent so many years measuring and weighing and counting my food that cutting it all cold turkey was too much for me to handle. With Ate, I am able to not only document each meal but also how it made me feel and what I enjoyed about it.
I think that by keeping track of how each meal makes me feel, has helped me to become more in tune with my body and what it needs to get me through the day. I’ve only used it for a week or so, but it has helped me already in being more mindful of my eating habits in a healthy way. Now is it still hard? Yes, it very much is. Not seeing a number next to each meal is hard to get used to. I still find myself adding everything up in my head and keeping a mental note of it. This reflex is going to go away eventually but it’s going to take some time. I spent years conditioning myself to think this way and it’s going to take years to recondition myself, but I have confidence I can do it.
And I have confidence you can too! Obviously everyone’s road to recovery is a little different, but if you’re like me and need to be able to see your meals lined up from the day I recommend this app. I hope to no longer feel the urge to have to track anything one day but for now this is my method.
If you download the app please let me know how you like it on my instagram @morganlingcom. I would love to be able to support anyone on their journey to recovery!