03/01/2026
This is me as a little girl… when food was just food…
I’m not even sure how old I was here (I’ll have to ask my parents)
But I do know this:
Back then, food was just food.
If I was hungry, I ate.
If I wanted cake, I had some.
We had celebrations at home and I enjoyed them without overthinking.
No guilt. No shame. No mental maths.
Food was fuel.
It was fun.
It was celebration.
So when did it stop being that… and start becoming warfare?
The girl in this picture had no idea what was coming.
No idea that one day she’d skip meals as punishment for eating “too much” the day before.
That she’d stand in front of mirrors picking her body apart.
That she’d speak to herself with a level of harshness she’d never use on anyone else.
That she’d attach morality to food “good” days, “bad” days over something as neutral as eating.
If I could go back and warn her…
If I could see what was coming…
Wouldn’t you want to protect her from all of that?
And then I think about the future.
One day, when I have my own children, would I ever want to pass these beliefs on to them?
Would I want them to learn these patterns?
To grow up thinking food is something to fear, control, or earn?
You can’t go back and change how you treated yourself.
But you can protect the version of you that exists right now.
You can feed her properly.
You can let her rest when she’s tired instead of pushing through.
You can speak to her with the same kindness you’d give to a child who’s trying her best.
You can stop treating food like warfare
and start treating it like what it actually is: just food.
One day, you’ll look back at a photo of yourself now.
And you’ll either think, “I wish I’d been kinder to her.”
Or
“That’s when I stopped and decided she deserved better.”
I made the second choice.
And if you’re reading this, so can you. 🧡
