Freedom Is. . .

Inspired by Independence Day - what does freedom from food and body concerns look like to you? Feel free to add to my list of 20. . . .

1. Allowing yourself to eat when you're hungry.
2. Allowing yourself to stop when you're full.
3. Recognizing these functions are a work in progress.
4. Saying "yes" to a variety of foods, including those that used to be off-limits.
5. Prioritizing food flexibility as a goal.
6. Ignoring the latest diet trends (including _______-free, juicing, cleansing, etc.), recognizing they do more harm than good.
7. Giving yourself permission to make mistakes.
8. Learning from setbacks.
9. Exercising when you feel healthy and capable but not when you're sick or tired.
10. Learning to appreciate the benefits of movement when it isn't tied to a specific weight goal.
11. Tossing clothing that no longer fits without any self-reproach.
12. Treating your body well, despite the fact that it might not be your ideal body.
13. Saying "yes" to people and opportunities, despite how you feel about your body.
14. "Zooming out" from fixations on weight and shape - regarding yourself and others.
15. Finding a life purpose greater than maintaining a particular weight or size.
16. Refraining from comparisons - your body may need more or less food than someone else's and it may also be naturally bigger or smaller than someone else's. 
17. Ditching the scale, the measuring tape, the skinny jeans, the mirror, or any other external means of tearing down or validating yourself. 
18. Building yourself up due to other attributes outside of your weight and shape.
19. Surrounding yourself with people who also want to be free.
20. Accepting where you are, wherever you are, while recognizing you are still capable of growth and change.

You can find Does Every Woman Have an Eating Disorder? Challenging Our Nation's Fixation with Food and Weight on Amazon (as a paperback and Kindle) and at BarnesandNoble.com.