My recovery
Recovery from food and weight struggles is possible
If I can recover from my difficulties with food and weight and settle into my natural weight then you can too. I battled for many years with:
Over eating.
Not being able to manage my weight.
On-off dieting.
A serious eating disorder (bulimia).
Slowly but surely, I learned to understand what was driving my eating.
I accepted that learning how to eat and enjoy food again would not be an overnight 'quick-fix'. I learned how to eat - and live - again.
I was inspired by many different individuals and useful resources which supported my recovery. But I knew that my recovery was going to be something that only I could make happen.
And I did. I learned how to free myself from my eating struggles and have been Eating Free for nearly two decades.
Eating Free: one step at a time
Moving out of away from a way of eating that does not support you and your happiness does not happen overnight. It takes time and a firm commitment to recovery and feel well again.
I learned from every slip up. I took it one step at a time. I took it day by day. I was inspired by the stories of other people who were bravely talking about their recovery.
Over time, I got to a place where I was totally OK, and still am:
OK with what I eat and when.
OK with my body.
OK with myself and my life.
How I Eat Free today
Today, I eat:
When my body tells me it needs to.
When I need to nourish myself.
To achieve optimal diabetic control.
So I can live and work well.
So I can be strong.
So that I can enjoy movement and the outdoors.
So I can sleep well every night.
When I am enjoying time with friends and family.
So I can be at one with my body at a weight it is comfortable with.
So I can pursue projects I believe in and reach my personal and professional goals.
Alexandra van Essche: Eating Free Founder and Coach
Alexadra is passionate about helping others to heal their relationship with food and trust their bodies.
She supports people living with diabetes with managing their condition.
She is a trained counsellor through Diabetes UK and the Open University, and a Diabetes Advocate with SA Diabetes Advocacy.
She is currently completing a healthy eating course through Havard Medical School.
Her passion for health also forms the basis of her niched health communications agency Alexandra van Essche Communications.
"My recovery forms the basis of my Eating Free coaching programme. I don't want anyone to suffer for as long as I did, especially when there is a way to move away from a burdensome relationship with food and body image. My approach to food, eating and life can help you settle into your natural or set weight, but it's not the main goal of my programme. Eating Free is not a weight loss programme."