Physically Recovered, Mentally Trapped – Until I Did This

This episode is raw, honest, and deeply hopeful. I sit down with Brooke, one of my coaching clients, who recovered from a severe eating disorder that began in her teens — fuelled by praise for being “small,” TikTok diet culture, gym culture, religious conditioning, and a deep fear of weight gain. Brooke shares her journey from hospitalisation and years of being “technically recovered but mentally trapped,” to full food freedom, weight restoration, and a life no longer ruled by her eating disorder. This conversation is especially powerful if you: • Are afraid you’ll never recover mentally • Fear weight gain won’t stop • Have food allergies that complicate recovery • Struggle with body image, curves, or modesty conditioning • Feel “different” or like recovery won’t work for you In this episode, we cover: ✨ How praise for being “small” planted the seeds of Brooke’s eating disorder ✨ TikTok, calorie counting, gym culture & “healthy” restriction ✨ Why traditional treatment kept her stuck ✨ The turning point that made her choose recovery for herself ✨ Doing recovery “for the we” when doing it for yourself feels impossible ✨ Navigating recovery with food allergies (without using them as an ED excuse) ✨ Full surrender to mental hunger — and why it’s non-negotiable ✨ Gaining multiple clothing sizes and surviving the body image grief ✨ Religious shame, modesty, curves & reclaiming bodily autonomy ✨ Why weight gain did stop — and how set point brought mental peace ✨ The messy middle of recovery no one talks about ✨ Life after recovery: travel, work, relationships & real freedom Powerful quotes from the episode: 💬 “I thought I’d be the biggest person who ever recovered. I wasn’t.” 💬 “The long-term hard is living with an eating disorder forever.” 💬 “Full allowance is what traditional recovery misses.” 💬 “You can recover physically and mentally — I’m proof.” 💬 “The eating disorder thrives in shame. I’m taking my power back.” If you’re scared, exhausted, or stuck in the middle — this episode will remind you what’s possible. 💙 Join my FREE support group: https://victoriakleinsman.com/free-support-group/ 💙 Free trial group coaching: https://victoriakleinsman.com/coaching/ 💙 Work with me 1:1: https://victoriakleinsman.com/1-1-coaching/ 💙 Follow me on Instagram @victoriakleinsmanofficial 💙 Become a coach: https://victoriakleinsman.com/become-a-coach/