As a nationally recognized fitness personality, it may be hard to believe that Jennifer Galardi has struggled with food ever since she was a sophomore in college. In a candid interview with Yoga International, she opens up about how she used food and exercise as a “control mechanism,” and she discusses her journey to find balance and self-acceptance through yoga practice. After years of exercise bulimic behaviors, Galardi began to study yoga with Rod Stryker, who taught her that she would only be able to stop her destructive behavior when it became too painful to not change. She became cognizant of patterns and practices that were not serving her, of behaviors that were doing more harm than good. She says that recognizing her issues was only the first step, and that she had to be willing to go through the pain of change before her life could improve. She acknowledges that recovery is an ongoing process, that she will not wake up one morning and be miraculously healed. Galardi believes it takes awareness to understand her triggers, and she adjusts her behavior and/or environment if she recognizes that her thoughts are heading in an unhealthy direction.
I had a deep desire to not want to beat myself up anymore, and to not want to judge myself. If I thought about talking to a friend the way I talk to myself…I would never do that to a friend! I think you need guidance. You can’t [recover] on your own.
If you or someone you love is suffering with exercise bulimia contact us for more information. We can be reached 24/7 by phone (800-845-2211) or by email (Info@RosewoodRanch.com). Rosewood can help you find a path to recovery. You can heal and take back your life.
This post is a summary of an article from YogaInternational.com and does not include the opinions of Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders or its affiliates. You can read the full article here.
