#154: Dating in Recovery: Navigating Diet Culture in Relationships

The Full Plate Podcast with Abbie Attwood, MS

This is a free preview of a bonus episode. To hear the full conversation, become a paid subscriber to the show on Patreon: www.patreon.com/fullplate. Your support on Patreon is what makes this show possible. Thank you so much!

Abbie answers a listener question about the challenges of dating and relationships amidst diet culture -- especially while navigating a history of body control, body shame, and disordered eating. Our listener's concerns are about dating men who are overly focused on fitness and diet, and how to know whether those concerns are a reflection of her gut instincts, or a sign that more healing needs to happen.

What you'll hear:

• The importance of safety and self-worth in relationships
• How we can learn to trust our intuition in dating
• Exploring shared values beyond diet culture
• Ways to set both internal and external boundaries
• Knowing when to share your mental health history
• Working through dating app parameters
• What is a trigger versus what is something to work through
• Abbie's experience with ED recovery and dating

Jeb, Abbie's husband, joins later in the episode to have a conversation about the way they met:

• What happened when they shared about eating disorders and addiction
• Vulnerability and when to talk about hard things
• Jeb shares his initial anxiety about dating post-treatment
• What it was like meeting on a dating app
• Why Jeb needed to find someone open to discussing hard topics
• This is an episode that ultimately centers on the nuances of vulnerability and openness, what it means to prioritize our mental health without sacrificing important relationships, and getting clear on what we truly value in a partner.

This is an episode that ultimately centers on the nuances of vulnerability and openness, what it means to prioritize our mental health without sacrificing important relationships, and getting clear on what we truly value in a partner.

LISTEN TO THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE!

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Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

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Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

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