Hope is the anchor of the soul, the stimulus to action, and the incentive to achievement. Anonymous

Karen is a young woman who for years struggled with out-of-control eating. An incest survivor, she became bulimic as a way to alter her emotions and try to escape from what was happening in her life. However, a remnant of hope allowed her to progress through the steps outlined in Body Sense and make the changes in her life that moved her out of depression, stopped the eating disorder behaviors and move her into a sense of peace and self-confidence.

"Never in my life would I have imagined I could feel this wonderful and as calm and peaceful inside. As I read and completed the exercises, little by little my hope increased. As I worked, I also developed a relationship with God and I found strength. Even though there are a lot of chaotic things in my life, I have this calmness inside I have never had before. The negative chatterbox is gone. I know how to stop it.

"I believe there is a future for me now. I believe I am loveable. People love me, find me attractive and care about me--the person. I love myself and never before could I ever have said those words.

"When you release all those old uncomfortable feeligs, you can get through to that other side and let go of a past. I have a life where not every thought is of pain, and I don't obsess over what I weigh."

Karen's journey, while inspiring, is not unusual for those who work through the steps of change. Like all of us, she always had amazing potential within. Given some focused direction, gentle nurturing and more effective tools, she became like the butterfly set free of a cocoon. Today she faces the world unecumbered by past pain, distorted perceptions, and overwehelming negative thoughts about herself. She has a job she only dreamed of and a husband who loves her for who she is inside. The scales no longer tell her who she is. Karen tells the world who she is. Look out!

(The above excerpt is taken from the chapter Celebrate Your Transformations from the book Body Sense Balancing Your Weight and Emotions.) If you'd like to buy Body Sense click here. If you'd like to enroll in our online course Forget About Diets, click here.

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