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Her Best Self: Freedom from Disordered Eating, Body Obsession & Perfectionism

Her Best Self: Freedom from Disordered Eating, Body Obsession & Perfectionism

By: Lindsey Nichol - Certified Health Coach Eating Disorder Recovery Coach Food Freedom Coach Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy Certified
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About this listen

Her Best Self is THE eating disorder recovery podcast for women ready to find freedom from disordered eating, body obsession, perfectionism and food anxiety.

Hosted by Lindsey Nichol, former figure skater and perfectionist turned eating disorder recovery coach, this show gives you practical tools for healing your relationship with food and body, overcoming perfectionism, and breaking free from diet culture.

Twice per week, you'll get real talk about ED recovery, intuitive eating, body neutrality, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the faith-based journey to becoming your best self—imperfectly.

If you're struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, orthorexia, or disordered eating patterns, this podcast will help you:
- Stop obsessing over food and your body
- Break free from restriction and binge cycles
- Overcome perfectionism and people-pleasing
- Build body trust and food freedom
- Find community and support in recovery

New episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Apply to work with Lindsey 1:1 or learn more about her services and free resources at www.herbestself.co. Join The Recovery Collective ~ the recovery support group that gets the struggle and wants to see you win at recovery at www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective.
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*Tune in for all things eating disorder recovery, disordered eating, food freedom, body image, intuitive eating, ED recovery, anorexia recovery, bulimia recovery, binge eating recovery, orthorexia, body neutrality, diet culture, perfectionism, food anxiety, body obsession, food restriction.


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**DISCLAIMER** Trigger warning: The episodes on Her Best Self podcast may, at times, cover sensitive topics including but not limited to eating disorders & mental health. You are advised to refrain from listening if you are likely to be triggered or adversely impacted by any of these topics. Neither Lindsey Nichol LLC, associates nor guests, shall at any time be liable for the content covered causing offense, distress or any other reaction. The information contained comes from personal insight & education but should not be viewed as clinical support or professional diagnosis. Anything said should NOT be taken as a replacement for medical intervention & is nothing is intended to establish a therapist-patient relationship, to replace the services of a trained therapist, doctor or other health professional, nor treatment. @ Copyright 2025 Lindsey Nichol LLC

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences
Episodes
  • EP 256: Press Play When Anxious▶️~ 3 Guided Meditations to Calm Pre-Meal Panic + Body Image Struggles in ED Recovery

    EP 256: Press Play When Anxious▶️~ 3 Guided Meditations to Calm Pre-Meal Panic + Body Image Struggles in ED Recovery
    Dec 9 2025
    Sis, this season can be all the chaos. It's time you be present with yourself, take a step back, allow yourself rest, peace, and grace. Friend, you owe you. This episode is DIFFERENT. This isn't just host Lindsey Nichol talking - it's Lindsey GUIDING you through 3 calming meditations specifically designed for your recovery journey. Save this episode. Bookmark it. Come back to it whenever you need it. This time of year, anyone can feel overwhelmed by holiday chaos. But for someone with an eating disorder, the anxiety can be crippling. Pre-meal panic. Body image triggers. Overwhelming thoughts that feel impossible to quiet. Lindsey has walked this path. She knows how overwhelming those thoughts and feelings get, especially during the holidays. That's why she created these simple, powerful meditations to be your companion whenever you need to: Calm pre-meal anxiety before eating with familyGround yourself during a body image crisisShow yourself compassion on the hardest days Whether you're struggling with pre-meal anxiety, having a hard day with your body image, or just need a moment to ground yourself - press play on this episode. Come back to this episode when you're feeling overwhelmed, when you're feeling not enough, and when that anxiety feels like it's on overdrive. The 3 Guided Meditations: Meditation #1: Pre-Meal Calming Meditation (For Anxiety Before Eating) When to use this: Before lunch or dinner when anxiety feels highestWhen sitting down with family for mealsWhen you feel panic rising about food choicesWhen the ED voice is loudest before eating What Lindsey guides you through: Finding comfortable seated positionGentle breathing to become presentNoticing thoughts like clouds passing in the skyHand-on-heart, hand-on-belly groundingAffirmations: "I give my body permission to be nourished""I choose to feed my body with compassion""Food is my medicine. This is a good thing""This is one step in my recovery journey" Breathing mantras: "I am stronger than the eating disorder voice""I have the wisdom to nourish my body""I am more than my body" Duration: ~5 minutes Key truth: These quiet moments of connection with yourself are powerful. This helps you separate from the ED voice and reconnect with your TRUE self. Meditation #2: Body Image Grounding Meditation (For Body Hate Days) When to use this: When you're having a hard body image dayWhen "feeling fat" is overwhelmingWhen critical thoughts about your body won't stopWhen you need to reconnect with gratitude for your body Important reminder: "Feeling fat" isn't actually a feeling - it's often your body's way of telling you something else is going on emotionally. What Lindsey guides you through: Comfortable position (seated or lying down)Noticing where your body contacts the ground (grounding)Body scan from feet to head with gentle awareness: Feet: Connecting to the ground, wiggling toesLegs: Getting stronger, supporting youCore/Stomach: Your true strength, your center (not to be micromanaged)Chest: Rising and falling with each breathArms/Hands: Tools to express love, create amazing thingsHead: Houses thoughts AND dreams, desires, wishes Acknowledging judgmental thoughts without judgmentThanking your body for what it allows you to doSelf-hug + gratitude: "Thank you for allowing me to walk, breathe, be grounded" Key practice: When critical thoughts arise, simply say "I notice I'm having a judgmental thought," then return to observing with curiosity. Duration: ~7 minutes Key truth: Your body is not your enemy. It's not up for negotiation. It's your HOME - where you live. Meditation #3: Self-Compassion Meditation (For Suffering + Hard Moments) When to use this: When you're feeling overwhelmedWhen you don't honor or love yourselfWhen you don't know where to turn nextWhen you need to be as kind to yourself as you'd be to a friend What Lindsey guides you through: Thinking of a recent challenge in recoveryNoticing emotions and physical sensationsHand over heart, feeling steady heartbeatAffirmations: "This is a moment of suffering""Suffering will pass - it's part of life and recovery""I can be kind to myself in this process" Imagining a friend facing the same challengesAsking: "What would I say to them? How would I support them?"Offering yourself that same grace: "I'm doing the best I can""Recovery takes time""I'm worthy of patience and understanding" Key practice: You deserve the same kindness you'd offer your friend, mom, or sister. Duration: ~5 minutes Key truth: Your ED voice may be loud this season, but it doesn't have to control you or your actions. Key Reminders Throughout: Thoughts Are Like Clouds: They can come in (like your breath) and flow out (like your exhale) without you grabbing onto them. Your Truth: These thoughts can pass like clouds in the skyYou are MORE than these thoughtsThis voice is NOT your truthYou can choose recovery in this exact momentYour worth will NEVER be determined by food or weightYou are SAFE here For Beginners: This isn't ...
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    16 mins
  • EP 255.5: 11 Recovery Wins That Have Nothing to Do with the Scale (Celebrate Your Small Victories)🎉

    EP 255.5: 11 Recovery Wins That Have Nothing to Do with the Scale (Celebrate Your Small Victories)🎉
    Dec 5 2025
    Sister, friend, we've got to celebrate all that you're accomplishing in eating disorder recovery. And one of those accomplishments? Maybe you're listening to today's show and starting to recognize this is a problem in your life. Celebrate that win. Your life has been measured around LESS. Less food, less weight, less energy. You're more successful by being less, running on less, weighing less, consuming less. But today, we're celebrating victories that have nothing to do with the scale. Host Lindsey Nichol shares 11 recovery wins to celebrate that measure MORE goodness in your life - not lack, not weighing less, not being less. Because girlfriend, you're gaining so much more than the weight you're terrified to gain. This process of recovery, of letting yourself BE (not letting yourself go, but surrendering to who you truly are inside) - that's what we're celebrating today. Stop measuring your worth by a number. Start celebrating these wins. The 11 Recovery Wins to Celebrate: Win #1: When You Eat MORE Celebrate: That snack. Adding nuts to your oatmeal. Adding something versus restricting. Truth: When you eat more, you think bigger. Your mind uses fuel to function. Action: Add one extra thing today - more protein, more than coffee for breakfast, something. Win #2: When You Challenge THAT Thought The thought: "You shouldn't have had that. Now you have to wait until dinner. You need to run an extra hour." Celebrate: When you sit that thought down and tell it to shut up. Truth: "Not today. I'm not running 45 minutes because I had carbs. I'm taking a walk and nourishing my body." Win #3: When You Face a Fear Food Not: Going from nothing to 50 donuts (that's not what we're doing). Celebrate: Integrating something that's been a struggle. Breaking a rigid rule. Examples: Having cashews at dinner when you only "allowed" almonds at breakfast. Two tablespoons of peanut butter instead of one. Action: Try something outside your normal rigid routine. Eat at a different time. Try a new snack. Get conscious with your eating. Win #4: When You Get Intuitive and Reflect Celebrate: Journaling. Getting present with your feelings. Truth: "Today sucks. I don't want to gain weight. I'm feeling heavy. I'm not sure I'm all in. I'm going to let these feelings in, sit with them, and move on." Remember: We cannot heal what we cannot feel. Win #5: When You Exercise for Enjoyment (Or Don't Exercise at All) Celebrate: Moving your body for FUN, not punishment. Examples: Taking a walk just to reflect. Going to yoga to try something new. Skipping exercise to REST. Truth: No one said you weren't allowed. Grant yourself permission. Win #6: When You Want STRENGTH Over Skinny The shift: Wanting to feel STRONGER versus wanting to be skinnier. Celebrate: When you're putting yourself first, nourishing your body, starting to believe in the process. Truth: You're going to feel liberated, clearer minded, STRONGER. That's winning. Win #7: When You Go Out to Dinner Without Anxiety Not overnight: You don't go from making excuses to avoid restaurants to enjoying dinner stress-free immediately. Celebrate: When you can be PRESENT in the moment. When you hear the nasty thoughts and say "Not for these 45 minutes." Win: Saying yes to events instead of isolating. Win #8: When You Get OFF the Scale The game changer: No longer allowing the scale to define your worthiness. Truth: Not looking at the number to define what you can eat today or what you have to restrict tomorrow. Celebrate: If you're not weighing yourself every second and you're starting to lay that down - that's MASSIVE. Win #9: When You Notice More Energy and Better Sleep Celebrate: Having more brain function. Getting clearer, more sound sleep. Truth: Your body's not running on SILENCE anymore. Things underneath are working properly because you're nourishing yourself. Notice: Different energy spikes after eating. Give yourself props for this. Win #10: When You Let Go of Shame and Guilt After Meals Celebrate: "I gave myself permission to eat something I normally don't eat. I'm on this pathway to recovery. I know I'm fearful, but I'm creating a healthier place for me." Action: Set down the shame. Ask yourself: "What do I need to do right now to not let this consume me?" Win: That's MASSIVE. Celebrate that victory. Win #11: When You Get SUPPORT and Commit The biggest win: Acknowledging you need help and support. Truth: You weren't meant to do this alone. You just weren't. Question: Wouldn't you want help from somebody who's been there? Wouldn't you want to fast-track the process instead of struggling longer? Key Takeaways: ✨ Your life has been measured by LESS - recovery is measured by MORE ✨ Eating disorders become a game - the more successful at restriction, the more achievement we feel ✨ We need to measure with a NEW measuring stick - small victories ✨ When you eat more, you think bigger - your mind needs fuel ✨ Challenge the thought - sit it down and tell it to shut up ✨ We cannot ...
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    23 mins
  • EP 255: Sis, Stop Identifying as Disordered! You're Not a Number, a Diagnosis, or a Label ~ Get Rooted in the RIGHT Identity for the New Year

    EP 255: Sis, Stop Identifying as Disordered! You're Not a Number, a Diagnosis, or a Label ~ Get Rooted in the RIGHT Identity for the New Year
    Dec 2 2025
    Girlfriend, if you want freedom from your eating disorder in the new year, you can't keep identifying AS the eating disorder. In this powerful new episode, host Lindsey Nichol gets vulnerable about being defined by labels - the number on the clothing tag, the OSFED diagnosis that made her feel "not sick enough," then the anorexia diagnosis that felt like she'd "earned" being officially sick. She shares the moment she realized the energy it took to be everyone's label was debilitating - and how everything changed when she stopped identifying as disordered and started living from her TRUE identity. Here's the truth: If you are defined by your labels, you're also confined by your labels. And no label - no matter how authoritative, no diagnosis, no number, no title - can contain the full perspective and constellation of who you might become. You are NOT your eating disorder. You are NOT your diagnosis. You are NOT the number on the tag. You are a saint. An heir. A daughter of the Most High. Royalty. This episode will shift how you see yourself and give you a tangible exercise to discover your true identity as we head into a new year. What You'll Learn: The Label Trap Arianna Huffington's truth: No label can contain who you might becomeHow the ED voice defines you by WHAT you have/do, never WHO you areWhy being defined by labels means you're also confused by them Lindsey's Vulnerable Label Story Obsessed with the number on clothing tagsOSFED diagnosis: feeling "not sick enough"Anorexia diagnosis: feeling "officially sick"The shift: When being someone else's label became debilitatingRealizing she wasn't designed to be a label - she was designed to be HER The Labels Keeping You Stuck "Anorexic," "bulimic," "the girl with the eating disorder""The fit one," "the vegan," "the one on a diet""Perfectionist," "people pleaser," "the sick one"Even "recovered" can become a trapResearch: 80% of New Year's resolutions fail because they're rooted in outcomes, not identity Who God Says You REALLY Are Fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)Chosen - royal priesthood, holy nation (1 Peter 2:9)Deeply loved - nothing can separate you (Romans 8:38-39)A new creation - old is gone, new is here (2 Corinthians 5:17)An heir - daughter of the King, royalty (Galatians 4:7) The New Year Identity Shift Most resolutions fail because they're about WHAT you want to doIdentity-based change is more powerful than outcome-based goalsYou can't identify as "the girl with the eating disorder" and expect to live freeWhen you change your identity, your behavior followsStop identifying as disordered, start identifying as WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE Your Tangible Exercise: Step 1: Write down FALSE labels you've been carrying (Anorexic, bulimic, the number on the tag, not good enough, the sick one, etc.) Step 2: Cross them ALL out (These are NOT your identity - they're lies that cannot contain who you might become) Step 3: Write down WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE I am fearfully and wonderfully madeI am chosenI am deeply lovedI am a new creationI am an heirI am a daughter of the Most HighI am royaltyI am a saintI am NOT my eating disorderI am created for freedom Step 4: Read these truths OUT LOUD (Let your ears hear what God says about you) Step 5: Live from THIS identity (Not from labels, not from diagnosis, not from what people call you) Key Takeaways: ✨ If you're defined by your labels, you're also confused by your labels ✨ No label can contain who you might become ✨ The ED voice tells you WHAT you have/do, never WHO you are ✨ You are NOT: your eating disorder, your diagnosis, your size, your past ✨ You ARE: a saint, an heir, a daughter of the Most High, royalty ✨ 80% of New Year's resolutions fail - identity-based change is what works ✨ Stop identifying as disordered, start identifying as who God says you are ✨ When you change your identity, your behavior follows Powerful Quotes: "No label, no matter how authoritative - one given to you by a doctor or a boss - no title, no dollar sign can ever contain the full perspective and constellation of who you might become." - Arianna Huffington"If you are defined by your labels, you're also confused by your labels""The eating disorder voice loved defining me by WHAT I had and WHAT I did. But it never told me WHO I was""The energy it took to remain someone else's label was absolutely debilitating""I wasn't designed to be a label. I was designed to be ME""You weren't designed to be 'anorexic.' You were designed to be a daughter of the Most High""If you keep identifying as 'the girl with the eating disorder,' you will keep living like the girl with the eating disorder""You are NOT your eating disorder. You are a saint, an heir, a daughter of the Most High, royalty""When you're rooted in THAT identity - when that becomes your foundation - everything changes""You can't keep identifying AS the eating disorder and expect to live free""No label can contain the full perspective and constellation of who you ...
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    19 mins
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