A woman in my community sent me a message this week that stopped me in my tracks: "Lindsey, do you ever have bad body image days? What does recovery actually look like years later? Do those old thoughts still creep in?"
Girlfriend, I had to sit with that one — because we don't talk about this enough. There's a myth floating around that recovery means you reach some magical finish line where body image struggles vanish forever. That is simply not true.
So today I'm pulling back the curtain completely and giving you my honest answer — plus the exact 8-step game plan I use when those old familiar feelings come knocking and I'm just feeling blah in my body. Grab your Target journal, friend. This one's a keeper.
The honest truth first
Yes — I still have days where I don't feel amazing in my body. Maybe I'm bloated, maybe I'm PMSing, maybe I caught myself in a dressing room mirror under those God-awful fluorescent lights, maybe I'm stressed in my business or walking through a hard season, and my body becomes the target for those feelings.
This is normal. And here's the difference. These moments used to consume entire weeks and months — sending me spiraling into restriction, over-exercise, avoidance. Now? They might last an hour, a moment, a day at most. Because I have a game plan that actually works.
Having these moments doesn't mean I'm not recovered. It means I'm human. Recovery isn't about never having a hard moment — it's about how quickly you return to love and gentleness with yourself when you do.
The 8-step game plan for bad body image days
1. Grace upon grace.
Before anything else, give yourself permission to feel what you're feeling without judging the feeling. No more "I should be past this by now." Instead: "It's okay you're having this thought. You're human. This doesn't mean anything about your worth or your recovery." Talk to yourself the way you'd talk to your best friend.
2. Throw on the comfy, baggy clothes.
Sounds simple — it's a game-changer. Soft jams, oversized shirt, cozy cardigan, hair in a bun. This isn't about hiding your body; it's about removing physical discomfort that amplifies emotional discomfort. Ditch the tight jeans. When you're not aware of how clothes are fitting, you can focus on how you actually feel instead of how you think you look.
3. Get to the root.
Stop plucking weeds and expecting different results. Ask: "What's really going on here? What am I actually trying to control by focusing on my body?" Overwhelm? Anxiety about a relationship? Exhaustion? Nine times out of ten, the body image struggle is about something else entirely — and naming it lets you address the real issue instead of taking it out on your body.
4. Avoid the mirror for the rest of the day.
If you're already in a critical headspace, why put yourself in front of a reflection you're only going to pick apart? No body checking, no seeking reassurance from a mirror. Body checking on a bad day is like picking at a wound and expecting it not to bleed. Catch yourself heading toward one? Turn around and find something else to do.
5. Honor yourself with mindful eating anyway.
The voice might whisper "skip lunch" or "eat cleaner tomorrow." Don't. Eat normally, regularly, every few hours — foods that nourish and satisfy you. Don't punish your body for an emotional feeling. Those feelings will pass. They're not facts. Your body deserves consistent nourishment regardless of a temporary thought.
6. Notice exercise compulsions and pause.
Here's a sneaky one — bad body image days can suddenly "motivate" you toward an intense new workout or extra cardio. Pause and ask: am I moving from love and energy, or trying to punish and change my body? If it's the latter, choose gentle movement — yoga, a walk in nature, stretching, or plain rest. You can sit with uncomfortable feelings without exercising them away.
7. No social media scrolling.
Non-negotiable on a hard day. Stay off Instagram and any platform where you'll compare yourself or get hit with diet-culture messaging. Read a good book, call a friend, do something that fills you instead.
8. Reach for your people.
This is the one that changes everything. I had a community of women who normalized these days and reminded me I wasn't alone — even when I thought I shouldn't still be having them. Recovery is so much sweeter when you're not doing it by yourself.
A few lines from the episode
"There's a myth that recovery means you never struggle again. That simply is not true."
"Having a bad body image day doesn't mean I'm not recovered. It means I'm human."
"Recovery isn't about never having a hard moment — it's about how quickly you return to gentleness with yourself."
"Those feelings will pass. They're not facts."
"We have to stop plucking the weeds and expecting different results."
"You can do hard things — including sitting with uncomfortable feelings without exercising them away."
"People who have recovered still struggle. They just keep showing up, choosing love over fear and grace over judgment."
Your reflection this week
Next time you're feeling blah in your body, don't reach for the old patterns. Reach for the game plan. Pick even one of the eight steps and practice it:
- Give yourself grace upon grace
- Put on the comfy clothes
- Ask what you're really trying to control
- Eat normally anyway
- Reach for your people
You're doing the hard things just by showing up for yourself.
You don't have to do this alone
The single biggest thing that helped me on hard days was a community of women who understood — who normalized the messy moments and reminded me of my worth. That's exactly why I created the Recovery Collective: a space where women in every phase of recovery come together to share the real and vulnerable moments, celebrate the victories big and small, and support each other with tools and understanding.
Imagine having a safe place to say "I'm having a hard body day" and be met with understanding instead of judgment.
👥 Learn more and join the Recovery Collective → www.herbestself.co/recoverycollective
👤 One-on-one coaching → www.herbestself.co
💬 Private community → www.herbestselfsociety.com
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💕 Share it with a woman who might need to hear this message 💕 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts - it helps other women find the show 💕 Screenshot and tag @thelindseynichol if any of these steps help you this week!
Remember, beautiful: Your worth is not measured by how perfectly you do recovery. Healing isn't linear, progress over perfection always, and you are exactly where you need to be right now.
Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.
*While I am a certified health coach, anorexia survivor & eating disorder recovery coach, I do not intend the use of this message to serve as medical advice. Please refer to the disclaimer here in the show & be sure to contact a licensed clinical provider if you are struggling with an eating disorder.
