What is a Positive Recovery blog?

Just wondering...what are your thoughts on reading blogs? Particularly blogs that are primarily ED-recovery focused? Do reading thoughts on ED help you? I've been browsing through a lot of these blogs, but I don't know if they are helping me or not. Some just make me depressed the way they go about detailing their struggles, and because they don't seem to ever get better...but I can't keep checking up on them, hoping and hoping that I see some improvements...

Can anyone let me know of any blogs that have actually helped them? Or do you think these blogs are a negative influence that feeds our ED minds?

Unfortunatly I am of the oppinion that one never "fully recovers" from an eating disorder. Not to upset anyone! But I feellike you will have it for life, you may be able to control it better and function more,but it won't ever be completely gone.

So to me looking for a recovery blog seems a bit self-defeating really, they will have their daily struggles aswill you. We just do our best day to day, we all have our own individual journeys. We can't predict or mould ourselves based onothers. I say focuson yourself and what you really enjoy,rather than dwelling on and continually reinforcing the ED/recovered ED identity. 

i have to just say that i find some blogs in particular Maya's and Eliza's i really do find inspiring for me, and uplifting, and i do find there blogs fun to read and beautiful to look at...idk...what blogs are triggering, i guess if one is not in recovery, or just in there ED that is obviously upsetting and triggering. for me in september and october before i started to gain weight and do well, i wasnt doing well at all, and i would read the twin's blog' and it would motivate me that i could do this at home, and not have to resort to IP...because i saw that they were making progress and making the steps at home, which i have never done before(always off to IP) i think many blogs out there are great...and the ones not so uplifting why not just turn away, and dont go back if you think it will affect you or upsets you.

but yes i do agree that maybe sometimes one could see or hear that a blogger avoids blank or see's a meal and could think i eat so much more etc, and that could def trigger one...yet i think its all how you handle what you see or read, you can take it with a grain of salt and go on with your day or let your ED thrive with it, and use this blank thing you saw or read to fuel your ed...just focus on yourself really is the key...in the end no one can affect your recovery but you, its all in our your hands. we have the choice of what to do with our lives, what to eat, what to read and what to look at.

Thank you Leah :) ;) love u. and ur spot on about eveyrthing you said!!! so right and agreed with it all. i suppose some girls have diff triggers, and stuff? idk...like i saw a grl post a pic of her outfit yest. and i didnt think twice about it, just though, how cute..and eliza was like "did u see how flat her stomach is...etc..." and i was like,...i dont care..isd lol..

ah well i just looked at my post on this thread and my goodness i wrote a novel!

i apologize to any girls that have had a negative experience with my words or anything on my blog..but i blog for ME and to help others (like leah ;) ] ok...done...sorry.

Ohh I wish I hadnt responded to this thread, Maya I am very sorry if I upset you. I already sent you an email to apologise but just to clarify again I was not referring to you or singling you out.

I didnt mean to upset anyone, at the end of the day all I was trying to say was if you dont like what you read dont read it. Blogs are set up for all sorts of reasons whether ed related or not.

ohh laura! its ok! love u darling, just read ur email, and i totally understand...hate the internet and how things get so lostt in translation, u know? :/ thank u again!!xoxoxooxox

Hi Maya...I read through your opinion and I am dearly sorry for whatever negative effect my comment or the other posters' comments had on you. I think this is a generally kind and respectful community but sometimes what often happens is that people try to justify that they are in the right by attacking others. It's happened to me and I know that it hurts, so I want to let you know that although I was having a little bit of a rant about blogs I never meant to specify anyone or apply my opinion to every single recovery blog out there. In fact, I've read your blog and I find your words to be honest and from the heart; you don't try to glamourise the ease of recovery nor do you withhold from talking about your struggles, which I really appreciate. I'm not just saying this in attempt to quickly heal a wound, I really mean it. All the best...I hope you are well!

Thank you teacastles so much, ur so sweet- its relle okay, no need to apologize !!any of u girls, everyone has a right to their own opinion! !! believe me i have stopped looking at numerous blogs in the past for reasons like everyone has said! i was thinking about this today, sometimes i feel like i forget that its such a open blog not a private journal, :/ I may be too honest sometimes, but thats just me i guess....but all i really want to have a motivational and positive fun blog to help others, who wants to read about depressing things, eh? ;P so i am relle trying to blog when i have something exciting to share, a new food etc..in a good place...! cool pics, who knows :) and if i am relle struggling, refrain and just talk to my T or journal...again thank you teacastles your amazing!

Hmmm... some of my favorites, right off the bat (I've tried to start blogging, but always fail miserably, alas, I just read and comment occasionally :))

- Maya and Eliza's Blogs (Nourishing Mornings and Pistachios and Rainbows)

- Karina's (Like Some Kat from Japan)

- Evan's (Food Makes Fun Fuel)... not ED, but he's a fellow runner with one hell of an appetite, and some awesome recipes that help to get the food in!

- Chocolate Covered Katie (I honestly donnot think she has an ED, because I know that some people are just naturally petite, myself being one of them! But she DOES have some AMAZING recipes, and agian, a substantial appetite!)

- Foods of April (no ED, just great, protein packed, recipes!)

Ok, so that's all I can think of for now. I really like reading blogs of fellow athletes, because since I'm no longer in the refeeding phase, it's helpful to relate to those with high maintanence calories. Though it always warms my heart to read about those who are in recovery still, and going about in a really positive manor (Eliza and Maya, Vanilla, ect.).

I've developed a bit of a blog addicition, to be quite honest! Haha

maya, the girl in college you were talking about is that Gemma ake mashed tatties? i was wondering what happened to her...

ohh yes, thats her ...she is amazing :) i cant talk for her, but, she is at Uni.. i guess some bloggers have points when they are relle struggling, like at a point I was having such bad urges and i know it was so horrble to read. but she is well from wht i know of :)

http://howimashpotato.wordpress.com/

here you go! I remember actually, she was one of the first "foodie"/ED recovery blogs I came across... the first one being KERF's.

It hasn't been updated since August, but the journey that has been documented is, in my opinion, incredible :)

she is incredible, so so strong and wise...miss her :( her blog was like a relle interesting novel lol..., that i couldn't wait to get to the end to see that she would be ok and happy..and i know she is well. she is quite wonderful! :) love her!

I agree that it is ultimately OUR own responsibilities to filter what we read. Like you, Maya, I think it's admirable that you are so open about your struggles instead of bullcrapping and pretending everything is okay. Some girls might find inspiration from that, others might be triggered and pick up similar disordered thoughts. Those who are triggered should stay away. The internet is a public forum and anyone has the right to say what they want, just as anyone has the right to NOT read what they have to say.

But I'm a bit surprised to find some of the blogs you've mentioned. For example, I'm not sure if reading a vegan's blog is particularly helpful...and one who runs 8 miles a day at that when she is less than 90lbs. And the fact that they are all health-obsessed. Maybe not Katharina (whose blog I've read before and whom I think is a sweet, beautiful girl), but all the others have a pretty unnatural relationship with food, whether they openly share about their ED or not.

But then again, I guess there really isn't such a thing as "normal" eating. I'm not looking for blogs to decide for me how or what I should eat. But I would really wish there were more blogs that just DON'T CARE so much about healthy food. Organic, no HFCS, low-carb, etc. It just drives me nuts. But then when I strike them out, it seems like there ain't many blogs left.

It makes me wonder: Why are there so many blogs that are like this? Is it because the majority of society have the same unhealthy relationship with food? Or is it just the ones who have an abnormal relationship with food that blogs?

Also, thinking about the masses of people who read them, how will that affect them? 

Oh and Liney_line: I know Kath eats isn't looking to gain weight, lol. I was referring to ME as the weight-gainer. Her eats just seem too little for ME. Hee hee.

yes it is our responsibility--- and  ooo a blog i love is  http://findinghappinessandhealth.wordpress.co m/ she is AMAZING, recovering anorexic. not vegan, or vegaterian, and she eats like relle great balance of health food and "normal" food with like friends etc...when u said  "I would really wish there were more blogs that just DON'T CARE so much about healthy food." i thought of her. although i think its the nature and most usual that food bloggers with EDs care about health food, and all....most girls that are attracted to food blogging, probably like food and exciting foods and stuff, and i suppose organic and what not may be in that category ? not relle sure.

also maybe look at blogs NON food related, i read some of photography/design/fashion blogs/art and to me they dont trigger me, like fashion blogs one could think it may b triggering but actually its not...for me atleats... like the girl is healthy..i dont know how others would perceive her body etc...but to me she is a healyhy looking role model? http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/ she posts food too its a great blog. But to get motivation for recovery, i mean there is always books? and stuff, and look outside this little screeen "fake world" and find inspiration in the real flesh...thats what helps me, to be around non ed people and have fun and be with friends, motivation should come from within, not dependent on another person to motivate. I think recovery blogs, well mine was started with NO intention of it being a recovery blog or rlle anything about my ED...i ahd NO clue ed recovery blogs even existed! it was gonna be just food and art etc..but then i started seeing other blogs etc...and idk..but in the begginging of my blog i was not really vegetarian. and i ate things like Thomas english muffins, salmon, and fruity pebble cereal, to name a few.... not to say bloggin turned me  "orthorexic" but maybe it did, a bit, not gonna lie...that is why i am not really bogging too much now focusing on all my eats.

I admit, I sometimes review things like fake meat, organic cereals, protein bars...because it's less popular and new to people, you know? I'm not going to talk about a Granny Smith Apple, nobody will read it. I think for me, it's more like a way to bring people to follow my blog.

Must admit though, I focus more on 'food creations', aka fancy oatmeal w/ regular dried fruits, interesting yogurt mess combos w/ regular cereals...because sometimes, I just can't affort organic dried fruits or protein-packed cereals.

But yes, after reading this, I remembered some brownies a friend made for me and posted about it. I decided to talk about her generosity and Holiday spirit rather than the nutritional facts of the brownies, lol.

How weird! I just got back from uni a couple of days ago and thought I'd check out how everyone is getting on - and I find this thread! I'm touched by those who mentioned my blog - I do miss blogging! I just felt that it was getting a little toxic - not to do with anyone else in the blogging community, but my own relationship with food, my camera etc... And perhaps the obsession with 'healthy' eating that I feel plays a large part of the blogging community - whether it be veganism, rawism, clean eating, organic eating, etc.. But then, if I hadn't blogged - and I mean this 100% - I would not have just got back from my first term of university. I would have relapsed. Blogging literally saved me and I will NEVER run out of gratitude for every single reader, follower and commenter. Seriously. And I've done it - I survived and I'm looking forward to next term. Not going to lie it's been HARD AS HELL at times, but I survived BY MYSELF for 10 weeks- something I'd never have been able to do a year ago. Feed myself. Not crash and burn at every given chance. I'm proud of myself. And my camera is full of photos from nights out, not my dinners!

It interests me that a lot of people are saying 'well none of those bloggers have healthy relationships with food...' Surely, anyone with a TRULY healthy relationship with food wouldn't spend time blogging/photographing it? I mean a healthy 100% normal 'no thought' attitude? What is normal? (Damn, too deep for me!)

Maya - (aside from massive hugs, waves and 'OMG HOW ARE YOU???') Just a little confused - was it me you were talking about when you said I did a post on here saying about how I ate ice cream and am a fat pig? I don't deny that I probably have posted about that at some point - you know the flow with our charming friend ED - but I am just a bit worried because I haven't blogged or posted in eons and if that was me recently, it er.. wasn't! Facebook chat soon?

mashed_ tatties: Welcome back!! And I'm glad to hear that you have survived...That just proves how much stronger you are! AWESOME!

Normal eating I think is just not being totally obsessed with food. I think you can have a healthy relationship with food even if you're a food blogger...There are some, totally non-ED ones out there, but they don't post every single thing they eat, it's more like a restaurant review or recipe thing. They take food as a hobby, but definitely not the first priority in life. 

But these days, as blogging seems to get more popular, almost like a fad, many bloggers blog almost as a way to fuel their pre-existing ED, and some who isn't as ED get affected by it, and get even more ED. I agree that anyone who TRULY have a healthy relationship with food wouldn't be photographing every single bite they put in their mouths.

Maya: Thanks for the rec! The girl in the Cupcakes and Cashmere blog seems a bit on the thin side, but I did love her photography. :-)

JEM!!! ahhhh lovie! so glad to hear from uuuu :D and yes, it was random, i searched my blog on google pics (bc i am a loooser ;P hehe, and ur blog came up ha. i suppose bc i commented on it? idk..and i clicked and i was just reading a post from new year(?) idk..anywhoo and u had some nummii ben and jerrys...and it just stuck with me, bc i realized how damn far u came from like 1 year ago...sry lovie :/ never thought ud read this thread hah X( must b more carful bout my talkin ha...love u cutie and i am supppperrrrrrrrrr sproud of u darling and yesyes fb chat asap..miss u terribly, and you've been in my thoughts these past weeks :) You are a TRUE inspiration my dear, i want to be where u are in the fall and be able to say my camera is filled with fun pics of nights out not a bowl of oatmeal ;P xooxox love! <3

and agreed people with a healthy food relationship dont photo there food unless its a job :P like for a mag lol...it gets obsessive and every morning i say F-it, i want my brekkie hot lol..so i have not been taking a pic of my food lately as much...although i find it kinda sorta fun :) BUT  relle me too...i wouldnt be here right now if it was not for the blogs and my blog and the community really, so true.

and yeah cahmere girl blog lol..i was worried she is too thin, but i feel she is kinda like healthy thin in my opinion..idk..but yeah good blog

Jem!!!!! ahhhhhh okay lovie, i missed you like crazzy! ;) and i am SO SO SO happy that uni went well for the first half so far, YOU are AMAZING my love, and i am SO proud of you, omg, i cant even tell you! and i agree 110% with what you said about food blogs/ed recovery blogs etc, sometimes it can get a bit compulsive with the pics and making sure each meal is "blog worthy" i was like that in the spring and late winter last year...and it affected what i choice...so i haven't been posting every thing i eat now... just brekkie, and the occasional thing or 2...but you are SO right,  "my camera is full of photos from nights out, not my dinners!" that is such a great thing, and a goal of mine to have loads of pics from fun nights out and not of things i ate ;P ...love you darling, and blogging i agree is so helpful, and i am so happy it helped you...! by the way your blog was awesome lol ;) well haha... i know i probably would have never gotten back on track in September if it wasn't for blogging and all the support, and i really have to say Jem, you have helped me more than you know, those chats we had in the end of august at my horrid state, truly helped me loads....well wow this thread has turned into a welcome back mashed thread ;) love it! haha but any ways, love you to bits girly and you have been in my thoughts so much these past few months. <3

xxx