Body By Breakfast I spent my 21st birthday at an inpatient eating disorder clinic. Years of toxic influences like unrealistic body expectations, diet culture, reinforcing behaviors by people around me, a lack of self-love, and a personal desire to control just one aspect of my life ultimately manifested as anorexia. I made the decision to seek help, and it's changed my entire life. I created my "Body By Breakfast" Instagram account to stay accountable to a healthy relationship with food as part of my ongoing growth. I never imagined my story could help others, but @BodyByBreakfast quickly galvanized people from all over the country, and it's evolved into this incredibly supportive and positive community of over 45,000 people. More than Just Recipes First and foremost, food can be nourishing AND delicious: a big part of @BodyByBreakfast is to share my favorite recipes and meal ideas with my community. But I also put a lot of thought into my messaging. We know the dangers of how social media can be a negative influence, but it can also be harnessed for good: that's what I strive for. You never know how much you're helping someone by sharing your insights and experiences until you post about it. I have people reach out every day saying "Thank you for posting this, I never knew there were people out there that felt the same way as me," and "It's so nice to know I am not alone." This fuels me to always "dig deep" on my captions to make things a little more meaningful. Audit Your Social Media Most folks know they're influenced by the people they surround themselves with. To that point, if you want to make a positive life change, you have to distance yourself from the individuals in your circle that are negative or toxic to your mission. But in current times, it's really important to make that same "audit" of your social media. When I look back, I see now that the social media accounts I was following and even my favorite TVs shows played such a huge role in how I thought about myself and what I considered "acceptable." Social media is such huge influence because we're exposed to it all day, every day. Part of my recovery process involved reviewing all the social media accounts I followed and asking myself: "Is this account bringing positivity to me? Or will it steer me in a bad direction?" Something I wish I had known when I was a teenager is just because someone is an icon or a famous influencer doesn't mean they're a "good" account to follow. These accounts appear so loved and cherished by fans, and that's a dark side to social media: you don't have to be like these (often unrealistic) people to be worthy of love. Make sure you're following accounts for the right reasons. Erin's Message to All Women You are worthy. No matter what the outside world tells you, what you see on TV, what social media might tell you: you are worthy of love, success, and achieving your dreams. You being your own person is the best superpower there is. There's only one of you on this Earth, and I hope you realize your worth. It's also never too late to start. Whether it's athletics, going to school, or trying something new: it's NEVER to late to start doing something. I think of the women I train with at Orange Theory Fitness (OTF) who are literally twice my age and crush me: they're so powerful, they're so strong, and OTF is new to them. They weren't afraid to get into a new workout discipline, and they're finding and developing new strength all the time. Find Your Movement Like a lot of women, I've tried a bunch of activities: CrossFit, running, lifting, etc. I landed at OTF and I fell in love: it works for me. I encourage women to find a type of activity and exercise that's fun, challenging, and most importantly brings them joy. Follow Erin Christ @bodybybreakfast for amazing recipes, thoughtful insights, and helpful reviews on all her PFW gear!
