5 Things to Post Instead of 'Before and After' Photos for Eating Disorders Awareness Week

It’s National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and there’s a lot of before and after photos circulating.

I believe in the “before and after” when you see the light come back in your eyes, when your smile is genuine and when you can feel and give love — not when you can or can’t see weight gain or weight change.

My past photos don’t matter because they only give my eating disorder credit for the years it took from me. I am the thing that survived, not anorexia nervosa. The ones who are fighting, who have survived, who are trying their best to live, — they are who deserves credit because truthfully, your eating disorder will never deem you “sick enough,” not until you’re six feet under. You are more than just a before and after. We are survivors and fighters.

Here are some ideas of what to post during eating disorder awareness week instead of before and after photos:

1. Challenge a bad body image day. Post a photo on a day you weren’t comfortable, and do your best to see some beauty in it.

2. Post a before and after of your smile or face. This shows how much light recovery brings to your life.

3. Post a current photo, talking about your achievements in recovery.

4. Share facts, a motivational recovery quote or just a positive photo in general. Post about honest struggles to give awareness, and do your very best to avoid specifics and/or numbers. Your struggle can help validate instead of trigger if done the right way.

5. Post a photo associated with a positive memory. Discuss what recovery has done for your life! Talk about growth and change.

Recovery isn’t about weight, shape, numbers or size. It’s about growth, change and respect for your body that carries you through life. We can fight the stigma that eating disorders only have one image.