Today’s my birthday. I’m turning the big 28! So to celebrate I wanted to highlight some of my most favorite posts from Weightless and other fantastic blogs.

Also, I wanted to thank you guys so much for reading, for leaving such thoughtful comments and for coming back day after day. I love writing posts for Weightless. I’ve learned and am learning sooo much. I greatly appreciate all your support and I’m so thankful to be able to write this blog.

(BTW, the above photo was taken on my 26th B-day with my mom and dad.)

I regularly feature Q&As with individuals who’ve recovered from eating disorders, binge eating, negative body image and any kind of disordered eating. If you’d like to share your story of recovery, I’d love to hear from you! You can email me at mtartakovsky@gmail.com.

Here’s part two of my interview with Elizabeth Short, who writes the blog Finding Hope, about her recovery from an eating disorder. Elizabeth struggled with an eating disorder for 16 years. Though her eating disorder was severe and she suffered a long time, Elizabeth was able to recover. Like other women who’ve shared their stories on Weightless, she’s another example of the real hope – and recovery – that exists when you find effective treatment, commit yourself to it and work hard.

As she writes on her blog: “After my last treatment (Nov 2008-March 2009), I finally feel that I am in recovery…and it’s hard! Recovery is a daily commitment. But I’m here to tell you, it’s totally worth it!”

I regularly feature Q&As with individuals who’ve recovered from eating disorders, binge eating, negative body image and any kind of disordered eating. If you’d like to share your story of recovery, I’d love to hear from you! You can email me at mtartakovsky@gmail.com.

I’m thrilled to share with you another interview on eating disorder recovery. Elizabeth Short contacted me a few weeks ago asking how she could help spread a hopeful message after struggling with an eating disorder for over a decade.

She writes: “I have been to the bottom many, many times and have found my way out.  I am so thankful for everything I learned along the way and am committed to helping others who are struggling.  Please let me know if there’s any way I could offer a message of hope and recovery.”

Every Monday features a tip, exercise, inspiring quote or other tidbit to help boost your body image. For many of us, Mondays are tough. We may feel anxious and stressed out, anticipating an arduous week, especially if we didn’t get much rest and relaxation during the weekend. These kinds of feelings don’t create the best environment for improving one’s body image. In fact, you might be harder on yourself and easily frustrated. You might even feel like you’re walking on egg shells – with yourself! With these posts, I hope you’ll have a healthier and happier body image day, that’ll last throughout the week.

Got a tip for improving body image? Email me at mtartakovsky@gmail.com, and I’ll be happy to feature it. It can be anything you do that’s healthy and helps boost your body image. I’d love to hear from you!

When I had a negative body image, I thought that I just hated my body. But in reality, I hated many parts of myself. To me, being thin didn’t just mean a hotter body. It meant I’d be a different person. I’d be more adventurous, more outgoing, prettier, more popular.

A flat stomach meant that I’d be less fearful. Thin thighs meant that I’d be stronger. Small hips meant I’d be 100 percent confident.

Today, I’m thrilled to share with you a guest post by Kate Thieda that explores Geneen Roth’s book, Women, Food and God. You might remember Kate shared her story about recovering from an eating disorder (part 1 and part 2), and wrote a guest post about seeking treatment at 28 years old. She’s also written about her experiences as a student therapist for our World of Psychology blog (you can see all the posts here). I’m incredibly grateful for the below beautifully written post. I seriously got teary-eyed toward the end. I hope you enjoy! Have a wonderful weekend!

Geneen Roth’s latest book, Women, Food and God, was on the bestseller list the day it hit the shelves, and for good reason. It’s a rare woman in this country who doesn’t struggle with issues around food and eating, and her book connects those struggles to our beliefs about ourselves, the world around us, and aspects of existence that are bigger than us, namely our spirits and beliefs about God, whatever those may be.

Here’s part two of my interview with Dara Chadwick, author of You’d Be So Pretty If...Teaching Our Daughters to Love Their Bodies – Even When We Don’t Love Our Own.

Dara also writes a blog called You’d Be So Pretty If…, which features the oh-so true tag line: “because her body image starts with yours.” On this blog, Dara discusses how moms can help their daughters build a healthier body image and how women can learn to love their bodies, too.

Check out part one of our interview here.

Today, I’m excited to present part one of my interview with Dara Chadwick, author of You’d Be So Pretty If...Teaching Our Daughters to Love Their Bodies – Even When We Don’t Love Our Own.

I highly recommend Dara’s book to parents. It offers valuable advice in each chapter, along with a list of “body image builders” at the end of each one. She also includes slices from her life along with stories from other girls and families.

Every Monday features a tip, exercise, inspiring quote or other tidbit to help boost your body image. For many of us, Mondays are tough. We may feel anxious and stressed out, anticipating an arduous week, especially if we didn’t get much rest and relaxation during the weekend. These kinds of feelings don’t create the best environment for improving one’s body image. In fact, you might be harder on yourself and easily frustrated. You might even feel like you’re walking on egg shells – with yourself! With these posts, I hope you’ll have a healthier and happier body image day, that’ll last throughout the week.

Got a tip for improving body image? Email me at mtartakovsky@gmail.com, and I’ll be happy to feature it. It can be anything you do that’s healthy and helps boost your body image. I’d love to hear from you!

Building a more positive body image isn’t about having all the answers. But it does involve asking yourself some thought-provoking questions. I rounded up some fantastic posts from around the body image blogosphere for you today that do just that.

These posts pose various important questions that help you think about your relationship with your body, among other things. Most of these posts also offer valuable advice. So be sure to check them out!

I’ve never written in a journal consistently. In fact, I usually just write on scraps of paper when I feel like I have to get something out, when I feel an overwhelming need to write.

In college, this overwhelming need usually came after I’d binged or just felt fat in general. I’d write about how disgusting I felt, how I could feel the fat swallowing me up, how I wished so badly to be skinny, and thereby pretty, how tired I was of counting calories, dieting and then overeating, how desperately I wished to be able to stop stuffing food down my throat.

Here’s part two of my interview with Christie from Honoring Health, where she writes about intuitive eating, well-being and honoring your body. Plus, she also features drool-worthy recipes like this one. Yum.

Like I said yesterday, I love Christie’s work. She’s truly spreading a positive and healthy message. I’m so happy to share her wise words with Weightless readers.

Below, Christie talks about emotional eating, making peace with food, her favorite body image booster and more.

Check out part one of our interview here.

Update: Christie is now blogging about intuitive eating at her beautiful blog Nourishing Circle.