How to Stay Fed When You Feel Unmoored
For the days your body feels foreign, routine falls away, holiday events abound, or time zones throw you off
A quick note: I wrote most of this piece before the government shutdown put SNAP at risk, threatening food access for millions of families and children. As I go to hit publish on this, I need to mention that there is nothing that can make you feel more unmoored than not having reliable, consistent nourishment. Nothing. Food insecurity and eating disorders are deeply intertwined. When access to food becomes uncertain, our relationship with it can’t help but be affected.
(Find your local food bank.)
If you are struggling to feed yourself right now, I need you to know none of this is your fault. Everyone deserves access to food. It’s a basic human right. And if, on top of this, a paid subscription isn’t doable at the moment, email me—I’ll gift you one, no questions asked.
Now, let’s get into today’s essay on navigating food and body image when we’re not in the comfort of our home, our safe people, or our routine.
With so much love,
xo, Abbie
In part one of this series, I wrote about how travel (or really any significant change in our routine, such as the upcoming holiday season) can stir up every leftover whisper of diet culture. In particular, that piece explored why it can be even more challenging when you are recovering from disordered eating. I also shared why I used to struggle so much outside of a rigid routine, how this has evolved over the years, and what helps me cope with all of it now. That was the what.
But today, we’re getting into the how.
Because while noticing our struggle is incredibly important, it isn’t the thing that sets us free.
In part one I mentioned how traveling can highlight the fragility of our sense of control. When ‘ill-timed’ hunger, unexpected exhaustion, tight clothing, diet-y conversations, or a time zone change can send you spiraling, it reveals where your relationship with food, movement, and your body may need some care.
More than that, you may start to wonder what it would feel like to meet all of that differently. To travel not as the version of you who’s tiptoeing across thin ice, but as the one who’s learning to melt it… and finally swim.
Let me be clear: this isn’t a “how to recover perfectly while traveling” kind of guide (no such thing exists, and also …as much as our culture would have us believe, perfection while not traveling doesn’t exist, either). It’s more of a collection of small practices and reminders—gentle anchors for the moments when your body feels unmoored, the food feels unpredictable, and your brain starts searching for rules. Think of it as a companion for when the ground shifts.
This series on travel is a special deep-dive, available for paid subscribers (who help keep the lights on around here!).
By upgrading to paid, you’ll get the rest of the essay, including:
Specific strategies for grounding yourself before and during travel.
Tips for feeding yourself on the go without slipping into old patterns.
Coping with the guilt that arises from long periods of rest and sitting.
Ways to manage body image and discomfort mid-travel.
Practices for noticing disordered thoughts and responding with compassion.
Guidance on finding joy, curiosity, and presence even in chaotic moments.
This bonus content has sensory comfort ideas, non-diet-y travel hacks, and access to part one of the series, which included my personal experience with traveling in recovery (and a long list of romcoms to bring you some glimmers!)
With that, let’s get into this very hard thing, and try to make it a little easier…