RECOVER

‘Oh my god, how long have I gone without eating? How many calories were these?’” Gromacki said. “When I started getting better, I was like, ‘What the heck, life is fun? I can be happy?’”

Similar to many athletes that experience disordered eating, the harder Shim strived to achieve a stereotypical runner’s body, the further she was from becoming a better runner. Her eating habits caused a decline in her performance and health.

“One day [at cross country], I passed out. I don’t even remember what happened but [suddenly] I was in an ambulance to the ER because I wasn’t eating enough. I thought I was going to die. I couldn’t move my body at all,” Shim said.

Shim believes another reason teenagers develop eating disorders is the lack of elaborate nutrition education they receive.

“[Coaches need] to make sure all their athletes are healthy and have the right food and fuel for their bodies, but those are the things that we forget and are not educated about,” Shim said.

For Gromacki, the path to recovery started with a diagnosis from their therapist. They felt relieved to give their

Types of Eating Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa Bulimia Nervosa Binge Eating Disorder

struggle a name and a reason; acknowledging the problem motivated Gromacki to heal.

“The biggest thing that helped me recover was realizing that I can take control of my own life if I choose to want to get better,” Gromacki said. “It’s very difficult because you’re constantly fighting against yourself, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”

As for those who want to lose weight, Shim believes that it should be done through a healthy, balanced diet and exercise routine.

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to get skinny or wanting to have a specific body type. It’s the way you [achieve] it; a lot of times, it’s not the right way,” Shim said. “[Disordered eating] is very unhealthy and dangerous for your body, and I think that’s what we don’t realize.”

Shim stresses the importance of surrounding yourself with people who influence you positively to live a healthy life.

“Friends influence you, your life and your eating habits. Those are the people you spend the most time with and who give you the most feedback and comments about yourself,” Shim said. “Everyone has a different body and different lifestyle. You can get tips but that doesn’t mean you can copy and paste everything they do into your lifestyle.”

Gromacki agrees and has learned to be patient with themself, emphasizing that recovery is never linear and relapse can be a part of the process.

“If you really feel like you’re struggling to find motivation [to change], then talk to somebody. If you truly want to get better [or] need to get better, having a support system is good,” Gromacki said.