My relationship with food has been volatile for about 16 years, since high school. I would bully myself for being too fat, so I would restrict my diet – dangling dangerously near anorexia. I hated food and enforced strict food rules to accompany that mentality. But looking back now, my hate for food really stemmed from not feeling good enough. It’s time to unravel 16 years of the same destructive mindset. It’s time I stopped telling myself: No, I CAN’T eat that! And instead, focus on what I CAN eat. The negative approach only feeds my anxiety, shame, and guilt, while the positive approach instills love – a love for myself, my food, and my eating experience.