recovered-ish with chloe cox

Chloe Cox

Recovered-ish is where we talk about the real side of eating disorder recovery — the messy parts, the confusing parts, and the parts no one wants to say out loud. I’m Chloe — therapist, recovery coach, and someone who’s been through it myself. Every solo episode gets into the stuff you’re actually dealing with: the constant mental noise, the guilt after eating, the fear of fullness, the body image spirals, the pressure to shrink, and the moments where you’re convinced you’re “failing” at recovery. This isn’t about perfection or doing recovery the “right” way. It’s about learning how to feed yourself, trust yourself, and build a relationship with your body that isn’t rooted in fear. You’ll get practical tools, honest conversations, and the kind of support I wish I had when I was in it. If you want recovery that’s imperfect, human, and actually possible… you’re in the right place.

  1. 23h ago

    not sick enough, extreme hunger, and finding your why — ED recovery Q&A | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 32

    Episode Description You sent in your questions and I'm answering them — honestly.  This is part one of a two-part listener Q&A covering some of the most common and most loaded questions I get about eating disorder recovery. We're getting into ambivalence, finding your why, the "not sick enough" myth, comparison, extreme hunger, lost hunger cues, and how to sit with the panic that comes from increasing intake. In This Episode: "I want to want recovery but I don't" — what to do with thatWhy you don't need a strong why to start recoveryWill it ever feel like the right time to choose recovery?Am I sick enough? Does hospitalization determine validity?Is this recovery or just restricting in better packaging?Comparison in eating disorders — why it's never a fair fightWhy it's not about the food but eating the food is still so hardHow to order at a restaurant when calories are on the menuDoes extreme hunger really exist — or is it an excuse to binge?What to do when you've lost your hunger cues entirelyHow to sit with the panic that comes from increasing intakeTimestamps: 0:00 Intro — YouTube subscriber goal 2:00 Today's episode — listener Q&A part one 3:00 Ambivalence — wanting to want recovery 6:00 The stages of change and where you might be 7:00 Finding your why — what if you don't have one? 10:00 Calculated risk — why you can't wait to feel ready 12:00 Will it ever feel like the right time? 13:00 How to actually commit to recovery 14:00 Am I sick enough? Does hospitalization determine validity? 17:00 High-functioning and still severely struggling 19:00 Is this recovery or restricting in better packaging? 21:00 Needing the disorder to feel special 23:00 Comparison in eating disorders 26:00 Why it's not about the food — but eating the food is still hard 28:00 Ordering at restaurants with calories on the menu 30:00 Does extreme hunger really exist? 36:00 Lost your hunger cues — the friend analogy 39:00 Sitting with panic after increasing intake 42:00 Closing thoughts — part two next week Resources + Connect with Me: Recovery Skills Training: https://recoverwithchloe.thrivecart.com/recovery-skills-training/ code: PODCAST for $57 offInstagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoverwithchloeKeywords/Tags: not sick enough eating disorder, extreme hunger recovery, finding your why in ED recovery, eating disorder Q&A, am I sick enough, comparison eating disorder, hunger cues eating disorder, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: use code PODCAST for $57 off!Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube!

  2. Aug 5

    stuck in ED recovery — things to try when nothing is working | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 31

    Episode Description If you've been doing all the things — therapy, dietician, meal plan — and still feel like you're spinning your wheels, this episode is for you. In this episode I'm sharing a practical, honest list of things to try when eating disorder recovery feels stuck. These are the gaps I've seen in standard treatment models, the things that have made the biggest difference for my clients and for me, and the approaches that might breathe some new life into your recovery if you're hitting a wall. In This Episode: Why recovering towards something — not just away from the ED — changes everythingEMDR therapy and trauma — and why addressing the root might be the missing pieceWhen to consider changing or adding to your treatment teamGetting assessed for neurodivergence, OCPD, or OCD — and why it mattersThe "acting as if" technique — and why fake it till you make it actually worksAuditing the information faucets in your life — what's helping and what's feeding the disorderReducing decision fatigue around food — and why surrendering control is actually strengthTimestamps: 0:00 Intro — burnout, pregnancy fatigue, and why I almost quit  5:00 Today's topic — what to try when recovery feels stuck  7:00 Recover towards something — adding non-recovery goals  11:00 EMDR therapy and complex trauma in eating disorders  17:00 When to change or add to your treatment team  21:00 Coaching as an addition to therapy  23:00 Getting assessed — neurodivergence, OCPD, OCD  28:00 The "acting as if" technique  31:00 Auditing your information faucets  34:00 Reducing decision fatigue — surrendering control is strength  38:00 Closing thoughts + availability for EMDR and coaching Resources + Connect with Me: Recovery Skills Training: https://recoverwithchloe.thrivecart.com/recovery-skills-training/One-on-one coaching intensives — 2 spots left before maternity leave: https://recover-with-chloe.moxieapp.com/public/recover-with-chloe-coaching-applicationEMDR therapy in California — reach out: https://www.socalwellnessgroup.co/contactInstagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: stuck in eating disorder recovery, ED recovery plateau, EMDR eating disorders, eating disorder treatment options, neurodivergence and eating disorders, OCPD eating disorder, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: use code PODCAST for $57 off!Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube!

  3. Jul 29

    it's okay to miss your eating disorder | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 30

    Episode Description Nobody talks about this part. But it's real, it's common, and it doesn't mean you're doing recovery wrong. In this episode I'm getting into what it actually means when you miss your eating disorder — why it happens, why it makes complete sense, and what to do with that feeling when it shows up. In This Episode: Why missing your eating disorder doesn't mean you want to go backWhat the eating disorder actually gave you — and why that's worth acknowledgingThe grief nobody warns you about in recoveryWhy recovery can feel worse than the disorder at certain stagesRomanticizing the sick body — why it happens and how to protect yourselfThe two-list journal exercise for holding a balanced perspectiveWhy grieving the eating disorder is actually a sign of recovery workingWhat you're actually missing — and how to find it elsewhereTimestamps: 0:00 Intro  2:00 Today's topic — missing your eating disorder  3:00 Why this feeling is so confusing and so common  5:00 What the eating disorder actually gave you  10:00 When recovery feels worse than the disorder  13:00 If you're in that space — keep going  15:00 How this is showing up for me in this pregnancy  18:00 Romanticizing the sick body  22:00 What you're actually missing  25:00 Practical steps  27:00 The two-list journal exercise  28:00 Letting yourself grieve it  31:00 Recovering towards something  33:00 Closing thoughts The Two-List Exercise: List 1: everything you miss about the eating disorder. List 2: everything it took from you. Try to make the second list longer. If you can't — bring it to therapy. Resources + Connect with Me: Recovery Skills Training + Summer Workshops — use code PODCAST57 for $57 off: https://recoverwithchloe.thrivecart.com/recovery-skills-training/Instagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: missing your eating disorder, ED recovery grief, eating disorder recovery emotions, romanticizing eating disorder, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast, grief in recovery Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: use code PODCAST for $57 off!Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube!

  4. Jul 22

    dating in ED recovery — what nobody prepares you for | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 29

    Episode Description This is the episode I've been asked for since the beginning of this podcast — and the one I never thought I'd actually record. Dating in eating disorder recovery is complicated in ways nobody really talks about. The body image stuff. The intimacy stuff. The validation-seeking that can look a lot like the disorder wearing a different mask. And eventually finding someone who makes you feel like a whole person. In this episode I'm sharing all of it — including things I've never told the internet before. In This Episode: Why the eating disorder became my "new boyfriend" after a breakupThe validation loop I fell into when I first started dating in recoveryWhat it felt like to show up in a recovered body — body checking, disconnection during intimacy, comparisonHow I finally flipped the script on datingHow I met my husband — including the text I sent trying to end it after date twoHow and when to tell someone about your eating disorder historyWhat to do when a partner's food behaviors are triggeringThe self-inquiry practice that helps when body image comes up in intimacyTimestamps: 0:00 Intro 4:00 Today's topic — dating and intimacy in ED recovery 5:00 My high school relationship and self-worth 8:00 The breakup that contributed to my ED escalating 10:00 What dating looked like when I was deep in my disorder 14:00 The validation loop of dating apps 17:00 How that loop mirrored the eating disorder 19:00 What it felt like to date in a recovered body 23:00 Realigning to values in dating 27:00 How I met my husband 29:00 Telling someone about your ED history 33:00 When a partner's food behaviors are triggering 36:00 What my husband did differently 41:00 Self-inquiry for body image in intimacy 44:00 Closing thoughts Resources + Connect with Me: Recovery Skills Training + Summer Workshops — use code PODCAST57 for $57 off: https://recoverwithchloe.thrivecart.com/recovery-skills-training/Instagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: dating in eating disorder recovery, intimacy and eating disorders, body image and dating, ED recovery relationships, telling a partner about eating disorder, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: use code PODCAST for $57 off!Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube!

  5. Jul 15

    the truth about life after eating disorder recovery | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 28

    Episode Description This one was unplanned. My son was in the hospital, life threw a curveball, and I had twenty minutes between sessions to record something real. So that's what this is. In this episode I'm sharing something I've never talked about on the podcast before — and getting honest about what life after recovery actually looks like. Not the highlight reel. The real version, where hard things still happen and you have to figure out how to keep showing up anyway. This is a shorter one, but I think it might be one of the most honest episodes I've recorded. In This Episode: What I never expected about life after eating disorder recoverySomething personal I've never shared on the podcast beforeHow recovery showed up for me during one of the hardest seasons of my lifeWhy recovery doesn't mean life stops being hard — it just means you have something real to hold onto when it isWhat it actually looks like to choose yourself when everything is falling apartHow to hold two completely opposite feelings at once — and why that's actually the skillWhat recovery gives you that the eating disorder only promisedTimestamps: 0:00 Intro — a mini episode, recorded between sessions  2:00 Why this episode looks different this week  3:00 Something I've never shared on the podcast before  6:00 I thought the eating disorder was my big life battle. I was wrong.  8:00 How recovery showed up when life got really hard  12:00 What I did in the hospital cafeteria — and why it mattered  15:00 Recovery doesn't mean life stops being hard  17:00 What recovery actually gives you — control, safety, presence  19:00 How to hold hope and hardship at the same time  22:00 Closing thoughts — sending love to everyone doing this alongside hard things Quotes from This Episode: "Recovery doesn't mean everything in life is solved. It just means you are able to take care of yourself through it — and not compound the suffering that's just gonna be there because we're humans." "The eating disorder promises you control and peace and safety. Recovery actually puts you back in the driver's seat for all of those things." "There's gonna be hard times and there's gonna be good times. That's what it means to be a person." Resources + Connect with Me: Recovery Skills Training + Summer Workshops — use code PODCAST57 for $57 off: https://recoverwithchloe.thrivecart.com/recovery-skills-training/Instagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: life after eating disorder recovery, what recovery actually looks like, eating disorder recovery and hard times, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast, eating disorder therapist, holding hope in recovery, recovery and life challenges Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: use code PODCAST for $57 off!Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube!

  6. Jul 8

    "I'm done with recovery" — what that feeling is really telling you | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 27

    Episode Description If you've ever thought "I can't do this anymore" or "I just want my life to stop being about recovery" — this episode is for you. In this episode I'm breaking down the difference between recovery burnout and actually outgrowing your eating disorder, because they can feel almost identical from the inside — and they require completely different responses. One is a sign that recovery is working. The other is a sign you need something different. Knowing which one you're in changes everything. In This Episode: Recovery burnout vs outgrowing your ED — and why they feel so similarSigns you're in recovery burnout — hopelessness, resentment, progress feeling too slowSigns you're actually ready to outgrow the eating disorderThe one question that tells you which phase you're inWhy burnout doesn't mean recovery isn't workingHow to push through without quitting or doubling down harderWhy diversifying your life is one of the best recovery toolsWhen to talk to your team before making any decisionsTimestamps: 0:00 Intro  3:00 Today's topic — recovery burnout  6:00 Recovery burnout vs outgrowing your ED  13:00 Signs you're in recovery burnout  18:00 What burnout is really asking for  19:00 Signs you're ready to outgrow the eating disorder  23:00 The donut story  26:00 The one question to ask yourself  28:00 What to do when you're in burnout  34:00 Recovery doesn't have to be your whole identity  36:00 Talk to your team before you quit  39:00 Closing thoughts Resources + Connect with Me: Recovery Skills Training + Summer Workshops — use code PODCAST for $57 off: https://recoverwithchloe.thrivecart.com/recovery-skills-training/Instagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: recovery burnout, treatment fatigue eating disorder, done with eating disorder recovery, ED recovery burnout, outgrowing eating disorder, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: use code PODCAST for $57 off!Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube!

  7. Jul 1

    scales, weight comments, grief, and imposter syndrome — ED recovery Q&A | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 26

    Episode Description You sent in your questions and I'm answering them — honestly, not clinically. This is the real-life picture, not the textbook one. In this episode I'm getting into some of the most common and most loaded questions I receive from people in eating disorder recovery — from whether to look at the scale in treatment, to what to say when someone comments on your weight, to how to stop feeling like you're faking it because you actually ate today. In This Episode: Should you look at the scale during treatment? My honest takeHow to respond when someone comments on your weight — practically and emotionallyHow to support a partner with an eating disorderThe earning mindset — what it is and how to break the loopThe hardest thing I had to change in recovery — and it wasn't the foodHow to grieve what the eating disorder took from youFeeling like an imposter because you ate — why your disorder is still realHow to handle friendships built around wellness cultureAdvice for someone one week into inpatient treatmentTimestamps: 0:00 Intro 3:00 Listener Q&A begins 5:00 Q1: Should you look at the scale during treatment? 15:00 Q2: How do you respond to weight comments? 21:00 Q3: How do I support my girlfriend with an eating disorder? 25:00 Q4: How do you get out of the earning mindset? 30:00 Q5: What was the hardest change in your ED recovery? 32:00 Q6: How do you grieve what the eating disorder took? 36:00 Q7: I feel like an imposter because I eat — am I faking it? 39:00 Q8: Food disagreements with my husband 40:00 Q9: Handling wellness-focused friendships in recovery 44:00 Q10: Advice for adjusting to inpatient 46:00 Closing thoughts Resources + Connect with Me: Recovery Skills Training + Summer Workshops — use code PODCAST57 for $57 off: https://recoverwithchloe.thrivecart.com/recovery-skills-training/Instagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: eating disorder recovery Q&A, should you look at the scale in recovery, how to respond to weight comments, earning mindset eating disorder, ED recovery imposter syndrome, eating disorder grief, inpatient treatment advice, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: use code PODCAST for $57 off!Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube!

  8. Jun 24

    unexpected things my eating disorder taught me | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 25

    Episode Description It feels strange to say, but it's true: my eating disorder taught me things that have actually added to my life. Not the behaviors. Not the rules. But real, paradoxical lessons that I've carried with me into recovery and into the rest of my life. In this episode I'm sharing a casual list of the unexpected things I learned through my eating disorder — about my body, about planning, about self-compassion, about the power of my own brain. These lessons go way beyond food and body. They're really about being human. In This Episode: Why my body sends me signals long before my mind catches up — and how I use that nowThe hard lesson that planning doesn't always work — and what that shattered for meWhy I had to learn that I'm allowed to change my mindWhy you can't outsmart your emotions — and what happens when you tryHow powerful the brain really is — and how that power can work for you instead of against youWhy self-criticism took me far but was never going to sustain meThe shift from self-hate to self-compassion — and why one crushes you while the other carries youWhy the lessons underneath an eating disorder are rarely about food and body at allTimestamps: 0:00 Intro — summer stress and a note for anyone struggling right now 4:00 Why this podcast is also personal reflection time for me 6:00 Today's topic — unexpected things my eating disorder taught me 6:30 Lesson 1: my body knows something is wrong before my mind does 12:00 How hypersensitivity became a tool instead of a problem 13:00 Lesson 2: planning does not always work 18:00 Cognitive dissonance and why the eating disorder became my way of avoiding a hard truth 19:00 Lesson 3: I am allowed to change my mind 23:00 Lesson 4: you can't outsmart your emotions 27:00 Why feelings are signals, not problems to solve 28:00 Lesson 5: how powerful the brain really is 31:00 Using that same mental power for something supportive 32:00 Lesson 6: self-criticism took me far, but it was never going to sustain me 35:00 The self-compassion research that changed how I think about motivation 38:00 Why these lessons go beyond food and body 39:00 Closing thoughts The Lessons, At a Glance: Your body often knows before your mind does — pay attention to the signalsPlanning gives you a sense of control, but it can't account for everythingYou're allowed to change your mind, and that's not failureYou can't think your way out of feeling something — emotions need to move through youYour brain is incredibly powerful, and that power can be redirected toward something supportiveSelf-criticism can fuel you for a while, but self-compassion is what actually sustains youQuotes from This Episode: "There came a point where I realized I'm never going to get what this eating disorder is promising me. I need to find a different way to pursue my goals that doesn't require harming myself in the process." "Feelings aren't meant to be fixed. They're not problems to be solved. They're signals." "What used to feel like losing control — changing my mind, choosing a different course — now feels like actual control, autonomy, and freedom." A Note: If summer or anything in this episode is bringing something up for you, please know you're not alone in that, and support is available. In the US, the Crisis Text Line is reachable by texting HOME to 741741. If you're outside the US, a quick search for "eating disorder helpline" plus your country will point you to local specialized support. Resources + Connect with Me: Recovery Skills Training + Summer Workshops — use code PODCAST57 for $57 off: https://recoverwithchloe.thrivecart.com/recovery-skills-training/Instagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: what eating disorders teach you, eating disorder recovery lessons, self-compassion eating disorder, planning and control eating disorder, eating disorder and emotions, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast, eating disorder therapist, body awareness recovery, self-criticism vs self-compassion, eating disorder reflection Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: use code PODCAST for $57 off!Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube!

About

Recovered-ish is where we talk about the real side of eating disorder recovery — the messy parts, the confusing parts, and the parts no one wants to say out loud. I’m Chloe — therapist, recovery coach, and someone who’s been through it myself. Every solo episode gets into the stuff you’re actually dealing with: the constant mental noise, the guilt after eating, the fear of fullness, the body image spirals, the pressure to shrink, and the moments where you’re convinced you’re “failing” at recovery. This isn’t about perfection or doing recovery the “right” way. It’s about learning how to feed yourself, trust yourself, and build a relationship with your body that isn’t rooted in fear. You’ll get practical tools, honest conversations, and the kind of support I wish I had when I was in it. If you want recovery that’s imperfect, human, and actually possible… you’re in the right place.

You Might Also Like