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. 1d ago

    why is resting so hard when you've had an eating disorder? | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 40

    Episode Description Audio only this week — my phone broke, so no video version. Our first real mini-sode. This one came out of a conversation with my Quasi-Recovery Exit alumni group about why rest is so uncomfortable for so many of us in recovery. If you feel like you have to earn your rest the same way you once felt you had to earn your food — that's not a coincidence. I get into where that wiring comes from, what pushing past your limit is actually costing you, and the challenge I want to give you this week. In This Episode: Four days without a phone and what it woke me up toWhy rest feels unsafe when you've had an eating disorderThe transactional logic of earning rest — and why it mirrors earning foodEffort and ease, and why it was never meant to be one or the otherWhat pushing past your limit actually takes from you, even when it doesn't feel like itWhy challenging rest works the same way as challenging a fear foodWhy we're hardwired for joy, and what it means that we treat it as optionalWhat I'm making peace with going into maternity leaveYour challenge this week: do the enjoyable thing before you feel like you deserve itTimestamps: 0:00 Why this one is audio only  2:30 What four days without a phone did for me  3:30 Where this topic came from  4:30 Why rest is so hard in recovery  5:30 Earning rest the way you earned food  7:00 Effort and ease  8:30 Why rest makes effort feel better  9:30 The episode I didn't record last week  11:00 What pushing past your limit costs you  13:00 How to actually practice resting  14:30 Why joy isn't optional  15:30 Making peace with maternity leave  17:00 Your challenge this week Resources + Connect with Me: The Quasi-Recovery Exit — next cohort early 2027: https://recover-with-chloe.moxieapp.com/public/quasi-recovery-exit-applicationRecovery Skills Training: https://www.recoverwithchloe.com/recovery-skills-trainingInstagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: rest in eating disorder recovery, earning rest, productivity and eating disorders, perfectionism recovery, slowing down, hustle culture recovery, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: https://www.recoverwithchloe.com/recovery-skills-trainingLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube! Start therapy with me!

  2. Sep 30

    what I'll say, what I won't, and what I can't control — raising a daughter after an ED | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 39

    Episode Description I've been putting this episode off for months, honestly because I've been scared to record it. I'm about to have a daughter, and ending the cycle of eating disorders in my family is one of the most important things to me. In this one I'm sharing where my head is at — what I used to think I had to be for her, what I actually believe now, and the specific things I've decided about how I'll talk about bodies and food in our house. It's a shorter one. She could arrive any day! In This Episode: Why this feels different with a daughter, even though I want the same for my sonParenting a child with dietary restrictions when you have an eating disorder historyHow my eating disorder knowledge unexpectedly helps me keep my son safeWhy I no longer think I need to be perfectly recovered to raise a kid who isWhat I'll say instead on hard body image daysWhy I'm careful with positive body comments too — and what "you're so tiny" did to meHow I want to handle it when she's critical of her own bodyWhy "fat" is a descriptor in our house, not an insultWhat I've learned watching my sister parent her kidsThe blind spots I know I'm walking in withTimestamps: 0:00 Intro + 37 weeks and honoring my limits  1:30 Why I've been afraid to record this  2:30 My son, his condition, and food restrictions  3:30 When eating disorder knowledge becomes useful  6:00 Why this hits differently with a daughter  8:30 Identity outside the body as the real goal  10:30 Why I don't have to be perfectly recovered  13:30 What I'll say on hard body image days  15:30 Why I won't pretend I love my body all the time  17:30 Compliments, identity, and what I reflect back to her  19:00 The "you're so tiny" problem  20:30 Fat as a descriptor  22:30 What I've learned from my sister  25:00 Beginner's mind and the blind spots I know I have Resources + Connect with Me: Recovery Skills Training: https://www.recoverwithchloe.com/recovery-skills-trainingInstagram: @recoverwithchloe — baby and maternity leave updates hereLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: raising a daughter eating disorder, breaking the cycle, parenting after an eating disorder, body image and kids, intuitive eating kids, girl mom eating disorder, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: https://www.recoverwithchloe.com/recovery-skills-trainingLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube! Start therapy with me!

  3. Sep 23

    6 things I've changed my mind about in ED recovery | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 38

    Episode Description Almost twelve years into recovery, and a lot of what I once held as non-negotiable has shifted. Some of it through my own healing, some of it through years of sitting across from clients. In this episode I'm walking through six things I used to believe about eating disorder recovery and now think differently about: exercise, being "recovered," harm reduction, intuitive eating, recovery content, and keeping it all private. Some of these might surprise you. You might disagree with some of them. That's okay. You're allowed to change your mind too. In This Episode: Why I no longer think exercise has to be 100% off the table for everyone, and the nuance that mattersYoga, embodiment, and reconnecting with your bodyWhy "recovered" as a finish line bred perfectionism and hopelessness for meWhy I believe in harm reduction, even though some clinicians don'tWhy intuitive eating is a great goal and a hard place to startWhat I've come to believe about recovery content, including my ownWhy I stopped keeping my eating disorder privateA season 2 preview, plus what maternity leave will look like for the showTimestamps: 0:00 Intro + season 2 guest ideas  1:30 Maternity leave and cocooning  3:30 Today's topic: what I've changed my mind on  6:00 #1: Exercise in recovery  12:45 #2: "Recovered" as a destination  17:45 #3: Harm reduction  21:30 #4: Intuitive eating  25:45 #5: Recovery content and influencers  30:15 #6: Keeping my eating disorder private  35:30 Closing thoughts Resources: Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch: https://www.intuitiveeating.org/Recovery Skills Training: https://www.recoverwithchloe.com/recovery-skills-trainingInstagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: eating disorder recovery, exercise in recovery, harm reduction eating disorders, intuitive eating recovery, recovery influencers, recovered vs recovered-ish, ED therapist, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: https://www.recoverwithchloe.com/recovery-skills-trainingLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube! Start therapy with me!

  4. Sep 16

    what my eating disorder cost me — and it wasn't my health | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 37

    Episode Description We talk about eating disorders in labs and vitals and weight. But when I look back at mine, the physical stuff was never the thing that woke me up. What actually got me was everything else it took — the dinners I sat through without being there, the party I ran away from, the year in New York where I never once let myself have a bagel, the photo of my nana and my sisters that I'm not in. In this episode I walk through those moments honestly. And then I tell you what each one looks like now, twelve years later. Because I got all of it back. In This Episode: Why we measure eating disorders by the wrong thingsMy sister's 21st birthday and the cup of minestrone soupWhy that night was about depression more than foodThe opening night party I ran from in the middle ofThe dinner my dad made — and the moment I still think aboutA year in New York and a list of restaurants I never walked intoThe ice cream photo I'm not in, and why it matters more nowWhat every one of those moments looks like todayWhy the real cost isn't physical — and what that means for how you decide to recoverTimestamps: 0:00 Intro + the free class and RST launch  3:00 Why this episode — the post that hit a nerve  4:30 Why we focus on the physical and miss the rest  8:00 My sister's 21st birthday  14:00 What that same restaurant looks like now  16:00 Opening night — the party I ran from  22:00 Weddings, events, and where I am with that now  25:00 The dinner my dad made  31:00 Sunday family dinners now  32:00 New York, bagels, and the list I never used  36:00 Going back and doing it differently  38:00 Hawaii, my nana, and the picture I'm not in  42:00 Why I say yes to photos now  43:00 What the eating disorder is taking from you right now Resources + Connect with Me: Recovery Skills Training — doors open, lifetime access: https://www.recoverwithchloe.com/recovery-skills-trainingInstagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: what eating disorders cost you, eating disorder recovery, life after eating disorder, missing out eating disorder, recovery motivation, eating disorder and family, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: https://www.recoverwithchloe.com/recovery-skills-trainingLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube! Start therapy with me!

  5. Sep 9

    stop trying to love your body. get angry instead. | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 36

    Episode Description Almost twelve years into recovery and body image is still hard for me sometimes. Pregnancy has made it harder. In this episode I'm getting honest about where I actually am with it — and why "just be grateful for your body" has never been the thing that helps. I walk through a session of my own EMDR therapy, tracing my body image back to a memory from when I was about seven, and what came up that finally shifted something. Spoiler: it wasn't self-love. It was anger — pointed at the right thing. In This Episode: Why body image is often the last piece to shift in recoveryWhat body dysmorphia actually feels like from the inside — and why "uncomfortable" doesn't cover itWhy "be grateful for what your body can do" falls flat, and who it leaves outHolding gratitude and distress at the same timeWhat EMDR is and why I got trained in it for eating disorder workThe memory I traced my body image back to — and what came up when I processed itWhy anger turned out to be the most useful emotion in this workWhy your body is the least interesting thing about you (and why I won't soften that)What to do if you can't connect to your own worth yetTimestamps: 0:00 Intro + the September 15th class 2:30 Today's topic — body image 4:00 Why body image is the last piece to go 6:00 What body dysmorphia actually feels like 9:00 Why "just be grateful" falls flat 13:00 Holding gratitude and distress at once 15:00 Where I'm at with body image right now 16:00 What EMDR is and why I use it 19:00 My own session — tracing it back to age seven 22:00 What came up when I processed it 27:00 Anger as the thing that actually moved the needle 24:00 Your body is the least interesting thing about you 29:00 Looking back at the kid you were 31:00 The recipe — anger plus authentic connection to worth 33:00 Closing thoughts Resources + Connect with Me: 🎓 FREE class September 15th — register and get the workbook right away: https://recover-with-chloe.myflodesk.com/masterclassInstagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: body image eating disorder recovery, EMDR eating disorders, body dysmorphia, body neutrality, body image anger, what helps body image, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast, eating disorder therapist Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: https://www.recoverwithchloe.com/recovery-skills-trainingLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube! Start therapy with me!

  6. Sep 2

    "I relapsed and part of me likes it" — ED recovery Q&A part 3 | recovered-ish ep. 35

    Episode Description Part three — the final installment of the listener Q&A before I head out on maternity leave. This one covers the long game of recovery: whether it's possible after decades, whether you'll always live with it in some capacity, relapse guilt, missing the control the eating disorder gave you, the physical side effects nobody warns you about, and how you actually know when you're recovered. In This Episode: Is recovery possible after decades of an eating disorder?Why hope matters more than almost anything else — and how to find it when you have noneThe access and privilege barriers nobody names honestlyWill you always live with an eating disorder in some capacity? My honest, slightly controversial take"I relapsed and part of me likes it" — why that's more common than you thinkWhat to do when you still want the control the rules gave youAmenorrhea — getting your cycle back and why it takes longer than you expectWhy you can't sleep in early recoveryWhen did I feel recovered? Gradual or a switch?Breaking the perfectionist mindset in recoveryBuilding self-esteem when you don't feel deserving of careHow I handle public conversations about eating disorders and bodiesAnd a fun one — baby name hintsTimestamps: 0:00 Intro + maternity leave countdown 2:30 The long game — recovery over years and decades 3:30 Is recovery possible after decades? 5:00 Access, privilege, and the barriers nobody names 7:00 Why hope is the biggest factor 9:30 Will you always live with it in some capacity? 14:00 "I relapsed and part of me likes it" 16:00 When you still want the control the rules gave you 19:00 Amenorrhea and getting your cycle back 22:00 Why you can't sleep in early recovery 25:00 When did I feel recovered? 27:00 Perfectionism in recovery 29:30 Building self-esteem when you don't feel deserving 32:00 Public conversations about eating disorders and bodies 35:00 Baby name hints 37:00 Closing thoughts Resources + Connect with Me: 🎓 FREE masterclass — September 15th. Register now and get the workbook immediately: https://recover-with-chloe.myflodesk.com/masterclassInstagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: recovery after decades, relapse guilt, eating disorder control, amenorrhea recovery, perfectionism in recovery, when do you feel recovered, ED recovery Q&A, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: https://www.recoverwithchloe.com/recovery-skills-trainingLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube! Start therapy with me!

  7. Aug 26

    food guilt, triggering friends, and recovering without a team — ED recovery Q&A | the recovered-ish podcast ep. 34

    Episode Description Part two of the listener Q&A. You sent in your questions and I'm answering them honestly. This one covers body image and worth, food guilt, figuring out whether a decision is coming from you or the eating disorder, navigating friends who say triggering things, opening up to people you've hidden this from, and what to do if a treatment team isn't accessible to you. In This Episode: How to actually detach your worth from your body — and why de-centering works better than arguing with yourselfWhat to do when your body recovers faster than your mindGetting comfortable not knowing your weightCoping with guilt after eating something you've labeled "unhealthy"How to tell if a decision is yours or the eating disorder's — a values exerciseWhy you don't have to fight the ED voice when you're exhaustedHow I realized my eating habits were actually an eating disorderThe eating disorder as your "new boyfriend" — how that dynamic worksWhat to do when friends say triggering things around foodHow and why to open up to people you've hidden this fromMaking the most of residential treatmentTop tips for recovering when a treatment team isn't accessibleDo you need a formal diagnosis?Timestamps: 0:00 Intro + Quasi-Recovery Exit update 3:00 Q&A part two begins — body image theme 3:30 Detaching your value from your body 7:00 When your body recovers faster than your mind 11:00 Getting comfortable not knowing your weight 13:00 Food guilt and the "unhealthy" label 16:00 The ED voice — who's actually making the decisions? 17:00 The values exercise 20:00 What to do when you're too exhausted to fight the voice 22:00 How I realized it was actually an eating disorder 24:00 The eating disorder as your new boyfriend 28:00 When friends say triggering things around food 32:00 Family and friends who get mad at your behaviors 35:00 Opening up after years of hiding it 38:00 Making the most of residential treatment 42:00 Recovering without a treatment team 45:00 First therapy session — what do you even say? 46:00 Asking your dietician for food tracking 48:00 Do you need a formal diagnosis? Resources Mentioned: The Eight Keys to RecoveryEating in the Light of the MoonLife Without EdIntuitive EatingANAD — free online support groupsRecovery Record appResources + Connect with Me: Recovery Skills Training: https://recoverwithchloe.thrivecart.com/recovery-skills-training/Instagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: food guilt eating disorder, triggering friends recovery, recovering without treatment, ED recovery Q&A, body image worth, eating disorder voice, residential treatment, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: https://www.recoverwithchloe.com/recovery-skills-trainingLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube! Start therapy with me!

  8. Aug 19

    [REPLAY] does the eating disorder voice ever go away? | the recovered-ish podcast

    Episode Description This is a replay of one of the most-listened-to episodes of recovered-ish. I'm taking the week off to prep for maternity leave, so no new episode this week — but this one is worth revisiting, especially if you're new here. One of the most common questions I get — from clients, from Instagram, from people deep in the trenches of recovery — is this: does the eating disorder voice ever actually go away? In this episode, I get honest about my own experience with the ED voice: what it sounded like at its worst, how it shifted through different stages of recovery, and where it lives now (spoiler: it's a lot more like an intrusive thought about tap dancing in a grocery store than a voice running my life). This isn't a tidy yes-or-no answer, because recovery isn't tidy. But it is a real one — and one I don't think the internet talks about honestly enough. In This Episode: What the eating disorder voice actually is — and why it feels like a separate voice in your headEgo syntonic vs. ego dystonic thinking, and why that shift matters in recoveryMy personal experience with the ED voice from its loudest point to where it lives nowWhy the voice often gets louder when you start recoveringThe beach ball analogy — why trying to "shut up" the ED voice backfiresWhat actually moves the needle: building your own voice, not silencing theirsWhy "if I can't fully recover, why even try?" is one of the most dangerous traps in recoveryPractical tools for when the voice feels all-consumingTimestamps: 0:44 Intro & life update  3:22 Episode topic intro: the eating disorder voice question  7:19 What is the "eating disorder voice"?  10:56 Who asks this & why  13:39 My personal experience: the voice at its worst  14:38 Do I still have disordered thoughts? My honest answer  20:42 How I got to where I am today  28:06 The beach ball metaphor: giving the voice less space  32:24 My answer: yes and no  36:54 Practical tips if the voice is all-consuming  40:03 Outro Practical Tools Mentioned: Name it: label thoughts as "eating disorder thoughts" without immediately fighting themHear it, don't obey it: acknowledge the ED voice and give yourself permission to have a different opinionIdentify the feeling underneath: fear, panic, sadness — and ask what you need that isn't a behaviorThe "noise" technique: when all else fails, say it out loud — noise, noise, noiseResources + Connect with Me: Recovery Skills Training: https://recoverwithchloe.thrivecart.com/recovery-skills-training/Instagram: @recoverwithchloeLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTubeKeywords/Tags: eating disorder voice, does the ED voice go away, eating disorder recovery, quasi-recovery, ED voice recovery, recovered-ish podcast, chloe cox, ED recovery podcast, eating disorder therapist, recovery tools, ego syntonic, ego dystonic Resources + Connect with Me: Instagram: @recoverwithchloeRecovery Skills Training: https://www.recoverwithchloe.com/recovery-skills-trainingLeave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple PodcastsSubscribe on YouTube! Start therapy with me!

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.

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