Hilaria Baldwin said a 20-year eating disorder controlled her life, spanning anorexia, bulimia, overeating and undereating after she began dieting at age 5.
The 42-year-old said recovery started when she relearned hunger and fullness cues, stopped fearing certain foods and focused on what made her body feel good.
At her worst, Baldwin said she counted calories in toothpaste and found eating with other people so stressful that it damaged friendships and relationships.
Her push to recover intensified before having children because she did not want to pass those habits on; she now teaches her seven children balance over food shame.
Baldwin said pregnancies and postpartum changes were manageable because she had already done much of the psychological work, and she now treats exercise as a consistent daily habit.