Ben’s Story

My name is Ben - you can find me on Instagram @bgjfit. 

I wanted to give an insight into the world of male eating disorders . While I have never been formally diagnosed, at the age of 17-20 I have encountered both an obsessive clean eating and binge eating disorder. Both were as destructive as one another . Social outings were limited for fear of over calorie consumption, Gym sessions were made priority over everything else, I felt isolated and as though the issue would never be fixed. 

This issue stemmed both from my need to be perfect and from social media. Having been a high level footballer , and also being academic, I was used to putting all my effort into things and attempting to be the best. This translated into the gym, and unfortunately into food. Meals had to be a perfect blend of protein carbs and veggies, there would be meal times and no eating outside of them, cardio and weights had to be done every day, and done to the best of my ability. At my lowest I was 56 kilograms. 

Then the rebound came - the starve binge cycle, the bloated face, the feeling of inadequacy . They all mounted up . It wasn’t until I met my now girlfriend that things took a turn for the best. 

My advice to all of you would by this:

1. Surround yourself with loved ones - they can guide you on the right path and give you perspective of the important things in life.

2. Perfection is never as good as consistency : you don’t need the perfect routine or macronutrient breakdown to see results. All you need are the basics: work hard, eat healthy food, do some cardio and your away. 

3. Trust your body - instead of following the Instagram guru whose life is to have a 6 pakck trying to sell you a cheap programme, listen to your body. It will tell you when your satiated, when your hungry, when your tired . Fuel it as it desires . 

4. See your worth outside fitness - you can be an outstanding boyfriend or girlfriend,friend, student, sportsperson, businessman, without a six pack. Always remember that. 

I could write an abundance more on this topic - if you have any questions, feel free to find me on my Instagram. 

If you’re in a bad place at the moment just know it will get better. It all starts with the mind.