Rachael's Drive For Perfection And The Eating Disorder That Fed It

I recently finished reading Running in Silence by Rachael Rose Steil. *POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT* Rating: 4/5 stars

"It had been hours since I ran at track practice that winter, but I hadn't bothered to shower, let alone change clothes. No, I didn't have time for that, because I had found the answer to my prayers.

This has to be it.

Eat all the fruit you want.

Never get fat.

Raw. Food. Diet.

Rachael Steil clocked in as an All-American collegiate runner; she became a girl clawing for a comeback on a 30-bananas-a-day diet. This year-long struggle with raw food ended when she realized she had to find her self-respect beyond her identity as a successful runner on a perfect diet. Running in Silence opens the door on the secret world of eating disorders. It provides vital insights for those who don't suffer from this disease and an honest and harrowing personal story for those who do. Steil challenges the stigma of eating disorders, looks past appearance, and dives into the heart of obsession." In Running in Silence, Rachael invites us into the most secret thoughts of her journal and her vulnerable emotions. She faces searching questions: What if my weight isn’t just my weight but it is my happiness, my beauty, my self-worth? What if running isn’t just running but it is my identity, my sense of significance, my purpose for which I live each day? There is all the difference in the world between honoring a good thing and making a good thing the ultimate thing. When Rachael faces the loss of what she has made supreme in her life, it brings her to the edge of destruction, but it also brings her to search deeper. As she looks in the mirror at the weight gain and the struggle, she begins to realize, “I have not lost who I am, rather I am becoming more of who I truly am.” “Rawcheal” is becoming Rachael and we, as the reader, get a privileged glimpse into the unfolding story.

Check out Running in Silence, and take on Rachael's journey through her eating disorder, and rediscovery who she is. Happy Reading :)