Disclaimer: This conversation reflects lived personal experience and is not medical advice. If you or someone you love is struggling with disordered eating, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or support organization. Recovery is possible, you don’t have to do it alone.
In this honest and vulnerable conversation, Barcelona Pilates studio owner Laura Ceppelli opens up about her 24 year journey through bulimia and her path toward recovery. Laura wrote a personal essay for the Pay It Forward Book Series: Notes To Your Younger Self where she shares how her bulimia affected her self-worth and relationships. Laura discusses the power of movement, especially yoga, Pilates, and breath work, as positive coping mechanisms that helped her reconnect with her body and mind. She also highlights the role of writing as release, reprogramming the subconscious, and the empowerment that comes from finally sharing her story. Throughout the episode, Laura reflects on the evolving conversation around body image, strength, and self-acceptance, emphasizing the importance of community support, healthy tools for healing, and understanding that recovery is an ongoing, personal journey.
TAKEAWAYS
- Bulimia can exist in silence. Laura lived with bulimia for 24 years while “ticking the boxes of life,” proving that many people suffering appear outwardly fine.
- Body work helped Laura reconnect to herself. Pilates, movement, and breathwork strengthened not only her body, but also her emotional regulation and mind-body connection.
- “Nourishment” replaced calorie counting. Becoming a mother and business owner helped her see food as fuel and care, not something to control or restrict.
- Positive coping mechanisms can replace harmful ones. Yoga, Pilates, breathwork, writing, and meditation became healthier outlets and tools for emotional processing.
- Self-worth affects relationships. Low self-esteem showed up in dating choices, people-pleasing, and not knowing how to advocate for herself.
- Memories of shame can imprint deeply. A small childhood moment became embedded as guilt, showing how trauma can be subtle but long-lasting.
- Community and support matter. Even though recovery is deeply personal, movement classes, family, motherhood, and writing helped Laura stop feeling alone.
- Laura doesn’t claim to have “the solution.” She emphasizes that everyone’s recovery looks different. What she can offer is honesty, hope, and the belief that recovery is possible.
CHAPTERS
07:15 Reflections on Self-Worth and Healing
10:34 Understanding Bulimia as an Addiction
13:10 The Impact of Relationships on Self-Worth
15:51 The Journey to Recovery and Nourishment
18:35 The Role of Yoga and Physical Activity in Healing
20:54 Ongoing Recovery and Awareness of Eating Disorders
21:20 Finding Balance in Life and Work
23:11 Positive Coping Mechanisms and Personal Growth
24:34 Reprogramming the Subconscious Mind
27:18 The Journey of Self-Acceptance
31:47 Overcoming Shame and Guilt
34:10 The Power of Honesty and Transparency
37:15 The Connection Between Movement and Mental Health
40:27 Breathwork and Mind-Body Connection
43:28 Empowerment Through Strength Training
44:35 Community and Support in Healing
LAURA CEPPELLI LINKS:
The Pay It Forward Series: Notes To My Younger Self Book
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