Addressing the elephant in the room.
It’s not something I ever wanted to address; the subject of eating disorders has nothing to do with my website nor what I stand for, which is why I’ve let the rumors go unchallenged for so long.
But readers have recently been leaving an even higher number of weight-related comments than usual, now calling me both too thin and too fat. (I’ve even been called pregnant and anorexic in the same post.)
As I know girls are using photos of me for “thinspiration” and citing my blog as a reason it’s okay to eat 100 calories a day and starve down to 70 pounds…
I feel addressing it at this point is the right thing to do.
If you’ve ever googled “chocolate covered katie,” you’ve probably seen the search engine’s lovely (I say this facetiously) list of related searches, which includes “chocolate covered katie anorexic” and “chocolate covered katie eating disorder.”
It’s self-perpetuating: curiosity will cause people to click on the terms, and therefore the suggested searches will most likely never disappear.
Although I don’t have an eating disorder and have always eaten well, I did have an unhealthy relationship with exercise in the past that took a toll on both my appearance and mental health.
While I’d thought I was happy during those years and was technically healthy—with normal lab work and a good relationship with food—the over-exercising was sabotaging my efforts to gain the curves I desired. I wouldn’t allow myself to entertain the possibility my running routine could be partially responsible for my inability to gain weight.
When I finally did make the choice to give up running (that story is linked above), I gained about 10-15 pounds quickly, easily, and happily. Imagine discovering, almost overnight, that you suddenly have the body you’d always wanted.
Looking back, I wonder why I didn’t realize sooner the extreme exercise was not the healthiest thing for me: it had become a source of stress in my life and was draining me of energy, which was manifest in my appearance.
I am a million and a half times happier now, and it shows.
It’s difficult to make guesses about a person’s life simply by looking at a photograph or by judging his or her online persona.
No, my life is not all about food; and yes, I occasionally do indulge in “unhealthy” meals and desserts. I just don’t post about these occasions because it isn’t relevant to the theme of my website.
Hateful things are written on the internet under a cloak of anonymity, and it’s unfortunately women putting down other women all too often, writing words they would never feel comfortable saying in real life.
In my years of blogging, I’ve been called everything from “skeleton” to “fat slug” to “anorexic with a boob job” (neither of which is true; but even if they were, would it mean someone had any less worth as a human being?). The comments eventually forced me to realize my self worth needs to come from something other than the opinion of a stranger on the internet.
The routineness with which I receive these acrimonious messages has at least given me the ability to shrug them off.
Although… when I saw the “fat slug” comment, I could not stop laughing.
I completely stopped reading the internet rumors and conspiracy theories about myself a long time ago, even if that means letting some false claims about my life go unchallenged. While I could defend myself against the rumors, doing so would become a full-time job, and I’d rather focus my time elsewhere.
The people who know me in real life are easily able to tell the truth, which is all that matters.
However, the one thing I feel I do need to clear up is that anyone who tells you my blog promotes eating disorders is grossly mistaken. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Chocolate Covered Recipes have healthy fats, whole grains, and real-food (non-artificial) ingredients, and you’ll never find me promoting dangerous cleanses, calorie restriction, or touting any one food as a “miracle” cure.
I’ve turned down so many high-paying offers from companies to promote such things on the blog.
In consideration of the readers with a medical need, lower-calorie and sugar-free options are included in my posts when available. But the recipes are not specifically “diet” choices; just healthier choices, and you can choose the ingredient options that suit your own personal needs.
I go further into detail on this topic in my Chocolate Covered Katie FAQ Page.
Please, the next time you read any kind of gossip online, take a moment to consider the source before believing it as fact. And if you ever come across something written about me that you don’t understand, please always feel free to ask.
I’m one of the most candid and open people you could ever meet, and I don’t get embarrassed easily. If a stranger really wanted to know everything about my life, I’d have no problem leaving in every detail.
At the risk of sounding clichéd… all of the stupid mistakes I’ve made in my life have made me who I am today, and I’m not embarrassed about a single one.
If you want to use me as thinspiration, keep in mind that the thinspiration you are using is a healthy woman who eats a balanced diet heavy in calories, healthy fats, and carbs.
I’d hope that what people can get out of my blog is the message it’s important to treat your body kindly; to nourish it with real-food ingredients; to truly enjoy the foods you are eating; and to take in enough calories for the strength and energy to live your best life possible.
No crash dieting. No cutting out food groups. No starving. Please take good care of yourselves. ♥
I also wanted to write this post because I know there are many other girls out there (and guys too) who receive similar online comments. To anyone who might need to hear it, please do not take any of the messages you receive to heart.
Most often, people just like to write things online because they can (especially if it’s anonymous), and it has nothing to do with your worth, no matter whether you are underweight, overweight, or have anything else about your physical appearance that makes you feel insecure or less than.
Now, can we put this subject to rest and get back to the food?
I’m going to hashtag this photo #fatslug 
I found this blog and it has been such a help to me. I have always been judged for my small size, and people find it fun to make hurtful comments about my weight. But you see, I can’t help being scrawny in comparison… I have a super high metabolism and when nursing I end up needing about 3k calories a day or I lose weight, health and energy. It has always been so hard to get the calories I require without eating junk food all the time. So hard in fact that while nursing my first child, I found myself hating food. I missed eating for pleasure and hated having to focus on calorie counts while trying to still eat healthy. When I found this blog, it was so wonderful to find high calorie foods that 1- taste good, 2- are high calorie and 3- are healthy!! It was an answer to prayer. Thank you, and please don’t stop blogging!
I’m so sorry you went through this. I went through the “junk food” phase when people were making negative comments about my thinness as well, and I completely relate to your hatred of food. People who are jealous we can eat as many brownies as we want don’t always understand that by the third or fourth brownie, it isn’t enjoyable anymore and you just feel sick from eating so much junk food!
You are such an inspiration, if I had only been that wise when I was your age. Instead I had eating diss orders that made me very unhappy. It is wonderful to read your blog and to see how strong you are. I love that you do not ingage in stupid comments. You are a wise women that inspires many people, myself included!
Good for you, you look fantastic. People are jerks online- that anonymity is such a seductive thing for people who hate themselves. I’m sorry that you even felt like you had to address this. You’re gorgeous and have a wonderful blog- so basically, haters gonna hate, right? 🙂
I love this post. Reading your later one where you admit you questioned yourself before publishing (which I totally understand bc I do that tons), I’ve gotta tell you this was a great idea, and you speak so well. So fluidly, confidently, and with clear purpose. A very easy-to-read and profound post. I hope this doesn’t come off as an insult, but I think it’s the deepest (in thought) post you’ve ever put on the blog. I also wanted to say that I really identified with everything you said, bc I used to suffer from chronic exercise obsession and at the time couldn’t imagine living without running everyday, plus a lot on average. At that point in time, I was really skinny (size 0-2; 32-barely-B). Then eventually, when I finally accepted that not only was i too thin (for my body type) but my running routine HAD to tone down (haha) BIG time, I gradually lessened and loosened up my exercise, until I’d relaxed and recovered from my exercise obsession. By that time, when I’d at last fully recovered, I’d gained a little too much (I’d been waiting on weight loss until I’d recovered); so then I lost some weight just enough to be trimmer and mostly focused on making my overall lifestyle healthier and put into proper balance. Additionally I realize that now, I am so much happier than I ever was when obsessed with fitness and constantly exercising. That was soooo incredibly stressful. Back then I used to get comments like: “Wow you’re so thin – that’s amazing how do you do it?!” or “you need to gain weight.” Now they’re: “You’re so cute (since) you’ve gained weight,” and “you look much healthier now,” “you’ve certainly filled out – and that’s a good thing”. So I agree with you.
By the way, you look so much prettier now… being curvier, and bc the stress release shows in your expression. You really look far happier now, and I believe that’s what makes you more beautiful.
Katie, your website is awesome. It is sad that we have to deal with the haters of this world. You are such a positive inspirations. It is great to find a blog that make recipes with healthier choices.
You look awesome Katie…Way to go !!!!
I just got started following your recipes, and I love how delicious they are. It takes my complete surprise every time. But I also love how I feel after eating a treat I have made from chocolatecoveredkatie. I feel happy, full, and oddly enough, like I respect my body and my choices. I am a little embarassed to admit, the title of this post made me curious but I am glad I read it. When reading it, I got a picture of who this beautiful Katie really is and what this blog really is about. It makes me wonder what this world would be like if women everywhere could support healthy choices in other women. I am on board!
Hi Katie 🙂
I never comment, but I really like your blog…
I’m italian, I’m vegan and love running too…and I also love eating healthy and eating chocolate (even though I eat almost fully raw) 😀 I think your posts are amazing…the recipes are grat (even for a lazy girl like me who doesen’t like complicated things! ) and you’re always funny… don’t let people’s words hurt your feelings…I think it’s obvious you are (and where even with a lower wheight) really healthy both phisically and psychologically and you enjoy your food!! anyway you look great in your last photos, I whish I had your curves 😀
anorexia is not a phisical condition nor an insult, it’s a illness and people should stop considering it something else!
ps. sorry for my awful english!!
No no, your English is amazing!! Much better than my Italian, which sadly consists of many food terms and not much else 😕
Just to let you know, i have NEVER thought this website or you were promoting any sort of eating disorder…in fact giving us people delicious foods to try out. Your website is the first site i come to when i have a craving or want to try something new. Thank you!! ps- fat slug?? oh my hahahaha
Looking at your wonderful recipes as ED promotion is ridiculous. Your recipes were my salvation when I was trying to find a way to make desserts despite my food allergies and hypoglycemia. Being 23, I want to eat cookies and cake just like the next girl, but the piercing headaches and stomach cramps are just not worth it! (That isn’t to say sometimes I don’t sneak them anyways…oops!)
Long story short, let them keep sipping on that Haterade; you’re a great girl with a positive personality and we’re loving every bite that you put out there! 🙂