The Messy Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery: What Healing Really Looks Like with Mallary Tenore

In this episode, I sit down with Mallary Tenore—journalist, professor, and author of Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery—to explore the nuanced, often-overlooked reality of what it means to live in ongoing recovery from an eating disorder.Diagnosed with anorexia as a child and having spent decades in treatment, Mallary knows the truth: recovery isn’t linear, and for many, it doesn’t end with a “happily ever after.” Instead, it exists in what she calls the middle place—the messy, in-between space where healing happens, but perfection is never the goal.Here’s what we cover in the episode:• What the “middle place” really is—and why most recovery stories leave it out• Why Mallary describes her book as a restorative narrative (not a redemptive one)• The danger of perfectionism in healing, and how letting go helped Mallary make real progress• How language like “full recovery” and “quasi-recovery” can do more harm than good• The role of shame and secrecy in keeping people stuck—and how to break the silence• The cultural and clinical blind spots that prevent many from getting diagnosed or treatedMallary’s work challenges conventional recovery narratives and opens the door to a more compassionate, realistic, and inclusive view of healing. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “not sick enough” or “not recovered enough,” this conversation is for you.00:00 - Intro2:12 - Why her book is a restorative narrative (not a redemptive one)4:29 - What is the messy middle?5:56 - The middle place where real healing happens11:16 - Why quasi-recovery Is a harmful label15:30 - Normative discontent16:23 - Recovering in a fat-phobic society20:20 - Is full recovery / being "fully recovered" even possible?23:40 - How was it interviewing so many people with lived experience with eating disorders?25:00 - 85% of individuals she interviewed resonated with the middle place26:10 - How doctors dismissed atypical anorexia in people that don't fit the stereotype for anorexia28:08 - First step to healing is breaking the silence31:01 - Where can people purchase your book? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Purchase Mallary’s book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/7kHiMkiFollow and contact Mallary here: https://www.instagram.com/mallarytenoretarpley/-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Follow Beyond Binge EatingInstagram: / https://www.instagram.com/BeyondBingeEating/ Website: https://www.BeyondBingeEating.comNewsletter: https://beyondbingeeating.com/Newsletter/---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Grab your FREE Eat-With-Awareness Bundle to slow down, stay present, and reclaim peace with food: https://beyondbingeeating.com/opt-in/-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: The information on this channel is for educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or therapy. The views and opinions expressed by podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Kristina Dobyns or Beyond Binge Eating.