Jordan Chiles Recalls Being 'Traumatized' By Diet Restrictions in Early Gymnastics Career: 'I Wouldn’t Eat Anything'

“There were a lot of things that I was told because I had to ‘look a certain way,’” the Olympic gymnast said

Jordan Chiles is getting candid about the unhealthy relationship with food she had growing up.

Ahead of the Summer Olympics in Paris, the 23-year-old gymnast is on the cover of Teen Vogue’s July/August issue — and in her wide-ranging conversation with the magazine, she recalled overcoming her food-related “trauma” that began early in her gymnastics career.

“I was traumatized when I was younger,” she told the outlet. “I was getting weighed. I was told I could only eat certain things. There were a lot of things that I was told because I had to ‘look a certain way.’ But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized we’re human. Our bodies go through different changes. I’m a woman, so obviously, when it comes to hormonal situations or my cycle, I can’t control that.”

Chiles said she tried but struggled to break those bad habits — working on being able to eat a burger or ice cream without viewing it as a “cheat meal.”

“Sometimes I’ll eat it, but I won’t eat the whole thing,” she admitted. “Because that’s kind of where that trauma comes into play. It’s like you feel somebody’s always looking at you.”

Related: Jordan Chiles Had to Heal Her Relationship with Food After a Coach Limited Her to 800 Calories a Day (Exclusive)

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“There’d be times when I would sit at the dinner table and if somebody, like my parents or siblings, told me something, my whole appetite would go away,” she explained. “It would just shut off and I wouldn’t eat anything.”

It wasn’t until Chiles started seeing a sports psychologist that she was able to prioritize her health by changing her mindset. Now, she said she’s in a much better mental space and hoping other athletes can recognize the importance of asking for help.

“It took me a while to actually ask for help because my sport does teach us to be independent,” she said. “But when I finally did, I was at ease with my mental health and being able to say, ‘It’s okay to ask for help.’ I feel more confident in myself, and I’m able to be the Jordan that I’ve always wanted to be when I first started gymnastics.”

Related: Jordan Chiles Reflects on ‘Healing Process’ After Losing Her Aunt and Grandfather in 2023: ‘They Were Both My Biggest Supporters’

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In March, the Olympic silver medalist told PEOPLE that she was previously “shamed into thinking” she needed to restrict her calorie intake by a former coach.

“Early on in my gymnastics career, I was shamed into thinking I wasn’t fit enough and that I should just consume clear-based soups,” she revealed. “At that time, I had no body fat and abs for days.”

Chiles said the issue began when her former coach told her “that things I liked eating were going to keep me from being an Olympian” and that she was “encouraged” to “eat 800 calories a day” if she wanted to succeed.

The gymnast said leaving that coach enabled her to repair her relationship with the foods she enjoyed. “When I moved away from that toxic encouragement and ate what I wanted, my body responded more. My body needed fuel,” she said, explaining, “We train 34 hours a week so our bodies can do insane things, and we need food to keep our bodies moving.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please go to NationalEatingDisorders.org.

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