Propensity for change. Jackie Goldschneider realized how her struggle with anorexia affected her children, and it became difficult for her to live in the present.
The “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star explained that after years of starvation, she was able to enjoy spring break with her family. Goldschneider has four children — 14-year-old twins Jonas and Adin and 11-year-old twins Alexis and Hudson — from her husband Evan Goldschneider. (Viewers also saw Jackie eat ice cream for the first time in 18 years during the April 5 episode of RHONJ.)
“I’ve never traveled for more than four nights because… there was too much anxiety when I walked for more than four nights in a row. Even with four nights, one of the nights I wouldn’t eat if we went to dinner,” the former lawyer told us, recalling a recent trip to Arizona that lasted six days.
She added: “I enjoyed every meal with my family. I wasn’t hungry at all. We did so many other activities because I wasn’t just in starvation mode.”
Jackie, who joined RHONJ in 2018, admitted that her struggle with food and distorted body perception “changes the way you interact with people” and how “real” she was with everyone.
“[What] is very important is the fact that my children are watching me [now] and adopting habits, and they are no longer adopting these toxic eating habits,” she said. “So for me as a mother, that’s everything.”
The freelance writer openly talked about her problems with food in the Bravo series, but only at the beginning of this year she told how deep her problems are.
While the reality star thought she had dealt with the problem in 2013-10 years after she first became anorexic—she admitted on season 12 of the show that she lied to herself and others about how bad things had gotten.
“It was a terrible secret. It was terrible for me to be silent for so long. … I’ve been trying to start [the program] for a very long time recovery, and I just didn’t have the opportunity to do it,” Jackie told Us, referring to her decision to publicize her journey this season. “I had so much fear around it and I could never talk to anyone because, you know, it’s so embarrassing.”
She explained that by letting the cameras follow her to the Renfrew Center for treatment and therapy, “I wouldn’t let people see me fail and tell myself: “It’s too difficult to recover.” I knew I wouldn’t let that happen.”
The housewife added: “I realized that this was an opportunity for me to really hold people accountable and fulfill them, I knew it was the right thing to do. And I knew it could help people too.”
Jackie is now “very far advanced” and is “really doing great” with her recovery plan, she told us, noting that it has not been without difficulties.
“The parts of it were really filled with joy, the parts where I learn to eat new foods, and it was a joy for me. What wasn’t a joy for me was my body,” she said. “I work hard not to define myself by my weight and not to pay so much attention to my body size and external evaluation.”
Although she admitted that she “wants to weigh herself” and fit into her old size zero clothes, Jackie did not succumb to negative thoughts in her head. “There is a lot of work to be done, but from the point of view of health, I am in a completely different territory,” she added. “I’ve gotten a lot healthier, and I’m just enjoying the food, and my family likes to watch me [grow].”
The finale of the 12th season of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” will air on the Bravo TV channel on Tuesday, April 26, at 20:00 ET.
