Need to eat more but scared of weight gain?

An eating disorder distorts the way you think about food and your body, causing you to eat and exercise in a way that can be harmful to your mental and physical health.

A critical step in eating disorder recovery is working through counterproductive and destructive thoughts, emotions and behaviors - not just relating to food and the body but also with self-esteem, confidence, control and perfectionism.

To fuel, nourish and train in a way that will optimize performance and to become more comfortable and confident with your body image, it's necessary to break away from unhealthy food and exercise-related behaviors and to challenge and fight against disordered thoughts.

Keep in mind that the weight/body image that you think you need to perform well in sport will likely be different than the body composition/weight that allows you to train and race in a way that supports your physical and mental health.

An eating disorder is not about food.

Body weight is also not the issue.

The body composition insecurities and overwhelming food-related decisions are symptoms of a problem, but not the problem itself.

Therapy is critical. Don’t let yourself give up - even if it feels like you aren't making progress.

A huge part of the recovery process is accepting that your body and mind will change. Your body and mind may heal at different times. Learning to let go of control can also be hard.

Once you restore your physical and mental health and strengthen your relationship with food and the body, you will physically feel better, your decisions around food and exercise will begin to work for you (and not against you) and any body composition changes will never be as visible as you fear/believe.

Although the road will be bumpy at times, trust the process and journey ahead of you.

Your body is worth the time and effort. 💕

Busting 6 eating disorder myths

“The goal of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is to shine the spotlight on eating disorders by educating the public, spreading a message of hope, and putting lifesaving resources into the hands of those in need.”

According to the the Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness, 29 million Americans will experience a clinically significant eating disorder during their lifetime. Yet, only one-third of people with eating disorders will ever receive treatment. Eating Disorders Awareness Week was developed to reduce the stigma, raise awareness and provide better access to support for those suffering from an eating disorder.

In a field where marginalized communities continue to be underrepresented, it's important to welcome conversations on raising awareness, challenging systemic biases, and sharing stories from all backgrounds and experiences (NEDA).

If you or a loved one is currently struggling with an eating disorder, it’s important to know that you are not alone. Know that a life of full recovery is possible. It's worth the effort to create a life worth living.

Stress and disordered eating

We are all experiencing challenges during which words just can't describe what we are feeling.

Politics, police brutality, a pandemic and an international human rights movement - alongside other ongoing issues like global warming, animal rights, LGBTQ discrimination, wage inequality, homelessness, human trafficking, disability discrimination, deforestation, weight bias, air pollution - may make it impossible to make sense of our emotions.

No matter how hard you try, you can't avoid stress. And sometimes it gets the best of us. Stress can become a problem when you are unable to cope. Without a productive and healthy outlet, stress levels can escalate.

Poor body image and an unhealthy relationship with food can cause stress but it also works the other way around. The relationship between stress and disordered eating is a vicious cycle.

When you feel overwhelmed or out of control, it's natural to find ways to cope with those unpleasant and uncomfortable feelings. Feeling stressed and overwhelmed can trigger disordered eating behaviors, which are used as a coping mechanism. In turn, compulsion, obsession, fear, stress and negative thinking raise stress levels. You can trick yourself into thinking you are alleviating stressful emotions, feelings and thoughts but in reality, those issues are exacerbated. Disordered eating can cause stress levels to spike. When you are so fixated on food, weight and your body, it can overtake everything in your life.

Because people who struggle with disordered eating habits are highly susceptible to stress (and the other way around), stress can contribute to the development of an eating disorder.

In case you missed it, I recently had the opportunity to have a healthy conversation with Registered Dietitian and elite runner Kelsey Beckman on body image, dieting and disordered eating. I hope you find it helpful. I provided a few options for your listening/viewing pleasure.

If you are struggling, please reach out for help. You don't have to suffer alone.

Facebook discussion 
YouTube discussion 
Audio only 

Is it socially acceptable to diet if you are an athlete?

Since my first Ironman in 2006, I've developed a strong connection to my body. Rather than seeing it for what it looks like, I constantly thank my body for what it allows me to do. While it's not easy in a body-image obsessed society, Karel and I spend no time discussing body image in our house. We don't weigh ourselves so we couldn't tell you what our "race weight" was at any of our past races.  There's no dieting, restrictive eating, watching what we eat or cheat meals. I'd say that our house is a very good place if you'd like to eat where there are no food rules, off-limit foods or controversial food discussions. While our dedication to sport, love for an active lifestyle and enjoyment for wholesome eating greatly influences the way we look, we have never fallen victim to the idea of "competitive leanness"  - that the leaner we are, the more competitive (or faster) we will be in sport. We've never tried to change the way that we look through diet or exercise. 

In light of a recent video of a professional male triathlete discussing his recent dietary change and current struggle of body image relating to performance, I feel this provides a great platform to once again discuss the pressure that most athletes feel when it comes to body weight/body composition and the extreme shifts that occur with diet and exercise. Even without the performance component, many athletes put great emphasis on how they look - which can contribute to great psychological and physical stress, not to mention the risk for health issues and a performance decline. 

We live in an interesting time where it has become socially acceptable not to eat. In other words, it's not uncommon for an athlete to restrict food/sport nutrition and it's accepted, encouraged or advised. Some athletes are afraid to eat "bad" foods while others are afraid to eat "too much." There are tricks, rules and games that athletes play as it relates to food - all in an effort to keep, obtain or achieve a different look or weight. Athletes are fasting, eliminating food groups, strategically choosing the training sessions that deserve fuel and hydration and avoiding/reducing carb and calorie intake and it's often applauded as a way of taking control over health, being dedicated to sport or having a passion for healthy living. To me it looks like a miserable way to live but to others, it's become viewed as the right thing to do. I'm shocked to see how many endurance triathletes will train for hours at a time, only to eat a few hundred calories for fear of "eating too much." 

To the outsider, certain athletes may look fit, lean, strong, healthy and happy but it's very easy to hide behind a photo on Instagram or Facebook or boast amount recent performance and health improvements from a recent extreme dietary change. It isn't until an athlete admits that there is an issue or is forced to back away from the sport due to a health issue, the dieting athlete is often praised and admired for his/her dedication (watchers are tempted to copy similar diet changes), even though this athlete has created a socially acceptable type of disordered eating. With an overvalued belief that a lower body weight will improve performance, coupled with society emphasizing leanness, performance anxiety, athletic self-identity, low self-confidence and a negative self-evaluation of athletic development/performance, it's not surprising to hear that so many athletes suffer from eating disorders and mental health issues.

Our society has a very dysfunctional relationship with food and body weight/image but things only get worse when it affects athletes who place tremendous stress on the body. A super strict, rigid and controlled way of eating often comes at a huge emotional and physical cost and takes up a lot of mental space in daily activities and food-related decisions.

It's a common misconception that the dieting athlete is lean and ripped, skinny or emaciated. This is far from the truth. You can also be very lean or skinny and be very well nourished, fueled and healthy. This is why you can't "look" at an athlete and make assumptions about health, fitness, happiness or performance. Eating disorders and disordered eating isn't a look. There are many athletes out there who are restricting and obsessing over foodwhile spending an exhausting amount of time and energy on body image and getting praised for their "healthy" efforts or being envied for looking so fit. How many times have you looked at an athlete and assumed "wow - he/she must be so fast." 

Because athletes can easily hide under the umbrella of being very dedicated to healthy eating and extreme exercise because they are training for an athletic event, it's important to ask yourself if you are eating and fueling adequately for health and performance improvements or suffering from disordered eating (or an eating disorder).

There's a common saying "are you eating to be thin or eating to win?" Changing your diet and/or exercise regime in an attempt to achieve an "idealistic" body type fights against your current biology and places you at risk for physical and mental health, hormonal and performance issues. There's nothing wrong with changing the way you look for health or performance but the methods of your strategies should optimize health and performance.

Regardless of your fitness level, I'm here to tell you that it's ok to not have a body that fits into your sport specific body "ideal". Fuel for performance and eat to nourish your body. And above all, be proud of the way you look, especially when you can do awesome things with your body. 

Helping someone with an eating disorder

For many people, the New Year welcomes a great opportunity for change as it relates to health, wellness and diet. But among all of the chatter regarding weight loss, diet plans and fitness, at least 30 million people of all ages and genders are suffering from eating disorders in the US. Every 62 minutes, at least one person dies as a direct result from an eating disorder and eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.

For any individual who is currently struggling with an eating disorder, it can be very difficult to wake up on January 1st and simply stop the behaviors associated with a mental health condition. Beyond acceptance of a problem, seeking the appropriate care can be difficult. Denial, shame, misconceptions, money/insurance, stigma and fear can prevent someone from getting the necessary help/treatment needed.

If you know someone who may have an eating disorder, it can be very difficult to watch/see that person damage his/her health. Eating disorders are very complicated and often include negative, self-critical thoughts and feelings that fuel behaviors related to food, weight and body image. When an individual has an eating disorder, food is not seen as fuel or nourishment but it's used to deal with uncomfortable and painful emotions and thoughts.

At the beginning of the New Year with so many diet plans and health-seeking individuals, it can be very difficult to tell the difference between someone who has an eating disorder and someone who is dieting in an effort to lose weight or to improve health. There are a few warning signs to look out for and as the disorder progresses, the disorder is easier to identify in some individuals:

Restriction/dieting

• Avoiding entire categories of food (ex. fat, carbs) or only eating low-calorie foods in small/tiny portions
• Obsessively counting calories, reading labels and weighing food
• Developing restrictive food rituals 
• Taking diet pills and stimulants
• Making excuses to avoid meals or situations that involve food

Bingeing

• Unexplained disappearance of large amounts of food in short periods of time
• Hoarding and hiding stashes of high calorie foods
• Secrecy and isolation
• Empty food packages and wrappers

Purging

• Disappearing soon after a meal, making frequent trips to the bathroom
• Showering, bathing or running water after eating to hide the sound of purging
• Using excessive amounts of mouthwash, breath mints or perfume to disguise the smell of vomiting 
• Taking laxatives, diuretics or enemas
• Periods of fasting or compulsive exercise after eating
• Complaining of sore throat, upset stomach, diarrhea or constipation
• Discolored teeth
• Swollen cheeks

Disordered body image

• Extreme preoccupation with weight or body
• Significant weight loss, rapid weight gain, constantly fluctuating weight
• Frequent comments about feeling fat or overweight
• Fear of gaining weight
• Wearing baggy clothes or multiple layers in an attempt to hide weight

Orthorexia

• Obsessive concern over the relationship between food and health
• Increasing avoidance of foods because of food allergies without medical advice
• Drastic reduction in foods/food groups
• Irrational concerns over food preparation techniques
• Strict rules and beliefs about food 
• Anxiety, depression, mood swings and panic attacks relating to food
• Feeling guilt when deviating from strict diet guidelines 
• Feelings of satisfaction, esteem or fulfillment from eating healthy 
• Increase amount of time spent thinking about food 

If you are concerned about a friend or family member who may have an eating disorder, it's important to not let your worries of saying the wrong thing stop you from voicing your concerns.

Here are a few tips for talking to someone about an eating disorder:

1. Don't lecture or criticize. Instead, discuss specific situations and behaviors that you have noticed and why you are worried. You are not there to offer solutions or to counsel but to express your concerns about his/her health, how much you care about him/her and your desire to help.
2. Be prepared for denial, resistance and anger. Remain calm, patient, supportive and respectful.
3. Don't force someone into treatment. The decision to change must come from within. Make it clear that you care and that you will be available as a listener and for help.
4. Avoid commenting on appearance, body and weight. This includes in person and on social media, which can make it tough to truly know if a person is struggling behind the happy-looking social media posts. For someone who is overly focused on his/her body, he/she may be looking for body image approval with a strong drive for acceptance or may be twisting positive comments into negative thoughts about body and weight. 
5. Don't shame, blame or give simple solutions like "just eat". Eating disorders are complex problems and the right treatment depends on specific symptoms and issues and the severity of the disorder. Treatment with a team of professionals, who specializes in eating disorders, will address, diagnosis and treat the physical and the psychological aspects of the problem.
6. Eating disorders don't have a look. An eating disorder is a mental illness and you can not determine a person's level of suffering based on appearance or weight. The individual is not choosing to behave a certain way but every individual deserves treatment and help.
7. Stop the fat talk, diet advice and food talk. For a person who has an eating disorder, they likely already spend a large amount of time thinking about food and body image. Engage in more meaningful conversations beyond food and weight.
8. Educate yourself about eating disorders so you have a basic understanding of the physical, emotional and psychological effects. Be knowledgeable about resources and sources for help. Encourage your friend/family member to call the free NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. Mon-Thurs 9am-9pm EST and Friday 9am-5pm EST.
9. Set limits for yourself and decide what you are and are not willing to do for this person. You can only do so much. Be sure to take care of yourself throughout the process.
10. The recovery from an eating disorder is a long-term, strenuous, exhausting process, lasting months if not years. While the road to recovery is not an easy one, it's the path worth traveling as it will improve health and quality of life and will finally put an end to the suffering that was keeping someone from living a quality life. 

Drive for athletic leanness

Picture source

For much of my career as a Board Certified Sport Dietitian with a Master of Science in exercise physiology, I have spent a great amount of time and energy helping athletes with their relationship with food and the body. Knowing that athletes feel a strong relationship between food and body composition relating to athletic success, I have never refrained from speaking about this topic openly and honestly for many years in an effort to help athletes stay healthy throughout a sporting career (and for many more decades to come). I have even reached out to many magazines (and publishing companies) to write more about the topic of body image and athletes but my pitches are often denied and in exchange, I am asked to write about the latest diet fad or nutrition strategy to help athletes gain the competitive edge.

In light of another recent social media post involving a professional athlete discussing body image struggles and restrictive eating measures, I am reminded that I have a very small voice in the big world of athletics as it relates to being heard but I refuse to stop expressing my thoughts and concerns as to how athletes eat and fuel for endurance sports as there is a safe way to achieve athletic excellence without compromising health and performance.

Sadly, our culture is obsessed with leanness. It's far too often that an athlete is praised for being lean and competitively fit, which drives the athlete to assume that leanness is the key to athletic success, self-confidence and notoriety. On a daily basis, athletes receive persistent spoken/written/viewed messages about body composition and performance/fitness from social media, magazines, books, notable athletic figures, coaches and other experts which reinforces the need to look a certain way - often at any cost (health, performance and quality of life).

Without even the slightest disclaimer that there can be great physical and psychological damage that stems from being strict, ritualistic, rigid and anxious about eating when training for an athletic event, athletes literally feed off the reinforcement given by society when the body becomes more athletically "acceptable" in terms of body composition.

Every time an athlete is glorified for experiencing athletic success while achieving/maintaining a lean, toned and fit body composition, there's a good probability that society is rewarding unhealthy eating and training behaviors. Eventually resulting in low energy availability (RED-S), there are great health and performance consequences to overtraining and undereating.

Picture source

There's no denying that a fit and strong body is what every athlete strives to achieve come race day and to achieve a body that can survive the demands of race day, training and nutritional adaptations can be made to foster performance improvements. But without optimal health, the body image that you achieve is all for nothing if you can't do much with it on race day.

What's the point of having a lean body if you can't do anything with it when you are asked to perform at your best?  Far too many athletes are training and not eating for an image competition instead of an athletic competition.

Although more and more athletes are speaking openly about personal struggles with eating and body image, there is still a strong taboo with disordered eating and eating disorders. There are some brave athletes who openly admit to some type of body image struggle or disordered eating/eating disorder habits during or at the end of a sporting career (often concurrent with a serious health issue, debilitating injury or mental health disorder) but we can not overlook the fact that a great amount of athletes are secretly training with a very restrictive diet in an effort to change body image, often encouraged, inspired and counseled by a coach or nutrition expert.

Knowing that goal-oriented, highly disciplined and competitive athletes who like to feel control in life and base self-worth, athletic readiness and confidence on a certain body image, are at greatest risk for an eating disorder, it's critical that coaches and professional experts address their own personal relationships with food and the body prior to delivering nutrition advice. I personally believe that due to the many uncredible nutrition experts and weight-focused coaches providing unethically safe advice to athletes, athletes are led to believe that the best/only/most effective way to experience performance gains is to change body composition through dietary/fueling manipulation and training.

Because there is such a very thin line between maintaining your health, having longevity in your sport and maintaining quality of life and achieving athletic excellence on race day with a forced body composition change, if an athlete has even the most smallest struggle or occasional thoughts about body image or restrictive eating strategies in an effort to improve performance or to change body composition, it's highly recommended and encouraged to seek help from a trusted, credible and sport dietitian who specializes in your sport and understands how to counsel athletes who suffer from poor body image thoughts and a tendency/desire to intentional restrict food/fuel.

Before a serious health issue negatively affects your performance, now is the time to ask yourself....

What's driving your need for athletic leanness? 

Athletes and body image - your body deserves fuel

Many athletes feel personal struggles with body image. Eating disorders and disordered eating habits are evident in athletes in all sports (and in non-athletes) and in all ages but specifically in sports where leanness associates with an improvement in performance (lighter = better). 

It's extremely upsetting to hear of nutrition "experts" advising athletes to restrict food around workouts and to intentionally not fuel or hydrate during workouts as a way to improve performance or to lose weight. 

Due to a society that has a poor relationship with food and overemphasizes leanness as the 'ideal' image for athletes, more and more athletes are becoming more and more dissatisfied with their bodies. 

Athletes may experience strong feelings before, during and after workouts as if they do not have "an athlete's body" and ultimately underfuel in an effort to lose weight. Rather than fueling for success, good health and a stronger body, athletes chase a body image. Workouts become haphazard as the ultimate goal becomes to train more and to eat less.
Going back to these nutrition "experts" who are anti food, carbs, water and sport nutrition, athletes are now lead to believe that the human body doesn't need fuel to function. 

This thinking is absolutely wrong!!!

The outcomes of an underfueled/undernourished body are not advantageous for it's only a matter of time when an athlete who is restricting food/fuel experiences serious health and performance detriments. 

If you have been told to not fuel before, during or after a workout OR you feel you are chronically undernourished OR you are occasionally severely restricting your food/sport nutrition intake in an effort to lose weight in order to become faster/stronger/leanner, you may be putting your body at an increased risk for injury, illness, anemia, menstrual/hormonal disturbances,chronic fatigue and reduced longevity in the sport that you love to train for. 

There are a few ways that we can help athletes who struggle with eating and body image. 

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First off, we must continue to reduce the stigma of disordered eating/clinical eating disorders in athletes so we can create a positive environment where athletes can feel comfortable admitting there is an issue and ultimately, feel comfortable reaching out and talking with a professional who specializes in disordered eating among athletes. 

Secondly, we must stop the information that is coming from these body-image (not health) obsessed "experts" who are brainwashing athletes to believe that sport nutrition, carbs and even water are "bad" for athletes. Restricting fuel around/during workouts or restricting carbohydrates (your body's prime and preferred energy fuel) is simply dieting for athletes. Dieting and athletes should never be used in the same sentence. 

Diets are very common in our culture but sadly, dieting can increase the risk for an eating disorder. 

For athletes, this can be extremely serious and can cause serious health issues when the body is asked to train/perform without adequate nutrients, fluids or energy. 

Athletes are naturally disciplined, focused, competitive and hard working individuals. Whereas a healthy lifestyle change in the diet can be safe enough to change body composition without compromising energy/performance, athletes often seek the most extreme and significant change possible for the quickest and easiest result. 

Third, every athlete should include a sport RD on his/her athlete-in-training team. Just like you would consider hiring a coach, personal trainer, physical therapist or sport psychologist to help you take fitness to the next level OR to stay consistent and healthy as an athlete, you should find great relief that there is a professional (aka sport dietitian) who can help you understand how to fuel your body in motion so that you do not have to feel anxiety, concern or overwhelmed with all the information that is out there on sport nutrition and healthy eating. 

If you have concerns with your body image, eating or performance as it relates to your weight, seek help now. 

The ultimate goal for any athlete who works with a professional is to optimize health and performance so you can do amazing things with your amazing body in motion. 

Trust your sport RD

When I was finishing graduate school at FAU to earn my Master of Science degree in Exercise Physiology in December 2005, I found myself obsessed with sport nutrition. I was reading every book, research article and magazine I could access in the Exercise Science department. When I heard Krebs cycle, I got excited and when we discussed metabolism of carbohydrates or anerobic training, I could not get enough of the topics. 

I became an endurance athlete in graduate school despite having very little time to train for anything. But after 4-years of collegiate swimming, something was missing from my student-athlete lifestyle and running and triathlons was my missing link. 

In January 2005, I crossed my first marathon finish line and qualified for the Boston Marathon which I ran in April of 2006, 1 month before my first half Ironman and 7 months before my first Ironman.

Yep, I got the endurance bug and it bit me hard. My boyfriend (at the time), Karel was along for the long ride after we met in May 2006. 

The more I learned about sport nutrition, the more I found myself feeling more confident with my training which was good because I found myself wanting to get faster in the Ironman distance. And without a doubt, no matter the training plan, you can't expect your body to train and race for 140.6 miles without fueling it properly and keeping it in good health.

 When I trained for my first marathon, I didn't know a lot about sport nutrition and found myself bonking quite often as I progressed to longer distances with my running. I found myself struggling to recover after workouts but dismissed that as part of the normal fatigue of marathon training. And on race day, I didn't have a well-practiced pre race meal because it was my first go-around at running 26.2 miles so a Clif Bar, Gatorade and a bagel fueled my first marathon which ended up being a pretty good run by Boston Marathon qualifying with a time of 3:38. 

After qualifying for the 2007 Ironman World Championship after my first Ironman in November 2006 by winning the 18-24 age group in 11 hours and 47 seconds, I decided that I needed to fill in some nutrition gaps with my ongoing sport nutrition knowledge, so my next venture was to earn my RD credential. 

However, I never wanted to step away from the sport nutrition field for not only was it something that I was heavily passionate about but it was also an area that I could relate to with my active lifestyle and endurance athlete background. 

Because I specialize in endurance sports, specifically triathlons and running (and single-sport cycling and swimming thrown in there too), I work with athletes who are very performance focused (regardless of fitness level) and desire a better understanding of nutrient timing, how much to eat around workouts and what sport nutrition products/fuels will be most appropriate during workouts.

But much of my work (which I enjoy very much) is dedicated toward athletes who feel limited by their restrictive or unhealthy eating regime and unhealthy relationship with the body. 

Thankfully, almost all of the athletes who reach out to me desire an improvement in performance and thus are motivated to make tweaks in the diet/fueling regime.

Each athlete has his/her own journey and that's what I love about being a sport RD. 

As a female athlete, I can identify with many of the concerns, struggles and issues that female athletes talk about on forums, social media, in the locker room or with training buddies.  

But as a health professional and endurance athlete, I strive to demonstrate my healthy relationship with food and the body and pass it along to others. I enjoy helping athletic women and men reach body composition and/or performance goals BUT without compromising overall health. 

When I titled myself as a sport-focused RD, I knew changing body image/composition was part of the "performance" package. 

But I find it extremely important that my method of helping athletes take their fitness to the next level never goes against my philosophy of making sure athletes create and maintain a healthy relationship with food and the body. 

And certainly the methods of changing body composition or boosting fitness should not be counterproductive to an athlete's initial goal of getting faster, stronger or fitter. 

There are several sport RD's out there who specialize in your sport of choice. There are also RD's who work with athletes with eating disorders.
Find the right one for you based on his/her personal philosophy and referrals from other athletes.
Take advantage of their knowledge so you can move closer to your goals and reach your full potential as an athlete without compromising your overall health. 

Do you need help with your unhealthy relationship with food/body? NEDA week

-Slow heart rate
-Low blood pressure
-Risk for heart failure
-Reduced bone density (osteopenia, osteoporosis, stress fractures)
-Muscle loss and weakness
-Severe dehydration
-Kidney failure
-Fainting
-Low blood sugar
-Weakness/fatigue
-Dry skin
-Hair loss
-Obsessed with "good" vs "bad" food
-Feelings of guilt around food
-Fear of certain food
-Extreme control of food
-Intense fear of body composition
-Distorted self-image
-Excessive exercise
-Calorie/macronutrient obsessing
-Lack of emotion/mood
-Isolation/social withdrawal
-Fear of eating around others or in public
-Preoccupation with food
-Difficulty sleeping
-Amenorrhea or menstrual irregularities
-Constipation

-Abdominal pain
-Headaches
-Frequently being cold
-Restricted dieting
-Feeling extremely upset when others don't understand your eating style
-Extreme eating styles - fasting, juicing, cleansing, detoxing
-Not eating enough or adequately around/during training sessions
-Feeling guilty about missed workouts and eating

Do not let your unhealthy relationship with food or your body affect your health, how you treat your body, quality of life or relationship with others. 

This week you have the opportunity to educate yourself through various national organizations who are raising awareness of eating disorders and a disordered style of eating during National Eating Disorder Week.

Every day you have choices you can make with your body.  

You can love yourself or you can beat yourself up. 

You can use your body or you can bash your body. 

You can accept who you are or hate who you are not.
You can eat for you or you can eat according to the masses. 

If you are struggling to have a healthy relationship with food and the body, remember the following:
-You are not bad
-You are not ugly
-You are not stupid
-You are not a failure
-You are not uesless
-You are not a nobody

-You are amazing, beautiful, one of a kind, talented, caring, loved, alive, special, hard working, motivating, inspirational. 

10 steps to a positive body image:

1. Appreciate all that your body can do.  Every day your body carries you closer to your dreams.  Celebrate all of the amazing things your body does for you—running, dancing, breathing, laughing, dreaming, etc.
2. Keep a top-ten list of things you like about yourself—things that aren’t related to how much you weigh or what you look like.  Read your list often.  Add to it as you become aware of more things to like about yourself.
3. Remind yourself that “true beauty” is not simply skin deep.  When you feel good about yourself and who you are, you carry yourself with a sense of confidence, self-acceptance, and openness that makes you beautiful regardless of whether you physically look like a supermodel.  Beauty is a state of mind, not a state of your body.
4. Look at yourself as a whole person.  When you see yourself in a mirror or in your mind, choose not to focus on specific body parts.  See yourself as you want others to see you–as a whole person.
5. Surround yourself with positive people.  It is easier to feel good about yourself and your body when you are around others who are supportive and who recognize the importance of liking yourself just as you naturally are.
6. Shut down those voices in your head that tell you your body is not “right” or that you are a “bad” person.  You can overpower those negative thoughts with positive ones.  The next time you start to tear yourself down, build yourself back up with a few quick affirmations that work for you. 
7. Wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you feel good about your body.  Work with your body, not against it.
8. Become a critical viewer of social and media messages.  Pay attention to images, slogans, or attitudes that make you feel bad about yourself or your body.  Protest these messages:  write a letter to the advertiser or talk back to the image or message
9. Do something nice for yourself--something that lets your body know you appreciate it.  Take a bubble bath, make time for a nap, find a peaceful place outside to relax.
10. Use the time and energy that you might have spent worrying about food, calories, and your weight to do something to help others.  Sometimes reaching out to other people can help you feel better about yourself and can make a positive change in our world.

A few of my favorite articles on learning how to have a healthy relationship with food and your body:

Looking good girl interview

Athlete's body

Dear body

Build a better body image

Perform beautifully

Develop a healthy relationship with food

If you live near/around/in Jacksonville and need help working with a team of RDs who specialize in eating disorders, contact my friends at Preferred Nutrition.

NEDA Facebook page
Get help HERE

You are not alone.
Get the help you need from a dietitian who specializes in eating disorders now so you can start living the life you have always wanted to live.