If you are someone who’s never experienced any form of disordered eating, then hunger is most likely a very normal part of your day… something you don’t give a second thought to. You feel hunger pangs, so you eat food until the feeling subsides. But for those who are combatting restrictive forms of eating disorders, hunger is the enemy. Many of us have tried everything under the sun to allude it, but hunger can only be defeated with one thing: food.
Read MoreRoughly 65 percent of dieters regain 100% of their lost weight within three years, according to Gary Foster, Ph.D. (clinical director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at the University of Pennsylvania). Diets aren’t new, of course, and they’ll likely never go away. There’s plenty to choose from, too: the Atkins Diet, the Paleo Diet, the Zone Diet, the Keto Diet, Weight Watchers, South Beach, the list goes on and on. The differences between these diet types are immeasurable, but they all have one thing in common: they require the dieter to put their own intuition in the back seat. If following one of these diets correctly, you must let go of your hunger cues and stop listening to what your body is trying to tell you. Instead, you’re obligated to stick to the strict set of rules that probably promise to “not be strict”. That doesn’t sound very instinctive, does it?
Read MoreFor the first few months of not having my period, I kind of loved it. At age 17, I wasn’t concerned with the long term implications of losing my menstrual cycle and the negative effects it could have on my health. At the time, I welcomed the break from severe cramps 7 days a month, uncomfortable bloating, and carrying around wads of tampons in my purse. It wasn’t until I began seeing a doctor for my anorexia (more on this here) that I realized this was actually a pretty serious issue. Before I dive into how I regained my period, let’s talk more about what Hypothalamic Amenorrhea is, why it occurs, and when to be concerned.
Read MoreMaking the decision to seek help for your eating disorder can feel like the most confusing, frustrating, and isolating thing in the world. When chronic dieting and the pressures to constantly change ourselves is the cultural norm, it can be difficult to decipher if what you’re struggling with is a true, diagnosable eating disorder or some other underlying issue. Regardless of whether your eating patterns are diagnosable as an eating disorder or not, an unhealthy relationship with food is never good. If you find yourself restricting your intake, constantly thinking about food, and feel like the number on the scale or the calorie count on the package controls your life, it’s time to make a change. An unhealthy relationship with food, even without the “official” label of an eating disorder, should be addressed and healed (ideally with the support of a professional). If interested, you can use the National Eating Disorder Associations screening tool by clicking here.
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