Using it was a morning ritual: wake up, use the restroom, remove my clothing to be as light as possible, step on the scale, and anxiously wait for a number to appear. I did this without fail, every day. Since I found my self worth in how much I weighed, I panicked when I was traveling and didn’t have access to my scale. This habit extended far past my weight restoration and “recovery” from anorexia. Although my relationship with food and my body was, by comparison, much healthier at this point, it was nowhere near where it should have been. I still relied on numbers to dictate how much I could eat and how far I needed to run. Doesn’t sound quite “recovered”, does it?
Read MoreIf 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 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.
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I’m a 27 year old Registered Dietitian located in Orlando, Florida and currently run my nutrition therapy private practice all by myself (sounds scary when I put it like that). Since graduating from the University of Cincinnati in 2016, I’ve worked in community and clinical nutrition (with experience ranging from intensive cardiac care to outpatient pediatric counseling, and many others in between). I’ve since narrowed my practice in on my true passion: nutrition therapy for those recovering from disordered eating and other psychological disturbances surrounding food and nutrition. My practice recognizes that one does not have to be diagnosed with a full blown eating disorder to have a struggled relationship with food and health (considering 80% of women have attempted to diet before the age of 10 and over 75% of 17 year old girls admit to having body image issues). My hope, through my work, is to make even just a small dent in those numbers.
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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