"I Shouldn't, I've been so bad..."

"I have been SO bad today!" "I ate soo much yesterday, I cannot possibly eat today." "After that breakfast, I'm good until dinner!" How many times have you heard these kinds of comments, or made them yourself?? These are comments that we probably have all made at some point, and have also probably heard someone else make. So what's the problem with this kind of thinking about food?? Well, aside from being a form of 'fat-talk', this kind of thinking is very black-and-white, which is not usually an effective way to think about things. We see each decision or action as a total success or a total failure, which is rarely ever the case.

But even more than that, this kind of thinking about food fuels a diet mentality. I am not a nutritionist, and my training is not in nutrition, so I try to steer clear of getting into specifics about food! However, because I do work with clients who have eating disorders, I work with nutritionists (as we share clients) who educate me, in addition to any reading I might do! Anyways, Anna Lutz, a nutritionist that I have shared many clients with (who is currently on maternity leave- congrats Anna!) has had some helpful things to say on this very topic. First, our bodies do not take days into consideration. The patterns and behaviors that we establish with food over time are what matter to our bodies! In this vein, if we feel we have overeaten one day or are uncomfortable with a meal that we had last night or last week, our bodies do not react directly to that one event. One example of this is the way in which our bodies do not make drastic changes in 24 hours, even if we ate an extra serving or two of dessert the night before! Our bodies just don't work like this, even if we feel like they do! If we are consistently overeating or bingeing, then we are likely to notice a change in our bodies- and that is because we are establishing a pattern, and patterns are what our bodies respond to.

Our bodies will naturally gravitate towards our healthy weight (set point) when we are listening to them, by eating when we are hungry, and stopping when we are full. If we have a mentality towards food in which we have to 'make up for yesterday', it perpetuates an unhealthy cycle or pattern (binge/restrict) which does not move us in the direction of normal/healthy eating. This cycle also interferes with our bodies being able to find our set point! So next time you are tempted to cut out a meal one day or restrict calories because of what you ate the previous day, consider that your body reacts to patterns over time, and perhaps focus on trying to eat 'normally' by responding to hunger, stopping when you are full and choosing foods that you feel will satisfy you. For more information on eating 'normally', follow this link to read about The Rules of Normal Eating by Karen Koenig. This is a great book that I'd encourage you all to check out!

A few days ago, I read this article on the Huffington Post by Kimberly Dennis, MD, entitled Eating Disorders: Be the First Line of Defense. I wanted to re-post it here because it includes a lot of educational and statistical information that serves to re-iterate what eating disorders are. It also helps to dispel myths about eating disorders. It seems to me that the goal of this article is to provide a little bit of education to readers to help us become more aware, and possibly apprehend when a friend, loved one, or acquaintance may be exhibiting concerning behaviors related to food. This article is certainly not exhaustive, but I think it provides some basic info that everyone should know! I have copied and pasted the article below.

Eating Disorders: Be The First Line Of Defense

While the majority of us may not work in the emergency room, or even work in the healthcare industry, we can still save lives.

In the United States, as many as 10 million women and one million men are fighting a life-and-death battle with anorexia or bulimia, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. More often than not, dentists can provide the gateway to critical medical treatment for these individuals.

By becoming aware of certain signs and symptoms, you can uncover illness that may otherwise go unnoticed - and untreated. With the right knowledge, you can save a life.

A deadly disease spreads - faster

Eating disorders are potentially deadly, biologically-based psychiatric illnesses. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness, nearly 12 times greater than any other cause of death among women between the ages of 15 and 24.

What's more, eating disorders among young women are increasing at an alarming rate. Nationally, the incidence of bulimia in women ages 10 to 39 tripled between 1988 and 1993, and continues to grow.

Anorexia typically begins at the start of puberty and is more common among adolescent girls and young adult women. It affects one to two percent of the female population, and 0.1 to 0.2 percent of men. Because more than 90 percent of all those who are affected are adolescents and young women, the disorder has been characterized as primarily a young woman's illness. But it should also be noted that males and children as young as seven years old have been diagnosed with this illness, as well as middle-aged and elderly women.

Patients are diagnosed with anorexia when their body weight falls to 85 percent or less of their normal, healthy weight. Typically, these patients have an obsessive preoccupation with body weight and calories, as well as an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. Their body image is grossly distorted, resulting in an unwarranted psychological impact on how they see and value themselves.

There are two types of anorexia nervosa: the restrictive eating type and the binge-eating/purging type. Binge eaters rapidly consume a large amount of high-calorie food in a very short time - perhaps 1,500 to 3,000 calories or more. Those who purge may do so with self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas. Approximately 70 to 80 percent of people with bulimia purge by means of self-induced vomiting, while 30 percent use laxatives. Some who purge, however, do so without actually binge-eating first.

Recognizing the danger signs

The physical complications associated with anorexia are potentially life-threatening, since dehydration and malnutrition can damage vital organs. This can result in:

- low blood pressure

- electrolyte imbalance

- cardiac arrhythmias

- thyroid gland deficiencies, which can lead to cold intolerance and constipation

- appearance of fine, baby-like body hair

- bloating or edema

- decrease in white blood cells, leading to increased susceptibility to infection

- osteoporosis

- seizures related to fluid shifts due to excessive diarrhea or vomiting

- kidney damage or failure from chronic use of diuretics

Signs of an eating disorder are:

• Exhibits concern about her weight and attempts to control weight by diet, refusal of food, vomiting or laxative abuse.

• Prolonged exercising despite fatigue and weakness.

• Peculiar patterns regarding handling food.

• Exhibits abnormally fast weight loss, without any other known medical condition.

• Experiences depressive moods and self-deprecating behavior.

If you recognize these signs, fight the urge to remain silent. Remember, denial is a big part of eating disorders - another reason they can become fatal and a major obstacle to recovery. Act in a caring and non-judgmental way, simply stating what you see, and asking how you can help.

Also, you can go to the Web site of the National Eating Disorders Association (www.myneda.org) or call Timberline Knolls at 877-257-9611, and we would be happy to help find a professional in your area. That referral just might save a life.

Kimberly Dennis, M.D., is the medical director at Timberline Knolls (www.timberlineknolls.com). Located in Lemont, Ill., this innovative residential treatment center is designed exclusively for women with emotional disorders, including eating disorders, addiction and self-injury behavior. Dr. Dennis is a member of the American Medical Association, the Academy of Eating Disorders, the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry and the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Bruised Body Image??

I came across this picture today and wanted to share it- although unfortunately, I'm having trouble formatting the image so that you can see the entire quote (by Marcia Hutchinson)! Until I can fix it, it says "If you talked to your friends the way you talk to your body, you'd have no friends left." I think it speaks for itself, and I think it speaks volumes. If this quote impacts you, I would encourage you to consider how you might start thinking about your body in a way that might be more kind! Margarita Tartakovsky writes a blog on body image and eating disorders, and she wrote a great post on 'bruised' body image that I want to share with you. While I have posted the majority of it below, I would encourage you to check it out in full here. Not only does she help you to identify if you may be struggling with 'bruised' (or poor) body image, but she also provides some helpful tips for thinking more positively about your body.

Here’s a list of indicators that your image may be suffering more than usual (and ways to fix it below that):

1. You notice only negative things in the mirror, car windows, storefront windows, etc. Instead of seeing your positive physical traits, you’re more likely to be found bashing your body, and nitpicking at every nook and cranny.
2. You have a tough time taking compliments. It isn’t that you’re too polite to take a compliment; it’s that you truly believe you don’t deserve them.
3. You rarely think you look good. Even wearing a favorite outfit doesn’t help you to feel good in your skin. You rarely feel beautiful or even pretty.
4. You compare yourself to everyone. For many of us, comparisons are as natural as breathing. But, while you’re comparing your appearance to everyone else’s, you rarely have anything good to say about yourself. It’s always, “her thighs are so much slimmer than mine.” “Her waist is much smaller.” “I wish I had her body.”
5. It takes you forever to pick out an outfit — more often than not. Do you have a moment — more like many moments — where you’ve been cooped up in your room, trying on tons of clothes? You can’t see your floor, partially because it’s overflowing with clothing and mainly because your face is filled with tears. There’s nothing wrong with your clothes–it’s just that everything is wrong with your body.
6. You skip events because you don’t think you look good enough. How often have you declined an invite to a dinner date, party or other engagement because you felt too fat to leave the house?
7. You criticize your body regularly. “My stomach is gross.” “My thighs are enormous!” Do these phrases resemble your daily mantras?

And the following is a list of some pointers that she gives:

1. Think of the awesome things you can do thanks to your body,whether it’s lifting weights, walking several miles, playing with your child, playing an instrument, riding a bike, helping mom carry groceries, dancing with your significant other, achieving a tough yoga pose or simply wrapping your arms around a loved one.

2. What do you like about yourself, beyond your body? Create a list of your positive qualities and achievements, and if you need extra reminding, put the list on a note card and stash it in your purse.

3. Hang out with positive people, who appreciate and support you, who see beyond appearances to who you really are.

4. View exercise as fulfilling, not punishing. Instead of working out to eliminate calories or fit into some bikini (all things that, unfortunately, many magazines and some so-called experts recommend), choose ways to stay active that you enjoy and that make you feel strong and good about your body. There are tons of options for leading an active lifestyle: walking, hiking, biking, workout DVDs, gym membership, yoga, Pilates, dancing, tennis. There’s nothing wrong with you if you don’t like the latest workout craze. Pick something that resonates with you.

5. Worrying about your weight and body is exhausting and strips you of valuable time. Consider all the good things you miss out on because you’re too busy criticizing yourself. You overlook other opportunities, whether it’s the opportunity to self-reflect (instead of nit-picking at your thighs or waist, focus on being kinder to yourself and others), spend time with loved ones or read a good book.

Happy Monday to everyone and hope you all have a great week!! Think good thoughts about your body and what it can do for you. Be kind to yourselves!

The Taco Bell Diet and Facebook

Maybe I am the only one who is a little skeptical about this (I doubt it), but ... is theTaco Bell Drive Thru Diet for real? I was eavesdropping in public the other day (haha) and I heard someone talking about it. I remembered seeing a few commercials advertising it back in January, but I tried to forget about it because it was so laughable to me. I did just google it though to make sure I wasn't making this up (and I'm not!). But it is very reminiscent of the whole Subway diet craze that was big awhile back when Jared, the Subway guy, lost a bunch of weight after eating all of his meals at Subway. It's always so interesting to see what the latest fad diet is because there is always a new one, and it always promises drastic results, and fast! It seems like we should all know by now that typically anything that requires little effort and big change equals major scam. These fad diets are silly. Why?? Because diets don't work!! Do you think it's a coincidence that there is an asterisk at the bottom of Taco Bell's website that says 'results not typical' ?? I hope you all aren't getting tired of reading about the myths of dieting, but I like to re-post on dieting about once a month, because I feel that strongly about this subject. And I think that the diet mentality is so pervasive in our culture that it is good to be reminded about the false promises that diets offer. Anyways, all that to say, diets do NOT work! Follow this link to read more on why they don't and how the diet mentality can keep us from moving forward.

On a completely unrelated note, I wanted to propose a challenge to any of you reading this who are currently active on facebook or other social networking sites. One thing I have been noticing, especially since the beginning of the New Year, is that there have been a lot of statuses/updates involving fat talk, calorie counts, reports on workouts and how many calories you burned yesterday or want to burn tomorrow, dieting reports, what you shouldn't have eaten or what you wish you could eat, etc. Please know that I am not judging and my heart about this is not one of judgment. Really! But I started thinking that maybe by decreasing some of this, we can help ourselves and each other focus on things that are more productive and that deserve our time and attention more than these things do. It is good to be healthy!!, but our health is more of a personal thing that does not necessarily need to be shared with all of our facebook friends. And some of our thoughts about food, exercise, etc, may not be healthy; our choices about food and exercise are personal ones, and by sharing calories, diet reports, etc, you may be triggering other people to think unhealthily about themselves.

One of my all time favorite quotes is something that Cynthia Bulik said in reference to the time we give to thinking about food, weight, dieting, calories, etc. She said, "Imagine what women could accomplish if they spent that time and energy on things other than body issues." When put like that, it is so encouraging to think about all of the things that we can do instead and the difference that we can make not just in our own lives but in the lives of others!! So if there is one thing you can do today, just think twice before you post a status on facebook or before you tweet about your bad body image, or how tight your jeans are, or how many calories you burned at the gym, or how you ate too much tonight, etc. I would imagine that if we all try this, we might be surprised at the positive effect it could have on how we feel about ourselves and others!

Mixed Messages and Making Moves..

This morning, I read a really thought provoking blog entry on True/Slant (which is a blogazine--kind of like a magazine, but a blog... umm, i might have made up that word!!). The author, Katie Drummond, was discussing Katherine McPhee's recent bikini cover on Shape magazine. McPhee, who gained fame after appearing on American Idol, has publicly discussed her past struggles with bulimia, and her experience of being admitted to treatment for three months prior to going on the show in order to focus on getting healthy. Ms. Drummond takes aim at Shape Magazine for putting a recovered eating disorder patient clad in a bikini (and airbrushed!) on its cover, as well as at McPhee for posing in a bikini and perpetuating unrealistic images of beauty after struggling herself with feeling pressure as a result of viewing similar unrealistic images in the media. Ms. Drummond's article is entitled A Lesson in Health Hypocrisy and she explores the hypocrisy that exists in this scenario. Her blog entry is a little angsty, but I appreciate the passion with which she writes because I think that by posing in a bikini for a magazine which happens to advertise 'drop a pound by Friday' on its cover, McPhee- and Shape- are sending some pretty mixed messages.

I wonder if McPhee, or Shape, or the media in general realize the impact that they are having on women by sending such mixed messages. I am not pointing the finger at McPhee (well, maybe I am a little), but she says in the article that doing six different 'moves' changed her body. This sets an alarm off to me. It's not that exercising is wrong, or trying to be healthy or fit is wrong, but it concerns me that her happiness and acceptance of her body are a result of the changes she has made to her body. It just sends the wrong message to women about where our happiness comes from. Again, the point is not to bash McPhee. I just think it is important to raise awareness and discuss some of these things that we become numb to, because whether we know it or not, these images impact us! While there is not one single cause of eating disorders, and while seeing unrealistic images of women's bodies do not cause eating disorders, these images can be a precipitating factor, when combined with a genetic predisposition and certain environmental factors.

A month from now, NEDA (the National Eating Disorder Association) is sponsoring National Eating Disorders Awareness Week--- February 21-27. I will be posting more information as this week draws nearer, but I wanted to mention it in light of what I read this morning on True/Slant. Rather than just venting about the media and that magazine cover, or discussing how things could or should be different, it is helpful to think forwardly and focus on what we can do to make some changes! One simple thing that I have mentioned before is using GoodSearch! This is a search engine, just like google, that donates money to nonprofits of your choice before you perform each search. You can donate to eating disorder nonprofits, as well as a bunch of other great organizations. Follow this link to find out more. The second thing that I wanted to mention is something that I read on NEDA's website the other day. Marilyn Wann, author of Fat? So!, developed an art activity for people to participate in that deals with transforming the numbers on scales to adjectives! Confused? The Boulder Youth Body Alliance (BYBA), a nonprofit that seeks to encourage teens to change the world, rather than their bodies, has encouraged teens to participate in this activity by turning scales into art. I love this idea and think it must be really empowering for women of all ages to take part in something like this! Follow this link to view pictures/examples of scales as art, and to read more about what BYBA is doing!