Don’t think about purple elephants.  Betcha just did. You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s a good reminder that when we tell ourselves not to think about something it only causes us to think about it more. And guess what?  This happens with food too.  Tell yourself you can’t have bananas and chances are you’re […]

It’s nearly impossible to understand eating disorders without talking about the backdrop in which they occur.  I’m referring to WEIGHT STIGMA and the fat phobic culture we live in. Sometimes also referred to as “weight bias,” it is the prejudice and stereotypes that we have against people in larger bodies. From a young age, we […]

If I had a dollar for every time someone came to me with a “weight problem” or an “emotional eating problem” or a “food addiction problem,” I’d own my own private island by now (j/k…)  You get what I’m saying though, that people frequently blame food and weight as their “problem” to be solved. But […]

Eating disorders professionals are frequently using a philosophy called “Health At Every Size” (HAES) to help people recover.  It is based on the idea that we can help people be healthier – physically, mentally, socially – if we take the focus off weight and instead focus on compassionate self-care and respect for body diversity in […]

Eating can either be an act of love and respect for your body… …OR it can be a way to deprive and/or harm yourself. You get to choose. Eating as an act of love and respect: Eating when you are hungry (ideally before you reach the point of ravenous hunger) Eating to nourish your body […]

No one has ever tried more diligently to solve a problem than the chronic dieter… …The way you’ve been told to deal with your problem – through control – puts you face-to-face with an impossible dilemma.  You have been told not to do exactly what you need to do.  — Jane Hirschmann and Carol Munter, […]