New Year. Stay You.

It's that time of year again: New Year's resolutions. Everyone can probably list a few things they'd like to do differently in 2010. (After all, looking back on a year's worth of life tends to have that effect on people.)

But what if this year's resolutions aren't about changing yourself, but staying yourself?

We all have things that make us, well, us -- things we wouldn't change for all the New-Year's-resolution power in the world. What are yours? Share them below.

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BTW: EDCT is gearing up for Awareness Week 2010!

Holiday Recovery Procrastination

Here we are at the end of another year. I am hearing the beginnings of "Holiday Recovery Procrastination"(HRP). Comments like, "I will stop restricting my food just as soon as all of the holiday food temptations are gone" are common place in my office these days. Or, "I can't deal with my binge eating problem with all of the stress of the Christmas Season; I will wait until the New Year". For those who don't have an "official" eating disorder, you may be hearing yourself say "I am going to go on a diet and start exercising as New Years' resolutions". It is time to challenge these destructive dialogues. HRP is just another version of the all or nothing, black and white thinking patterns that are enemies of eating disorder recovery efforts. Time to change the conversation!
Let's explore some strategies to help with HRP. You will find suggestions listed below according to common challenges that occur when dealing with dieting and disordered eating at this time of the year.
Desire to restrict or diet:

• Give yourself permission to choose, eat and enjoy at least one food per week that you have previously labeled as "forbidden".
• Remind yourself that dietary restraint will only lead to binging.
• Love and accept the body/body type that is natural for you and only you!
• Challenge diet mentality thoughts that would invoke feelings of guilt regarding consuming eating certain foods. Remember that food/eating is not a moral or ethical issue.
• Consider quality of life issues such as sharing food with those you love and enjoying holiday traditions that involve food as valued commodities.
• Remind yourself that delaying the confrontation of food fears will only give those fears more power over your life.
• Become aware of triggers that might spur the desire to skip meals or restrict your food intake.
• Plan alternative reactions to dietary restraint desires. This might include creative outlets, journaling, or reaching out for support.

Binge/Compulsive Eating Concerns:

• Give yourself unconditional permission to eat and enjoy food, including holiday foods that are rarely available.
• Don't sneak eat. If there is a food you are craving, eat that food it in a public/social setting where there is less likelihood of binge eating.
• Recognize and deal with emotions that trigger binge/compulsive eating. Plan for healthy outlets to emotional eating (moderate exercise, creative endeavors, or journaling).
• Do not set up bear traps for yourself. Guard the food environment that is within your own control. Eat slowly and with focus.
• Experiment with listening to your body's own cues in regards to hunger, satisfied and control.

Most importantly ... remember that a lapse NEVER means collapse. If you eat compulsively, skip a meal or start obsessing about dieting ... confront that thought or behavior without buying into guilt. Give yourself some grace and regroup.

May you all fully embrace the joys of this season. May you find the strength to cope with the sorrows of this season. May you all have a blessed New Year full of hope and recovery.

It is Just Food ... or is it Just Food?

Ah, The Holidays! Most people with a normalized relationship to food and eating look forward to the holidays, including the feasting that accompanies these celebrations. However, if you are struggling with food/eating/weight issues you may be petrified at the very thought of facing a holiday party or sitting down with family to share a meal. In one sense ( when you can hear your truth channel) you understand that it is just food. There is no reason to fear food and eating, right? It is not a deadly poison or a sinister enemy. If you are reading this particular blog you probably understand that the fear can be so strong that it is almost debilitating. In a way, it is not just food. It is facing the challenge of being surrounded by sumptuous food that you would love to eat; yet you are anxious that if you start eating you may not be able to stop. It is being deathly afraid to taste Grandma's sweet potato casserole which you dearly love because you are convinced that you will gain 50 pounds from such an indulgence. Or, your concern might be over seeing relatives that you haven't seen in ages because you are certain that they will make comments about your weight and body. Here are some suggestions to help you through these times:

• Remember that food and feasting are a part of all celebrations, in every culture.
• Although food will be part of the holiday experiences, try to not make your celebrations all about the food.
• Have a plan of action for challenging situations. For example, rehearse how you might respond if someone comments about your food, eating or weight.
• Designate a "support partner" that you can contact should stressful situations arise.
• Focus on enjoying the foods you only get to eat once or twice a year. Think about pleasant memories involved with sharing these foods with those we love.
• Strive to keep a normal schedule of eating, sleeping and moderate activity to give some stability during potentially chaotic times.
• Focus on all that you do enjoy about the holidays. The music, time with friends and family, the special aroma and decorations!
• Remember, it is for a season. This time period will not last forever, even if it might seem that way at times!
• Listen for and confront eating disorder chatter by turning up "the truth channel". Don't give in to ED!

Remember ... the most important conversation you can change is the one you have with yourself!

Will-Power Number Nine

To continue our series on the 10 will-powers, here is will-power number nine:

"I WILL surround myself with people and things that make me feel good about myself and my abilities. When I am around people and things that support me and make me feel good, I will be less likely to base my self-esteem on the way my body looks."

Who are the people and things that support you and make you feel good?


EDCT thanks NEDA for contributing to this post.

More on "Will-Powers"

Last week, we began a series on "will-powers."

Here is "will-power" number seven: I WILL think of three reasons why it is ridiculous for me to believe that thinner people are happier or "better." I WILL repeat these reasons to myself whenever I feel the urge to compare my body shape with someone.

What are your reasons? Share below!

(P.S. In case you missed the explanation last week: More than 20 years ago, researchers Michael Levine, PhD, and Linda Smolak, PhD, developed a list of "10 'Will-Powers' for Improving Body Image." Check out the whole list.)

EDCT thanks NEDA for contributing to this post.

What are your "Will-Powers?"

More than 20 years ago, researchers Michael Levine, PhD, and Linda Smolak, PhD, developed a list of "10 'Will-Powers' for Improving Body Image." Their list continues to be relevant today.

Here is "will-power" number seven:
I WILL list five to 10 good qualities that I have, such as understanding, intelligence or creativity.
I WILL repeat them to myself whenever I start to feel bad about my body.

What words would make your "will-power" list? Please share below!

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EDCT thanks NEDA for contributing to this post.

Fat? Who Says?

Has someone told you that you are overweight, obese or fat? Who was that person, how did they arrive at that conclusion, and what was their purpose in making that statement to you?

I recently has a 14 year old girl come in for a session in tears because her pediatrician told her she was "overweight". The doc actually wrote the declaration out on a prescription pad! She is a fit, athletic girl in the midst of puberty who is clearly anything BUT fat. I sat there wondering why in the world someone who is suppose to be an expert in dealing with children and adolescents would make such a statement. He had not asked her about her exercise level or nutrition. The physician had used the (in my opinion) useless Body Mass Index (BMI). There has been several studies within the past year that have questioned the use of BMI as a determinant of "fatness". In March 2009 a study was published in Medicine and Science in Sports Medicine that indicated that use of BMI measurement as an indicator of fatness in athletes gave no credit for muscle mass. Many top athletes would be categorized as overweight or obese with this measurement. Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo has a BMI of 28.8. That places him in the "nearly obese" category. Another study completed at the Baylor College of Medicine in April of this year demonstrated the weaknesses of the BMI when used to evaluate fatness in Asians, Hispanics and African Americans.
I am of the belief that talking about fatness is useless. If someone is genuinely obese, giving them a BMI report is about as helpful as telling them that their hair color is brown. They have that knowledge. We need to talk about health habits, behaviors and attitudes. For someone that is at a time in their life that telling them they are fat could trigger disordered eating behavior, that fat talk is dangerous in addition to being useless. Labeling people according to body weight or size is not health promoting.
Let's change our conversation!

When Did "Plus" Become "Less"?

As we approach the annual EDCT "Fashion for EveryBODY" celebration, I have been pondering how our societal views size. (http://www.fashionforeverybody.org/) There have been several incidences in the news lately where "plus- size" models were the topic of conversation. Surprisingly, the context of the conversations were positive! When Lizzie Miller graced the pages of Glamour recently a tidal wave of grateful responses flooded into the magazine applauding the photo of this plus-size model. Women were grateful to see someone who looked real, had curves and appeared to be genuinely happy in her skin. So ... why do the words plus-size wreak havoc in the minds of my clients struggling with eating disorders and disordered eating. When did plus become less. Less acceptable? Less beautiful? Less desirable?

In an interview on "Good Morning America" this past week a 23 year old model told her story of recovering from an eating disorder to becoming the highest-paid plus-size model in America. Her name is Crystal Renn and her new book is "Hungry: A Young Model's Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves". When she was a 14 year old small town girl in Mississippi she was approached by a scout for a New York modeling agency. She was 5'9", athletic and fit. He promised her he could make her a top run-way model and she would have all the fame and fortune she could handle. The catch was that she would need to lose about 9 inches from her hips! Crystal embarked upon this endeavor with great enthusiasm, lost over 70 pounds and arrived at the magical size of 00 along with the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa. She did have a few modeling gigs. Thankfully,0 she woke up one day and said "enough". She quit abusing exercise, started eating and weight restoring. She appreciated the return of her curves, her energy and her personality. At size 12 she has achieved far more in her modeling career than when she was starving. In her words "And I did it all at the weight my body wanted to be." Plus-size has meant more of everything for Crystal not less. More work, more fame, more LIFE!

Conversations About Weight

Consider the conversations you have heard regarding weight, fatness or thinness during the last week? What have you read about these issues lately? Here is a sampling from my archive:

• A client of mine who is a handsome, bright, and kind college male told me that he fears becoming fat because he believes no one will like him. (I reminded him that Santa is quite popular.)
• Ashton Kutcher was quoted as saying"If the fat people gave the skinny people more food we could just eat ... we could solve obesity and hunger at the same time". Brilliant!?! God help Demi Moore if she ever gains weight!
• I read a quote from Susan Wooley, PhD, Past President, American Academy for Eating Disorders stating "If shame could cure obesity there wouldn't be a fat women in the world" How true. I thought of my client who has dieted to a weight of over 300 pounds. She cried tears of shame as she recounted her past diet failures. I assured her that it is the diet industry that should be ashamed.
• Several sources report that young girls in our country are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer or losing their parents
• Many magazines have taken polls that show most women would rather lose IQ points or one of their limbs than become fat.

Let's be a part of changing these conversations.

On the other hand ... what positive conversations, articles, quotes, etc. have you been privy to lately. Please share! We can encourage each other!

Fighting Obesity without Causing Eating Disorders

There was a great letter to the editor published in the Tennessean recently. Pat Ballard quoted from many of the recent articles warning of the obesity epidemic American children are facing. She mentioned that several articles identified listing calorie counts on menus as a very proactive effort to shrink the growing waistlines of our children. I appreciated her candor as she went on to describe how exposure to height/weight charts, calorie counting information and diet articles in women's magazines at age 11 began her descent into a 22 year battle with eating disorders. What might have seemed like benign information distribution nearly ended this women's life. How many others have similar stories? Will more conversations about calories, fat grams and BMI measurements enhance the health and well being of our children or ourselves? I feel very certain that we need to change the conversation. Let's talk about the need for kids to limit screen time, move their bodies more and have fewer menus in front of their faces in the first place. None of us need more things to obsess about in relation to food, eating and weight. Calories on menus will not cure obesity and may contribute to disordered eating.
What do you think?

Body Image Idealization

Trying to understand the factors that lead us to idealize a certain body image or weight is complicated. Our environment at home and school, what we watch on TV and the magazines we read can all exert an influence on what images we idealize. If children hear parents berating themselves for having fat thighs or a big belly, they are likely to view their bodies in a critical, demeaning fashion. "Weightism" experienced at school by a child by being teased or ctitized in regards to their body size may plant seeds of body/self-hatred. Research has demonstrated that many girls and women experience lowered self-esteem and a more negative body image after viewing images of artificially thin models/actresses from popular media sources. The pressing question is how DO we become activists and change the harmful conversations that are driving vulnerable people towards destructive diets and disordered eating behaviors? I would propse the first step is that we need to resolve our own percptions that might be conflicted. This thought struck me as I read an article from Advertising Age titled "Researchers Find Thin Models Make Viewers Like Brands More, but Themselves Less". Let's face it ... marketers are not in the business of enhancing the body images of women. They will continue using the models that will sell the most product for the brand that is being promoted. While the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty has already reached millions and has a goal of reaching 5 million girls by 2010, has it really changed what we as a population view as attractive? What do you find attractive when you viewing advertising. More importantly, what has influenced your view.

Perhaps the first conversation we need to change truly is the one we have with ourselves.
Please share your views. We can learn from one another!

The "Perfect" Body!?!

One of the myths in our culture is that you can somehow, someway achieve a "perfect" body. Have you ever stopped long enough to ask yourself what your own definition of body perfection might be? As you try to conjure up an image in your mind, the next question would be ... where did that image come from? Is that image based on truth and reality? Or, the latest commercial for a diet product?
A former client of mine once said "If I can be content with me as I am, I think my body is getting more and more perfect ... perfectly me". I immediately wrote this down and requested permission to quote her. Very profound!
Change the conversation in your head and in our culture. Accept, care for and optimize the body that is your own unique package. That body will be perfectly you!

What is the "Truth Channel?

Welcome to the "introductory" posting of this blog. Those of you who know me understand what I mean when I say "trust the truth channel". For those of you who are wondering what in the world I mean ... here goes!
I have never met anyone who didn't know that they really can't lose 10 pounds in 10 days. Most people know that real women and men don't look like the artificial images that are shoved down our throats every day. Yet, we fall victim to these distorted messages time and time again. We undertake artificial measures (like dieting) to achieve artificial results. Let's encourage each other to trust the truth channel that we all inherently have in our noggin. Let's expose and discuss the harmful misinformation we come across. Share how you have learned to trust the truth and challenge the diet mentality so prevalent in our culture. We are all on this journey together!
Reba Sloan, MPH, LRD, FAED