"Dieting, Eating Disorders and the Battle for YOUR Mind!

Mind control. Yep. That is what happens when you diet or develop an eating disorder (ED). You become convinced that you are "taking control" when in reality your mind is being hijacked. There are rules that bind you. If you happen to even bend one of those rules, guilt and shame envelop you and you sink into the mire of the "all or nothing" thinking. Good. Bad. All or nothing. Your mind is no longer your own. I encourage you to battle for the recovery of your peace of mind, body and soul.

These are just of the few crazy, mind hijacking "rules" that have been promoted in the media over the last few weeks:

• "30 Worst Foods for Your Heart"  - Really? Based on whose research? 

• "Sleep on the Floor While Following the Paleo Diet to Improve Results" Just go live in a cave and go all the way. No telling what will happen!? 

• "New Diet Turned Her into a Whole New Person" I can only imagine. 

• "Foods "Nutritionists" Never Eat!" I'll just say I must not be a "nutritionist". 

• "Foods that Damage Your Metabolism the Moment You Eat Them!" Not the next day. The very moment! Wow! Such fabrication. Pure lies.  

• "6 Foods to Give Up to Get Rid of Your GUT!" Talk about fake news.

I could list more. I know each one of you could list a dozen of your own. Don't be lured by false promises, damaging information and all of the trickery involved in the battle for YOUR mind. Take back control. Be your own coach. Rebel against ED and the diet industry. It is a battle well worth fighting. There is nothing like peace of mind. That is when you are really in control.

Wishing you balance ... which is control in action!
Reba

What to do if Losing Weight is your New Year's Resolution

Choose a new one as quickly as possible! Bet you were not expecting that advise. You are going to be bombarded with crazy quick weight loss solutions in the following days. Each one more magnificent than the other. It is the same old song and dance every year. In fact, that those are great resolutions ... learn a new song and dance more often!😁

Seriously, how many times have you made weight loss your resolution for the new year? Dozens? The 60 billion dollar per year weight loss industry wants you to believe that losing weight will cure all of your ills, eliminate any sadness in your life and perhaps make you a millionaire! Fixating on weight loss is a sure way to make your life miserable and actually, more than likely, cause you to gain weight. 

I encourage you to focus on real quality of life issues. Enjoy the food you eat. Find some movement that makes you happy. Appreciate the body you have and make every effort to nurture your body, mind and soul. Embarking on a new year should fill you with hope, joy, expectation, and some excitement. Not the dread, anguish and suffering that comes from dieting.

Dieting is not a benign activity. Many negative consequences can arise from restricting your dietary intake. The most dangerous being an eating disorder. I want to emphasize that dieting/dietary restriction is often the first domino that falls in the development of all eating disorders. Disorders that kill 20 to 30% pf those afflicted and rob suffers of so very much in life. I know that no one who starts a diet every imagines that they could be one of those whose brains get kidnapped by an eating disorder. Don't gamble with your life. It could be you.

Wishing all of you a year blessed by God and full of LIFE!

Reba

Top 10 Confessions of a Renegade Dietitian

I have been a proud member of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formally The American Dietetic Association) since 1978.  However, I find that I don't think like many of my colleagues.  Yes, I am a renegade in various ways.  I am a true renegade when it comes to the many diets and food related misinformation that permeates our culture dominated by the media.  I am a renegade against the fat/body shaming that is touted by much of the diet and fashion industry.  I cringe at the artificially thin body types promoted by some in the dance, gymnastics and cheer leading world.  Don't get me started about the eating disorder behaviors that are passed off as normal "making weight" requirements for boys and men in the wrestling arena!  I could go on rambling, however, I am going to summarize my thoughts by listing a few of my top 10 "renegade" confessions.

1. I believe calorie counting is a waste of precious time and energy.  A calorie is merely a unit of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.  Unless you want to carry a bomb calorimeter around with you in which to blow your food up prior to eating, you will never know exactly how many calories you are consuming.
2. I predict that requiring the caloric content to be included on menus and menu boards will not enhance the health of our country or contribute to a decrease in obesity.  The accuracy of the caloric content of any given menu item cannot be guaranteed.  Research shows that less than 30% of people actually look at the calorie listing (for some who do it could actually be detrimental - the eating disorder suffers). Cities who have had this requirement enforced for a period of time (e.g. New York) have not been able to document solid beneficial outcomes.
3. Clean eating is a form of elitism and disordered eating, in my opinion.  We have kidneys and a liver for detoxing our body.  Many countries who barely wash their food, don't know what a toxic cleanse is, or have no concept as to what "organic" means have lower infant mortality rates than the U.S. Many of those countries have a life expectancy as long or longer than we do.  I define "clean eating" as washing your food and your hands.
4. There is no one food that should carry the label bad or unhealthy.  One may consume an overall unhealthy diet or an overall healthy diet, however, neither is defined by one food, one meal or one day.
5. I don't believe what and individual's BMI or weight gives a clear indication regarding their health and it surely does not define who they are as a person.  Why did we ever begin weighing human beings?  Produce and livestock, I get that!  I have wondered if their is a connection between slavery and weighing people other than what I observe in my clients on a daily basis.
6. The scale is a hunk of metal.
7. Participating in regular activity/exercise should be about self-care, not calorie burning.
8. Dieting is not only useless, it can be harmful on many levels.  Many archived blogs address this issue.
9. God gave us taste buds in order for us to enjoy our food.  Diets encourage joyless, automated eating.
10. One can be thoughtful and aware of their nutritional intake without being obsessive and rigid. 

Join me in becoming a renegade against the artificial pursuit of thinness, calorie counting and anything else that might rob you of a peaceful relationship with food, eating, weight and exercise!

15 Reasons to NOT Make Dieting a New Year's Resolution!

This is a bit of a reprisal of an old post.  The reasons to not go on a diet (despite what every media outlet available will tell you) have not changed.  For additional insight visit the link below.
http://www.healthyweight.net/hww.htm

15 Reasons for NOT Going on a Diet in 2016!

Ah, time to once again consider New Year's Resolutions! Each year one of the most frequently made resolutions is to; go on a diet to lose weight. Think of how many times you have made that resolution only to become disillusioned and frustrated. If you have overeaten during the holidays (who hasn't?) or dropped your exercise program and gained weight, going on a diet is not the solution!


Because the diet industry (remember the multi billion dollar a year industry with a miserable success record?) knows that you may be thinking about dieting more intensely at this time of the year, there will be a media blitz promoting diets and diet products. Don't be swayed by their shiny print ads and flashy TV commercials promising quick weight loss accompanied by exciting changes in everything from your job to your sex life. Resolve to not go on a diet this year!

Here are my top 15 reasons for encouraging you to not go on a diet in 2016:

1. You have experienced the mind numbing obsession with food and eating that follows outlawing certain foods.


2. Evaluating your self worth according to whether the numbers on the hunk of metal we call a scale go up or down is an emotionally draining experience.


3. When you have driven your weight down by following diet rules and constraints that are unrealistic in real life, the weight will be regained.


4. Fixating on weight loss can distract you from more important life matters like family, friends, school, job, and spiritual pursuits.


5. The people around you get tired of hearing the dreary details of what is allowed or not allowed on your diet, how many "points" cheese cake is worth, or how "bad" you were at the restaurant last night.


6. Dieting can be a boring, monotonous and tedious effort that leads to binge eating.


7. Food is not the enemy and therefore should not be the focus of any "war on obesity".


8. Sharing meals is part of socializing. Dieting can be isolating.


9. You have taste buds for a reason.


10. The diet industry has sold you the lie that losing weight, being a certain size, etc. will lead you to all that you have ever yearned for in life.  Rebel!

11.  The time and effort you place into dieting could be invested towards learning a new hobby, spending time with friends, or nurturing self-care activities.

12.  Dieting is dieting.  It is not confronting the issues that complicate your relationship with food, eating, body image.  Dieting is placing a lid on a boiling pot.

13.  Restricting your food, being bound by food rules could actually lead to a life threatening eating disorder.

14.  Leading a balanced healthy lifestyle is a much better example to set for your friends and family members than exposing them to various fad diets.

15.  Plain and simple ... Diets Do Not Work!  They offer quick fix promises that will only lead to more body hatred and lowered self-esteem.

This year make resolutions that will enhance your emotional and physical life. Make resolutions that are challenging, yet reasonable. Here are some examples to consider:

• Increase the fiber in your diet.


• Add more veggies to your meals.


• Try new foods and recipes to add variety to your dietary intake.


• Eat breakfast each morning.


• Find a physical activity that you enjoy and can do regularly,


• Enjoy your food more. Taste and savor you meals.


• Decrease dependency on eating out.


• Love the body you have!


• If your body needs to lose weight, allow the weight loss to happen as a result of gradual, healthful changes you are making in relationship to eating and activity.

Be patient with yourself. Progress not perfection. No guilt!
What are your reasons for not dieting in 2016? Please share!

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, balanced and blessed New Year!
Reba

Conquering the Fear of Flying and Eating Disorder Recovery: What are the Similarities?

Professor Robert Bor, a clinical psychologist, is one of the authors of the book Overcome Your Fear of Flying.  As I was reading an article discussing his book I was struck by how some of his suggestions regarding conquering this phobia can apply when one is recovering from eating disorders, disordered eating and chronic dieting.  "Treat it as the irrational terror it truly is and travelling will be a breeze."  Wow.  Sounds kind of like telling someone who is terrified that eating pizza will make them fat to just treat that thought as an irrational fear and eating pizza will be a breeze!  If only it were that simple.  But, there is a nugget of truth in that admonition.  A phobia is defined as "an overwhelming and unreasonable fear of an object or situation that poses little real danger but provokes anxiety and avoidance."  We all have waves of anxiety at times.  Phobias lead to a level of anxiety that negatively impacts your quality of life and  can be quite paralyzing. Recovering from an eating disorder or chronic dieting is quite a complex undertaking.  However, at some point in that process learning to confront irrational beliefs about food, eating, weight, and exercise is essential.  Let's explore how suggestions from the above mentioned book might be applicable in overcoming fears/phobias associated with dieting, eating disorders and disordered eating.

Don't Avoid Flying

Avoiding what we fear only compounds the problem and gives power to the phobia.  Someone who fears flying probably should not begin confronting that phobia by taking a transcontinental flight.  Perhaps they start with a brief one hour or so flight.  Likewise, do not avoid your fear food.  Start with a "planned/spontaneous food adventure".  I call them PSFAs.  You can read about them in a previous blog.  Go get one cookie or go somewhere you can purchase pizza by the slice.  Be brave!  Go with an understanding friend who can support you as you undertake this necessary step.

 

Think About the Destination, not the Journey

I love this suggestion.  In the case of fearing the flight, you focus on the fun you are going to have when you land.  The friends you will spend time with at the end of the flight, the wonderful experiences you will have.  In addressing food or weight fears, focus on the benefits and rewards that come with being able to eat freely, without guilt and shame!  Appreciating and optimizing the body you have vs. shagging after artificial thinness.  No compulsion to exercise as a means of compensating for what you have eaten.  Peace of mind!!  Recovery work can be an exhausting journey.  But, the destination is so worth that effort.

 

Challenge Your Negative Thoughts

If you have a fear of flying and you experience turbulence during a flight you must challenge the catastrophic thought that turbulence = the plane is crashing.  Turbulence is merely a result of shifting air currents.  Not a sign of mechanical failure.  With food fears, you confront those with truths that you might tell someone else.  Imagine a friend saying "I can't believe I ate that burger.  I feel so guilty and fat.  I won't be able to get into my jeans by tomorrow morning."  You know how you would respond!  Learn to coach yourself.

 

Talk to the Cabin Crew

If you are flying and you hear an noise that spikes you flying phobia, speak with the cabin crew.  Ask them for an explanation and assurance.  Express your fears.  In eating disorder recovery your cabin crew is your treatment team and your other support systems.  Let those who want to see you recovered and whole assist you in working through your fears.

So, yes, there are some similarities between conquering the fear of flying and eating disorder recovery!  I challenge you to practice some of these suggestions and then share how they worked for you!

Wishing you peace of mind and true freedom,
Reba

 

 









 

















 









What Makes a Diet a "DIET"?

How many times have you heard someone (maybe yourself) say "I don't diet ... I am just eating healthy, clean, organic, etc."?  I want you to consider how this can become a diet.  How does dieting evolve?  What does dieting really mean and is it harmful?  Since we can make just about anything we do with food a diet, this is worth examining.  One of my clients came in the other day worried that she was making intuitive eating another diet.  Believe me, it can happen!

Let's start by looking at the original definition of the noun "diet".  According to the Merriam - Webster dictionary the word is derived from the Middle English word diete, from Anglo French, from Latin diaeta, from the Greek root word diaita.  The word came on the scene in the 13th century and literally meant a way of life.  It was also used to describe what a plant, person, or animal eats.  Nothing about food/calorie restriction, no moral or legal pronouncements of "good" or "bad".  We have adopted a rather restrictive, obsessive and imbalanced definition of the word diet.  If a diet is truly a way of life it should give life ... not limit life.  Weight Watcher's claim to fame is that they are not another diet.  They are promoting a lifestyle.  Really?  Is that why Weight Watcher members weigh their clothing before attending a weigh-in to ensure that they are wearing their lightest apparel?  How about saving all of your WW points up for a binge in the evening of Oreos and ice cream?  That does not sound like a way of living that would enhance any one's well being.  I am sure that Dr. Oz would tell you that he does not diet.  Yet, he promotes rigid dietary rules and has been quoted as saying "eating should be automated and joyless".

So, what makes a diet a DIET?  A diet in our current societal terms sucks the life out of you.  You have to micromanage your food intake to completely eliminate foods you genuinely enjoy, it limits your relationships and social interactions, and it robs you of peace of mind.  If you are bound to rules about exercise and/or food choices .... you are on a diet.  A way of life, a healthful lifestyle is not black or white.  It allows you to go for a good average nutritional intake and activity level.  There is no guilt or shame.  No perfectionism in how you pursue taking care of your body and health.  When my client voiced concerns that she was making intuitive eating a diet, she meant that somehow she had bought into the belief that she could go the rest of her life without ever eating unless she was hungry.  No sampling of foods at Costco, no eating a bit of a friend's birthday cake because she had just eaten lunch, and certainly never eating some chocolate when sad.  In other words, she would fulfill Dr. Oz's goal of making eating joyless and automated.  This is the total antithesis of intuitive eating.  A healthful way of living involves balance, not ultimatums.

Taking all of this into consideration, are you on a DIET or a diet?
Wishing a wonderful life in the middle ground,
Reba

Rocking Your Recovery From Dieting/Disordered Eating During the Holidays!

It is holiday time! We start with Thanksgiving, and we continue into the Christmas Holiday season that will extend all the way to New Year's Day. I am so weary of all of the hoopla about "surviving the holidays".  One well known eating disorder "expert" recently said another name for Thanksgiving is "National Binge Day" and if you are craving pumpkin pie that you might not have enough sweetness or comfort in your life!  Really?? What a way to reinforce food fears!  Whether you are a chronic dieter, have an eating disorder, or are just the average person ... you would swear that we are all facing sheer doom and destruction at this time of the year. Many are trembling with fear and trepidation. Come on! You should have visions of sugar plums dancing and prancing. Celebrations include food, eating, sharing meals, and truly enjoying delicious recipes that are only served once or twice a year. Food and eating should not be placed on a pedestal.  There certainly are many other important aspects of holidays and special celebrations. However, food and eating should not be feared and approached as if you were facing a rabid dog. This is the perfect time of the year to practice intuitive eating principles of eating what you really enjoy, honoring hunger, and acknowledging satisfied.

So, here are some suggestions to help you enjoy, experience, and thrive during the holidays as you continue your journey towards making peace with food, eating, activity and weight issues:

• Try not to let yourself get overly hungry. Even though this can be a hectic time of year, don't skip meals or go too long without eating.
• Mindfully focus on enjoying your food and eating experiences. Be thankful for meals shared, time to celebrate and foods that you enjoy.
• Participate in self-care activities like going for a walk, listening to music, or carving out time for your hobbies.
• Ditch the diet mentality and all that goes with that faulty way of thinking. Don't buy into guilt, stay off of the scale and tune out all of the diet ads that spike at this time of year. Learn to trust and appreciate your body.
• Remember your goal of living in the middle ground. Avoid extreme, all or nothing thinking.
• If you are entering into an eating/food situation that normally would cause anxiety have a plan of action and rely on support systems to help you deal with the challenge.
• Commit to enjoy this wonderful time of year without the fear, guilt and anxiety that might have plagued you in the past. There is incredible power in what you tell yourself!!

Wishing you all peace and blessings now and in the year to come,
Reba
P.S. Yes, this is a reprisal of my blog from last holiday season!  ( >;

Tom Hanks, Diabetes, Weight Fluctuations and Eating Disorders: Lessons Learned

To proclaim dieting/dietary restriction as "dangerous" in this calorie conscious, weight obsessed culture currently engaged in a "war on obesity" is certainly going against the grain (to say the least).  Not everyone who drives their weight down by restricting their diet only to see it rebound develops diabetes.  Tom Hanks, as well as many medical professionals, believes that the huge weight fluctuations he has experienced in preparing for various movie roles might have contributed to his recent Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.  He lost over 50 pounds for his role in "Castaway" and had to force his weight up over 30 pounds for "A League of Their Own."  Medical research demonstrates a connection between eating disorders and the development of insulin resistance (pre-diabetes) or Type 2 diabetes.  Weight fluctuations, frequent swings in eating behaviors (restrict-binge cycles) confuse both body and mind.  Think about what the pancreas goes through when abruptly awakened from starvation slumber and thrown into overeating overdrive!  In my practice it is not uncommon to see my eating disorder clients in various stages of recovery have blood sugar irregularities.  One more reason not to diet!

No, not everyone who diets and experiences weight fluctuations will get diabetes.  They might get an eating disorder instead.  Some of you may remember the actor Dennis Quaid admitting to struggling with anorexia nervosa.  They called it "manorexia" back at that time.  We had not been enlightened as to the prevalence of eating disorders among males.  There was  hesitation and shame to call it what it was ... anorexia nervosa.  He lost over 40 pounds to play Doc Holiday in the movie "Wyatt Earp".  It took him several years to recover from the aftermath of starvation.

Let's learn some lessons about the possible consequences of dieting.  Please join me in sharing lessons learned. 

Full Recovery from Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating: What, When, and How?

A young woman under the age of 25 years old walked wearily into my office this week to seek help in her effort to recover from an entrenched eating disorder.  In less than 5 years she had already received residential treatment for her illness at 3 different facilities.  She had virtually availed herself of every level of treatment that any textbook or evidenced based research would recommend.  Who could blame her for feeling a bit hopeless in regards to escaping the prison of her eating disorder?  As the session progressed, she informed me that she did not believe in full recovery from an eating disorder.  I was curious as to her vision as to what "full recovery" would mean to her personally.  She looked at me through teary eyes and in a shaky voice she said "I would never have any negative thoughts about my body, I would eat only healthy food, and I would never have any obsessive thoughts about food, eating, exercise or weight". Ah, so that was why she was feeling hopeless.  Her perfectionistic, all or nothing manner of thinking was defining recovery in terms that would be unachievable for just about anyone in this diet crazed culture.  We began exploring what a realistic view of full recovery might look like, when it might happen, and how we would proceed on the journey that she has already begun.

The statistics can be disheartening when you read about recovering from an eating disorder.  I would advise that you not dwell too heavily on them.  You are an individual struggling with what could be a deadly disease.  However, there are thousands and thousands of recovered people (one of them is writing this blog!).  Many of the top professionals in the eating disorder recovery field have fought the battle and won.  Part of the challenge is the definition of full recovery.  I believe ED recovery is a process that is quite the journey.  It involves healing physically, mentally, psychologically, spiritually and relationally.  There is no one "what" that would define recovery.  I believe recovery is best described in one word ... peace.  Does it mean that you never experience a disordered thought or ED-like behavior?  NO!  You just develop an arsenal to fight back, discover or retrieve your true identity, and soldier on.  With solid treatment, a genuine desire to get out of your eating disorder or disordered eating, God's help and the support of others full recovery can happen.

When does recovery happen?  Gradually you experience fewer lapses, fewer and weaker eating disordered thoughts. Eventually you arrive at the place where you trust your body, mind, and own ability to live a healthful balance life without diet rules or ED calling the shots.  There are times you might feel "affected" by ED or disordered eating thoughts, but you are no longer in bondage to them.

How does full recovery happen?  I think you will find the answers in some of my thoughts above. I would add that you have to be willing to tolerate discomfort in the battle.  If you are striving to recover from an ED and you are comfortable, there is a good chance you are not really fully engaged in the fight. Trust your treatment team, and keep a strong filter in your mind to weed out all of the body hating, diet touting, crazy making messages that come our way every day.

I wish you true peace and full recovery.  Please share any thoughts on this complicated topic. 
Reba

National "Dieting is Useless and Dangerous (DUD) Week"

Since National Eating Disorder Awareness Week occurs every year around the end of February to the first week of March (this year it is February 23rd - March 1st), I propose that we initiate a National Dieting is Useless and Dangerous Week.  We could call it "DUD Week".  That is what diets are ... duds!  The research is still out on what methods are most effective in preventing eating disorders.  However, we do know that dieting and the drive for thinness can contribute to the development of eating disorders.  By getting out the clear message that dieting is useless and dangerous we could possibly decrease the number of those suffering from eating disorders and disordered eating. 

My friend and colleague Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD has stated that she believes the diet industry should be forced to be forthcoming about the failure rates of diets.  I agree.  If there are warning labels on wine bottles, why not warning labels on Nutrisystem diet packages?  Or, perhaps a disclaimer on the door as someone enters a Weight Watcher's meeting?  There is a report in the April 2007 issue of American Psychologists, the journal of the American Psychological Association, that states that while dieters may lose weight initially, that about two thirds of people on diets regain more than they lost within 4 or 5 years!  This research was done at UCLA and was the most thorough analysis of dieting to date.  More than 31 long-term studies on dieting were analyzed.  Another study done in 2007 came to the conclusion that "95% of all dieters will regain lost weight within 1-5 years" (Neumark-Sztainer, Haines, Wall, & Eisenderg, 2007).  Need more evidence to show that dieting is useless and dangerous?  About 35 % of "normal" dieters progress to pathological dieting.  From that group, 20-30% will eventually develop eating disorders (Shisslak, Crago, & Estes, 1995).  Sometimes research seems far away from real life.  However,  we are talking about thousands of people who suffer emotionally, relationally, and physically from dieting every year.

Just this past week I had a dozen or so clients who have become causalities of dieting.  One of the saddest was a 15 year old girl who came in for an initial consult for treatment of her bulimia.  Her mom started taking her to Weight Watchers at age 9.  While there was some temporary weight loss, she swung into sneak/binge eating and gained the weight back.  At age 11 mom carted her back to Weight Watchers to "get fixed" because she had once again gained weight.  After this round of dieting she developed anorexia nervosa and now has progressed to bulimia.

I know I am preaching to the choir.  If you are reading this blog you probably already know that dieting is useless and dangerous.  Please spread the word.  We really do need to be activists against dieting and the diet industry.  There needs to be truth in advertising enacted.

Thank you for reading and please share your thoughts and experiences.
Reba

Ditching Dieting - When do Factors Become Excuses?

One of the most popular blogs that I have ever written was titled "I Know What to do ...BUT.."  I believe most (if not all) of my clients are not lacking in head knowledge or intellect.  They are lacking in skill.  In the process of ditching dieting, finding the middle ground and making peace with food, eating, weight and activity/exercise issues, many factors can impede one's efforts.  Whether you are striving to recover from one of the many versions of an eating disorder, trying to learn to trust your own intuitive eating cues, or breaking out of the bonds of chronic dieting, these factors must be acknowledged.  Then they must be confronted.  After those steps are accomplished then the real work, skill development, can begin.  You have to figure out how to manage, change, challenge or accept these factors.  If not, factors will become excuses.  Excuses will become like quicksand and you will be immobilized. 

Some examples of factors that can become excuses and my suggestions as to how to deal with them are:

• "I did so well in residential or intensive outpatient treatment.  I have too many distractions in my real life to make recovery a priority."

Very true.  The skills and insights you gain in a more controlled setting can be challenging to transfer when returning to university, families, work stress, etc.  However, you do have a "tool bag".  Even though you cannot think about recovery 24/7, you can make a commitment to bump up your recovery efforts day to day.  Do recovery reading of some sort daily, make your outpatient appointments with your treatment team a priority, reach out for support.  Making recovery a priority is a stepping stone to achieving the balanced, peaceful and fulfilling life you are desiring.

• "I am surrounded by friends talking about weight loss and fad diets.  I am having a hard time not following the latest diet craze.  I want fast results"

Dieting is a national pastime.  It seems to me if diets and weight loss gimmicks worked we would not hear about a new one every other day.  We surely would not be one of the fattest nations on earth.  The obsession in our culture with diets and the pursuit of artificially thin body ideals is not going anywhere.  It is a factor.  Be a rebel.  Shout the truth from the rooftops, " DIETS DON'T WORK!"  Be strong and don't use this as an excuse to re-enter the world of the diet mentality that is full of shame, guilt and self-loathing.

• "I am under a lot of stress.  Dietary restriction, binge eating, emotional eating, etc. is a comfort.  Maybe I can work on making peace with food, eating, activity and MY LIFE once things calm down."

Really?  When is the last time you remember having a stress-free life?  Intellectually we understand that food, overexercising, binge eating (pick your default behavior) does not solve the stress in our lives.  A lid on a boiling pot blows off sometime.  Ask yourself if there are ways that you can reduce some of the stress in your life.  Experiment with other coping mechanisms for dealing with stress that are not detrimental to your mental or physical health.  Maybe art?  Deep breathing?  A long lost hobby or a new one you have been considering can be soothing.  Go for a walk.  Then ... there are certain stresses in our life that are inevitable and we must accept those situations.  Stress is a factor.  Don't let it become an excuse.

• "I am just too busy to work on these issues."

We are all busy.  Taking time for self-care, recovery, health and wellness pursuits is an investment.  An investment in how your day will go today and also an investment in how your life will be in the future.  I once heard a saying that went something like "If you don't take time to be healthy today, you will have to take time to be sick later".  There is no better time than the present to care for your body and soul.  Don't let a hectic schedule become an excuse.  Acknowledge it as a factor and proceed from that point.

You get the gist.  Now it is your turn.  What factors in your life could become excuses if you give into them?  Once again, I think the "all or nothing" thinking that we have discussed so often in this blog is the core stumbling block.  These efforts are not about being perfect.  Just pick up the old hammer and chisel and whack away at the factors chip by chip.  Then they will never become excuses!

Happy chiseling,
Reba

Food and Weight Rules for Success

Caught you! If you are like most of my clients, sometimes you want food and weight rules to be in bondage to each day.  That is called dieting.  Some of you might be wondering if I have been lured over to the dark side and am getting ready to lay some guilt and condemnation down in true diet mentality style!  Nope.  Just wanted to get your attention and to get some hits on my blog!  However, now that you are here ... maybe I could give you a few rules to contemplate. (smile!)

Reba's Rules

1. If it is worth eating, it is worth tasting.  Food in the mouth, butt in the seat.  Taste and enjoy.
2. The scale is a hunk of metal.  It is useless in and of itself.  If your body is at a lower weight than it is designed for, then deal with the contributing factors.  If your body is at a weight higher than it is designed for, then deal with the contributing factors.  You do not need a hunk of metal to tell you if you are living a life at peace with food, eating and activity.
3. Treat your body with the love and respect it deserves; that you deserve.  Don't go on an empty tank and make your body try to exist on gas fumes.  Don't top your tank off and make your body deal with the excess.  (Remember, we all hit those extremes on occasions.  I am talking about behaviors that are done on a daily, regular basis.)
4. Consider the quality of the food you ingest.  Is it pleasing to the sight?  Does it taste fresh?  But, don't be obsessive over this issue.
5. Eat what you really enjoy.  Don't just eat something because of some moral judgement you have placed on the food.  Remember, we are going for a good, overall nutritional average score.  Every food we place in our mouth does not have to be a "super" food. 
6. Last, but not least, there really are no rules.  You are a human being.  You are beautifully and wonderfully made.  You are not a science experiment!

You didn't really want rules, did you?  You know they never work for the long haul!

Wishing you happiness and peace living in the middle ground!

Reba



Calorie Counting - the Enemy of Ditching Dieting

Unfortunately, with the use of "apps" on smart phones and IPads to track daily food intake, calorie counting has spiked in popularity.  The use of calorie counting came into vogue around the turn of the 20th century.  Scientist Wilbur Atwater put food in a "bomb calorimeter" and burned it to discover the amount of ash and heat produced.  In doing so he measured the amount of energy that was released by the food.  It was a science experiment. An experiment that was not aimed at giving we humans something to obsess over.  Calorie counting is an activity that can keep you entrenched in the diet mentality and/or disordered eating behaviors.  Calorie counting keeps us from trusting our own body and our own brain in choosing how to fuel our body.  Isn't it interesting that the rate of obesity has increased as our calorie "awareness" has increased?  Our relationship with food, eating and activity is far more complex than any calorie counting app can account for.  For that matter, calorie counting does not ensure that you are consuming a nutritional intake that is balanced in relationship to vitamins, minerals, protein, fats and carbohydrates.  You could be consuming a low fiber diet with very few vegetables (therefore, low in cancer fighting anti-oxidants) and yet be meeting some techno-app's calorie recommendation.

Here is the bottom line;  you will NEVER know exactly how many calories you are consuming or spending!  Labels that list caloric content can be off by up to 20% of the true calorie (i.e. energy) content of the food in question.  Many factors influence how many calories your body needs in any given day.  There is no completely accurate way to know what your basic metabolic rate is, what the thermic effect of the foods you are eating might be, and the amount of calories you are burning through daily movement and exercise actually is on any given day.  Why bother?

Instead of calorie counting, try using an app that is directed towards mindful or gentle eating.  Instead of concentrating on limiting calories, try focusing on increasing your fiber.  Pursue nutrition goals (not rules) aimed at fighting heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.  Make activity a natural part of your day, not a calorie burning mechanism.  By ditching calorie counting, you will move towards ditching dieting!  You will be finding the middle ground.  Such a peaceful ground it is!

May you learn to trust yourself with food, eating and weight matters.

Reba

Ditching Dieting with Resolve for 2012

One of my "New Year" posts from several years ago listed 10 reasons to not go on the diet for the new year.  (That might be a good one to review.)  This year I have a challenge for all of you.  Whether you have an eating disorder, disordered eating or just have a wacky relationship with food, eating, activity and body image issues, truly become a rebel against all things "diet".  One of my colleagues, Deb Burgard, made a brilliant recommendation for the new year.  She suggested that a more accurate term for the diet industry would be "weight cycling" industry.  This $60 billion dollar per year industry (latest estimate from Marketdata Enterprises) depends on people desperate to cure everything from holiday overeating, poor self-esteem, broken hearts to job loss and recession woes by cycling from one failed diet or diet product to another.

Make this year's resolve about compassion towards yourself and others in all areas.  Especially vow to change the way we talk to ourselves in judgemental and negative terms about food, eating and weight issues.  Monitor how you speak to and about others.  Don't be a "weightist".  Continue pursuing health, wellness, and moderation.  Look towards "the middle ground" ... not perfectionism.  I would encourage all of you to check out information regarding the "Health at Every Size" movement and the website http://www.dietsurvivors.com/.


May God grant all of you a healthy, joy filled (we can have joy even when we are not happy!) and balanced new year.  May you make peace with food and find joy in eating and activity.

I will end with an appropriate quote from Mark Twain about changing habits.  I do believe that much of what trips us up as we try to find the middle ground in all of these issues does boil down to our habits.

"Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man (or woman .. my edit), but coaxed downstairs a step at a time."

Let's start stepping!  Please feel free to share how you plan on ditching dieting in 2012!
Reba