Challenges with food and disliking your body can be an intense and persistent struggle, you may even start to wonder, do I have an eating disorder?

I would like to start by saying that if you are even asking the question of “do I have an eating disorder?” even if only in those far recesses of your brain, then you are struggling more than you have to and you could benefit from support regardless of whether or not you have a diagnosable eating disorder.

Do you find yourself “saving up” or “making up” for food eaten. Do you help yourself “earn food” through exercise? This is common around the holidays, but here’s why it’s problematic.

What are you putting off until you lose ‘x’ number of pounds? Is it a vacation or cruise? Dating? Visiting friends or family? Having family photos taken? Going to that restaurant? Exercise? Taking that dance class you always wanted to take? Buying pants that fit better? Wearing shorts or a sleeveless top? Life is happening while you are waiting to be thin.

You child was just diagnosed with an eating disorder, and you have a million questions and concerns. Your child is already off to a good start because you’re reading this and you are going to get them the care they need. Here are some questions you may have:

Have you noticed that many cookbooks and recipes are designed to feed four or more people? What about people who live alone? Don’t we deserve to eat well too? Of course we do! Here are a few tips on planning for and preparing easy meals for one person.

You download the app and subscribe to the premium option. You’re serious this time. You follow the prompts. You follow all the advice you’ve been given. You just know this time you are going to see the results you’re wanting. Are we talking about dieting or dating? Or both?

Eating disorders are the second most common chronic medical condition during adolescence. Families can absolutely help reduce the risk of their child or teen developing an unhealthy relationship with food. Here are 5 things as adapted from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

You have questions. You were just diagnosed with PCOS and you have no clue what to do next! Or you have been diagnosed for awhile, but still feel like you’re not exactly sure how to manage your PCOS symptoms. You have questions and are looking for professional nutrition support, but where to go?

How do you know who to talk to? Here are 3 things to keep in mind when looking for a dietitian to work with:

One of the biggest lies that diet culture sells you in subtle and not so subtle ways is that you aren’t thinner because you lack self-control and willpower.

And it is super convincing. You believe that your lack of self-control is what is standing in the way between a healthier, thinner and happier you.

If only you could stay on track

If only you could control your portion sizes better

If only you could keep your hands off of the “junk” food in the house

If only you drank more water

If only you didn’t stress or emotionally eat

It feels terrible to feel like it is all your fault. That there is something wrong with you. That you are lazy. That you lack self-control.

I get regularly get asked about how parents can help foster positive body image in their kids and I understand why they are asking, girls are hating their bodies and dieting as early as age nine, with majority on a diet by high school and eating disorders are on the rise. The data is not all that different for boys. So this is three things you can do to promote a positive body image in your kids in order of importance, because like most everything else in parenting (insert eye roll), do as I say, not as I do just doesn’t cut it here.

“I’m so tired of thinking about food all. the. time. I no longer want to think about food all day, I just want to eat normally”

This is something I hear often in the first session with a client when I ask them what they want to be different as a result of our work together.

Can you relate to this?

Thinking about food all the time is most often a symptom of one or all of these:

Did you know that dieting is the #1 risk factor for developing an eating disorder?

I didn’t know that when I was a teenager. And I suspect my parents didn’t either. We can’t guarantee that our kids will be safe from developing disordered eating or an eating disorder, but we can help reduce their risk by discouraging dieting in the first place.

What’s really awesome is that parents can be the first line of defense against dieting and disordered eating.

If you woke up tomorrow and your weight would not be affected by what or how much you ate, would you eat differently than you do now?

Are you envisioning all the things that you would want to eat and enjoy right now?

Would it feel freeing to eat what you wanted? Would it feel liberating to no longer feel guilty for it?

This is what eating intuitively feels like.

Our pool opened up this past weekend, which is both early and amazing because this weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina, we hit the 90’s ya’ll.

I don’t even want to think about what that means for this summer…

But Memorial Day weekend is USUALLY when swimsuit season officially begins.

Is your body “swimsuit ready?”

No, I’m not drunk on diet culture… I’m here to tell you that “swimsuit ready” is bullshit.

Has this ever happened to you?

You start getting into some sort of movement/exercise, you settle into a rhythm with it, you actually feel pretty good. You are sleeping better, your mood is elevated, you actually feel a little better in your body. You think you’ve got a good thing going.

Then you get on the scale… and it hasn’t gone down, maybe it has gone up.

So you stop. As far as you are concerned, if you are not losing weight, then clearly it’s not working.

Maybe you are someone that has had many previous New Year’s resolutions that were related to weight loss and fitness. In year’s past the excitement of a new beginning was palpable once the confetti settled - the promise of a new, fitter, thinner, healthier version of yourself. But maybe now you are someone that is beginning to question all the hype around weight loss resolutions.

After all, once that confetti does settle you are left with food rules that feel boring and you are finding yourself more and more “cheating” on your diet. But if you are someone that has relied on the “guard rails” of food rules from following a certain plan or diet to know how to eat, you may be finding yourself asking…

If I don’t diet, then what?