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.

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.

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.

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?