Anne’s Blog
Food Is Not The Enemy
“I work with women trapped in a cycle of obsessing about food and weight. I help them make friends with food and peace with their body.”
I know you are working toward full healing from disordered eating and body image and I’m very proud of you for that! It takes courage to change. It also takes courage to acknowledge and feel those emotions you may have been pushing away for a very long time!
For me, last week, courage came in the form of expressing myself despite the possible criticism that would come. I have been doing that more the past week, and I’m very proud of myself for that!
I hope you, also, found courage within yourself to move toward your goals… whatever they may be. My message to you is that… your emotions matter a lot! Let yourself acknowledge them and give them the voice and expression they need.
Food For Thought
“The Negative Voice of Your Clothes”
Is your closet full of clothes you don’t like, that don’t fit, that just bore you?
Get rid of them!
I know, easier said than done. If you are keeping clothes that don’t fit, you may be afraid of weight gain or loss and don’t want to go naked due to lack of cover. I understand.
Yet keeping these clothes in your closet is like telling yourself every time you go closet diving that your body isn’t okay as it is. It’s like a closet full of criticism and low self-worth.
When you let go of clothes that don’t fit or you don’t love, you learn to accept yourself just as you are. You get to remember that you are worth looking and feeling great… even if you have to fake-it-till-you-make-it a bit!
“Food For Thought”
Expert advice and in-depth talks on how food really is not the enemy!
If You are Going to Eat It, Enjoy It
If you are a compulsive overeater, you may tend to shovel food down without even tasting it. Have you ever eaten an entire meal and still felt
What If It’s Not About Food
I often ask those who I work with: "If it's not about food, what is it about?" Unless you are eating to fuel your body when you
Self Criticism: The Very Loud Killer of Souls, Part 2
A few weeks ago I wrote about your critical voice. I talked about how it is probably the most harmful little voice you have in your head.
Lose Weight: Problem Solved?
There is a promise in our society that if you lose weight, you will be happy. A client said to me once, "I'm thin, but I'm not
Giving Up Dieting is Not Giving Up
Happy New Year! 2014 Here We Come! I find the beginning of the New Year to be an exciting time (once I get over the fact that
More love in 2014
Last week I sent you an article talking about the lack of love in my life and how I needed to find it for myself. I talked
Find a Community of Support
We all want to fit in. It is natural and normal. It is human. We need each other because we are social beings. Even if you are
The Culture of Thin is In
Ever notice how many television ads you see tell you 1) how to lose weight and be happy on this diet or that diet 2) why you
If You’re going to Eat it, You may as well Taste it
Mmmm, pizza! You love pizza and you really want some. "NO! You can't have pizza," you angrily tell yourself. "Pizza is BAD for me!" So you go
Food is Not the Enemy, Shame is
Shame. Likely the emotion you hate to feel the most. It gets pushed down and is often felt at the core of your struggles. Shame about food.
Recovery Is Possible
Lately, I have had a few clients ask me what recovery from disordered eating is. Interestingly, I don't often hear this question yet it seems that those
Are You a Control Freak
Many people who suffer with disordered eating also suffer with a fear of being out of control. The two go hand in hand. Dieting and attempting to
Does Food Addiction Really Exist
People love to make food the enemy. They blame food for giving them a big butt, tummy and thighs. They blame food for breaking up marriages and
Diets Don’t Work and Never Will
Ever wonder why you binge? Maybe you just think it's because you can't control yourself. You probably think you're a bad person because you overate, yet again.
Death and Taxes and Eating Disorders
What do these have to do with eating disorders? “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” -Benjamin Franklin I believe in living a healthy
The Hunger Scale
Another tool to help you end binge eating! This video will describe the hunger scale. Use this scale to learn how to listening to your body. Learn
The Holidays from your Inner Child’s Perspective
Do you ever feel like a child? Do you ever want to just throw yourself on the floor and kick and scream? Do you ever want to
Stop binge eating with this one powerful step
You find yourself in front of the refrigerator. Again. "Why am I here?" you wonder. You recognize that you aren't hungry or maybe you convince yourself that
You Didn’t Fail the Diet, the Diet Failed You
The New Year has passed, your resolution to lose weight has run its course once again. You did your best to diet, perhaps you lost some weight,
Food for Thought – Contemplate This
If you could stop your negative self-talk right now and rarely ever do it (never is not possible), you wouldn’t have issues
Size is Not the Enemy
A colleague, Tina Gilbertson, and I were talking about the support groups we have been attempting to start. My group is a process group for those struggling
The Holiday Binge Blues: How to Finally End the Cycle
I was recently listening to a Brené Brown lecture on CD. You’ve likely heard of her. She does research and speaks on a very popular (not!) topic
Feature Author on Portland Therapy Center
If you are ready to get out of the crazy making diet cycle, read this post on Portland Therapy Center. This is often the first and most
Expert Eating Disorder Counselor Helps Women with their Body Shame
Expert Eating Disorder Counselor Helps Women and Men let go of the crazy-making cycle of Yo-Yo Dieting and Body Shame. Anne Cuthbert, Licensed Professional Counselor and expert
Food for Thought – What’s in a Number… Nothing!
Food for Thought – Body image is a Tough One
Food for Thought – Is it Hunger or Emotions?
Eating Disorders Newsletter with Anne Cuthber MA, LPC, LMHC
Eat Well. Live Well.
Life is not only about exercise, it’s about an entire lifestyle change.
It is about emotions! Your emotions, my emotions. Because the emotions of our parents/children/neighbors/partner/friends and YOURS are all important! Being able to listen to those you care about… to really listen… is based in your ability to hear their emotions… the feelings that go with what that person is stating in words.
As well, your ability to cope with life’s challenges and with all your relationships has to do with how well you deal with your own emotions!
That’s what recovery from an eating disorder is all about… being able to tolerate your emotions, and the emotions of others!
One of the most important elements of that is to forgive yourself for not doing it perfectly! After all, perfection may be a big part of why you have disordered eating! Thus, giving you permission to eat to cope was my way of saying… it’s not about perfection but about working toward.