While in supervision with a supervisee who is working toward licensure, I was giving him feedback on his therapy interventions. It was a session in which he received a lot of direct feedback from me. He always approaches his work and our sessions with openness and an eagerness to learn but that doesn’t mean it’s […]
Category Archives: Body Shame
Binge Eating, Body Shame, Dieting, Family, Food Is Not The Enemy
Look fantastic on the outside, feel beautiful on the inside; no weight loss required
24
Oct
Oct
Pants, dresses, shorts, skirts, t-shirts, blouses, bras, lingerie, socks, tights, leggings… oh my! Silk, linen, wool, cashmere, cotton, denim, leather… exquisite! Patterns, prints, flowers, solids, sunny colors, warm colors, dark colors, all the colors of the rainbow and more…fun! Unlike women a hundred years ago, we have tons of garment options in loads of combinations! […]
10
Sep
Sep
“I just want to be happy!” Does this sound familiar? I hear these words all the time from my clients and from, well, everyone. You just want to be happy. Right? I do too. Even Thomas Jefferson and the other writers of the Declaration of Independence recognized the importance of the pursuit of happiness. So […]
28
Aug
Aug
The Dieting Cycle (Binge/Purge Cycle) When you are in the dieting cycle, you begin by restricting in a variety of ways: the diet starts, you don’t eat what you really want, you eat less than you want or need, you feel bad about what you eat, and/or you starve yourself. Perhaps you eventually eat the […]
09
Jul
Jul
I used to be a lone business owner. For years, I worked on my business all by myself. This is what I was taught after all. I was the only one I could count on; I had to do it alone. Finally, one day I realized that I didn’t want to be alone in it […]
06
Nov
Nov
It’s Possible and It Works A few weeks ago, I hosted a free teleseminar about the most important step to changing your relationship with food. If you haven’t already, listen to the teleseminar recording by clicking here. This teleseminar addressed the step of eating whatever you want and letting go of the concept that food […]
16
Jun
Jun
If You are Going to Eat It, You May as Well Taste 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 hungry afterwards? This is because you didn’t eat what you really wanted or didn’t take […]
Body Shame, Dieting, Family, Food Is Not The Enemy
Critically Think Your Way to Feeling Good about Yourself
15
Jun
Jun
An acquaintance of mine, who knows what I do for a living and partially understands it, likes to tell me what he knows about the study of weight, food, etc. It is his way of bonding with me and supporting me. I appreciate it. Yet because he only partially understands, I often tense a little […]
Body Image, Body Shame, Family, Food For Thought, Food Is Not The Enemy
There are Steps to Take Toward Recovery
07
Apr
Apr
Recovery from an eating disorder (or disordered eating, if you prefer) is no simple task. You have been dealing with or even better, using it as a way to cope for a very long time. It is attached to you, stuck on you, and you are stuck on it. It is like a best friend […]
07
Apr
Apr
Food is fuel for your body. It gives you the energy you need to go through your day, to work, to play, to study, to parent, to enjoy life. You expend energy while you do those things and food helps you replace the energy so you can keep going. Without enough food, you get tired, […]
Body Shame, Dieting, Family, Food For Thought, Food Is Not The Enemy
Is Shame or Defense Your Protective Game?
19
Mar
Mar
An interesting moment occurred during the process group I lead. I want to share it with you because I believe you will also find it interesting. This is where it began… I said something provocative to the group members. It was provocative because I knew it would trigger at least one person. I promise – […]
Body Image, Body Shame, Food For Thought, Food Is Not The Enemy
The Number on the Scale is Just a Number
07
Oct
Oct
The number on the scale is not who you are! Maybe that should be obvious, but is it? Our culture is so messed up about weight. We are told that unless you are in the “normal” range on the BMI scale, you are unhealthy. We are judged by our weight, there is no doubt about […]
16
Jun
Jun
You just ate too much. You can feel it in your belly. It feels large, extra large, and is starting to hurt. You yell at yourself for eating too much. “I can’t believe I did that again”; “You are a fat pig, pathetic, gross.” You begin to panic and think up a way to get […]
Body Image, Body Shame, Dieting, Food For Thought, Food Is Not The Enemy
Your Eating Disorder Wants to Tell You Something
16
May
May
Your Eating Disorder Voice is communicating something. Your Healthy Voice is communicating something. Often, these “Voices” are competing with each other, but what are they really trying to say? I often talk to clients about the “Eating Disorder Voice” and the “Healthy Voice.” Part of the treatment for an eating disorder is to make the […]
06
Mar
Mar
This month’s Food Is Not The Enemy Newsletter has a special treat enclosed. Emily’s story. Emily is in the process of understanding her eating disorder. She has recognized that it isn’t about food, and is currently wrestling with the underlying issues. In her story, she talks about her struggles with her body image and learning […]
15
Jan
Jan
Happy New Year! Ah, the time of year for a New Year’s resolution. “This year, I really will lose weight and get fit! I promise, I swear! This year is the year – for real this time.” How many times have you said that before? The New Year seems to give us a sense of […]
Body Shame, Dieting, Family, Food For Thought, Food Is Not The Enemy
Have a Different Kind of New Year
07
Jan
Jan
Last year, right around this time, my friend Tina suggested we spend the year focusing on learning about a topic to which we were unfamiliar or just wanted to explore more. We each chose our topic and decided that the full year would be dedicated to learning about this topic any way we chose. My […]
28
Oct
Oct
My intern Tina and I were recently discussing the word FAT. She couldn’t imagine herself saying the word, believing it to be filled with shame, stereotypes and disgust. For me, it is merely a description, such as tall, brown hair, or big feet. (It wasn’t always this way for me and Tina is now changing […]
05
Jul
Jul
I was listening to the radio one day and caught the beginning of a commercial talking about again having to wear his “fat clothes.” He then said glumly “does this sound familiar?” I imagined that it did sound familiar to many people listening and that “fat clothes” is a term many use. Well, my first […]
Body Shame, Food For Thought, Food Is Not The Enemy
How to change to non-diet thinking… for your health
07
Mar
Mar
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi Many who come in to work with me are interested in losing weight. It is no surprise. After all, our society tends to judge us based on the size of our body. Size discrimination is rampant and perceived as acceptable. If you […]
Body Shame, Food For Thought, Food Is Not The Enemy
Tips for eating Thanksgiving Dinner, not your feelings
09
Nov
Nov
For this month’s newsletter, I am borrowing from my last year’s newsletter, “Thanksgiving, i.e. National Overeater’s Day”. It seems appropriate to talk once again about this day of thanks and the day that overeating is the accepted principle. Before I started to deal with my own food issues, I treated Thanksgiving Day as an excuse […]
Body Shame, Family, Food For Thought, Food Is Not The Enemy
Resistance is not just a form of Exercise
11
Sep
Sep
Do you enjoy exercising? Do you have a physical activity that you just love and can’t wait to do? Or, do you wish you wanted to exercise – after all it will help you lose weight – but you can’t seem to get yourself to do it? Or, perhaps you yo-yo exercise – you exercise […]
Body Image, Body Shame, Dieting, Food For Thought, Food Is Not The Enemy
If You are Going to Eat It, Enjoy It
07
Feb
Feb
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 hungry afterwards? This is because you didn’t eat what you really wanted or didn’t take the time to taste what you ate. How often do you read, watch […]
07
Dec
Dec
As the holidays approach, you may feel excited and/or anxious about seeing your family. Or, perhaps you avoid your family and feel relief at not spending time with them. Family holds a certain space in our lives. Whether you talk to your family members every day or not at all, family has a way of […]
- 1
- 2