faulker053

  What if you allowed yourself to have whatever you wanted to eat? Good cake (my personal favorite), great bread (ok, maybe that’s my real favorite), quality ingredients like aromatic extra virgin olive oil? What if you allowed yourself to feel like queen or king for the day—every day? Not to shun your responsibilities at work or at home, of course—but to see yourself as special? If you allowed yourself: the power to speak your mind, to ask for what you need? the right to take control of your health? the ability to eat in the presence of others, foods they don’t think you should be eating? the chance to act as if you’re deserving of pleasure—of time for yourself, of adequate nourishment, of enjoying what you’re eating, or getting enough sleep? Imagine if you thought, if you truly believed that your body is worth taking care of. Then you’d consider the consequences of your actions, when you are thinking about restricting your food intake, or eating despite feeling stu...

My favorite place to hike: Franconia Ridge, NH I love to hike, but I need to tackle hikes that are achievable. Hike Everest next Friday? That’s crazy! It’s so out of reach for my fitness level, for this time frame, and for my psyche, that I think, “why should I even bother to start training? I’m just not gonna make it”. But if I set realistic goals—attainable heights allowing for modest changes in elevation, I’m golden. Yes, small steps forward really work. Now if I’m getting a bit fatigued on a hike or even a bit fearful, and I just feel like stopping, I’ve got to consider my options. Is it safe to hover, unprotected, unsupported, ¾ of the way there? Will I be left feeling like a failure because I turned back? Or can I pace myself as I continue up, perhaps accepting less change in elevation each hour, staying the course until I reach my goal? Of course, I have to continue to refuel to enable me to think sensibly about my options! Gorgeous below, winter conditions at the peak. Even suc...

There’s a halo hanging around all things high protein, these days. In fact, even foods not high in protein are labeled as if they are—simply to convince you to buy them! Case in point: which is lowest in protein— Starbuck’s Protein Bistro Box, Chicken and Hummus Bistro Box or their Turkey and Swiss on wheat bread?  The winner is? Their Protein Bistro Box! Yes, in spite of containing egg, cheddar cheese and peanut butter—a rather disgusting combination, I might add—it comes out the lowest at 13 grams, compared to its competitors at 16 grams and 34 grams of protein, respectively.  If you are selecting the Protein Bistro because you think all that protein (which doesn’t exist anyway) is going to help with weight management, let me break the news—it’s among their higher calorie meals! And for the record, it's the calories that make the difference. Personally, I’d rather have the lower cal sandwich and add on a mini whoopee pie or cupcake. Maybe that’s just me. I could have kept...

You’re a mixed crowd, dear readers. You are patients, current and past, local and those I Skype with overseas. And you are Anonymous followers whose identity I’ll never know. You are largely female, but include many a loyal male reader. You cover most ages from late teens to into your 70s. On a recent day you visited from all 50 US states (a first!). And you regularly read from all continents.  I love this!  I certainly don’t know you well, except for what you share in your comments and emails. You may struggle with an eating disorder of any variety or strive to maintain your sanity in a world of over focus on food rules and misinformation. You may be underweight or overweight—whatever those terms have come to mean—and you may or may not have come to terms with the work that needs to be done. You may be simply contemplating change or you may be working on maintenance and relapse management. Yet here’s one thing I know for sure: your weight is not a valid measure of your progre...