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Showing posts with the label Blame

Spouses, partners, parents of loved ones with eating disorders--I need you to keep reading. Really.

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You may have no idea how they're suffering. Your wife, or mother, or partner or son. It's about shame. And fear. That's why they can't tell you. That's why it's so hard for her to ask for help. I'm not placing blame, but I'm asking you to start to listen like you never have before. Because it's hard for those living with anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder to say what needs to be said. Don't be fooled by his size or his weight. People with eating disorders come in all sizes. And don't be fooled by how well she had been doing. Slips happen. That's normal. But recovery requires acknowledgement that things are amiss, and that support is available. Right there. In person. Not just virtually through this blog, or a virtual support group or a friend across the world. Yes, they need to know that you are there for them, unconditionally. Even if you really don't understand. Even though you wish they'd just 'get over it'. St...

From the Land of Oz: Hillary's Hyman and Detox Diets

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Wouldn't you just love to find a cure for your struggles? Hyman's suggestion that my diet is the reason for my MS is beyond insulting. Let’s give a round of applause ladies and gentleman to Dr. Mark Hyman for finding the answer to all of our weight loss troubles! Dr. Mark Hyman’s Book, The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet: Activate Your Body's Natural Ability to Burn Fat and Lose Weight Fast, is a New York Times bestseller. His book is a guided weight loss and detox program that claims to be the solution in preventing disease, losing weight and reducing insulin levels in just 10 days. His book provides meal plans, recipes, shopping lists, recommended medications, supplements, and more. Written by an MD, there must be truth to his detox diet claims, right? About that M.D. credential A Medical Doctor, meaning “teacher of medicine” is an honorable profession that rightfully holds esteem in society. Often times, when you are diagnosed with a condition, such as Type...

The difference between you and me.

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“How presumptuous”, you must be thinking, “to group all of your readers into one lump sum, overgeneralizing between us and you.” Well, unless you are a member of my exclusive club, the one-in-750-in-the-US-living-with-Multiple Sclerosis, then I think you'll agree. As I'm sitting here awaiting the chemotherapy treatment to infuse into my veins, I'm painfully aware that I live with a chronic disease, a potentially debilitating one at that. But for now, I'm fortunately unaffected by this progressive neurological condition.  Perhaps, like you, I'm on borrowed time. Borrowed time? Yes, because neither of us can predict just when the impact our conditions will hit us the worst. Or when the damage from our situation will lead to a fatal consequence. A depressing shift in perspective from me? Not really. In fact, my intent is to show you just how fortunate you are. And to demonstrate that change is, in fact, in your hands. I live with a healthy dose of denial. (Ok, so...

Intuitive Eating is not for you—maybe not just yet, and maybe not ever.

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“Have you lost your mind? You, the anti-calorie-counting dietitian, the believer in legalizing all things chocolate and trusting that everything will be okay? Are you suggesting I should start dieting now, or head to the nearest Weight Watchers meeting and start counting points? Or doing the Paleo thing?” Nothing of the sort! I’m prompted to write this following two experiences I had at the MEDA conference, that wonderful eating disorder conference held in the Boston area this past weekend. And this pertains to those of you with anorexia as well as those struggling with overeating—compulsive or otherwise. So I was casually walking in the hall after the keynote presentation by Dr. Roberto Olivardia just killing time until the next break when I’d be selling my book. And I overhear two women, representatives from two respectable eating disorder programs chatting up their programs. “We use an intuitive eating approach with our patients”, she stated. “We don’t use meal plan...