Weight Watchers was my Gateway diet. When I said that I wanted to lose weight, both my mother and my doctor thought that WW was the healthiest way. It was perceived to be a ‘lifestyle’ not a ‘fat diet’ so only good could come. When I went to Weight Watchers they accepted me with open arms and the only measurement that they took was my weight. Nobody looked at my blood sugars, or my blood pressure. Nobody assessed my mental health, or my self-esteem.  Nobody screened me for anxiety or depression. Nobody gave me a questionnaire like EAT-26 to see if I had any disordered eating. I was not sc ..read more

I don’t know about you, but I certainly ate more sweets in the last three days than I normally do. How do you feel today? I know how I used to feel after an ‘indulgent’ weekend. Crappy. Tired, bloated, and ‘fat’. Easter Monday was time to get back on track; clean up my diet; take control. Even just writing that leaves me feeling a little anxious. I remember how determined I would get and the pressure that I would put on myself to finally get my sh*t together. It would leave me feeling with a mix of hope and fear. Spring is here which means that shorts and t-shirts and *gasp* bathing suits are ..read more

If you don’t already know my story, I have a history of both Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and Bulimia. ‘Binge’ has become a word that’s used fairly loosely now. It’s not uncommon for someone to say that they binged watched a show.  So too with food, it’s common for someone to describe any kind of overeating as a binge. But what is Binge Eating Disorder (BED)? BED is the most common of the eating disorders. It’s currently estimated that 30% of people seeking professional help for overweight or obesity have BED. BED isn’t ‘just’ overeating. It’s eating a large amount of food (although ..read more

New recipes can provide some much needed variety to a menu that’s getting old. On average, families rotate between 10-12 recipes, and that’s being generous. We’re creatures of habit. And there’s good reason for that. New recipes, as exciting as they are, require a lot more thought. First, to find the recipe. Then, to ponder the ingredients (ex. Do I have those? Do I know what that is?). And then finally, the preparation. Since it’s new, it’s not second nature (ie. Harder to manage the kids AND cook). A common mistake that I see being made is trying too much, too fast. Whether it’s a new weigh ..read more

“I just need to get my weight down and my food under control. Then I’d feel better.” Have you ever thought that? It would be shocking if you said no. I’ve seen so many books, blogs, and posts claiming that if you want to take care of your mental health you need to take care of your diet. While I won’t disagree that food can impact mood, I’d like to talk to you about how your mood impacts your food. And more importantly, how you can take care of it. When I was about 12 years old I told my mom that I wanted to lose weight. I truly believed that if I could change how I looked then I could change ..read more

Would you determine someone’s intelligence by the length of their ring finger? Would you be okay if they were admitted to a math program based on their finger length rather than their SAT score?   When I first started my weight loss journey I was chasing confidence. I really thought that if I could just lose a few pounds that I would feel better in my body and then better about myself. Can you relate? Have you ever said “If I could just drop x amount of pounds, then I’d feel better about going to the gym/applying for that job/attending the wedding/wearing that dress”?   Well, after a ..read more

Have you ever thought “Jeez I just wish that someone else would do it for me?”   I sure have. It was in my most desperate times and when I felt most out-of-control. That’s when those kinds of plans are most appealing right?  I didn’t care if the food was going to taste like cardboard, I just didn’t want to have to think about it anymore!   When I was in my late teens or maybe in my early 20s, I decided to invest in one of those plans. Even though I was already in a healthy weight range that didn’t stop them from trying to “help” me. But that’s a different rant for another blog ..read more

I’m often asked about what books to read when starting to embrace body positivity, health at every size and the anti-dieting world. This time of year many will take some time off (I hope that you are one of them). Many will exchange gifts with their family, friends, and co-workers. Here’s a list of a few books that you could consider gifting for yourself or someone else. Maybe you can take advantage of some Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Enjoy! Big Fit Girl by Louise Green Fitness is a really important piece to pursuing health. But it can be tricky if exercise has negative associat ..read more

  Gatherings of people, especially involving woman, invariably end up in conversations about who lost or gained weight and what diet or exercise program is being followed.When you’re working towards a body positive approach to life, or recovering from an eating disorder, this can create quite a challenge. How do you respectfully, yet firmly, direct the conversation away from body and food? Here’s a few steps that you can take to make this family feast more enjoyable and respectful. 1. Head’s Up Consider speaking to them ahead of time and let them know what you’re working on and that your ..read more

  For the last 8 years I had no reason to know what I weighed. I had broken up with the scale like it was an abusive boyfriend. My self-esteem took a deep hit every time that I got on it. So, I said “no more”. Weight loss just can’t be my focus.   Well, this winter, I had a reason to know my weight. I bought some new ski equipment and I needed my bindings set to my current weight. If I hadn’t set them to my weight, I could’ve ended up with skis that popped off all the time, or stayed on when they really needed to pop off. Either way, it could’ve led to injury.   The only other ..read more