Over-eating or a victim of Binge Eating Disorder?

Everyone over-eats, but how do people know if they're actually suffering from Binge Eating Disorder? Listen to my audio story to find out.

Music attributions: incompetech.com

Be thankful and not shameful on Thanksgiving

Come November, most people can hardly wait until the last Thursday of the month to celebrate Thanksgiving; a holiday typically celebrated by being thankful, getting together with friends and family, watching football and eating colossal amounts of food. For some, this may sound like a day in paradise, but for those dealing with an eating disorder, Thanksgiving and other holidays that are celebrated with large amounts of food, are a very triggering time, which often cause them to relapse. 

Photo from DESSART// https://www.flickr.com/photos/dessart/

If you or someone you know is feeling anxious about Thanksgiving or other holidays that may lead to symptom use, here are some ideas for how you can remind yourself to be thankful and not shameful on turkey day.
Don't skip breakfast. Just because you may eat more than normal later in the day, don't deprive your body of the nourishment it need to carry on throughout the day. Skipping breakfast will make you hungrier than usual, which will keep food on your mind throughout the day. Have breakfast with a family member or someone who knows what you're going through, and make a game-plan of how you're going to get through the day.

Make a list of everything you're thankful for. This may sound cheesy, but making a list of all the things you're thankful for will help you to remember what this holiday is all about. Plus, pulling your list out when you're struggling with food during the day will help refocus your mind to what's most important in your life.

Make your environment as comfortable as possible. I got out of treatment for my eating disorder about a month before Thanksgiving. Because I was still in a vulnerable state with my eating disorder, my family and I planned tactics in advance about how we could make the day as comfortable as possible for me. This included being a little selfish, which we all have the right to do. Before the day, my mom told all of my family members that I just wanted this to be a normal holiday, meaning I didn't want anyone bringing up my eating disorder or asking how I was doing. I also didn't want Grandma pushing seconds on me and continuing to ask me if I got enough to eat. By being upfront with people about what you need from them, they'll appreciate your honesty and it'll be easier for you to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with your loved ones.

Catch up with friends and family members who you don't usually talk to. Aside from learning more about someone and taking interest in their life, by starting conversations with people you aren't close to, you'll be able to keep your mind off of meal time.

Eat buffet style. Keep all of the food in the kitchen while you and your family and friends sit around the dinner table. This way people can get up when they want more food, instead of passing all of the food around every time someone wants something. Having the food out of sight for you may also help calm any anxiety you may have.

Sit by someone you can confide in at the dinner table. You should go into the meal having a plan, but just in case something doesn't go as planned, sit by someone – maybe a parent, sibling or close friend – who knows you well enough that they know when you are having a hard time with your meal.

Go outside and take a walk to get some fresh air. When you need a break from all of the commotion inside the house, ask someone to go on a walk with you. This will also be a good opportunity for you to get your mind off of the food you ate and keep you from purging or using any other type of symptoms post-meal. Make sure this is just a leisure walk; don't use this as a way to burn off the calories you consumed earlier in the day.

Take some time to reflect on how far you've come. Give yourself some credit for how far you've come in your journey since last year, last month or maybe even just a week ago when you were skeptical about even coming to your family's Thanksgiving celebration. Being surrounded by the ones you love will be a good reminder of what this holiday is all about: being thankful, not feeling shameful for enjoying some of your favorite foods.

Tired of busy city streets, traffic and polluted air? Take a trip to the trails around Stone Arch Bridge, Hennepin Bridge, Heritage Trail, East and West River Parkway, the Greenway, Riverside Park or Prospect Park in Minneapolis. Forget about all of your responsibilities, breathe in the fresh air and take some time to enjoy the beautiful nature around you that often goes unnoticed.

Meghan Peyton on training and dieting–the right way

In late October, I spoke with Meghan Armstrong Peyton, professional runner and collegiate cross country and track and field coach, about how important it is for runners to maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet. Peyton was able to give insight on how she has witnessed–as a coach and in her professional career–disordered eating in runners and the short-term and long-term effects it can have on their careers.

Peyton is a graduate of the University of Iowa, where she was a four-time NCAA Division III All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion and she also set the school record in the 1,500m at 4:17.41. After graduating, Peyton became a member of Team USA Minnesota, which is the team she competes through. She is also a Saucony athlete ambassador.

This week, Peyton talked specifically about the training and nutritional guidelines she advises the runners she coaches to follow, as well as how she makes herself a better runner by preparing for her races.

Diets high in healthy fats and proteins are what Peyton stands by and recommends for her team.  Simple foods that are easy to digest, such as rice, along with vegetables and a lean protein are Peyton’s go-to foods the night prior to a race. She’s also a fan of salads containing avocado, which typically contain all of the food groups.

Peyton coaches at a small, Division III college in Midwest Minnesota. She is the head coach of the college’s men’s and women’s cross country teams, who are preparing for their regional meet, which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14. Shortly after her team’s regional meet, Peyton will be running in the USATF 12k Championships on Sunday, Nov. 15 in Alexandria, VA.

Although Peyton’s training consists of higher mileage and often harder workouts than that of the college team she coaches, her dietary requirements are very similar.

Whether you’re a beginning runner, a Division III collegiate runner or a professional runner, your nutritional needs should never be taken lightly. When you fuel right, you run right, which will make you a happier, more successful runner.

Show your support on EDC Virtual National Lobby Day

Wednesday, Oct. 28 is Eating Disorder Coalition (EDC) Fall Lobby Day. EDC Advocates will meet at the U.S. Capitol to inform elected officials about their legislative goals.

Their main focus for the day will be lobbying for the Anna Westin Act of 2015. If enacted, this act would provide grant programs used to train educators, doctors and mental health workers on how to identify and intervene with an eating disorder when detected in their patients.

It would also decrease the out-of-pocket treatment costs for those affected by the disorders by requiring that insurance plans cover the costs of residential treatment. Anna Westin was diagnosed with anorexia at the age of 16. Even though her health deteriorated quickly while she battled her disorder, she had to wait until her insurance company certified her treatment–ultimately delaying and limiting the amount of treatment she received. The act named in Westin's honor would prevent the avoidable death's of those waiting to seek treatment for their eating disorders.

If you're miles away from Washington, D.C. but still want to take part in EDC Fall Lobby Day, there's still an option for you to make a difference. Advocates all over the country will be calling their members of Congress from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28 asking them to sign onto the Anna Westin Act of 2015. You can join them by following three simple steps.

First, if you're unaware of who your representative and senators are, visit www.house.gov (for your representative) and www.senate.gov (for your senators).

Next, once you've identified your elected officials, locate their contact information on their webpages. Use the phone number listed in their contact information or their Washington, D.C. office phone number.

Once you've placed your call you will speak with a staff member. Tell them that you'd like to speak with the person in their office who handles eating disorder-related issues. You will most likely have to leave a message on someone's voicemail. Not sure what to say in your message? Introduce yourself and inform them about EDC Fall Lobby Day, the Anna Westin Act and how if enacted this act would change the lives of many battling an eating disorder and their families. If you wish, you can share your story about how you've been affected by an eating disorder, and can leave your contact information if you would like to hear back from them.

For more information on what you can do to take part in EDC Fall Lobby Day, send your questions via email at mailto:km@eatingdisorderscoalition.org.

Tips for consoling someone with an eating disorder

I've had experience with trying to say the right thing to someone who is struggling with an eating disorder, as well as attempting to remain as sane as possible when someone offers me advice on dealing with my own recovery process. In either position, giving or receiving advice can be difficult.

Talking about any type of sensitive subject can lead to messy, undesirable situations–but these conversations should be avoided. People struggling with an eating disorder, depression, addiction or any other type of mental illness need to have some type of support system that they can go to release their thoughts and emotions. They need to know that it's okay to express how they're feeling–otherwise, they continue to strengthen their disease by keeping it a secret.

Here are a few tips that I've found to be useful (keep in mind, everyone is different) when trying to comfort someone who comes to you for support when dealing with an eating disorder.

Be empathetic, to a point. It's crucial that you try and empathize for the person that has come to you, so that you can understand what they are going through as much as possible. However, you need to realize that unless you actually have struggled with an eating disorder, there is a limit to how much of the situation you will be able to actually comprehend. Don't say things such as, "I know how you feel," because you most likely do not.

Tread lightly with questions. Since they have come to you for support they should be ready for you to ask questions. You'll need answers in order to be able to be as helpful as you can, but do not ambush them. You need to realize that they are in a fragile state. Your first job is to be a good listener for them, but once they're done sharing their story with you, feel free to ask appropriate questions that'll allow you to understand the situation more in depth.

Avoid ignorant comments. This is often a hard tip to master. It's difficult to know what the right thing to say when a loved one shares this kind of information with us, but here are a few comments that you should avoid at all costs. DO NOT say, "Why can't you just eat normally?" This is an ignorant comment because it puts the blame on them when they did not choose to be affected by this disease. Secondly, it's not that simple. If they knew the answer to this question, they wouldn't be coming to you in the first place.

My biggest support group: my parents.

You should also steer clear of commenting on how you perceive them, for example, "But you're already so skinny," or "I wish I was as small as you are." You can tell them this over and over again, but it won't make any difference. For many people battling an eating disorder, the disease may start off as an attempt to lose weight and change their appearance, but once it festers, it's all about control. These comments will only make the victim of the disease feel more guilty, confused, frustrated and possibly regretful for coming to you in the first place.

Establish a difference between them and the disease–they are not the same. When I was at my very worst during my journey with my eating disorder, my mom was such a good support system for me–mainly because she was able to separate my actions from those of the disease. Instead of blaming me for destroying my body and digestive system, she was able to recognize that I didn't choose this for myself. Rather, she knew that my mind had been taken over by a mental illness, which caused me to think irrationally. She still kept me accountable for fighting the disease and diminishing its power over me, but by telling me that it wasn't my fault that I had developed an eating disorder, I no longer saw myself as the enemy–it was the disease I had to fight, not myself.

Make sure they get the proper help they need. This is the most detrimental piece of advice to follow. Whether it be seeing a therapist, talking with a nutritionist or having an assessment with a doctor that specializes in eating disorders it's crucial that your loved one gets the right treatment they need. Unless you are a trained, professional specialist with eating disorders, you will only be able to support them so much. If they need inpatient-treatment (which requires them to live in a clinic until they are physically and mentally stable) and they're skeptical about putting their life on hold, remind them that the rest of their life can wait, but their health cannot. If they attempt to handle it themselves, defeating their eating disorder will be a much longer process with more likelihood to result in relapsing.

Many young female runners who aren't consuming enough calories to satisfy the physical demands of their sport are suffering from female athlete triad symptom, which can result in low bone density, fatigue and loss of menstrual cycles. Professional runner and coach, Meghan Armstrong Peyton, was able to speak more on how she has witnessed these symptoms in her professional and coaching careers.

Training journals: a way to find what works for you

At the beginning of this cross country season, my team's captains introduced a new requirement that my teammates and I would have to follow: filling out a daily, training journal. With these journals we were to keep a record of what we ran each day and how we felt about the run–mentally and physically, along with keeping track of what we ate each day, if we chose to do so. To keep us accountable, my coach would be checking our written reports once a week.

At first I was a bit skeptical about this new assignment. I hadn't kept a written report of what I ate each day since the Summer of 2015, which ended up with me counting calories and restricting–things that definitely triggered my eating disorder. However, I decided to put my faith in my captains and my coaches and give the journal a try. I had always found writing and journaling to be therapeutic, and I thought this might be similar to that.

After about two months of using a training journal, I would recommend the use of one to any type of runner–beginner or competitive.

I have found my training journal to be very useful in many different ways. First, it's a great way to see what type of training works for you. Each day I log what my workout is, how far I run, how I feel mentally and physically about my run and even what I eat every day. Being as detailed as possible is beneficial to me when I look back on the week and try to determine what I'm doing differently on good days versus bad days.

I'm also fortunate enough to receive weekly feedback from a professional runner–my coach–on my training and meal plan. She takes the time to write notes in my journal on my progress, which means the world to me.

There are various types and brands of training journals, but I personally love the ones my team was assigned. Our journals are called "Believe Training Journals" designed by professional runners, Lauren Fleshman and Roísín McGettigan-Dumas. Inside of this particular journal you'll find inspirational quotes, goal recording sections and more motivational tools.

This journal helps me stay on track, make progress towards accomplishing my goals, stay positive and find out what routines work best for me–as a runner and a recovering bulimic.

Here's a picture of my "Believe Training Journal".

The journal gives you lots of writing space to write down your thoughts, along with boxes for mileage, the date and a place to rate how well your run went.

New legislation introduced to help overcome eating disorders

Earlier this summer, on July 27, Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Kelly Ayotte, Shelley Moore Capito and Tammy Baldwin introduced the Anna Westin Act to bring more awareness to eating disorders in the medical community. This is the first eating disorder legislation proposed by bipartisan sponsorship to be introduced in over a decade.

According to a news release from Klobuchar's official website, the bill will use existing funds to create grant programs to train school personnel, physicians and mental health and public health professionals on how to identify early signs of eating disorders and how to properly care for their victims. The bill also requires that health insurance companies cover residential treatment for eating disorders.

Anna Westin, of Chaska, MN, was diagnosed with anorexia when she was 16-years-old. As Westin's disease progressed, she faced liver malfunction along with dangerously low body temperatures and blood pressure in college. Even though Westin's health was deteriorating quickly, she was refused proper treatment after her family was told that they had to wait for their insurance company to certify Westin's treatment. After fighting the disease for five years, Westin took her own life at 21-years-old – the bill is named in her honor.

Klobuchar and other senators are working together to limit the amount of lives taken by eating disorders, like Westin's. 

My Journey

For those of you who are working to achieve something in your life, you know that the journey ahead of you will be anything but easy. Personally, I am in the process of conquering my most difficult battle: recovering from my eating disorder. Although I am miles ahead of where I was a year ago, the recovery process is long and sometimes brutal, especially because I am also a competitive, collegiate runner.

Runners are encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to achieve better results in their performance. Unfortunately, many runners get caught up in losing weight because of this, which when not handled carefully can be deadly. 

A year ago, I measured how healthy I was based on the number I saw on the scale and how loosely my clothes fit me. After a disappointing year of track in the spring of my freshman year of college, I decided that I was going to lose weight the summer before my sophomore year in order to prepare myself for the upcoming cross country season in the fall. At first, my diet was controlled and fit my nutritional needs, but as I began to see some results, I became obsessed with losing weight. This became my main focus, not becoming a better runner.

My cross country team and I at the beginning of the 2015 season.

As the months went on and the cross country season started in the fall, I had lost about 30 pounds since the previous track season, and I still wasn’t satisfied. I began to take shortcuts in my diet, skipping meals and eventually purging the majority of what I ate. My race times were decreasing, but I was by no means healthy. Eventually, I was forced to end my cross country season early, and was placed in treatment for my eating disorder. The day I was placed in the treatment center, I thought it was the worst day of my life; now I realize it was the best.

After many months of inpatient and outpatient treatment, I am proud to say that my eating disorder is much more controlled than it was a year ago. Although I may not be as fast as I was at my lowest weight, I am much healthier and happier than I have ever been. I thank God to this day that I am able to love myself while doing what I love to do, run.

By writing this blog I hope to let my voice be heard about the dangers of eating disorders, and encourage others to speak up about the trials they may be going through as a runner or victim of an eating disorder. We all have miles to go in our journey, let's move forward together.