Body Image, Feelings Brenna Barnard, LMHCA Body Image, Feelings Brenna Barnard, LMHCA

Fat is Not a Feeling

Since “fat” is NOT actually a feeling, when you identify and express your feelings with this label, it can be not only unhelpful and inaccurate but also problematic. Since we, unfortunately, exist within a fatphobic society (read: diet culture), it is not uncommon to have negative associations tied to what “fat” means or represents to you. Most of us have been taught that “fat” is bad, unhealthy, lazy, or even unsuccessful - very harsh labels to attach to a person simply based on their body size (which dismisses major components of body size such as genetics). When people are dealing with difficult feelings, encounter experiences that trigger insecurities/tap into emotional wounds, or worry about being viewed in such a negative light by others or themselves, it could be masked with the label of “fat”.

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education, Diabetes, Weight Stigma Allison Neal, RD education, Diabetes, Weight Stigma Allison Neal, RD

Diabetes 202

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, or T2DM accounts for 90-95% of diabetic diagnoses. T2DM used to be referred to as “adult-onset diabetes”, but children and teens can be affected as well. This is a condition in which insulin is being made, but over time, the body stops being able to use insulin as effectively. 

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Body Image, Body Awareness Brenna Barnard, LMHCA Body Image, Body Awareness Brenna Barnard, LMHCA

What is Body Neutrality?

Body neutrality is an alternate approach to body positivity that tells us that our bodies are neither bad nor good, they just are. Body neutrality emphasizes the idea that our bodies’ purpose is rooted more in the functionality of living (aka carrying us through life) versus being an indicator of the quality of human we are or how we are doing in life (Horn, 2021).

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Ozempic and Eating Disorders

Research shows both losing weight and restrictive dieting increase the risk for eating disorders. Many assume a restrictive diet has a name, rules, and a specific duration, but the term “restrictive diet” simply refers to eating less than your body needs. Not only are GLP-1’s prescribed in addition to restrictive diets, but they also make following a restrictive diet much easier due to their mechanism of action: extreme appetite suppression and delayed gastric emptying.

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education Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW education Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW

Bulimia Nervosa

Today, we are revisiting and updating our post on Bulimia Nervosa. Bulimia is one of the more well-known eating disorders, impacting 1.5% of women in their lifetime and 0.5% of men [6]. Like other eating disorders, bulimia nervosa impacts individuals across the race, gender, sexuality, and ability spectrum. The lifetime prevalence of bulimia in trans men is 3.2% and trans women 2.9%, with Black teens being 50% more likely to develop bulimia than their white counterparts [7]. In this post, we are reviewing the diagnostic criteria, symptoms, medical complications, and treatment.

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Intuitive Eating, education Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW Intuitive Eating, education Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW

How to Become an Intuitive Eater

Have you ever wondered how to become an Intuitive Eater? The principles seem easy enough to understand, but in diet culture, it can also be really easy to turn the Intuitive Eating principles into a diet. Today, we are unpacking how to become an Intuitive Eater and addressing a variety of myths, barriers, and important things to know.

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Allison Neal, RD Allison Neal, RD

What’s the Deal with Weight Loss Injections?

Weight loss injections have consistently increased in popularity for the last few years. So how did we go from a medication being used to manage blood sugar to being used as the punchline of every joke this award season? The weight loss injections we’ll be discussing today all fall under the class of GLP-1 receptor agonists. You may have heard various drug names like semaglutide, liraglutide, or tirzepatide, or popular brand names like Ozempic, Wegovy, or Mounjaro, though there are several more.

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Allison Neal, RD Allison Neal, RD

Diabetes 101

Diabetes and prediabetes have been hot topics in the wellness industry these days, and maybe for good reason: the estimated cost of diabetes in the US was more than $400 billion in 2022. We hear more and more about blood sugar control and insulin resistance on social media, from fitness professionals, family members, and maybe even from our doctors. So, what do you need to know?

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Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW

What Kind of Eater Are You?

Welcome to National Nutrition Month! Today’s post is fitting as we will be exploring different eating styles or personalities. Whether you are a [Careful] Clean Eater, Unconscious Eater, or a unique combination of a few different styles, we have all the details!

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Treatment Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW Treatment Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW

Barriers to Eating Disorder Treatment and Care

Happy Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2024! In our last blog post, Brenna shared the different levels of care available for eating disorder treatment. While having different levels of care is helpful, there are quite a few barriers that keep those with eating disorders from seeking treatment on their recovery journey. This is not an exhaustive list, but we hope it can increase your awareness and propel you to learn more.

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Treatment Brenna Barnard, LMHCA Treatment Brenna Barnard, LMHCA

Eating Disorder Levels of Care

You are thinking about getting help for your relationship with food and/or your body. This is no small feat! There is much to be proud of here, especially in a diet-culture-saturated society. Thankfully, there are plenty of options or ways to get help for your specific experience. A range of care exists to meet your needs, so to decide what might be the best for you, it can be helpful to learn more about what options do exist!

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Brenna Barnard, LMHCA Brenna Barnard, LMHCA

Understand the Restrict/Binge Cycle

To struggle with your eating behavior can be so difficult, isolating, scary, and confusing! Not to mention all of the messages that exist within our society that tell us how we “should” be eating, what we should avoid, how often we should be eating, etc. It is absolutely exhausting. The more you learn about yourself, your body, and your own eating patterns, you will find emotions play a role.

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holidays Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW holidays Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW

Our Favorite Tips for Navigating the Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us! While the holiday season brings joy, excitement, rest, rejuvenation, gratitude, time with family, and more, it can also bring on feelings of anxiety and fear around food, exercise, and the body. Today, we are sharing some of our favorite tips (from some of our favorite providers) for navigating and supporting yourself this holiday season!

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HAES, Body Awareness Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW HAES, Body Awareness Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW

Principles of Health At Every Size® (HAES)

As an outpatient practice made up of dietitians and therapists specializing in eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image, our clinicians operate from a Health At Every Size® (HAES) approach. HAES is an approach to health that is counter to diet culture, as it aims to address biases, challenge stigma and discrimination, provide education, and more. Today, we are reviewing what Health At Every Size® is, why it’s important, and how you can learn more.

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For Loved Ones Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW For Loved Ones Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW

10 Things Eating Disorder Clinicians Want Parents to Know About Their Child’s Eating Disorder

As outpatient clinicians, we work with a variety of individuals, including adolescents, which often means working with parents and/or caregivers, as well. We understand how challenging it can be to help your child navigate eating disorder treatment and recovery and support them through the process. Today, we want to share 10 things eating disorder clinicians want parents and/or caregivers to know about their child’s eating disorder.

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Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW

What is Diet Culture?

Diet culture is a well-used term in the eating disorder/anti-diet space. Today we are revisiting an old post on diet culture, sharing updated information, and new insights so you can better understand and identify how diet culture shows up in your life.

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Intuitive Eating Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW Intuitive Eating Jen Elliott, MSW, LSW

Understanding the Different Types of Hunger

Did you know that there are multiple types of hunger? Honoring hunger is an important principle in the Intuitive Eating framework and it discusses 4 different types of hunger that we can experience. In the past, we’ve discussed how to honor your hunger, but today we are diving into the different types of hunger and how to distinguish between the different types.

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