You Are So Human
This human thing that we do, is not easy.
It comes with feeling uncomfortable and unnerved and uneasy and scared and angry and happy and sad and frustrated and joyful and all of the human things.
I’ve had a lot of conversations in the last month that have reminded me of how important it is that we remind ourselves and each other that feeling things, uncomfortable things and comfortable things, make us connected and make us human.
Doing a new thing in recovery and feeling anxious AF? Human.
Taking space from a human who isn’t good for your sense of self and feeling crappy about it? Human.
Struggling to follow through on a plan that you made in supporting your self-care because it challenges you? Human.
Feeling unable to break out of the closet of diet culture? Human.
Feeling so frustrated by the fight that you want to quit? Human.
We are a lot of things. But the prerequisite to being any of them is to be human.
How will you show up as a human today?
OR
Tag a human who needs the reminder that it’s alright to be human, too.
#humanity #human #antidiet #intuitiveeating #wellness #eatingdisorderrecovery #need #haes #dietculture #selfcare #wholelifenutrition
Here To Learn
Anti-oppression is not about picking and choosing.
Here to learn.
I want to feel uneasy as a learner. To examine things I have not in the past. To hold my eyes open when I might feel more comfortable with them shut. I want to be corrected and called in and held accountable.
Instagram has introduced me to incredible teachers. That’s so cool.
BIG LOVE TO — @rachel.cargle @yrfatfriend @sonyareneetaylor @pinkmantaray @meg.boggs @sitting_pretty @ijeomaoluo @ihartericka @mattmcgorry @thefatsextherapist
Who are your most important teachers?
↓↓↓
I want to know them. To read their work and hear their words. I want to support their efforts.
#haes #weightstigma #oppression #sexism #patriarchy #disability #racism #fightthepatriarchy #lgbtrights #disabilityrights #fatpositive #fatactivism #activism #blacklivesmatter #eatingdisorderrecovery #blackhistorymonth #healthateverysize
Take Back Your Power
If you have access to food, the odds that food selection is the key to your wellness is very, very low...seriously.
Wellness culture wants you to react instead of respond.
≫Reactions come from a place of fear or anger or anxiety or stress.
≫Responses come after the feeling. They come from experience and patience and knowing ourselves.
Eat food you enjoy.
Response not reaction.
Eat food that makes you feel well. Response not reaction.
Don’t eat food that makes you feel poorly.
Response not reaction.
Food matters. But not as much as wellness culture claims that it does.
TAKE BACK YOUR POWER.
Respond, mind the reactivity.
#eat #metabolism #antidiet #Diet #food #foodmatters #EatingDisorderRecovery #BingeEatingDisorderRecovery #BingeEatingDisorder #OSFEDRecovery #OSFED #Bulimia #BulimiaRecovery#Anorexia #AnorexiaRecovery #ARFIDRecovery #ARFID #intuitiveeating #Orthorexia #orthorexiarecovery #Selfcare #fatpositive #haes #healthateverysize #wellness #antidietdietitian #bodytrust
"But you don't look like you have an eating disorder..."
“But you don’t look like you have an eating disorder....”
I hate that people say things like this. I’m sorry if something like this has been said to you. I can’t tell you the number of times, nor the number of stories, that I have been told with “you don’t look like you have an eating disorder,” as the punchline. What a punch in the gut.
As to suggest that there is one body shape and size that means eating disorder. As to suggest that there is one body shape and size that denotes suffering. As to suggest that societal standards of body ideals are feasible or practical or reasonable. As to suggest that being told that one’s appearance doesn’t line up with someone else’s stereotypical views will leave a human feeling good. (It won’t.) As to suggest that this statement is not steeped in weight bias. As to suggest that this statement is not dripping in fatphobia. As to suggest that this statement is not colored by racism and gender stereotypes. As to suggest that this statement is not deeply tied to diet and wellness culture.
As to suggest that this is a statement that should ever be made.
Eating disorders are largely invisible illnesses. The suggestion that there is one way to suffer is insulting and ridiculous and unequivocally untrue.
I don’t care what your body looks like.
If you are struggling, you deserve help.
I don’t care what your body looks like.
Your body is the least interesting thing about you.
I don’t care what your body looks like.
If you have an eating disorder self, you also have a healthy self.
I don’t care what your body looks like.
Because you have a healthy self, you can find life outside of an eating disorder.
I don’t care what your body looks like. Your story is valid. I SEE YOU. And I’m so glad to be here with you.
#comeasyouare #eatingdisorderawareness #nedaweek #nedawarenessweek #nedawareness #nedawarenessweek2020 #eatingdisorderecovery #edrecovery #bodyimage #anorexia #bulimia #orthorexia #arfid #osfed #bingeeating #pica #nourishnotpunish #dietitiansofinstagram #allbodiesaregoodbodies #haes
Enjoying ______? Cool.
Enjoy football? Cool.
Enjoying food? Cool.
Celebrating? Cool.
Not celebrating? Cool.
Watching the game? Cool.
Not watching the game? Cool.
Eating special food? Cool. Your body has your back.
Not eating special food? Cool. Your body has your back.
Drinking? Cool. Be safe.
Choosing not to drink despite the irritatingly sexist ads that urge you to “do so responsibly?” Cool.
The Super Bowl is a football game. It will introduce us to commercials that we will see for the next several months. It will definitely include those stupid beer commercials with the squires and knights. Probably Flo will make an appearance. It will probably include a lot of commercials for trucks because you know, people who watch football drive them…
It will probably have its fair share of diet culture mumbo-jumbo. Please, please, please do your best to keep this in the rearview. Diet culture makes money on making people feel like shit. Period.
I’m watching the game casually. My partner and my dog. No booze and no special food. And I’m probably going to record every commercial that makes me feel offended and then share the WHY I’m offended with you...TBD.
You made it through the holidays, fam. You survived the start of 2020! You’re okay! Better than okay. You’re amazing.
And you can absolutely make it through a football game. 🏈 Thinking of you!
#superbowl #superbowlfood #superbowlcommercials #superbowlguilt #dietculturesucks #eatwhatyouenjoy #football #sports #eatingdisorderrecovery #bingeeating #bulimia #orthorexia #arfid #osfed #anorexia #food #eatwhatyoulove #todayisaday #antidiet #dietitiansofinstagram #rdchat #rd2be
What Makes for a Healthy Food?
What makes for a healthy food?
Food that is culturally appropriate.
Food that feels good in your body.
Food that is accessible.
Food that tastes good.
Food that is safe.
Moral of the story? It is so much less about vitamins and minerals and macros and ‘health promotion’ and foods with capes, and so much more about everything else.
Eating is personal. And made less pleasant by outside noise.
Be gentle this weekend, my friends.
#nutrition #nourish #food #eatingdisorderrecovery #heal #selfcare #intuitiveeating #antidiet #diet #dietculture #bodytrust #bodyautonomy #culturalcompetency #culture #wellness #selfcare
It's Called Balance
It’s called balance. More appropriately, it’s called homeostasis. Your body loves it and will do whatever it can to achieve it.
I am so tired of the cultural elevation one type of eating disorder behavior while condemning others. These behaviors occur in concert with one another.
This is not about willpower.
This is not about effort.
This is not about not wanting it enough.
This is about maintaining equilibrium. If you have been stuck on the pendulum of diet or disorder, swinging from one end to another, for a period of time, please be gentle with yourself.
Extremes beget extremes.
Be gentle. YOU’RE SO HUMAN.
#EatingDisorderRecovery #EatingDisorderDietitian #antidiet #weightloss #weightgain #weightneutral #bodytrust #AnorexiaRecovery #anorexia #bulimia #osfed #arfid #bingeeatingdisorder #BingeEatingDisorderRecovery #orthorexia #orthorexiarecovery #BulimiaRecovery #0SFEDRecovery #ARFIDRecovery #wellness #fitness #bodyautonomy #exercise #balance
You Don't Need to Watch
You don’t need to watch food documentaries.
You don’t need to watch movement documentaries.
You don’t need to watch the @goop series.
You don’t need to accept information gleaned from @netflix as gospel.
IT. IS. NOT.
Good filmmaking is designed to get your attention. It is designed to change your mind. Or make you think or feel. It is designed to make you talk about it. This is the reason that @whentheyseeus was so effective and has been handsomely rewarded, accordingly.
This is also the reason that @gamechangersmovie made waves without great science to support its message.
I’ve treated hundreds of folks who have described reduced self-trust, increased fear, inflammation of anxiety, and the development of disordered patterns after watching effective documentaries.
I am not here to tell you what to watch.
Free will is yours, of course. I am here to support you in trusting your instincts in not watching a thing that might leave you vulnerable.
Not watching as self-protection is okay.
Linking to a very important essay on documentary how-to, in stories. Thanks, @gofeedyourself_ for the tip!!
#selfcare #eatingdisorderrecovery #eatingdisorderprevention #media #orthorexia #orthorexiarecovery #bingeeatingrecovery #bingeeating #bulimiarecovery #bulimia #osfed #osfedrecovery #arfid #arfidrecovery #anorexia #anorexiarecovery #haes #antidiet #bodyautonomy #dietitiansofinstagram #rdchat #rd2be #science #documentary #safemedia
Hey 50K!
Hey friends!
It’s been a while, so it makes sense to do another introduction! And somehow, we just hit 50K! WOWWWW.
I am so very grateful that you are here.
My name is Anna. I am an anti-diet, Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian and Supervisor, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and specialize in the treatment of eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image distress.
I talk a lot about eating disorder recovery, diet culture, body reclamation, and why-I-hate-wellness-culture here. I also talk about the realities of living as a disabled human and as a human with a chronic illness.
Increasingly, get ready for this page to be about social justice. Of all kinds. I do not believe that being selectively woke is particularly helpful to anyone. I’m evaluating how I want to show up in the world, and in doing so, plan on sharing what I learn as I go.
I never dreamed of having a social media family like this. And while social media will never take the place of individualized nutrition support, I am delighted to be here, to be human, with you. Your presence here makes a difference, in this community, and to me. So from the deepest of the deep, thank you.
On a personal note, I don’t believe in fate, but I do believe that I was made to do this job.
I would not trade this for the world.
I became an eating disorder dietitian because someone I love lived with an eating disorder. In the last 11 years, I have worked at all levels of eating disorder care, and now exclusively in private practice. I have treated many thousands of people. I remember a lot of names and even more faces.
Thank you for being the greatest of teachers. You’ve made this hard work worth everything.
Instagram fam, YOU, have made me certain that I will be able to continue to do this work I do love, regardless of my degree of disability. What a gift.
I’m deeply honored that you’ve chosen to hang with me. Connecting on social media is a big deal and one that I take very seriously. Look forward to getting to know you!
#disableddietititian #antidiet #haes #eatingdisorderdietitian #ms #dietitiansofinstagram #disabled #disability #ilovemyjob #gratitude 📸 @rachlynsey
You Can Do Hard Things
No one asks for an eating disorder.
No one chooses to develop an eating disorder.
Eating disorders happen, not by choice.
Recovery happens, by virtue of countless choices.
Getting out of an eating disorder means actively choosing to move toward recovery. It means doing the next hard thing. Over and over and over again.
Choose you.
Choose that which frustrates your eating disorder.
Choose that which makes your eating disorder uncomfortable.
Choose the harder thing. Then do it again. You’re worth the time.
What are you most looking forward to being able to do in recovery?
YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS.
#EatingDisorderRecovery #EatingDisorderDietitian #Healing #HealingHappens #Recovery #AnorexiaRecovery #anorexia #bulimia #osfed #arfid #bingeeatingdisorder #orthorexia #BulimiaRecovery #0SFEDRecovery #ARFIDRecovery #wellness #fitness #dietrecovery #diet #BingeEatingDisorderRecovery
#orthorexiarecovery #antidiet #haes #eatingdisorderdietitian