The Eating Disorder Therapist

My First Experience of HYROX and Navigating a Healthy Relationship with Movement

In this week's episode, I talk about my first experience of HYROX with my friend, Jayne Hartley. I tell you about our day out together and navigating the highs and lows of this! I explore how I have a healthy relationship with movement after recovering from an eating disorder and offer tips on how you can achieve this too. This episode will particularly reasonate with you, if you struggle from an all-or-nothing relationship with exercise, moving between compulsive exercise patterns or maybe avoiding movement altogether. I hope that you enjoy it!

 

 

This week's sponsor:  Amber Romaniuk

Website: https://amberapproved.ca/

Links for MasterMind

https://amberapproved.ca/online-programs

https://amber-romaniuk.mykajabi.com/triggers-Mastermind

 

 

7 Tips on Navigating Sexual Desire, Intimacy and Connection in Eating Disorder Recovery

Another Bite Size episode!

When you are suffering with an eating disorder, your desire, libido and want for intimate connection can all diminish significantly. This can be hugely problematic for your romantic relationship and can bring frustration and discontent on both sides.

In this episode, I firstly explore the impact of an eating disorder on your body, both physically and mentally. I then consider 7 tips to help you re-establish desire and intimacy with your partner, and to navigate the inevitable road bumps in dealing with body image and self-worth along the way.

I hope that you find this helpful.

Slaying Monsters, Dodging Doughnuts - A Mother’s Journey in Supporting her Daughter through Anorexia Recovery, with Emma Carter

Today I’m talking to Emma Carter – author, mother, emotional coach and therapist. Emma was born in a small town in South Wales and now lives in Derbyshire with her two children, a cat who likes nothing more than jumping on her laptop when she is working, and her scruffy but adorable dog who melts everyone’s heart.

Emma has always been passionate about helping others, which led her into a career in healthcare. Continuously searching for solutions to help her daughter, who was suffering from anorexia nervosa, she has completed several courses and gained a better understanding of mental health illnesses and eating disorders. This ignited a fire in her belly to make a difference and she is now a trained emotional coach and therapist.

By listening to other parents and carers, Emma saw a need to share her story by writing a book – Slaying Monsters, Dodging Doughtnuts. Writing this book has been a cathartic way to help her deal with her daughter developing anorexia and she hopes that it will offer support to others on the same path.

Emma admits to being a fan of Welsh rugby and loves watching matches with her family, particularly if they win. When she is not writing or supporting her daughter, she enjoys spending time outdoors, walking her dog and taking photographs.

In the episode today, you’ll hear all about Emma’s ongoing journey in supporting her daughter through anorexia nervosa. Emma shares openly her coping strategies for staying sane. She talks about mistakes she’s made and what has helped most. This is an incredible conversation and will be hugely inspiring and supportive for anyone listening who is supporting someone with an eating disorder.  I hope that you find it helpful.

To get in touch with Emma or buy her book: -

https://emmacarter.co.uk/

 

Living with a Long Term Eating Disorder. 6 Tips for Coping and Overcoming this

This episode is all about living with a long-term/chronic eating disorder. Caroline Drummond-Smith has contributed to this, having lived-experience, and making a full recovery from anorexia, following several decades of suffering. Recovery is possible at any point. Never give up hope. I hope that this episode offers you some inspiration and motivation for change.

Information about the contributor, Caroline Drummond-Smith, (Zest Health Coaching)

Instagram @zesthealthcoaching

Website: https://www.zesthealthcoaching.co.uk/

 

From Six Pack Abs and Weight Loss, to Movement and Mental Wellbeing, with Katie Bramlett (WeShape)

Today I’m talking to Katie Bramlett. Katie and her husband started WeShape – a movement-based fitness product, inspired with the intention of advocating for people to stop focusing on the number on the scale and instead put their energy and efforts towards something more meaningful. Katie had worked previously in the more traditional fitness space and had built a very successful business promoting six-pack abs and weight loss. However, something didn’t feel right. Although Katie was outwardly successful, earning money and being ‘healthy’, deep down, she felt out of balance with her deepest values.

Katie too the brave decision to step away from her thriving business. She felt pulled towards authenticity, meaningful movement and a broader picture of wellbeing, health and self-worth.

Weshape’s entire product is rooted in intention, movement, community, and beliefs. Katie has a passion for bringing awareness to the toxic expectations placed on people in the fitness industry and believes that if we all unsubscribe to these messages, we can pave a new path that's rooted in self-acceptance, care, and kindness.

In this episode today, you’ll hear about Katie’s story from traditional fitness into something more meaningful. We’re going to talk how to defeat and break down toxic weight loss culture, particularly looking at the fitness industry. Katie is going to talk about how to stop living in a constant state of vanity and body preoccupation. She is going to explore the steps we can take to move towards true connection with the self and finding happiness and self-love.

I hope that you enjoy the conversation.

To find out more about Katie and WeShape: -

Social media channels and podcast:

@weshape @weshapepodcast 

This week's sponsor: Altum Health https://www.altumhealth.co.uk/

 

How to Stop Calorie Counting, Tracking and Obsessing Over Every Gram of Food

A Bite Size episode that has ended up being not very Bite Size!!

All about moving away from tracking, counting calories and obsessing over every gram of food. This episode explores practical tips but also looks at the deeper issues that may be blocking change.

I hope that you enjoy it.

5 Ways Towards Understanding and Interrupting your Binge Eating

Today is an old episode that I am sharing with you again.

This episode is about binge eating - a behaviour that can be seen across all the eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and OSFED). I see a binge as an end point coping strategy, following a series of cumulative triggers, which are often out of awareness. The binge can offer relief, escape, numbing, fleeting euphoria and more. Of course, these impacts are short lasting and lead to detrimental impacts on mental and physical well-being. 

I talk about 5 ways to understand your binge eating better and how to begin to change this.  I explore dietary restraint, physical and mental restriction, regular eating, self-soothing and self-care, body image, low mood and developing deeper awareness of your thoughts and feelings.This episode will support you in understanding and unpacking your binge eating, to empower you to take the first steps towards change. I hope that you enjoy it.  

This episode is brought to you by Altum Health - https://www.altumhealth.co.uk/

 

Help! How can I Support my Child to Develop a Healthy Relationship with Food?

A Bite Size episode.

It can feel like an insurmountable task to ‘get it right’ with your child in helping them to develop a healthy body image and balanced eating habits. On the one hand, we hear daily scaremongering news of the dangers of your child becoming overweight or eating too much sugar. Simultaneously, we are also terrified of our child developing an eating disorder and becoming too thin or disordered eating habits.  The culture and environment do not support our efforts, with tasty, processed food available in abundance, whilst we at the same time we continue to be bombarded by perfect social-media images. This discrepancy alone creates an unhelpful backdrop for trying to develop healthy attitudes towards body image and eating.  

In this episode, I explore some ways to support your child through all of this. I hope that you find it helpful

Gay Men and Body Image, Unrealistic Standards, Steroids, Porn and Social Media, with Jack Rose

Today I’m talking to Jack Rose, a 25 year old, gay man who is a trainee therapist in Integrative Therapy at Bangor University in Wales. He is currently living in Manchester, a city with a large LGBT population.. Jack previously graduated with a 2:1 in Psychology, with counselling and psychotherapy from Manchester metropolitan University. 

Jack’s undergraduate research was focused on gay men’s perception of self (body image) and the influence that porn plays on formation and maintenance of body image among gay men. This was a qualitative study that was analysed using thematic analysis. 

In the episode today, Jack shares insights into understanding and improving awareness of body image concerns amongst gay men. He talks about unrealistic body standards and the pressures felt in this population. Jack talks about his own journey and what has motivated him to delve deeply into this area of work. He talks about the impact of porn, social media, steroid use and education (or lack of).  He shares about his current research exploring specifically  LGBT perceptions of their therapist and if they perceive them as more competent if they share a sexuality. It’s a fascinating conversation and I hope that you find it helpful.

To find out more about Jack: -

Facebook Jackrose

Twitter @itsjackrose

Tiktok @jackofalltrades911

Living with Chronic Illness and an Eating Disorder - Tips for Coping

A Bite Size episode. A question this week from a listener, all about living with chronic illness and an eating disorder. This episode has mainly been created by my listener, Lauren. She shares the grief in coming to terms with the limitations imposed on her life through illness, and moving to find her own acceptance and peace. I hope that you find it helpful.