Beliefs holding you back from full recovery

limiting beliefs

Three limiting beliefs your eating disorder has you believe

 

Recovery is hard enough as it is, not to mention when we hold unhelpful limiting beliefs that prevent us from reaching our full potential.

A limiting belief is a state of mind, conviction, or belief that you think to be true that limits you in some way.

We work with hundreds of clients who feel limited in their recovery due to these beliefs. Whilst, of course, we are all unique, there are some common limiting beliefs that many of our client’s experience. 

In today’s blog we are going to explore a handful of these beliefs and hopefully shed some light on why they are worth reframing. Because after all, beliefs are ever-evolving – not static.  

 

#1 FULL RECOVERY ISN’T POSSIBLE

Let’s start by saying… full recovery IS possible and it’s never too late to begin!

Why do we feel so strongly about this? Because we witness this possibility every day and research says it is, too.

With the right support and willingness to make change, you CAN recover.

What is full recovery?

It could be defined as an improved quality of life due to being free of all eating disorder symptoms and returning to a healthier body weight (if underweight). Beliefs and attitudes about body image, food and exercise are also normalised and healthy.

Factors that make it more challenging:

  • Not being aware of the eating disorder or of having a problem: If you’re here reading this, this likely isn’t you! Therefore, the world is your oyster! For those that are not aware, the right medical support is needed to ensure they are stabilised and then there is scope for engaging in recovery. 
  • Severity and duration of the eating disorder: The longer and more severely you have lived with your eating disorder the longer it may take to recover. But don’t let that put you off. Think about how much your life is impacted by the eating disorder – do you really want that to continue into your future? How much longer can this go on? You’ve got a life to live!
  • Anxiety or depression: Eating disorders often present with anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)1,2,3. Therefore, to recover fully it can be helpful to have the right therapeutic interventions to deal with the anxiety and/or depression alongside the eating disorder.
  • Low self-esteem and perfectionism: It have been shown that some of the maintaining factors of an eating disorder are underlying clinical perfectionism and low-self-esteem4. This tells us how engaging in a therapy is helpful to address underlying causes. 

 

#2 I WANT TO RECOVER IN A “HEALTHY” WAY

You want to have a go at recovery, but don’t want to eat that because it’s “not healthy”, right?

Holding onto “healthy” or “clean” eating is keeping you trapped. Healthy/clean eating in the context of eating disorder recovery is likely just a restriction dressed up with a halo.

We have to be very careful of this, because we also run the risk of recovering from one eating disorder into another – for example, from anorexia into orthorexia. This is NOT a good thing. It can be just as harmful and is not freedom!

Healthy eating has many definitions. It is perceived as a “good thing to do” in society and therefore if we suggest that our choices are based on “healthy eating” then it can be a get out of jail card for the eating disorder, and it can continue to go under the radar.

What do we know about the eating disorder staying under the radar?

Eating disorders THRIVE in isolation. If you are not allowing yourself to be honest with your intentions for healthy or clean eating, you are not allowing yourself to find food freedom.

It’s immensely important to challenge ALL foods as part of your recovery – including “fun foods”. If this doesn’t happen, food fears will continue to creep in and limit you from living a full life.

 

#3 I WANT TO RECOVER, BUT STILL BE IN CONTROL OF MY WEIGHT

In order to fully recover, we need to be able to accept that our body will change. Our body’s weight will change across our life. If we are still gripping onto the idea that we can “stay skinny” or “not gain any more weight” then we are letting our eating disorder control us.

The desire to still be in control of weight is driven by FEAR. We are scared. We fear what weight gain might look like, people’s opinions, what it might feel like, and what it may mean about us.

In order to overcome the fear of weight gain, we have to stop and move away from any weight-controlling behaviours. This is absolutely necessary. Every time we engage in weight control behaviour, we teach our brain that it needs to be afraid of weight change and that keeps us trapped in a negative loop of other unhelpful eating disorder behaviours such as the restriction-binge cycle or purging and over-exercise.

When we learn to let go of the control of our weight, we make room for SO MUCH more in our life. How much time a day do you spend thinking about your weight or ways to control it? Yes, too much. What else could you do with that time? Imagine the possibilities!

Your weight is the least interesting thing about you. Don’t give it so much of your energy. You are a whole person, you have so much to give to the world – the world needs that.

To learn more about how our dietitians can support you in your eating disorder recovery, book a free discovery call.

Zoe Light, RD

EHL Team x

 

 

 

References: 

  1. Godart N.T., Flament M.F., Perdereau F., Jeammet P. Comorbidity between eating disorders and anxiety disorders: A review. Int. J. Eat. Disord. 2002;32:253–270. doi: 10.1002/eat.10096.
  2. Godart N.T., Perdereau F., Rein Z., Berthoz S., Wallier J., Jeammet P., Flament M.F. Comorbidity studies of eating disorders and mood disorders. Critical review of the literature. J. Affect. Disord. 2007;97:37–49. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2006.06.023
  3. Garcia S.C., Mikhail M.E., Keel P.K., Burt S.A., Neale M.C., Boker S., Klump K.L. Increased rates of eating disorders and their symptoms in women with major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. Int. J. Eat. Disord. 2020;53:1844–1854. doi: 10.1002/eat.23366
  4. Fairburn C.G., Cooper Z., Shafran R. Cognitive behaviour therapy for eating disorders: A “transdiagnostic” theory and treatment. Behav. Res. Ther. 2003;41:509–528. doi: 10.1016/S0005-7967(02)00088-8

 

The power of yoga in eating disorder recovery

yoga and eating disorders

Yoga as an embodiment practice

 

There is a growing interest in the benefits of practicing yoga for those struggling with an eating disorder. You might be wondering how a form of exercise could help with eating disorder recovery – however yoga is about so much more than moving from pose to pose or sitting cross legged on the floor. By promoting slowing down and turning the awareness inwards, yoga encourages a harmony between the mind and body that is lost through the eating disorder.

In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into the benefits of yoga in eating disorder recovery and the evidence supporting it.

 

What does the research say?

There is plenty of evidence supporting the benefits of yoga in eating disorder recovery. To describe a few…

One study of a group of women with Bulimia Nervosa or EDNOS found a significant decrease in eating disorder psychopathology after six months of twice-weekly yoga classes.1 The most significant impact was seen in a reduction in eating concern, weight concern and restriction.

Similarly, a study of women between the ages of 18-30 found a reduction in body-image dissatisfaction and spent less time focused on their appearance when they practiced yoga twice a week for twelve weeks.2

Another small study of adolescents with an eating disorder being treated as outpatients found a significant decrease in anxiety, depression, and body image disturbance after completing a weekly yoga class for twelve weeks.3

 

What is it about yoga that supports recovery?

Yoga can be uncomfortable, both physically and emotionally. By offering a safe space that is free of distraction, there is the opportunity to process and release emotions that may have been pushed down for a long time or coped with through the eating disorder. You might also find you can prove to yourself that you can survive hard things and that discomfort will pass. Learning to sit with discomfort and respond to your feelings rather than react are key skills for eating disorder recovery, as they allow you to navigate the urge to engage in disordered behaviours.

Another idea that is emphasised in most yoga classes is meeting yourself where you’re at. This means not comparing yourself to others, or even to your own “best self”. Instead, yoga encourages you listen to your body in any given moment, and to give it what it needs. Some days your healthy self will want a little more movement; some days it will need rest. Both are okay!

We said earlier that yoga is not just about the poses, but they have their place too! Moving (or holding still) with mindful intention allows you to connect in with your body without any focus on appearance. Despite an often-obsessive focus on the body, eating disorders leave us feeling incredibly numb and disconnected from our physical selves. Too often, we treat the body like the problem, when reconnecting with it can actually be the solution.

 

What should I look for in a yoga class?

Not every yoga class is going to be helpful, especially in the early stages of recovery. Choose classes that are gentle and focused on relaxation and stretching rather than more intensive movement. These classes are sometimes called “Yin yoga” or “restorative yoga”. Yoga classes that are trauma-informed, or even specifically directed towards eating disorder recovery are also out there – we suggest Googling what is available in your area.

Like almost all good things, diet culture has unfortunately found its way into some parts of the yoga community. While many studios are “safe” spaces, not all will be. Have a look at their website and social media to see what kind of messaging they promote and avoid any that refer to using exercise or food to change your physical appearance.

It should also be noted explicitly that while we obviously believe in the power of yoga in supporting eating disorder recovery, it should be practiced in combination with other treatment modalities and should NOT replace traditional evidence-based treatments. Make sure you discuss with your team before you introduce any exercise!

To learn more about how our dietitians can support you in your eating disorder recovery, book a free discovery call.

 

Karli Battaglia, APD

EHL Team x

 

References

1. Karlsen K, Vrabel K, Bratland-Sanda S, Ulleberg P, Benum K. Effect of yoga in the treatment of eating disorders: A single-blinded randomized controlled trial with 6-months follow-up. International Journal of Yoga. 2018;11(2):166.

2. Ariel-Donges A, Gordon E, Bauman V, Perri M. Does Yoga Help College-Aged Women with Body-Image Dissatisfaction Feel Better About Their Bodies?. Sex Roles. 2018;80(1-2):41-51.

3. Hall A, Ofei-Tenkorang N, Machan J, Gordon C. Use of yoga in outpatient eating disorder treatment: a pilot study. Journal of Eating Disorders. 2016;4(1).

 

Why ‘calories in, calories out’ is oversimplified

calories in calories out

How energy balance is oversimplified and what to consider instead.

 

The ‘calories in, calories out’ model suggests that the number of calories consumed must equal the calories expended to maintain a stable weight and have good health. You have likely heard this before, and perhaps it even unknowingly has made you feel guilty for consuming a large meal or not feeling up for a workout. 

However, there are many points we want to highlight that make this statement grossly inaccurate and oversimplified. This infamous statement is so popularised by the pesky perils of diet culture, making it easy to forget all of the other factors that play a role in our health and wellbeing. 

You may have read our previous blogs on why calorie counting doesn’t serve you and how to stop calorie counting. Here are three reasons why there is MUCH more to the ‘calories in, calories out’ equation, and what you can think about instead:

 

Nutrients, not numbers 

Food is much more nuanced than we think. First, it’s important to remember that all food has some nutrition, and no food has zero nutritional value. So yes, a cookie may not seem like the ‘healthiest’ option out there – but it probably is packed full of satisfying carbohydrates, energy-boosting sugars, iron and B vitamins in the flour. 

When we break it down, a calorie is a universal unit of energy across all food and drink.

However, this doesn’t mean that calories from one food will give us the same amount of nutrition as it may from another – it’s important to consider the nutritional profile of the food too.

To offer an example, glucose and fructose are both sugars with similar calorific quantities but are metabolised and work in very different ways. They may have quite distinct effects on our blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and cholesterol levels. (1)

Calories of differing sources may also affect our appetite differently. Consuming 200 calories worth of sweets may not fill us up as much as consuming 200 calories of lentils, for example. Simplifying foods to their calorific quantities denies the variation and diversity of foods and the importance of balance in one’s diet. (2)

 

Food is pleasurable, too

The ‘calories in, calories out’ agenda fails to acknowledge the fact that foods can and should be enjoyed for pleasure. Historically, and still to this day, food holds substantial cultural, social and emotional value. Eating can often be the theme of elaborate celebrations and festivities, and there are many celebrations each year where food is made and consumed in pretty large quantities. 

Thankfully (and conveniently,) the ‘calories in, calories out’ approach tends to be forgotten in these cases – and diet culture messages may take a break, kicking in in the media following a season change or New Year period.  

But perhaps taking this approach to everyday life may hold more value – why should we wait until a particular day of the year to eat freely and enjoy food? Food can be a crutch to people in a challenging time or life event. A specific flavour or dish may bring back memories of childhood, a vacation or a particular experience. And all of this deserves to be recognised and accepted!

 

Individual differences 

Another major point to remember is that as individuals, food and movement affects us all in different ways. According to the set point hypothesis, we all have an individual weight range and body type. With hunger and fullness hormones, ghrelin and leptin, working to maintain this, comparing ourselves to others may not be helpful. (3)

Energy balance is an equation that considers basic metabolism, digestion, thermogenesis and physical activity, however it fails to consider genetics, environmental factors among others. There are so many other fundamental components of this equation that we shouldn’t ignore.

Additionally, the potentially disempowering use of fitness tracking apps and devices such as a Fitbit or using MyFitnessPal to log our food intake also isn’t entirely accurate.

Fitness trackers often work with general averages and ask for little details about your health upon sign-up. Even food intakes measured by diet professionals themselves have been shown to be significantly inaccurate. (4)

Calorific differences can present according to variations in where food is grown, how it is processed, and the ways in which it is prepared and eaten – so again, they are averages. They don’t include every dish or ingredient on the planet, which can lead to a lot of guesswork and uncertainty.

So the next time diet culture tells you to ‘balance’ your calorie intake, remind yourself of all the reasons why this statement is too general and potentially damaging.

You’re doing an amazing job wherever you are on your journey, so please take this as a reminder to keep choosing recovery and shower yourself with some self-care and compassion today and every day!

 

Priya Chotai, BSc ANutr

EHL Team x 

 

References:

  1. Lustig RH. Fructose: metabolic, hedonic, and societal parallels with ethanol. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Sep;110(9):1307-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2010.06.008. PMID: 20800122.
  2. Stanhope KL, Schwarz JM, Keim NL, et al. Consuming fructose-sweetened, not glucose-sweetened, beverages increases visceral adiposity and lipids and decreases insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese humans. J Clin Invest. 2009;119(5):1322-1334. doi:10.1172/JCI37385
  3. Soares M, Cummings N, Ping-Delfos W. Energy metabolism and the metabolic syndrome: Does a lower basal metabolic rate signal recovery following weight loss?. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews. 2011;5(2):98-101.
  4. Champagne CM, Bray GA, Kurtz AA, Monteiro JB, Tucker E, Volaufova J, Delany JP. Energy intake and energy expenditure: a controlled study comparing dietitians and non-dietitians. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002 Oct;102(10):1428-32. doi: 10.1016/s0002-8223(02)90316-0. PMID: 12396160.