TW: Talk of Eating Disorders
Let's talk about some of the 'health hacks' you do or have heard about from your trusted fitness professionals (although not this one ;)
You may know by now that I spent a good decade deep in Eating Disorders...
And because I spent years throwing up or severely restricting- I thought that was THE definition of disordered eating.
Maybe you do too.
Or, maybe you already know what took me a long while to recognize: that distorted eating habits can be extremely destructive, and they don't have to involve binging, purging, and starvation.
Some examples pulled straight from my past experiences- and maybe your current ones…
- Filling yourself up with drinks to subdue hunger- like bubbly waters, coffee, tea, wine (the last one being recommended by a popular fit pro)
- Putting off breakfast as long as possible
- Labeling a ‘healthy’ food as a free for all. Like eating all the baby carrots you want (while also tuning out your hunger and satiety cues because ‘this food is nutritious’)
- Not eating (but wanting) a sandwich at lunch because you had toast for breakfast
- Allowing yourself 1-2 squares of chocolate at night- even if you want more
- Making a ‘healthier’ alternative of a dessert and eating it instead- often in excess because you 'can'-even if you don’t actually like it
What do all these things have in common?
1: They're popular 'tricks' from the diet industry that try to hide the fact that it's just restriction by another name, and
2.They work to block your recognition of your hunger cues.
Tricking your body to not feel hungry- and actively ignoring hunger cues- leads to overeating, binging, and feeling out of control around food.
Even if you can keep up the diet trick behaviors for a while.
None of these 'hacks' are rooted in health; in fact, they're quite the opposite.
The lack of understanding and/or acknowledgement of fit and wellness pro's regarding this fact is one of the biggest problems with the industry today.
And if you needed another reminder of why I'm a non diet trainer, well, there you go.
Author
Gretchen
Coach
Growing up I was a half-hearted athlete who struggled with my relationship with both food and exercise. I smoked for over a decade and spent much of my youth either binging or not eating at all. But after breaking my leg in a car accident, months of physical rehab and years of psychological counseling lead me to a renewed appreciation for my health and my ability to just move-something I'll never take for granted again. I overcame a lot and have spent much of my life sharing what I've learned. I became a NASM personal trainer over 16 years ago. The type of clients I've trained and my own personal interests lead me to attain many other certifications. These include Sports Specific and Orthopedic exercise specializations, Pre and Post Natal exercise, MMA conditioning, and ACE Mind Body Specializations. I've taken 2 TRX qualifying courses in general and functional fitness. I am Kettlebell certified through both NETA and Kettlebell Kings, also completing an independent study facilitated by Steve Cotter, founder of the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation. I am also a certified Animal Flow Instructor. In the fall of 2021, I became a Certified Intuitive Eating Facilitator, as IE was integral to my own ability to divest from diet culture. I think this was the missing piece to be able to put together a holistic, meaningful training program for all my clients.
