Shame, Somatic Power, and Eating Disorders
I have been posting on my Instagram (@revkatie) this week for National Eating Disorders Awareness week sponsored by NEDA, the National Eating Disorders Association. I needed some more room for this message though. Today I want to talk about how shame which leads to a loss of somatic power, contributes to eating disorders. People and society try to shame us for our body looking the way it does and/or for the clothing that we wear. They tell us that our bodies are disgusting, e
No Weigh Day: Focus on Values Instead
Kourtney Olsen from Grrrl Clothing has declared Jan. 1 the first International No Weigh Day. At a time of year where the ads for losing weight as a New Years resolution cram our Facebook and Instagram feeds, we need a No Weigh Day because focusing on weight harms people more than it helps. Rather than focusing on what we weigh, lets focus on what we can do. Set goals for yourself that are performance and/or values based. Your weight (your number on a scale) will not show that
Don't Put Yourself Down, It Puts Other People Down Too
The other day I posted a video of me doing push presses on Instagram with this caption: “Finally back at it after injury flair and a two week ridiculous cold. Light weight, but no back pain. #pushpress with a bit too much knee bend, but still good and I felt great. #crossfit #crossfitcoach” Ugh. Why, why, why did I write “light weight?” Because our society messes with our head. No matter how much of a believer you are in body positivity, being shame free, not competing with o
Eating Disorder Awareness: Community Messaging Matters
Today is World Eating Disorders Day and I want to talk about how important community messaging is in recovery. Binge eating disorder has been such a part of my life (since I was ten years old) that it just seemed normal to me. Normal to sneak food, eat food out of the garbage can, eat sugar out of a bag with a spoon, hide food in my room and car, and drive around at 3am to multiple fast food restaurants eating from every one of them while parked in dark and random parking lot
How Body Shaming Effects Boys and 10 Tips To Stop It
Having a son has opened my eyes to the intricacies of body shaming for males and those who identify as male. It was shocking to me when this body shaming started at just 7 years old. Now that my son is in middle school, the obsession with the right male body size and idea of what it means to be a man has gotten worse, not only amongst peers but in the way some parents of tween and teens talk about kids. Recently when we were talking about this topic, my son said to me; “You c
Five Things to Look For to Safely Combine a Fitness Coach with an Eating Disorder Recovery Program
Recovery from binge eating disorder has been really hard for me. Even with a great recovery program and a great therapist, what I was taught about food, exercise, and our bodies for decades before keeps getting in the way. While intellectually my recovery program has been helping me, it is the daily practice of the program that actually helps reprogram your brain. I have found that this practice has become much easier now that I am back at CrossFit and in a community that is
