Triad Eating Disorders Professionals
Greensboro's Eating Disorder Alliance Uniting People + Professionals
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week – Blog Post from Julie Duffy Dillon RD, CEDRD
Recognizing Eating Disorders Awareness Week this week with a featured blog post each day. Today’s post comes from Julie Duffy Dillon RD, CEDRD. Here’s my favorite line from it:
“When approaching someone you think may have an eating disorder, avoid using words that would describe the person’s physical appearance like sickly, skinny, bloated, and weak. These tend to promote shame rather than motivate. I have never heard a person say these body comments motivated them to seek help.”
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week Post: Brett Debney, MS, EdS, LPC, NCC
For National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I will be highlighting different blog posts or web pages. Today’s post comes from M. Brett Debney, MS, EdS, LPC, NCC. Here is my favorite excerpt from it:
“Are we told messages such as, “you are beautiful, no matter what.” Or, on the other hand, are we told messages such as “that’s how fat people think,” or “fat is ugly”?
We need to believe the message of “You are beautiful.” Period. “You are beautiful.” Not pretty, not attractive, not gorgeous, not sexy. Just … Beautiful. Distorted ideals of beauty are epidemic in our world. And for some, these distortions reach monumental levels that risk their happiness, their sanity, and their very lives.”
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week – Blog Post from Dr. Maria Paredes, Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor & Certified Eating Disorders Specialist
National Eating Disorder Awareness Week – Blog Post from Megan Hadley, MS, RDN, LDN
Recognizing Eating Disorders Awareness Week this week with a featured blog post each day. Today’s post comes from Megan Hadley, Dietitian and owner of Simple Nutrition.
“So I share my experience to say, that ladies, unfortunately, there is stuff that we do that can impact our kids that we may not even be aware of. Behaviors that we don’t even realize that we are doing because we have been doing them for so long and it is so pervasive in our culture. Perspectives that we have adopted from our culture about weight and dieting all in the name of being healthy, that can be harmful to our kids.”
What To Expect When Meeting with a Dietitian
The first steps can be the toughest!
Eating differently may appear to be a simple task capable of changing on your own. It may be simple yet healing your relationship with food is not easy.
Whether you have anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder, meeting with a Registered Dietitian will make recovery more doable. Research suggests meeting with one will help promote a more secure and safe recovery.
But what will happen when you meet with a dietitian?
Making the call
Sometimes the first step is the toughest. We know this. When you call, let the person answering or the voicemail know you want to meet with a dietitian who specializes in eating disorders to help you recover. Many dietitians correspond initially over email to set up the appointment so consider this if it makes it easier. When the dietitian or scheduler calls you back, she may ask you for more details:
- what are your goals while meeting with a dietitian?
- do you want to file insurance?
- what is your availability?
Before the appointment
Many clients report increased anxiety or being extra nervous before the appointment. Know this is normal.
At the meeting
The most important part of this meeting includes getting to know you and what your wishes are for the future. Don’t expect big initial changes or scolding! Many dietitians don’t even check weight during this first meeting.
Instead, we ask:
- medical type questions (past medical history, family history, height/weight history)
- what you typically eat in a day
- what eating behaviors you’d like to change
Rather than hearing the dietitian preach, you will find the majority of the meeting will be spent listening to what you experience with food and what you want to change. With all this information, your dietitian may provide education on ways to work through troublesome eating behaviors and to eat to promote health. The two of you may put together a meal plan or make goals to start moving forward. All dietitians do things differently yet one thing is for sure: you get to decide the nutrition goals you want to pursue.
Following up
A dietitian will want to follow up with you every week or every other week. We know eating disorder recovery is not a sprint; rather it is a marathon. Slow and steady = a strong recovery. Meeting more frequently will help your food consultant pick strategies that include small steps toward health while learning to enjoy eating again.
Your dietitian is not expecting you to change your eating behaviors over night. Nope. We know this takes time, patience, and a lot of trust. Speaking for other eating disorder dietitians, let us walk along side you as you take these next important steps.
Post written by:
Registered Dietitian + Eating Disorder Specialist
Co-Founder of Space For All
Space For All!
The Greensboro Eating Disorder Alliance came together over a cup coffee and a conversation with Heather Kitchen 3 years ago. I want to dust off its potential and unite eager professionals with those hoping to find the strength to heal.
Space For All will help take the power back from this hunk of metal!
After speaking with the professionals who make up this alliance I know many are eager to see this grow!
With this interest, I have renamed the alliance to better capture the energy we have to end eating disorders: Space For All. Over the next year, I will be interviewing our local eating disorder professionals and gathering them for meetings of the minds. Expect more energy here especially on this blog. Even more, I have been speaking with eating disorder treatment centers who’d like to host speakers for us too: keep your fingers crossed that will come to fruition!
I believe Space For All will start with uniting professionals with the hopes to grow to include the community. Future projects can include outreach, educational events and support groups.
This is where I need your help: what would you like from this conversation and energy? What would benefit you?
Be a peach and tell me your thoughts in comments. Would forever be grateful!
Warmly,
Julie
Standing together to help our children experience life free from eating disorders
Welcome to the Greensboro Eating Disorder Alliance
“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.”
African Proverb
Triad Eating Disorders Professionals 