Exercise Bulimia

photo from Elle magazine

I remember the days of trading treadmill time for chocolate cake in my mind, thinking that I could run off whatever I shoved in.

Exercise bulimia is actually a lot more common than you might think, and it's even possible to be addicted to the high of exercise.

How to have a healthier relationship with your body, food and the gym?

Johanna Cox, a junior editor at Elle, reveals some details about her own experience in a great article in the latest issue of Elle magazine.

As a woman who has read close to 250 issues of Vogue, I have my own reservations about the way magazines portray women, but this article is GREAT! Honest, real and telling the world how hard it is to work in the 'biz and stay out of the stick thin mindset.

Brava, Elle, brava.

BTW, the Lady Gaga interview is great too. Talk about an iconoclast who is shaking up pop culture. I love her.

My Absolute Favorite Blog

You know those times when you discover something that makes you feel like a kid again?

Giddy.
Content.
Curious.
Playful.
Carefree.

That is how I felt when I wandered into Lesley Austin's booth at Martha's Market, a craft fair in Charlottesville, VA held each spring and fall.

Recycled note cards with pithy Jane Austen quotes, an almond-scented Italian alternative to toxic rubber cement that comes with its own delightful brush, brown paper packages tied up with string, stationery that begs to be saved for letters to a very loved one.

And then, Lesley herself.

A consummate notice-er. (That's what, I think, sets artists apart from non-artists, though couldn't we all be artists if we wanted?) She notices so much. Absorbs and reflects. And then puts her interpretation of delight back out into the world for us!

Her paper goods company, called Small Meadow Press, promises to delight you, and perhaps even make a notice-er out of you too, with gift tags, folios (a modern take on notebooks), Christmas cards and more.

Ooh I just love everything she touches!

Original watercolors, Victorian prints, and then more delicious quotes....

Go visit her store and her blog. You will pause in wonder and expand with joy.

The Magic Pill

Years ago, in the midst of my eating disorder, I remember thinking to myself, "If there were a pill that would be my food/nutrients for the day, then I would take it just to end my agony around this part of life."


Looking back, I can remember and feel the misery and desperation and anxiety I experienced around food to the point where a magic pill would be much more desirable than having to navigate yet another meal or trip to the grocery store.


How interesting that I would give up the sensory and social experience that is food in order to be free!

I used to be jealous of alcoholics, because at least they could LIVE without their drug of choice. With food, though, you can't go cold turkey. Unless of course, there is a pill...


When did that desire end for me? What was the catalyst? I'm not quite sure, but living in Italy is surely part of it. Someone I dated right before I left for Italy's dolce vita warned me that I would gain weight.

Somehow, I didn't care!

And when I arrived in there, I found an entire population that utterly enjoyed every facet of food- growing it, selecting it, prepping it, and eating it.

Basil pesto. The best tomatoes. Delightful red wines and olive oil from the family farm. Every bite was delicious. Did I gain weight? Yes, but that had more to do with the 1 kilo Nutella jars and a broken heart than anything else.

A pill for nourishment in lieu of food would be sacrilegious to these people.

Living there taught be about the art of food and enjoying it.


Now I can look back on the years since my recovery and bring to mind more than a few instances when food was joyfully shared or savored alone. When the breaking of bread marked milestones and when it was a simple (and simply divine) meal in an otherwise ordinary day.

Whether a special birthday dinner with family and friends or an apple enjoyed slice by slice all alone, food can be an amazing way to connect with your body, your spirit, other people, and with the earth.


If I had my wish and could down the pill instead of biting into broccoli or sipping on some squash soup, I wouldn't do it. Not even if it could take back the years of not tasting anything because of my own fear around food.

Nope. I want to taste food AND life. Savor them. Enjoy them. Love them. Be satisfied by them. Content with what I have and peaceful in the knowledge that there will always be more.

Need Some Support RIGHT NOW?

I've been revisiting some of the basic principles of recovery lately (I find that in times of transition, it's especially important to practice radical self care), and one of the tools that has been super helpful is Geneen Roth's CD set called "When Food is Food and Love is Love."

This 6 CD set is AWESOME!

Geneen herself has decades of experience with eating and not eating, and she shares some really quite radical principles in this set that can help you return to a natural way of eating that honors your body and your soul.

It's also not all seriousness.

I think my favorite part about Geneen is her honesty coupled with humor. She STILL has issues with insecurity around food. (Hallelujah.)

She describes a scene where there was layer cake in the freezer and she wanted some but it was rock hard....her husband came home to find his wife banging on the cake with a racket ball racket in the middle of the kitchen! And this after years of recovery :)

See? We are all human!

When I have a drive (of almost any length, really) I've been popping these CDs in instead of listening to music for right now.

What I notice is that I'm breathing more deeply, I'm getting back into my body, and I'm revisiting with compassion the idea that I can:

1. Eat when I'm hungry and eat what my body wants.
2. Stop when my body has had enough.

Sounds simple, but it's not always easy.

Regardless, a big thank you to Geneen for putting this world (and her crazy funny experience) out into the world!

What to do when you gain a little weight...

Even this successful life coach freaks out a little when she can't fit into her jeans. Does it make her "eating disordered?" Hell no! Here's a little more on how she handles weight gain and body image in a beautiful way...



For women with a history of eating disorders, disordered eating, skewed body image, gaining even a little weight can be a trigger of sorts- oh holy s***! What am I doing?! I'm out of control- here we go again!!!!

It's panic, fear, and then panic and fear again. Maybe you spend way more time in front of the mirror criticizing your jiggly bits. Maybe you hit the gym hard core in an effort to make all just go away. Maybe you eat a TON. Maybe you eat nothing.

My friend, Cat, and I have been hard at work creating a new program for at-home recovery, and it's so funny how we come back to the question: who are WE to be telling others how to recover?! Because sometimes the same old same old thoughts, emotions and actions DO pop up.

But that doesn't mean we have to go back to that place again. And it does mean we are JUST the women to step up and create a framework for recovery that worked for us and works for our clients.

It also means being open to learning new things.

So when the weight gain comes, and it will, here is a better way to respond.

This chick, Tonya Leigh, has hit the nail on the head.

Her gentle reminders, step by step ways to approach the weight gain and compassionate response are an example for ALL of us, no matter where we are on our journey.

Read her blog by clicking here.


And remember, you are not your weight.


LOVE,
L

Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh....

ok, I know it's not Christmas time yet (one of my FAVORITE times of the year!), but there is the best laundry soap made with the essential oils of frankincense and myrrh (no gold as of yet), that I just had to tell you all about it!

Every time my friend Sid is near me, I want to bury my nose in her clothing because it smells so darn good.

Frankincense and myrrh are naturally comforting, and this is some highly potent non-detergent soap to boot!

Here's what I found about frankincense:

Known as the 'mother' of all essential oils, Frankincense is considered sacred in the Middle East. Used for centuries in religious ceremonies and for healing. It is a relaxing oil that improves the mood and relieves stress. Exceptionally good for the respiratory, nervous, and immune systems. Widely used in skin-care treatments.

Here's what I found about myrrh:

Valued in the ancient world for use with conditions of the respiratory system and skin. Add a few drops on location to your regular beauty regimen for the face, neck, and hands. Cairo University studies validate benefits to the endocrine system.

Together, they can balance hormones, possibly relieve depression, and make you even more beautiful than you already are!

I love this Zum Laundry Soap so much- I can't get enough! Now I'm using frankincense around the house too :)

The NEW Gurus

image by francisco caceres in the NYT





hi there!

I wanted to share an article that my dear friend Katrina shared with me.

It was in the NY Times Style section and concerns a new trend in Manhattan (and other locations) for young women to be part of coaching groups.

After reading the article (click here)
I couldn't help but think that it's GREAT for women to be supporting one another, learning from others' experience and coming together to find whatever it is they are looking for. Still, I couldn't help but wonder if this article still managed to look askance at this field in a woo woo way.

The mention of oil on palms, vision boards, and the more than cartoon-y caricatures in the illustration all make me think the writer may have had an agenda...

Regardless, I am reminded that just this week I asked God for a "mastermind group," a group of likeminded individuals (hopefully women) with whom I can trouble shoot my business questions, mentor and be mentored by, and collectively confront our challenges as entrepreneurs.

People have been meeting in groups for eons, and for good reason. 2 is often better than 1.


Also reminds me that I am not an island.

I, too, can reach out and ask for help as I continue on my path of recovery. I've been "recovered" for so long that it's easy not to mention when I struggle, whether or not it counts as a relapse. But again, there is strength in numbers. I'm going to reach out today.