Disordered Eating
Disordered eating comes in many forms and is dangerous because it can lead to an eating disorder. Some become rigidly obsessed with certain types of food. Others are always feeling guilty about their food choices, or/and they may feel completely out of control concerning food. Sometimes they may purge or fast to make up for it, while others may fall into a pattern of chronic dieting. Some may see large weight fluctuations while others are frustrated after seeing no weight change at all. These are only some of the common behaviors of disordered eating and may very well be signs of an eating disorder. While eating disorders are generally highly defined, in reality there is a large diverse spectrum where the line between disordered eating and an eating disorder is messy. We are here to help you heal from these disordered behaviors so that they do not morph into a full blown eating disorder. Our goal is to help you achieve a healthy relationship to food and your own body.
The most common kind of disordered eating that we see is caused by dieting. Dieting is miserable and frustrating. Almost everyone fails. Why? Because we usually cut too many calories, and our metabolism (your calorie and fat burning engine) slows down while our body stocks up on fat to protect us from starving. We also get very hungry and less able to resist it.
Our high-end medical machines measure your metabolism and your body composition. We will get your metabolism up to speed, if it has slowed, and then adjust calories just to the point that your biological safeguard against starvation doesn’t kick in. Each body is different, but we can see, at each visit, whether your body is moving in the right direction or whether your metabolism is slowing and you are losing muscle and gaining fat. Cross that line, and biology will win, and it’s just a matter of time before you’re dieting once again. Let us help you cure this frustrating cycle once and for all.
Correcting a slow metabolism takes at least 2-6 months, and some people will gain weight (in which they increase both muscle and fat) in getting their metabolism up to speed. Once your metabolism is up to speed, it takes about 6 months for it to settle and trust that you’re not going to starve it again. All in all, the process often takes a year. For some it takes much longer, for others it can take less time. After that, we can start tinkering with calories, while always keeping an eye on your metabolism, fat, and muscle mass. And, in all honesty, there are some who we cannot help to lose weight without adversely affecting their health. If you have spent most of your life yo-yo dieting, this may well be the case. We will never help you lose weight at the expense of your health. If you are more interested in weight than health, we are not the place for you. But if you want to be healthier, have more muscle and energy, and stop dieting, we are the right place for you.