by Libby

Ways to Increase Motivation in Anorexia Recovery

Recovering from anorexia is a long, challenging process. While it is normal (and okay!) for your motivation level to ebb and flow, it is vital to your recovery success that you work to keep your motivation as high as you can, more often than not.

If you are at the beginning of your recovery journey, you may have very little motivation right now. Anorexia is especially unique, when it comes to mental/physical illnesses, in that when we are stuck in it we don’t generally want to get better! (There are a variety of reasons for this, and this contributes to the danger/lethality of anorexia).

However, given that you are reading this blog post, I’m guessing that at least a small part of you does want to get better. Great – let’s start there! We can work with any ambivalence and hesitation you are feeling over time, no matter how strong. This is also normal.

On the other hand, if you are already full-force into your recovery journey, then hopefully the ideas in this post help you to keep building on and maintaining your motivation.

Ways to increase motivation in anorexia recovery: 

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by Libby

Exploring Reactionary Gaps in Compulsive Eating

One concept that I find it can be helpful to explore when it comes to compulsive eating is this idea of a “reactionary gap.”

(Note: this is a term I’ve adopted from the Binge Eating Therapist. Explore her YouTube channel and podcast if you haven’t already!! I love her material.)

A reactionary gap is a bit of emotional/mental space created by any tool, situation, check-in, physical distancing, environmental set-up, or other strategy. Its purpose is to help you take a mindful pause, with the goal of making at least a slightly more present, less compulsive food choice.

It is NOT about whether you say “yes” or “no” to a food, but about making a food decision from a more grounded, more peaceful, less conflicted, and less compulsive place.

You likely already use a variety of “reactionary gaps” without really thinking about it or labeling it as such.

A few everyday examples might be:

  • Keeping most of your snack-type food in the pantry instead of all out on the table or counter
  • Pausing after an initial serving of dinner to decide if you want more before automatically going for seconds
  • Eating seated at the table instead of standing
  • Not keeping a box of chocolates on your work desk

IMPORTANT NOTE! There is nothing “inherently wrong” with any of my so-called everyday examples. They may or may not resonate with how you prefer to go about eating / what works for you. Maybe you like to keep a box of chocolates on your desk and that works well for you, it doesn’t feel compulsive, and it is something you enjoy. That is perfectly fine! What we are talking about here is managing compulsivity in eating. Feeling compulsive with food looks different for everyone and is going to be triggered by different dynamics and different situations for each of us.

So, before we get to thinking about how you might benefit from thinking about this idea of a reactionary gap to help with any compulsive eating in your own life, let’s first chat about my three main reactionary gap caveats!

My Main Reactionary Gap Caveats:  (more…)

by Libby

Everyday Eats {April 2024}

Hello and Happy Wednesday! How is your week going so far?

I love being well into spring and have been enjoying the sunnier days and brighter early mornings! It seems like the flowers on the trees have bloomed early this year — so beautiful lately!

We’ve had a full April so far, with various weekend plans, an eating disorder-related conference I attended, and celebrating my 30th birthday this past weekend. Crazy to be out of my 20s and into a new decade! 🙂

Lettuce get to some delightful springtime eats!

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by Libby

The Compulsive Eating Triangle

One of the main reasons many of my clients reach out to me is because they are feeling chaotic and out-of-control around food. Feeling like it’s hard or impossible to stop eating at a comfortable level of fullness, feeling like they constantly bounce between not eating enough and eating way too much, binge eating and feeling extreme physical distress…

Maybe you relate on some level?

Whether you resonate with full-blown binge eating or occasionally feel like you spiral “out-of-control” with food, I’m sure most or all of us can relate on some level to this dynamic, myself included!

While feeling calm and centered around food is something healthy to strive for most of the time (and a key goal we might have in client work together), it’s also not realistic to be “perfectly centered” around food all the time.

How does one get to a more calm and centered place with food? What are some of the key factors to consider?

I’m always thinking of ways to conceptualize these ideas, and one tool I have started using in sessions is what I’m calling the “Compulsive Eating Triangle.”

This tool helps us form a big picture outlook as far as what may be driving your chaotic/compulsive eating. While experiencing greater calmness with food is generally a long-term process that takes lots of untangling and healing, having a framework for thinking about this can be helpful.

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by Libby

Everyday Eats {March 2024}

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

I hope you are having a good week so far. I am looking forward to Easter weekend this week! Although it is throwing me off a bit how early Easter is this year!

Alec’s mom is coming in town this weekend and then we are doing lunch out after church in AA with my side the of the family as well. Avalon Cafe — which I’ve enjoyed in the past but haven’t been to in quite a while!

The past week or so it has gone from dark when I head out running to finally light again! So happy for this shift and to be able to go on my preferred route (which I avoid when it is dark out since there are little to no street lights…).

Hooray for spring and brighter mornings! I am into “spring cooking mode” and have on my mind to make my favorite spring asparagus pasta next week, as well as a spring veggie curry.

Recent March eats from the past several weeks! 

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by Libby

Spring Garden Salad

This easily customizable spring garden salad is packed with any and all fresh veggies of your choosing, and is topped with salty + flavorful pistachios plus a protein of your choice. Top with my go-to dark balsamic vinaigrette, and enjoy throughout the spring as an easy lunch option! 

Happy Spring!

Although, if you live in SE Michigan like me, winter seemed to take a pass on this year. No tears of sorrow coming from this household!

The sun is shining (slightly) more often, the birds are chirping, Easter is coming… and, of course, spring salads are abounding!

While today’s blog post features a loose “recipe” for my spring garden salad, this salad can be easily adjusted to whatever your specific taste preferences may be, and/or whatever you have in your fridge right now!

Reading on, we will also chat about tempeh (what even is that??), the health benefits of beets and pistachios, AND my pro salad-making tips. 

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by Libby

My Journey with Exercise

I’ve shared bits and pieces throughout various blog posts of my story experiencing an eating disorder and exercise addiction, and wanted to share a post today with more details regarding aspects of my story from the exercise angle. I know many of you reading the blog and many of the clients who I work with in my private practice also have experience with a disordered relationship with exercise. This can look so different for everyone, but my hope is that this blog post can provide some inspiration that healing your relationship with exercise IS possible, and that you can experience exercise and moving your body from a place of JOY and FREEDOM.

This post is a bit lengthy compared to usual… so bookmark for whenever is a good time and grab a favorite beverage to sip on!

When I think about my anorexia experience, it was in a lot of ways more of an EXERCISE problem. Obsessive exercise, exercise addiction, compulsive exercise – all of the above and whatever you want to call it. Addictions can happen with various “behaviors/processes” (such as exercise) — not only with substances.

My eating disorder was not primarily food or body image driven, like many of the anorexia stereotypes might lead you to believe. Exercise / athletic performance was the gateway to my spiral into anorexia. My “main issue” was and has been obsessive compulsive personality disorder (different from OCD), which led to an exercise obsession, and from there to an unintentional “free fall off a cliff” into anorexia.

But, let’s back up, and start with what is initially a positive story! 🙂

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by Libby

Some Thoughts on Gut Health (& a new exciting tool for my practice!)

Hi everyone! I hope your week is going well so far. Happy you are here! 🙂

How great has the sunshine / warmer weather been for those of you who live in Michigan?? Such an instant upgrade to the week!

I wanted to do a post today sharing some of my general thoughts on gut health AND share about a tool that I’ve been excited to be incorporating more in my practice over the past few months.

First things first! Some random gut health and candid dietetics processing:

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by Libby

Everyday Eats {February 2024}

Hello, everyone! How is your week going so far?

I have been loving the sunnier days lately and am looking forward to a couple of days in the 50s and 60s coming up!

We went to my grandparents’ house for a quick overnight weekend trip which was nice. A change of scenery can be so refreshing!

During our stay we went on the toboggan run at Pokagon State Park in Indiana. It was quite the thrill ride with the weight of me, Alec, and my parents all on one sled! I was somewhat paranoid we were going to go flying off the edge.

I feel like the winter is flying by and soon we will already be into spring!

What have you been up to lately for fun on the weekends (or whenever your time off is)??

Recent February meals & snacks for your own eating inspiration! 
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by Libby

Berry Cacao Smoothie

This antioxidant-rich berry cacao smoothie is a delicious and nourishing treat for any time of day! Featuring cacao powder, chia seeds, avocado, and organic frozen berries, this creamy and delectable smoothie is full of nutrients to keep both your immune system and tastebuds happy. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

On today’s chocolate-loving holiday, we are starting things off with my favorite berry cacao smoothie!

We have already covered some of my other favorite “chocolate-centric” recipes including my mocha almond joy smoothie, chocolate raspberry avocado pudding (the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert!), and – today’s recipe’s cousin – the best chocolate strawberry smoothie. You are on the Everyday Chocolate blog after all!

I don’t praise the cocoa bean just for its amazing taste potential… although that alone is reason to rejoice. Cocoa bean “products” in their purer forms, such as organic cacao powder (featured in today’s smoothie) and high-quality dark chocolate have the potential to ALSO add a hefty nutrition punch to your daily diet. Depending on the specific brand, we are talking quite possibly an excellent source of magnesium, iron, and antioxidants.

Winning on multiple fronts!

As your trusted nutrition AND flavor connoisseur, I would not lead you astray, especially on a holiday of all days. Let’s read on for the details!

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