Eating Disorder Recovery Quotes To Welcome In The New Year

I'm not beautiful like you. I'm beautiful like me.

Joydrop

One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks.
Jack Penn

Everyone who got where he is has had to begin where he was.
Robert Louis Stevenson

Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it.
Lucy Maud Montgomery

We're still not where we're going, but we're not where we were.
Natash Jasefowitz

Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.
Dr. Joyce Brothers

We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
E.M. Forster

The world is round, and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning.
Ivy Baker

Life's problems wouldn't be called "hurdles" if there wasn't a way to get over them.
Unknown

Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.
Unknown

Whenever you see darkness, there is extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter.
Bono

Once I started seeing through the eyes of my heart, instead of a socially conditioned lens, things started to transform dramatically.
Jonathan Mead

Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.
Arnold H. Glasow

For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Steve Jobs

If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again.
Flavia Weedn

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.
Beverly Sills

A dead end is just an opportunity to take a different direction.
Terry McManus

You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.
Jim Rohn

All of us have at least one great voice deep inside. People are products of their environment. A lucky few are born into situations in which positive messages abound. Others grow up hearing messages of fear and failure, which they must block out so the positive can be heard. But the positive and courageous voice will always emerge, somewhere, sometime, for all of us. Listen for it, and your breakthroughs will come.
Pat Riley

When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
Unknown

The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.
Ayn Rand

The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher.
Thomas Henry

The best angle from which to approach any problem is the try-angle.
Unknown

There will be a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.
Louis L'Amour

The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult.
Marie de Vichy-Chamrond

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start now and make a brand new ending.
Carl Bard

The road leading to a goal does not separate you from the destination; it is essentially a part of it.
Charles DeLint

Sometimes the path you're on is not as important as the direction you're heading.
Kevin Smith

Faith sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.
Unknown

Optimism is a cheerful frame of mind that enables a tea kettle to sing though it's in hot water up to its nose.
Unknown

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tunes without the words and never stops at all.
Emily Dickinson

It is easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is best from the top.
Arnold Bennett

On the road to life there are many paths... some twist, some turn, some dip, some curve. As long as you keep your focus, your destination is obtainable.
Brenda Good

The highest reward for a man's toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it.
John Ruskin

Turn your face to the sun, and the shadows fall behind you.
Maori Proverb

Resolve to be thyself; and know that he who finds himself loses his misery.
Matthew Arnold

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and conveniences, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

I love living. I have some problems with my life, but living is the best thing they've come up with so far.
Neil Simon

Motivation is when your dreams put on work clothes.
Unknown

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
Henry David Thoreau

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.
Sarah Williams

To dream, big beautiful dreams, is to realize the dawn of our limitless horizons beaming within the depths of our eternal souls to the heights of our infinite spirit.
Song Park

Great occasions do not make heroes or cowards; they simply unveil them to the eyes of men. Silently and imperceptibly, as we wake or sleep, we grow stong or weak; and at last some crisis shows what we have become.
Brooke Foss Westcott

There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.
Peter Drucker

If you look closely enough, amid the merciless and the bitter, there is always the chance that you may find comfort and the promise of something good.
Bob Greene

When solving problems, dig at the roots instead of just hacking at the leaves.
Anthony J. D'Angelo

All glory comes from daring to begin.
Eugene F. Ware

Everyone's a star and deserves the right to twinkle.
Marilyn Monroe

Out of the strain of the doing,
Into the peace of the done.
Julia Woodruff

No river can return to its source, yet all rivers must have a beginning.
Proverb

You may have a fresh start any moment you choose for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.
Mary Pickford

When there is a start to be made, don't step over! Start where you are."
Edgar Cayce

When I was a Boy Scout, we played a game when new Scouts joined the troop. We lined up chairs in a pattern, creating an obstacle course through which the new Scouts, blindfolded, were supposed to maneuver. The Scoutmaster gave them a few moments to study the pattern before our adventure began. But as soon as the victims were blindfolded, the rest of us quietly removed the chairs. I think life is like this game. Perhaps we spend our lives avoiding obstacles we have created for ourselves and in reality exist only in our minds. We're afraid to apply for that job, take violin lessons, learn a foreign language, call an old friend, write our Congressman - whatever it is that we would really like to do but don't because of personal obstacles. Don't avoid any chairs until you run smack into one. And if you do, at least you'll have a place to sit down.
Pierce Vincent Eckhart

picture source

http://www.flickr.com/photos/safetylast/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Eating Disorders: In The News December 2009

Eating Disorder Organizations Join Forces To Urge Focus On Health And Lifestyle Rather Than Weight

Medical News Today

In an unprecedented show of concern, The Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA), Eating Disorder Coalition (EDC), International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals (IADEP), and National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) have joined forces and are urging focus on health and lifestyle rather than weight as a measurement of well-being.

In late November, media stories reported that an American university implemented a new strategy for combating rising weights by requiring students to be weighed during their freshman year. Those with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or over are required either to lose weight or pass an extra course focused on physical fitness. In response to this, and other similar strategies within the global "war against obesity", national and international eating disorder organizations have joined forces to urge school administrators, employers, and health policy makers to focus more on health and lifestyle for all populations rather than on weight alone. Eating disorder groups assert that this well-intended, but under-informed and unproven strategy of focusing on BMI fuels weight-prejudice and neglects groups which may be in equal need of improving their health and lifestyle. There is concern that, in some cases, the programs contribute to negative self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and eating disordered behaviors among young people. Neither the scale nor BMI calculation provide the full picture most relevant to health status, such as lifestyle and activity patterns, and physical and mental health measures. Thus, assuming ill health based on weight alone is not only inappropriate but harmful and discriminatory, and should be discontinued.

"There is concern that we have lost sight of avoiding harm in the process of addressing obesity." AED President Susan Paxton, PhD, FAED states. "Further, we cannot ignore the opportunity to create a healthier environment, where people of all sizes are given the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives, instead of singling out individual groups for reform based on weight alone".

Read in full here.

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New Eating Disorder Specialist Library Launched To Help Eating Disorder Sufferers, Family, Friends, And Health Providers Find Help

Earth Times

Finding treatment for eating disorders is an overwhelming task for those suffering from eating disorders and the loved ones trying to help them. To solve this problem, Eating Disorder Hope launched the Eating Disorder Specialist Library, to provide a comprehensive resource for exploring and comparing treatment options, providers, treatment approaches and philosophy. All accessible in one library, saving hours of searching the web for options. (PRWEB) November 15, 2009 -- Many eating disorder sufferers and families find that reviewing the online ‘virtual brochures’ offered in the http://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/eating-disorder-specialist-library-index.html greatly simplifies their search and puts them in touch with some of the best treatment centers and providers for their loved one suffering from anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder. This new and rapidly expanding eating disorder specialist library is an excellent tool for eating disorder sufferers, families, fri and treatment providers who feel overwhelmed with where to begin in the search for appropriate care for the eating disorder sufferer.

Read in full here.

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New Help For Those Battling Eating Disorders

Fox4kc

KANSAS CITY, MO - It's estimated that five to 10 percent of people in the Kansas City area have an eating disorder. Girls ages eight to 25 are most at risk, but certainly not the only ones affected. But now, there's a new way to get help.

Fourteen-year-old Alexis Gick is one of those seeking a solution.

"All I wanted was just help from this," she said. "I didn't want to be stuck in this."

Gick battles anorexia and bulimia. What little she did eat, she would purge.

"It was out of my control," said Wendy Gick, mother. "I couldn't do anything to help her. I think that was the scariest part."

Wendy turned to a therapist, who referred them to specialists in eating disorders.

"I was very lucky that I had some very good referrals," Wendy said.

But she knows others don't know where to turn.

"They're not even sure what's going on other than maybe their child's a finicky eater or has been losing weight or has been purging and they don't really know what to do with this," said Mary Beth Blackwell with Jewish Family Services. "Sometimes they've never even heard of an eating disorder."

Jewish Family Services is now launching an Eating Disorder Resource Center for the Kansas City area with a phone number people can call with questions about eating disorders.

Read in full here.

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How To Help Your Kids Avoid Eating Disorders

Newsday

Know anyone with food issues? Chances are, you know many - and maybe you're one of them. In today's world of fast and convenient food, many people have disordered eating. The evidence of obesity, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and a national obsession with dieting is proof we aren't eating healthfully. The problem is that many of the people with unhealthy relationships to food are parents, and that makes them - wittingly or not - role models for their children.

Research shows parents are the biggest influences of their children's behavior, so that means what parents do, not what they say, is often emulated by their fiercely observant offspring. And though most parents hope to raise healthy eaters, many are blind to how their own harmful attitudes and behaviors are affecting their children.

Here are five tips from Edward Abramson, a psychologist who works closely with children and adults with eating issues and author of "Emotional Eating."

1. Avoid diets Parents who want to foster a healthy relationship with food should never put their children on a diet, which usually becomes counterproductive and actually increases the likelihood of future weight gain and subsequent emotional issues. "The focus should always be on improving health and not on weight," Abramson notes. Parents should implement healthier family habits, such as eating reasonable portions and even cooking together.

Read in full here.

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Researchers Find Clues To Why Some Continue To Eat When Full

Medical News Today

The premise that hunger makes food look more appealing is a widely held belief just ask those who cruise grocery store aisles on an empty stomach, only to go home with a full basket and an empty wallet.

Prior research studies have suggested that the so-called hunger hormone ghrelin, which the body produces when it's hungry, might act on the brain to trigger this behavior. New research in mice by UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists suggest that ghrelin might also work in the brain to make some people keep eating "pleasurable" foods when they're already full.

Read in full here.

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Food Apps For Mobile Devices May Fuel Eating Disorders

News Channel 6

The smart phone applications that help find restaurants, identify songs, and even read bar codes, may be fueling eating disorders.

Read in full here.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!


picture source: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?picture=christmas-baubles&image=1540&large=1

The Christmas Song

Enjoy.



Sung by: Airto

Recovery Quote Of The Week: December 22nd, 2009

Kindness is like snow~ it beautifies everything it covers.
Author Unknown

*click image to see larger version.


picture source:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dougbrown47/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Snow: The Value Of Listening To Your Heart

Snow
The value of listening to your heart.... ...rather than an eating disordered head.

If I hadn’t ignored my head then I wouldn’t have seen the snow, shimmering and sparkling in the early morning sunlight.

And if I had, as it commanded, stuck to the weekly regime and gone swimming; then I would have missed being the first to walk through the unmarked snowfall, spraying glitter in my wake and leaving a dance of footprints behind me.

If I had given in to the demand to justify and earn every mouthful, then I would have been lapping up and down an empty pool while the sun was working its magic over the snowswept fields; and, against the diamond white backdrop, the colours and shadows became breathtaking.

And, if I had listened to my often overpowering head – rather than my often overpowered heart; then I might not have noticed how beautiful the world can be, and how much fun there is in the smallest pleasures –

Like a twirling whirling flake of snow.

Written by: Finding Melissa

She says: "An eating disorder is a gradual erosion. It’s a chip chip chipping away. A slow, insidious takeover that removes all traces of an individual, erases all suggestion of an identity, dominates thoughts, actions, feelings….and articulates one devastating message: 'without me, you are nothing'…..It is a lie. You’ve just got a bit lost along the way.

Be sure to visit Melissa's wonderful site: Finding Melissa

*See sidebar menu for more ED poetry and writings

*Click here to have your Eating Disorders/Body Image poetry/writings featured on Weighing The Facts


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http://www.flickr.com/photos/katmere/ / CC BY 2.0

Eating Disorder Recovery Quotes: Forgiveness

Whether it's the wrongs we have done (to others or ourselves), or the wrongs that others have committed against us, forgiveness is necessary in order to move forward with our lives, to be happy, and to recover.

Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. It's not a magic eraser, or a way to excuse or justify offending behavior (or to allow it to continue). It's a way of letting go of our anger, resentment, embarrassment, and pain. It empowers us, allowing us to regain peace and begin healing.

Forgiveness isn't always easy. It's usually very challenging. It takes practice, just like any other worthwhile skill.

________

Many people are afraid to forgive because they feel they must remember the wrong or they will not learn from it. The opposite is true. Through forgiveness, the wrong is released from its emotional stranglehold on us so that we can learn from it. Through the power and intelligence of the heart, the release of forgiveness brings expanded intelligence to work with the situation more effectively.
~David McArthur & Bruce McArthur

When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.
~Catherine Ponder

Forgiveness is giving up the possibility of a better past.
~Unknown

Forgive or Relive.
~Unknown

It is very easy to forgive others their mistakes; it takes more grit and gumption to forgive them for having witnessed your own.
~Jessamyn West

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.
~Lewis B. Smedes

We achieve inner health only through forgiveness - the forgiveness not only of others but also of ourselves.
~ Joshua Loth Liebman

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.
~Mark Twain

There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.
~Bryant H. McGill

To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.
~Robert Muller

Sincere forgiveness isn't colored with expectations that the other person apologize or change. Don't worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time.
~Sara Paddison

Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much.
~Oscar Wilde

When a deep injury is done us, we never recover until we forgive.
~Alan Paton

Life is an adventure in forgiveness.
~Norman Cousins

Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.
~George MacDonald

Forgiveness is the economy of the heart... forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.
~Hannah Moore

People find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than for being right.
~JK Rowling

Most of us can forgive and forget; we just don't want the other person to forget that we forgave.
~Ivern Ball

Forgiveness means that you've decided not to let it keep festering inside even if it only comes up once in awhile.
~Doc Childre and Howard Martin

Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness.
~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.
~Paul Boese

Forgiveness means letting go of the past.
~Gerald Jampolsky

Without forgiveness, there's no future.
~Desmond Tutu

True forgiveness is not an action after the fact, it is an attitude with which you enter each moment.
~David Ridge

Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.
~William Arthur Ward

We are full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies.
~Voltaire

Anger makes us smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were.
~Cherie Carter Scott

He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.
~George Herbert

Resentment is like a glass of poison that a man drinks; then he sits down and waits for his enemy to die.
~George Herbert

Forgiveness is me giving up my right to hurt you for hurting me.
~Anonymous

Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it forgoes revenge, and dares forgive an injury.
~E. H. Chapin

Forgiveness is choosing to love. It is the first skill of self-giving love.
~Mahatma Gandhi

Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.
~Indira Gandhi

The ineffable joy of forgiving and being forgiven forms an ecstasy that might well arouse the envy of the gods.
~Elbert Hubbard

*more Recovery Quotes and Quotes of the Week can be found in the sidebar drop down menus.

original picture source:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adebond1/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Recovery Quote Of The Week: December 15th, 2009

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about dancing in the rain."
Tiffany Wilson



picture source

http://www.flickr.com/photos/michar/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Eating Disorders: A Look At What Some ED Bloggers Are Talking About

The Paradox Of Choice
ED Bites: Carrie Arnold

On my move, I had lots of time in the car in which to listen to music, think, and try to ignore Aria's backseat yowling. To help pass the time and keep me awake, I downloaded a bunch of TED Talks onto my iPod. They were an eclectic mix, from anthropology to physics, but they kept me awake and alert for many hours.

One that left a lingering impression in my brain was a talk by Barry Schwartz, author of the book "The Paradox of Choice." I've blogged on the book before, but there was a brief phrase in the talk that really caught my attention. Schwartz was talking about buying jeans, and how many years ago there was only one style of jeans, and they fit very badly. More recently, Schwartz went out to buy a new pair of jeans because his old ones had worn out, and he found a mind-boggling array of jeans from which to choose. Ultimately, he did find a pair that fit better than before, but with such variety available, any issues with how his jeans fit was his problem, not the jeans'.

Let me try to explain this better.

Read The Paradox Of Choice in full here.
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A Factor Of Starvation
Are You "Eating With Your Anorexic?": Laura Collins

Years ago I spent time in an airport waiting area with a mom and her young son with autism. The silent young man, she said with both chagrin and bravado, lives on a diet of fresh MacDonald's french fries, milk shakes, and megavitamins. At the time I appreciated both her honesty and her predicament, though I think I probably had some smug disapproval going at the same time. These were his boundaries, and this mom was not catering to whims, she was loving him and taking care of him from where he was. I did not know that some day I would understand this mom's nurturing in a very personal way, and that I would continue to wish that I could go back and really hear her and make sure she felt supported and understood, if only from a stranger.

When you spend time in the ED world you cannot help but notice how often you see certain traits in patients, many former patients, and often in family members. Things like difficulty with 'set shifting,' a blinding focus on detail, and difficulties with correctly interpreting the emotions of others. There is a lot of talk now about a connection between autism and anorexia.

Read A Factor Of Starvation in full here.
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Join The Online Boycott Of Ralph Lauren
The-F-Word: Rachel

Remember the Ralph Lauren shrinky-dink hack job of already underweight supermodel Filippa Hamilton? Followed by them firing the same underweight supermodel for being too fat? Now the producers of America the Beautiful are waging an online boycott of the unrepentant fashion house.

On behalf of all the girls who feel ugly, overweight, and just not-good-enough;

On behalf of the parents who worry, cry, strive to help their daughters, and shell out $20,000 a month and above for eating disorder treatment centers;

On behalf of all the Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Aunts, women everywhere who have ever been made to feel insecure by the magazines, billboards, ads, and television commercials;

We are calling for the Boycott of Ralph Lauren products.

Read Join The Online Boycott Of Ralph Lauren in full here.

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Dealing With Your Eating Disorder And Parents As An Adult

Actively Arielle: Arielle Becker Bair

This week's video is in two parts, because what I had to say took a bit longer than 10 minutes. :) The topic of the video is: Dealing with your eating disorder & your parents as an ADULT --'cause let's face it, they affect us even when we're grown or we carry issues with us.

Click here for Arielle's Blog and Links to the Videos

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13 Years Old And Anorexic: Kourtney's Story

Medusa

Kourtney's story...

"It all began when I was a mere 13 years old. Almost exactly one year ago. I was running cross country, having fun with friends, and getting into fashion and clothes. Life was great, I was happy and healthy, and everything seemed "perfect."

First, came the OCD. It hit like a brick to the face. I started feeling anxious about running and times. I started calculating times of 3.5 miles in my head, obsessively. All of the sudden, nothing seemed to trigger it.

The OCD caused me to isolate from friends because I was so trapped in my head, all of the time. So habitual, so compulsive. I stopped going shopping with my best friend over the weekend, and all I would do between classes was look at the school record times, calculating how I could obtain them with my current times. All of the isolation led to depression.

Once the depression hit, I stopped eating, but just a little bit.

13 Years Old and Anorexic in full here.

Recovery Quote Of The Week: December 5th, 2009

If the wind will not serve, take the oars.
~Latin Proverb

picture source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/dpnsan

Eating Disorders In The News

Trying To Define Binge Eating Disorder

Los Angeles Times
Binge eating was long seen by psychiatrists as an unusual symptom of major depression or an anxiety disorder. After all, it seemed sometimes to lessen or yield to antidepressants and psychotherapy -- both aimed primarily at treating depression or anxiety.

But as anorexia and bulimia gained public recognition and as eating disorder clinics began to fill in the 1980s, the field began to see a growing group of patients who had clearly dysfunctional eating patterns yet fit the description of neither anorexia nor bulimia.

By 1994, when the American Psychiatric Assn. published the most recent edition of its diagnostic manual, binge eating was put on a watch list of conditions that might in the future be considered distinct. Since then, researchers estimate that roughly half of eating-disorder patients are identified as not fully fitting the diagnostic criteria for anorexia and bulimia. They are consigned to the diagnostic gray area called "eating disorder, not otherwise specified," or EDNOS. A large proportion of people with the diagnosis are believed to be binge eaters who do not then purge.

Read in full: Trying To Define Binge Eating Disorder

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Thinspiration: Do Web Sites Encourage Anorexia?

Fox News
Recently there has been increased concern over hundreds of "pro-eating disorder" Web sites that provide "thinspiration" to legions of young women who want to become stick-thin.

These sites provide an online community to swap tips on how to fast, disguise disordered eating, and generally "encourage" anorexia (though people don't really need to look far for information on dieting tips or how not to eat).

Following public complaints and concerns, many such "pro-ana" sites have been shut down. In 2001, for example, the search engine Yahoo purged over 100 pro-anorexia sites. French officials have recently threatened to criminalize groups they believe encourage eating disorders, arrest their members, and shut down Web sites hosted in France. People posting images of thin women or sharing dieting tips could face up to three years in prison and more than $70,000 in fines.

The concern is surely well-meaning, but is it misplaced?

For as much concern and furor as these "pro-ana" sites have generated, there is very little evidence of harm. As Kenyon College psychology professor Michael Levine told the International Herald Tribune, "You're going to be hard pressed to demonstrate in a very clear way that these sites have a direct negative affect."

Read in full Thinspiration: Do We Sites Encourage Anorexia?

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Get Off The Binge Eating Rollercoaster

The Australian
CAROL was just 15 when she went on her first diet.

It would be the start of a 15-year binge-eating and binge-dieting roller-coaster, one that would leave her suicidal and locked into a vicious cycle of depression, followed by yet more comfort eating and bingeing.

Now in her 40s, Carol has finally won her battle with binge eating disorder thanks to a long journey of self-discovery involving therapy and support groups where others with BED shared their experiences with her.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are well-known eating disorders, but there's less awareness of BED. And that's surprising as it's more common than anorexia and bulimia combined.

Read in full Get Off The Binge Eating Rollercoaster

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Holiday Meals Especially Difficult For Binge Eaters

Chicago Sun-Times
Most people feel tempted to overeat during the holidays, when calorie-laden comfort food is in endless supply from Thanksgiving until New Year's.

But the food-focused holiday season holds special dangers for those suffering from binge eating disorder -- a condition in which people eat excessive amounts of food while feeling unable to control their behavior.

Especially on Thanksgiving and Christmas, "you have this license to really go out of control, and it's acceptable behavior," said Christ, a recovering binge eater from the North Side who requested that his full name not be used. "Nobody notices that you're eating 12 pieces of pie, because you're just trying each one there."

The stress of family gatherings also can trigger unhealthy eating.

Read in full Holiday Meals Especially Difficult For Binge Eaters

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British Politician Attacks Kate Moss For Encouraging Anorexia

The Independent

After Moss publicly declared in an interview that "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels," Lembit Opik -- a member of the British Parliament -- has lashed out at the topmodel, telling UK paper The Sun this statement was "everything that is wrong with the fashion world."

(Relaxnews) -After Moss publicly declared in an interview that "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels," Lembit Opik - a member of the British Parliament - has lashed out at the topmodel, telling UK paper The Sun this statement was "everything that is wrong with the fashion world."

The model's quote from a recent interview with Women's Wear Daily had been posted as credo on several pro-anorexia sites, causing concern among help organizations such as Beat.

Read in full British Politician Attacks Kate Moss For Encouraging Anorexia

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The Most Common Eating Disorder You've Ever Heard Of

North by Northwestern

Sara always blots her pizza with a tissue to save calories. Carrie never eats the crust. Margaret professes to love deep dish pizza, but peels off all of the cheese. Mark rarely eats pizza because he doesn’t deserve it unless he runs ten miles first.

Which of these behaviors is normal? Which might be signs of an eating disorder? Sometimes it’s hard to make a distinction.

While perhaps none of these fictional characters would be diagnosed with anorexia, bulimia or a binge eating disorder –- the most commonly referenced eating disorders -– they may each have their own varying levels of undefinable psychological food struggles.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, signs of an eating disorder include a preoccupation with body image and weight, fluctuation in weight unrelated to a medical condition and secretive or strange behavior during mealtimes.

EDNOS, or Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified, is the most common diagnosis for those with eating disorders. A study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders found that over 77 percent of eating disorders were classified as EDNOS. Yet despite its prevalence, EDNOS is often neglected in the study of eating disorders, with most research focusing on anorexia and bulimia.

Read in full The Most Common Eating Disorder You've Ever Heard Of

sources linked above

Happy Thanksgiving!

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day spent in the company of those who love and support you.
Happy Thanksgiving!



picture source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/zedzap

Recovery Quote Of The Week: November 25, 2009

Don't Quit
by: unknown

Poem in full:
When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.

Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things go wrong that you must not quit.


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Surviving Thanksgiving When You Have An Eating Disorder

Thanksgiving is a stressful and often scary time for those with an eating disorder. Here are some links to survival tips to help see you through the holiday season.

12 Ideas to help people with eating disorders negotiate the holidays.

Holiday Survival

15 ways to deal with the holiday season

10 tips to help you get through the holiday

How to survive Thanksgiving when you're in eating disorder recovery

Holiday Eating 101: How to negotiate the holidays when you have an ED

Dealing with the festive holiday when you have an eating disorder

Tips for overcoming holiday stress and anxiety: The Food

Negotiating holiday eating

Caring for yourself at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving and eating disorders

Recovery Relapse Prevention

*Please feel free to share links in the comments section to any resources you have for surviving Thanksgiving


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http://www.flickr.com/photos/suckamc/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Eating Disorder Recovery Quotes: Giving Thanks

Life can be hard. Some days are more difficult than others. Often we are so caught up in all that is wrong with our lives, so focused on the struggle, that we forget to be thankful for the good ... no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. In keeping with the holiday of Thanksgiving, here are some quotes to remind us of how important it is to focus on the positive. How important it is to celebrate and be thankful for what is right in our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Real life isn’t always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgment of what is working in our lives can help us not only to survive but surmount our difficulties.”
Sarah Ban Breathnach

“Whatever our individual troubles and challenges may be, it’s important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we have, on every level. We need to literally “count our blessings,” give thanks for them, allow ourselves to enjoy them, and relish the experience of prosperity we already have.”
Shakti Gawain

“Find the good and praise it.”
Alex Haley

“Take full account of the excellencies which you possess, and in gratitude remember how you would hanker after them, if you had them not.”
Marcus Aurelius

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. "
Thornton Wilder

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Albert Einstein

“You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”
Sarah Ban Breathnach

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
William Arthur Ward

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”
G. K. Chesterton

"Praise the bridge that carried you over."
George Colman

“Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend… when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present — love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure — the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on earth.”
Sarah Ban Breathnach

“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.”
Tecumseh Shawnee Chief

“Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light.”
Albert Schweitzer

“The person with a fixed goal, a clear picture of his desire, or an ideal always before him, causes it, through repetition, to be buried deeply in his subconscious mind and is thus enabled, thanks to its generative and sustaining power, to realize his goal in a minimum of time and with a minimum of physical effort. Just pursue the thought unceasingly. Step by step you will achieve realization, for all your faculties and powers become directed to that end.”
Claude M. Bristol

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
John Fitzgerald Kennedy

“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”
Brian Tracy

“Never neglect the little things. Never skimp on that extra effort, that additional few minutes, that soft word of praise or thanks, that delivery of the very best that you can do. It does not matter what others think, it is of prime importance, however, what you think about you. You can never do your best, which should always be your trademark, if you are cutting corners and shirking responsibilities. You are special. Act it. Never neglect the little things.”
Og Mandino

“When we become more fully aware that our success is due in large measure to the loyalty, helpfulness, and encouragement we have received from others, our desire grows to pass on similar gifts. Gratitude spurs us on to prove ourselves worthy of what others have done for us. The spirit of gratitude is a powerful energizer.”
Wilferd A. Peterson

"If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily."
Gerald Good

"The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!"
Henry Ward Beecher

“He who thanks but with the lips Thanks but in part; The full, the true Thanksgiving Comes from the heart”
Unkown

"If you count all your assets, you always show a profit."
Robert Quillen

"Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live."
Jacqueline Winspear

“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.”
Ralph H. Blum

“I will give thanks to thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows it very well.”
Bible quotes

"There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude. It is accompanied with such an inward satisfaction that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance."
Joseph Addison

"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings."
Eric Hoffer

"To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven."
Johannes A. Gaertner

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.”
Denis Waitley

”The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.”
Richard Bach

"The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you."
John E. Southard

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
Marcel Proust

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."
Epictetus

“What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it-would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have.”
Ralph Marston

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues."
Cicero

“Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic.”
John Henry Jowett

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.”
Charles Dickens

*Please see sidebar menus for more recovery quotes and quotes of the week.

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