When you have an eating disorder, which one is it?
Nine times out of ten, an eating disorder will take a form of movement [e.g., gym, running, walking] which before the ED was genuinely enjoyed, and use it as a form of ‘punishment’ for eating. What was once movement that your body felt like doing, becomes rigid and non-negotiable when you have an eating disorder.
“I have to go to the gym for x amount of time, to burn of the x number of calories I ate.”
Sound familiar?
It is important to us at Myrtle Oak that if you enjoyed movement before your eating disorder, that we can help guide you back to a place where it is undertaken from a place of kindness and joy.
To do this, we must prioritize your health and ensure you are a medically safe and stable to do so.
We do this by coordinating and liaising with your GP around appropriateness of exercise at each stage of recovery, by using the Safe Exercise at Every Stage (SEES) guideline.
This guideline uses a stepwise format which focuses on your vital observations and current trajectory in recovery to then introduce appropriate movement.
After your initial assessment, we will fax through this SEES guideline form to your GP.
Where to after medical clearance?
Our clients bravely share that increasing their food intake and decreasing their exercise is one of the hardest changes they make.
We understand this and we hear you.
Our aim is to help you disconnect the thought of eating food and HAVING to move. We hope that through treatment, you can find a love for moving, not because it burns calories but because it is social, enjoyable and you feel like it.
We hope that you develop the confidence to trust the signals your body sends you. Does it want to move today? How does my body feel like moving today? Would it like a rest day, or two?
Our Dietitians and/or Psychologists work with you to find this balance and to break the rigidity of your eating disorder.
It can be helpful to ask yourself – what would I like my relationship with exercise to look like, two years from now?
If this article resonates with you, please call us on (02) 4362 3443 to speak to our Client Care Coordinators about booking an assessment. Or visit the contact page to send us a message.
