Men & Food: Men Get Eating Disorders, Too.

Got questions about manorexia or bigorexia?  Dr. Nina explores the topic of male eating disorders, explaining the specific issues that pertain to guys, and how to address them.

Check out this episode!

https://winthedietwar.com/kick-the-diet-habit-now/

Men & Food: Men Get Eating Disorders, Too. (video)

Got questions about manorexia or bigorexia?  Dr. Nina explores the topic of male eating disorders, explaining the specific issues that pertain to guys, and how to address them.
Check out www.winthedietwar.com

Check out this episode!

https://winthedietwar.com/kick-the-diet-habit-now/

BABY STEPS TO WEIGHT LOSS (video)

Dr. Nina shows you how to stop using food for comfort or distraction one step at a time

Check out this episode!

https://winthedietwar.com/kick-the-diet-habit-now/

How to Think Thin (video)

Do you eat when you're stressed?  Dr. Nina shows you how to relax - when you're relaxed, you're less likely to use food for comfort or distraction.  Click PLAY to get started.

Keywords:  dieting, overeating, bingeing help, visualization, relaxation, Dr. Nina, comfort, eating disorders

Check out this episode!

https://winthedietwar.com/kick-the-diet-habit-now/

LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT TRYING

If you've tried every diet in the world, cabbage soup to Paleo, maybe you're trying too hard.  Dr. Nina provides food for thought to help you lose weight without dieting.  Watch the episode to find out how!

Check out this episode!

https://winthedietwar.com/kick-the-diet-habit-now/

Diet Like a Dog

What if you took care of yourself as well as you do your dog? In this episode Dr. Nina gives suggestions on how to feel doggone better and train yourself to have a healthier, happier relationship to food."

Check out this episode!

What if you took care of yourself as well as you do your dog?  In this episode Dr. Nina gives suggestions on how to feel doggone better and train yourself to have a healthier, happier relationship to food.

If you have a dog, or know someone who does, think of how much better life would be if you treated yourself as well as you treat your dog - or the way your friends treat their dogs - assuming they take good care of them.

If you have a bone to pick with yourself about your weight, you can train yourself to think differently about your physical and emotional needs, wants, feelings and conflicts.

Dr. Nina offers specific suggestions on how to change your mind, which shifts the way you feel, and changes your behavior with food.  When you feel better, you don’t need food for comfort or distraction – and that’s how you make peace with food!

*     *     *     

https://winthedietwar.com/kick-the-diet-habit-now/

Weight of the Word

Sticks and stones can break bones and words DO hurt!  Dr. Nina talks about seven words that make you feel bad, and shares others that enhance your self-esteem. When you take off the weight of the word, you’re likely to feel better, and better about yourself.

Check out this episode!

https://winthedietwar.com/kick-the-diet-habit-now/

How To Calm Down

Do you eat when you’re stressed? In this episode, Dr. Nina teaches you four ways to relax your body and your mind. When you’re relaxed, you’re less likely to use food to calm down.

Check out this episode!


Here are some of the techniques that Dr. Nina discusses in the podcast episode.  For more details, listen to the episode. 

HOW TO CALM DOWN 

“I know it’s important to identify and process my feelings so that when I'm upset I don't turn to (or from) food.  Sometimes I’m too stressed out to deal with what’s going on inside.  What else can I do when I feel that way?”

Sound familiar?  If so, you may be accustomed to using disordered eating to numb, distract or comfort yourself and don’t know how else to calm down.   

Here are some ways to alleviate stress and anxiety by calming your body, centering your mind and stopping the escalation of stress.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise:  First, tighten your legs, then your stomach, and next your arms.  Make fists and keep your muscles really, really tight.  HOLD that tension as long as possible, a minimum of fifteen seconds but ideally as long as possible.  Then release. 

Feel that?  You’re probably feeling more relaxed.. The idea of this exercise is that without muscle tension, you can’t access muscle release.  When your body is relaxed, your mind will follow. 

The Four Senses Exercise:  As you know, we have five senses, but if you turn to food when you’re stressed, you’re familiar with the sense of taste and probably use taste – food – as the primary way you self-soothe.  The Four Senses exercise puts you in touch with the other four senses and helps you center yourself.

Wherever you are, look around and say one thing that you can:

Touch:_________________________________________________________________

See:____________________________________________________________________

Hear:___________________________________________________________________

Smell:__________________________________________________________________

Visualization. There are two ways to use visualization:  the first is to imagine a happy place where you feel safe and calm; the second is to think about something you’re afraid of, and imagine a positive outcome.  Keep in mind those four senses

Visualization #1: Visualize a place where you feel happy.  Where are you?  Who else is there?  Don’t limit yourself to reality; you can go anywhere your mind takes you.  In your imagination, what are you touching, seeing, hearing, and smelling?

Visualization #2:  Imagine a situation that makes you nervous, thinking about the best outcome possible.  Again, use the four senses to bring this to life.  What upcoming situation is causing you anxiety?  Whether it’s a job interview, a personal challenge, a blind date or anything else, imagine the very best outcome, visualizing and imaging the four senses.

Using these methods to calm down, along with learning to identify and process painful, difficult and upsetting emotions, will help you comfort yourself and find peace with words, instead of with restricting, bingeing and purging, or bingeing.  

When you are calm, you don't need food to cope.  And that's how you make peace with food!

https://winthedietwar.com/kick-the-diet-habit-now/

Men & Eating Disorders

Are you a guy struggling with food, weight or body image issues?  Do you think you’re alone in this struggle?  

In this episode, Dr. Nina discusses men and eating disorders.  She explores how eating problems differ across gender lines, how men and boys feel pressured to deny certain emotions, to be muscular, and why these social and cultural expectations facilitate the development of disordered eating.  

Dr. Nina emphasizes that whatever is going on with food, the behavior is an attempt to deal with psychological conflict through a physical action.  As she puts it, "People who have eating disorders will say things like, 'it’s all about food, it’s all about losing weight, it doesn’t have to do with anything else'… but the reality is, male or female, it is about something else."  

She challenges the myths and misconceptions about male eating disorders, and provides guidance on how to deal with this issue.  

Check out this episode!

Lose Weight Without Trying

Are you trying to lose weight? Trying to be healthier? 

In this episode, Dr. Nina suggests you stop trying. She explains why diets fail and explores new ways of relating to yourself so that you can meet your weight-loss goals



Check out this episode!

https://winthedietwar.com/kick-the-diet-habit-now/

Make Peace with Food

Do you have questions about problem eating?  Need clarification about food addiction or how willpower fits in (hint:  it doesn't)?

Maybe you want to help a friend or loved one and need some advice on what approach to take.  Or perhaps you’re struggling with food, weight and body image issues and need some information and guidance.

In this episode, Dr. Nina is interviewed by eHealth Radio Network and shares "food for thought" on all these topics.

Check out this episode!


https://winthedietwar.com/kick-the-diet-habit-now/

How To Survive Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving (or, National Binge Day) can be difficult if you're struggling with food, weight and body image issues.  Dr. Nina provides some tips and strategies for how to survive Thanksgiving without losing control, or losing your mind!

The media celebrates Thanksgiving as the beginning of the holiday season.  Commercials and advertisements make it seem as if every family in the world is happy, loving, close (and Caucasian), gathering over a table loaded with turkey and all the trimmings, grateful for their wonderful lives. For many people, this scenario is a complete fantasy, not even close to reality.

Thanksgiving (sometimes known as “National Binge Day”) is also a time when people are expected to eat until they are in a stupor, and it’s even considered bad manners not to taste everything on the table. If you struggle with disordered eating, this can be extremely challenging.

SURVIVAL TIPS:

Be a social anthropologist.  When you’re watching and observing, you’re not a participant.  You’re not “in” it when you’ve got some distance.  That distance can be very illuminating. 

When you hear your mom or dad or grandparents criticize your sister or brother or cousin, you can see more clearly how you learned to criticize yourself. 

When you realize that your mother apologizes for every bite she eats, you’ll recognize how you learned to feel guilty for every bite you take.

Access your inner Oprah or Ellen or Barbara Walters. When you’re asking questions, you’re not defending yourself, or explaining or justifying anything.  Ask your family to talk about themselves; that’s probably something they love to do, and if they’re talking about themselves, they’re not criticizing, judging, and commenting about you.  Ask yourself questions, too:

*What is the most difficult part of Thanksgiving?  Food?  Family?  Lack of family?

*What do you like about the holiday season?

*What helps during this time?

*What doesn’t help?

*What are the emotional triggers?

Identify the emotional triggers.  If you think you’re triggered by food, maybe you’re actually being triggered by an emotional need. If you find yourself thinking about filling foods such as mashed potatoes or stuffing, perhaps you are lonely and seeking to fill an internal emptiness. 

If you are drawn to pumpkin pie and sweets, maybe you need more comfort/sweetness in your life. 

If you can’t get enough chips or pretzels, could be that you’re angry.

If you find yourself turning against food, it’s possible that you are denying your needs – not just for food, but your human need for connection, love, and friendship.

Be grateful:  Think of one thing you appreciate; whether it’s a person or a situation, hanging onto one good thing can shed light in the darkness and keep you going through the holiday season.

Check out this episode!