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  • Other People's Food and Body Comments: How to Cope

    Other People's Food and Body Comments: How to Cope

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    When you begin working on healing your own food and body issues, you realize just. How. fucked. Up. our society is on this front.

    All of a sudden you notice how much EVERYONE is talking about dieting, body weight and body shape.

    And it impacts all of us differently.

    Some of my clients are EXTREMELY triggered - having to remove themselves and hysterically cry, then struggling with anxiety and guilt around food and their body for several days after.

    Others find them mildly annoying, depressing, or stress-inducing.

    Either way - I like to hold the standard of becoming UNTRIGGERABLE.

    People can make whatever comments they want about yours or other people’s food and body…and YOU feel armed with the tools and solid mindset to brush it off and move on.

    Of course, for many of us, this will require some work in therapy to resolve some of the deeper underlying issues like low self-worth and trouble regulating emotions…but it’s possible.

    In this episode, I give my 2 cents on how to cope with food/body comments (especially relevant over the holiday season).

    Here are the highlights:

    When we feel triggered by food and body comments made by others, it’s because of a thought or emotion that it brings up inside US.

    Their comment didn’t hurt us, our thoughts in response to the comment did.

    It poked an OPEN (hint: unhealed) wound inside of us…showing us there’s a deeper issue we need to work through to feel more at peace around food and our body image in ALL situations.

    Commonly triggering food and body comments include…

    Talking about this new diet they’re on

    Talking about how much weight they’ve lost

    Talking about how much weight they’ve gained and how bad they feel

    Shit talking other people’s bodies

    Praising other people’s bodies

    Shit talking your body

    Praising your body

    Shit talking other people’s food choices

    Praising other people’s food choices

    Shit talking your food choices

    Praising your food choices

    Thoughts these might bring up within us:

    “Maybe I should go on that diet too”

    “What if they’re judging me?”

    “I wish I could lose weight like that too”

    “No one thinks my body looks good, I wish I was getting that praise”

    “I feel worthless, undesirable, not good enough”

    “I wish I looked like that”

    “I want that attention and praise”

    “If they think THEY look bad/fat what does that make me?”

    “I better make sure I eat carefully so I can keep this body”

    “Maybe I shouldn’t be eating this…”

    “What if they’re judging what I’m eating?”

    “I should be eating better…”

    “What if they think I’m a fat, unhealthy slob instead of fit and disciplined?”

    Unhealed issues this might be triggering:

    I’m insecure about my body

    I care a LOT about what other people think and feel super afraid of any judgment

    I don’t feel confident in my food choices/like I’m doing something wrong with how I eat

    I place a high amount of value on how my body looks

    To feel at peace and confident, even in the face of these comments, we need to address our THOUGHTS as well as our EMOTIONS.

    (Remember: I’m a dietitian, not a therapist! This is just some potentially helpful info that I’ve gleaned after a few years working with clients on their relationship with food and body image)

    Creating reframed thoughts

    Thought replacements (aka mantras or affirmations) typically work when they feel TRUE to you.

    They cause an emotional shift when you hear, read, write or speak them out loud.

    I created reframes for each of the above “negative” thoughts to help you along!

    “Maybe I should go on that diet too”

    “I’ve tried many different diets in the past and they did not work for me long term. They just made me feel more obsessed and out of control around food and I’m not the only one. A large percentage of diets fail.” (will attach resources on this in the shownotes)

    “What if they’re judging me?”

    “Let them. It’s scary to think about people judging me. But we all judge each other, and I’m not in control of other people’s thoughts and actions. I consciously let go of control of other people’s judgments and me and focus on living MY best, healthiest life based on the signals of my own body.”

    “I wish I could lose weight like that too”

    “Most weight loss attempts fail, because many people go about it in an overly rigid and restrictive way. I am healing from chronically focusing on weight loss and my body, mind and metabolism need a break so I can develop a healthy and stable system again. Weight loss may be possible for me to do in a healthy way in the future, but for right now it’s not the right thing for me.”

    “No one thinks my body looks good, I wish I was getting that praise”

    “It’s hard and sad to feel like other people are not valuing you as much as someone else because of your body. That does not mean I am any less of a person. There is more to my life than how I look and what other people think about my body. I intentionally refocus on the things that REALLY matter to me in life - like genuine connection with other humans, my health, my interests and passions, and the experiences I want to have.”

    “I feel worthless, undesirable, not good enough”

    “Other people do not decide my worth. I will be desirable to the RIGHT people for me. I will be ‘enough’ for the right people for me. It’s okay to feel sad, and I need my own compassion and love in these moments more than ever.”

    *Physically holding yourself and imagining yourself like a little girl and another part of you is a warm loving mother comforting you

    “I wish I looked like that”

    “Everyone’s body is different. I acknowledge the part of me that wants to look like that AND I’m going to work with what’s been given to me and develop MY best body. Which will include being healthy and not obsessive and overly restrictive around food.”

    “Anything that would cause me to sacrifice my health, happiness, or relationships is not right for me.”

    “I want that attention and praise”

    “It’s normal for me to want that validation. I can feel this pain in this moment and not make snap decisions from this place. If I want to make changes to my body, I must do so in a grounded way that will not cause me to ignore my hunger, over-exercise my body to the point of injury or illness. ”

    “There will always be someone who looks ‘better’ than me and gets more praise and validation. I can keep focusing on improving myself and reaching goals that I set, but if I can’t cope with the feeling of someone being better than me I will never be at peace! I can practice now by letting myself feel this feeling with compassion.”

    “If they think THEY look bad/fat what does that make me?”

    “Their judgments of their own bodies have nothing to do with me. They may or may not be judging me, but their opinions of my body have no meaningful impact on my life. I keep focusing on being my healthiest, happiest, best self and trust that the people meant for me will love me and want to spend time with me regardless of how I look.”

    “I better make sure I eat carefully so I can keep this body”

    “I never ignore strong hunger or cravings. I allow my body to be whatever weight it needs to be when I am healthy with a good relationship with food. I do not sacrifice my relationship with food in order to keep or achieve a certain physique.”

    “Maybe I shouldn’t be eating this…”

    “Other people’s food choices and food opinions have nothing to do with my own physical, emotional and psychological needs around food. I focus on getting enough carbs, proteins, fats, fruits and vegetables, being FLEXIBLE with my intake, allowing myself to eat the foods I love regardless of nutritional quality, not ignoring strong hunger cues or cravings, and not holding any pressure-filled rules that make me feel stressed around food.”

    “What if they’re judging what I’m eating?”

    “Let them.” (see previous reframes)

    “I should be eating better…”

    (see previous reframes)

    “What if they think I’m a fat, unhealthy slob instead of fit and disciplined?”

    “It feels uncomfortable to imagine they might be thinking that, and it doesn’t change that this is what I need to do for my body. I remind myself of the reasons why I’m approaching food and exercise the way that I am right now, and I let go of control of other people’s judgments and feel the discomfort that comes along with that.”

    FEELing and processing difficult emotions

    Food/body comments and the thoughts we have in response to them typically cause some pretty uncomfortable emotions.

    We can find more peace by learning how to hold, feel and “digest” these emotions so they can flow like a wave in the sea and pass more easily.

    It often helps to get into the body, which can in turn decrease our stress hormones and calm the mind.

    Suggested tools:

    Meditation

    Journaling

    Reading

    Yoga/stretching

    Breathwork

    Grounding techniques (feeling your feet on the floor)

    Tap into your 5 senses (notice what you can see, hear, taste, smell, touch)

    Music

    Dance

    Singing

    Screaming (into a pillow if you need to)

    Shaking

    I recommend choosing 1-3 of these tools and practicing them daily, so that once you’re in a difficult emotional experience you can call on them more easily.

    Woooof!!

    That was a lot.

    Hope this helps

    Wishing you a peaceful and joyful holiday season 💖

    -Elena

    📲 Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected] (direct 1:1 coaching inquiries here!)

    ❓Submit questions for future episodes here: https://forms.gle/PU4aptH2RRF5Q8JK6

    ✨ Learn more about my group program + fill out an application: bit.ly/normaleater

    ✨ Watch my free class - How I Stopped Binge Eating: bit.ly/howIstoppedbingeeating

    ✨ Free meal guide: bit.ly/bprmealplan

    ✨ Free workbook: bit.ly/ekfreeguide



    Intuitive movement resource (releasing emotions through movement): Kat Beck (https://www.instagram.com/katbeck/)

    Research Studies:

    Dieting increases the likelihood of subsequent weight gain: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25608460/

    Most people regain weight after intentional weight loss: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5764193/

    Weight cycling worsens cardiometabolic health:

    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6489475/#:~:text=Many%20experimental%20studies%20support%20that,of%20glucose%2C%20lipids%20and%20insulin

    Dieting often leads to regaining the weight plus MORE - (see study, and this one)


    Trying to lose weight when you’re already at a “normal weight” worsens health outcomes - (see study.)

  • #197 The 80/20 Rule and Disordered Eating

    #197 The 80/20 Rule and Disordered Eating

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    Hey all!

    This week on the pod I’m talking about the 80/20 approach to nutrition.

    For those of you who don’t know, this is an approach to eating designed to prioritize health and nutrition-related goals without being overly perfectionistic.

    The general concept: make 80% of your diet whole, minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods, and you don’t need to stress about the other 20% - eat what you want.

    While I love this as a strategy for general health and nutrition, I don’t see it being helpful for most of my client’s struggling with disordered eating.

    This is because disordered eating usually involves high degrees of perfectionism and obsession around what, how much and when one eats.

    When you give these clients a “rule”?

    They’re going to use all their willpower to follow it PERFECTLY…and these unrealistic and inflexible expectations often lead to under eating, binge eating, or unhealthy guilt and anxiety around food.

    In this case, we need to focus on re-developing the skill of intuitive eating and healing our relationship with food so we can let go of fears around weight and eating and approach 80/20 in a *truly* flexible way.

    In this episode I break down:

    How I recommend using the 80/20 rule for general health and for fat loss goals

    Signs the 80/20 rule is not a healthy approach for you right now

    How to learn to eat intuitively, heal your relationship with food, and implement the 80/20 rule in a flexible and stress-free way

    Give it a listen and let me know what you think!

    If you like the show - I would so appreciate you leaving a rating and review!

    📲 Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected] (direct 1:1 coaching inquiries here!)

    ❓Submit questions for future episodes here: https://forms.gle/PU4aptH2RRF5Q8JK6

    ✨ Learn more about my group program + fill out an application: bit.ly/normaleater

    ✨ Watch my free class - How I Stopped Binge Eating: bit.ly/howIstoppedbingeeating

    ✨ Free meal guide: bit.ly/bprmealplan

    ✨ Free workbook: bit.ly/ekfreeguide

    Metabolic Adaptation Episode: https://elenakunicki.libsyn.com/metabolic-adaptation-the-lasting-effects-of-your-1200-calorie-diet-days

    Hyperpalatable Foods Episode: https://elenakunicki.libsyn.com/hyperpalatable-foods-how-to-trust-yourself-around-them

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  • Hair Loss & Disordered Eating: Why it Happens + How to Fix It

    Hair Loss & Disordered Eating: Why it Happens + How to Fix It

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    Hair loss is a not-fun symptom that can occur with disordered eating.

    Under-eating, overexercise and the mental stress of a poor relationship with food take a physical toll on the body.

    ALL systems are impacted - and that can include our hair.

    I’ve seen hair loss occur in my clients both during their food restriction and overexercise, and as they are eating more and resting more in recovery.

    It can be especially frustrating during recovery.

    You’re already facing your fear of weight gain, your body is usually changing, and then you have hair loss to deal with on top of everything 😭.

    The good news is - there’s a reason why this happens and your hair will grow back once the root issue is resolved.

    In this episode I discuss:

    The connection between hair loss and disordered eating

    What steps to take to resolve the root cause and allow your hair to stop following out + GROW BACK

    How to cope mentally and emotionally with the hair loss

    Give it a listen and I’d love to hear your feedback!

    📲 Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]

    ❓Submit questions for future episodes here: https://forms.gle/PU4aptH2RRF5Q8JK6

    ✨ Learn more about my group program + fill out an application: bit.ly/normaleater

    ✨ Watch my free class - How I Stopped Binge Eating: bit.ly/howIstoppedbingeeating

    ✨ Free meal guide: bit.ly/bprmealplan

    ✨ Free workbook: bit.ly/ekfreeguide

    Resources for this episode:

    Telogen Effluvium (source).

    TE caused by metabolic stress, hormonal changes, or medication (source).

    Body conserving energy, directs nutrients away from hair growth (source).

    Delayed effect of hair loss (source)

    The treatment for Telogen Effluvium is to eliminate the cause! (source)

    Iron rich foods (source)

    Vitamin C with iron for absorption (source)

    Animal vs plant based iron absorption (source)

    High Vitamin C foods (source)

    Combine your Vitamin C rich and iron rich foods IN THE SAME MEAL/SNACK to enhance absorption (source)

    Vitamin D (source)

    Self-compassion book by Kristin Neff (source)

    Mental and physical health benefits of self-compassion (source)

  • Body Confidence vs Food Freedom: Do I Have to Trade One for the Other?

    Body Confidence vs Food Freedom: Do I Have to Trade One for the Other?

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    As you probably already know, in my private practice as a dietitian, I work with clients who’ve successfully lost fast and achieved their “dream body”…

    …but it’s come at the expense of their mental and physical health.

    They’ve dieted their way to constant food thoughts, missing periods, digestive issues and urges to binge eat.

    They get to a point where they desire food freedom - to feel at peace and free around food.

    When they find my content telling them that in order to get there they have to let go of control over their weight and give themselves full permission to eat…they think differently.

    Won’t this mean I’m just going to gain a bunch of weight and hate my body again?

    They’re afraid they’ll have to trade body confidence for food freedom.

    In this episode I tell you the cold hard truth about this topic.

    The highlights:

    The answer is yes - you will trade these things, at least at first.

    But if you feel bad about your body when you’ve gotten objectively healthier (stopped binge eating, got your period, feel free around food) - it’s a problem with your mind, not your body.

    This “mind virus” comes from a society that treats thinner women better.

    AND, your healthiest body might not be the body that you or others deem the most attractive.

    You get to decide which is more of a priority for you (health or appearance) - and then do the mental healing necessary to find peace and confidence at that place

    How you look is part of confidence - and it is 100% possible to change your appearance in a way that makes you feel more confident WITHOUT sacrificing your health

    But if you’re going about this from a place of low self worth - it’s not possible. You will always compare yourself to everyone, feel anxious and obsessed with your physique or never feel like you’re good enough.

    Confidence is a multi-faceted feeling - you will never feel confident if you are only satisfied with perfection and “being the best”.

    Derive confidence from other areas, not just how your body looks

    What your body can do

    The type of person you are

    Your intellect and knowledge

    Learning a new skill

    Becoming a master or really good at something

    When your confidence is lacking in one area, you can rest your sense of self on the other things you spend your time and energy on. The issue with disordered eating is we start to only spend our time on food, fitness and physique

    Confidence comes from self-acceptance - accepting and owning your “flaws”, your shortcomings, as well as your strengths…NOT running from/obsessively fixing your “flaws”, balancing on this thin tightrope of confidence that you can get flicked off of at any moment if you see a girl who looks better than you or you gain 5 lbs.

    Enjoy and as always - I’d love to hear your comments/questions/feedback!

    Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]

    ✨ Learn more about my group program + fill out an application: bit.ly/normaleater

    ✨ Watch my free class - How I Stopped Binge Eating: bit.ly/howIstoppedbingeeating

    ✨ Free meal guide: bit.ly/bprmealplan

    ✨ Free workbook: bit.ly/ekfreeguide

  • 7 No BS Tips to Not Binge Over the Holidays

    7 No BS Tips to Not Binge Over the Holidays

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    This week on the pod I’m sharing some REAL tips on how you can enjoy your holiday season completely free from the urge to binge.

    I know it might sound too good to be true, and you’ve probably already tried a million things to not act on the urge to binge.

    My approach is different.

    It’s not about finding ways to NOT eat when that urge hits.

    It’s about getting to the root cause and eliminating the urge all together.

    If you started binge eating after losing weight or getting fit - this episode is for you.

    The 7 tips are:

    #1: Start disordered eating recovery NOW (this is going to involve actually acknowledging you HAVE disordered eating and that the solution is not to just “have more willpower”)

    In the podcast episode - I define what recovery means in depth. But basically, it involves 3 steps:

    Letting go of control over your weight Giving yourself permission to eat Giving yourself permission to rest

    #2: Implement a mental health morning routine

    I recommend:

    5-10 minutes of mindfulness meditation to ground your mind and body.

    Writing out any thoughts that are causing anxiety or guilt around food and reframing them to statements that feel more true, compassionate or aligned with how you WANT to feel.

    #3: Eat consistently throughout your day - don’t skip meals

    3 meals, 2 snacks, starchy carb/protein/fat in each of them, eating something within 1-2 hours of waking and going to bed, and eating every 2-3 hours throughout the day are good places to start.

    #4: Expect uncomfortable fullness in the beginning - that’s normal.

    Your mental hunger is going to be higher than what your physical stomach is used to, these cues will regulate over time as you continue to honor your hunger and cravings.

    #5: Stop body checking - hide the scale, cover the full length mirrors, peel yourself away from the mirror

    #6: Focus on physical self-care behaviors like prioritizing sleep, moisturizing your skin, and creating an ambience of cozy/calm in your home

    #7: Open up to your trusted and loving family and friends about what’s going on with you and the process you are following

    More details in the episode itself + supportive free resources in the show notes!

    Hope this helps and sending lots of love.

    Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]

    ✨ Learn more about my group program + fill out an application: bit.ly/normaleater

    ✨ Watch my free class - How I Stopped Binge Eating: bit.ly/howIstoppedbingeeating

    ✨ Free meal guide: bit.ly/bprmealplan

    ✨ Free workbook: bit.ly/ekfreeguide

  • The Moment Your Fitness Journey Turned Disordered (+ How to Prevent it From Going There Again)

    The Moment Your Fitness Journey Turned Disordered (+ How to Prevent it From Going There Again)

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    This was my story and I’ve heard it HUNDREDS of times from women I’ve worked with over the years:

    You grow up feeling obsessed or insecure about your body.

    You lose weight (usually through an intentional fitness/weight loss journey but sometimes due to illness, grief or a traumatic event).

    You experience an INFLUX of compliments and you LOVE what you see in the mirror.

    You become *anxiously attached* to this result…your subconscious mind says: “I MUST KEEP MY BODY LOOKING THIS WAY. AT. ALL. COSTS.”

    ❗This is the moment❗

    You start restricting food to the point of ignoring your human needs.

    ➡️ Physical needs - hunger cues/cravings

    ➡️ Emotional needs - connecting with others over food

    ➡️ Mental needs - enjoying food for pleasure, honoring cravings, feeling flexibility and freedom in what you can eat

    Symptoms start developing as the body’s (smart) way of trying to get its needs met:

    Constant food thoughts

    Extreme hunger/cravings

    Binge urges

    Missing periods

    Slowed digestion (constipation, bloat)

    If you can relate to this story and are experiencing these symptoms now…play with me for a sec.

    🪄 Let’s turn back time and consider an alternate reality with the same original circumstances:

    You learn healthy coping skills to deal with your body image issues.

    You get into fitness and make some conscious changes to your diet *without* restricting in an unhealthy way.

    You lose fat and build muscle.

    You experience the flood of compliments and the pride in how your body looks.

    The voice comes in: “WE MUST KEEP THIS BODY AT ALL COSTS”, but this time…

    …it’s no longer so intense.

    And you’re AWARE of it.

    Your CONSCIOUS (smart, higher brain) comes in and says:

    “We hear you - AND we need to still meet our needs.”

    “Our bodies will be exactly what they’re supposed to be when we are taking care of our needs.”

    “Anything that would require us to sacrifice mental or physical health is not truly going to bring us health/happiness and is not sustainable.”

    “I will accept wherever my body ends up when I’m meeting my needs and I understand these things will change with time.”

    You may practice *restraint* around food to try to maintain your physique…but it does not lead to restriction.

    You:

    Continue to honor hunger cues

    Continue to honor strong desires for food, and pull back when cravings are not as strong

    Don’t obsess or stress over eating socially or spontaneous eating experiences because you know these are non negotiables for your life

    Negative symptoms DON’T develop because your body and mind feel safe.

    You don’t think about food between meals.

    Your hunger and cravings ebb and flow but don’t feel intense most of the time.

    Urges to binge do not develop.

    Periods remain normal.

    Digestion remains healthy.

    And you proceed on your merry way to enjoying a full life feeling confident in your skin and at peace around food 💃🏼.

    ✨ YOU CAN STILL GET TO THIS PLACE NOW ✨

    You can effectively turn back time by letting go of restriction and healing your relationship with food and body image.

    It’s been an honor to help hundreds of women get here over the last 5 years, and I’ve done it myself.

    To learn more about all of this, listen to this episode!

    Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]

    ✨ Learn more about my group program + apply: bit.ly/normaleater

    ✨ Watch my free class - How I Stopped Binge Eating: bit.ly/howIstoppedbingeeating

  • #192 Stephanie Buttermore's

    #192 Stephanie Buttermore's "All In": Is it Right for You?

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    Stephanie Buttermore is a fitness influencer who in 2019, popularized going “All In”.

    She’d spent years tracking macros, cutting and bulking, and working to be as lean and muscular as possible.

    But she was struggling with extreme hunger, irregular periods, and constant thoughts about food.

    The “All In” approach, for her, meant eating to complete satiety, every meal.

    Eating to satiety means eating until you feel completely content. You genuinely don’t want to eat anything else.

    Stephanie Buttermore did this for several months and at the beginning was eating over 5000 calories per day.

    Her Youtube videos showed her VERY physically full, with a distended belly…but feeling satisfied and like she actually could stop thinking about food between meals.

    She gained weight rapidly in the beginning, then hit a plateau a few months in, and about a year later seemed to lose some body fat naturally.

    If you’re struggling with binge eating, thinking about food and feeling hungry all the time…

    …or you’ve lost your period and have a similar background to Stephanie Buttermore, you may wonder if this approach is right for you.

    As an RD who works with women along the disordered eating/eating disorder spectrum, and have guided MANY clients through the all in process…

    …I have some thoughts.

    Who “All In” is right for:

    People who lost weight, got fit and are considered the “picture of health” - and that’s when these symptoms started:

    People who’ve grown an enjoyment for nutritious food, an understanding of macros, and are in the habit of creating “balanced” meals.

    People with OK mental health, not dealing with severe mental health issues OR are working with a therapist that you find very effective and helpful at providing skills to cope with difficult emotions.

    Who “All In” is NOT right for:

    Someone who is currently struggling at a very high body weight.

    Someone has been dealing with severe restriction or purging - like in the case of Anorexia, Bulimia or ARFID - or are at a clinically low body weight.

    I give lots more detail/nuance and explain the WHY behind each of these points in this week’s podcast episode!

    Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]

    ✨ Learn more about my group program + book a free discovery call: bit.ly/normaleater

    ✨ Watch my free class - How I Stopped Binge Eating: bit.ly/howIstoppedbingeeating

    Resources for this episode:

    Nicola Rinaldi - noperiodnowwhat.com

    Stephanie Buttermore’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@StephanieButtermore

    Eating Disorder Helplines: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help/

  • From 210 lb Weight Loss to Missing Period and Binging: Client Interview Heather

    From 210 lb Weight Loss to Missing Period and Binging: Client Interview Heather

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    Heather’s story is nothing short of amazing.

    She went on a MAJOR weight loss journey, losing 210 lbs over 2 years, and then went into the other direction:

    Restricting food so heavily as she became addicted to the numbers.

    Leading her to lose her period for a year, and start experiencing out of control episodes of binge eating.

    She went to Overeaters Anonymous to try to gain control around food - but it didn’t work.

    Finally she realized - her missing period and urges to binge eat were signs that she was not eating enough food.

    She took the plunge to join my group program and face her fear of weight gain so she could heal her body from the effects of under eating and find a healthy balance.

    Now?

    She’s stronger than ever in the gym (hello 200 lb deadlift 😍).

    Her binge urges are gone.

    Her period comes every month.

    And she can finally LIVE a full life again - travel, enjoy delicious food, and make memories with her husband and friends.

    This is what TRUE health and fitness looks like in my humble opinion.

    If you want to get inspired af - give this episode a listen!

    Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]

    ✨ Learn more about my group program + book a free discovery call: bit.ly/normaleater

  • Healing the Anorexic Mindset and Experiencing Pleasure in Life Again with Amy Margolis, LCSW

    Healing the Anorexic Mindset and Experiencing Pleasure in Life Again with Amy Margolis, LCSW

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    This week on the podcast I had a licensed clinical therapist, Amy Margolis, share her own story of recovery from anorexia and perfectionism + how she now helps her clients do the same.

    She talks about the “anorexic mindset” and how it extends far beyond food.

    If you’re someone who’s struggling with anxiety, guilt or feeling out of control around food AND…

    ➡️ You always feel like you need to be doing MORE…

    ➡️ You need to do a million things to EARN something pleasurable (whether that be rest, food or a shopping spree)…

    ➡️ You’re highly disciplined and it’s brought you success but you’re not able to actually ENJOY the fruits of your labor because you can’t relax and take a break…

    …this episode is going to help you.

    Finding a peaceful and free relationship with food can coexist with being a high-achieving, driven person.

    But it’s going to require you to LET GO OF CONTROL and FACE YOUR FEARS.

    We talk about:

    Allowing yourself to be SLOPPY

    Taking the leap of faith to give yourself permission to eat

    Knowing how to restrict but not knowing how to GIVE to yourself without guilt

    Eating when you’re hungry, eating what you want and learning to trust your body

    Looking at what comes BEFORE a binge (were you fully listening to your hunger? Were you planning to restrict later on?)

    As someone who has disconnected her perfectionism from food/body/exercise but still REALLY struggles with it in other areas of life…I really loved recording this and can’t wait for you to hear it.

    Amy’s Resources:

    Here’s the Memo Book: https://amymargolislcsw.com/new-book-from-amy-margolis-heres-the-memo/

    Amy’s Website: https://amymargolislcsw.com/

    Amy’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heres_the_memo/

    Contact me (Elena):

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]


    ✨ Learn more about my group program + book a free discovery call: bit.ly/normaleater

  • Eating Disorders vs Disordered Eating: Getting the Support You Need

    Eating Disorders vs Disordered Eating: Getting the Support You Need

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    In school to become a dietitian, I was struggling massively in my relationship with food.

    Weekly binge episodes that felt like an addict getting their fix - lying, stealing and hiding so I could eat, then crying and feeling depressed for days after.

    Intense anxiety in any situation that was off my “usual routine” with food - holidays, parties, restaurant meals.

    I distinctly remember one day, sitting in lecture and learning about eating disorders.

    The words “Anorexia Nervosa” plastered across the big projector in front of class.

    Pictured was an emaciated woman standing in front of a mirror that reflected a larger bodied lady back at her.

    I resonated with all the big 3 eating disorders, but not fully.

    I had the extreme fear of weight gain of anorexia, but I was never clinically under weight.

    I had at times fasted, exercised more, or used laxatives after a binge - but not frequently enough to be classified as bulimic.

    I struggled with the binge eating episodes described in binge eating disorder - but I DID compensate sometimes after a binge.

    “So”, I reasoned, “I don’t have any eating disorder. It must really just be a will power issue then.”

    And I went back on my not-so-merry way, reading articles from my favorite fitpros every night with advice on how to stick to your plan with food to reach your physique goals.

    If you can relate, I want you to know these 3 things:

    ➡️ Relationship with food is a spectrum from normal, healthy eating to a full blown eating disorder.

    ➡️ “Disordered eating” has serious mental and physical health consequences and requires specific solutions to heal from (hint: not general advice from fit pros or wellness influencers).

    ➡️ The vast majority of disordered eating involves food restriction, and you can be unhealthily restricting food while still being at a “healthy weight”.

    The sooner you take your issues seriously, the sooner you can be free from them.

    This episode of The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast unpacks eating disorders vs disordered eating and gives you resources for healing!

    Learn more about my group program + book a free discovery call: bit.ly/normaleater

    Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]

    Eating Disorder Helplines:

    Australia

    The Butterfly Foundation: Phone: 1800 334 673 | Email: [email protected]

    InsideOut Institute: Phone: (02) 8627 5690 | Email: [email protected]

    Eating Disorders Victoria: Phone: 1300 550 236 | Email: [email protected]

    Eating Disorders Queensland: Phone: (07) 3844 6055

    Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders: Phone (AU): +61 491 134 289 | Phone (NZ): +64 9 887 0552 | Email: [email protected]

    New Zealand

    Canopy Eating Disorder Support Services: Email: [email protected]

    EDANZ: Phone: 0800 233 269 | Email: [email protected]

    United States

    National Eating Disorders Association: Phone: 1-800-931-2237 | Email: [email protected]

    National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders: Phone: 1-888-375-7767 | Email: [email protected]

    The Alliance for Eating Disorders: Phone: 1-866-662-1235

    Canada

    Body Brave: Phone: 1-905-312-9628 | Email: [email protected]

    National Eating Disorder Information Centre: Phone: 1800 866 NEDIC 20 (1-866-633-4220) | Email: [email protected]

    National Initiative for Eating Disorders: Email: [email protected]

    United Kingdom

    BEAT Eating Disorders: Phone: +44 (0)808 801 0677 | Email: [email protected]

    Ireland

    Bodywhys: The Eating Disorders Association of Ireland: Phone: 01 – 2107906 | Email: [email protected]

    Denmark

    LMS: The National Association against Eating Disorders and Self-Harm: Phone: 7010 1818 | SMS 7710 1818 | Email: [email protected]

    Norway

    Norwegian Society for Eating Disorders: Email: [email protected]

    The Eating Disorders Association: Phone: 22 94 00 10 | Email: [email protected]

    Middle East

    Middle East Eating Disorders Association: Email: [email protected]

    South Africa

    Eating Disorders South Africa: Phone: (+27) 073 593 2722 | Email: [email protected]



    Project HEAL: https://www.theprojectheal.org/what-program-is-right-for-you



    Citations:

    Types of Eating Disorders: https://nedc.com.au/eating-disorder-resources/find-resources/show/issue-13-dsm-5-overview-of-changes

    Eating Disorder Statistics: https://anad.org/eating-disorder-statistic/

    DSM 5 binge eating disorder: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK338301/table/introduction.t1/

    DSM 5 anorexia nervosa: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519712/table/ch3.t15/

    DSM 5 bulimia nervosa: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519712/table/ch3.t16/

  • #188 Obesity Epidemic: Can I Really “Trust My Body”?

    #188 Obesity Epidemic: Can I Really “Trust My Body”?

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    So last week I sent an email to my list talking about food freedom and fat loss.

    I said:

    “Food freedom feels like being in control around food but not NEEDING to control food - because:

    1. It’s just not AS exciting anymore (don’t get me wrong I still LOVE food but I don’t feel addicted to it)

    2. You trust your body. That when you have more cravings or hunger you must need the food, and you know it will balance out later on”

    And one of my list members responded.

    She said:

    “If that is the case then why do people become overweight or obese in the first place if they listen to their body? Isn't that the trouble, that listening to our bodies can make us unhealthy, unfit, reduces life span etc?”

    VALID.

    This is basically the biggest fear my clients have when they start my program.

    They are fit women struggling with binge eating, missing periods and digestive issues.

    These are all signs of under-eating.

    And I tell them they need to take a break from exercise and start eating what they want, when they want, until they don’t want anymore food.

    They're like…uhhh Elena? Aren’t I just going to endlessly gain weight and end up on “My 600-lb Life?”

    But that’s not what happens.

    Listening to their hunger and giving their bodies temporary rest allows their hormones to heal, their binge urges to go away, and their cravings to decrease.

    And I’m explaining WHY in this episode of the podcast.

    It’s truly too long for me to type in an email lol, so I hope you give it a listen.

    Any questions?

    Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]

    ✨ Click here to learn more + apply for my small group program: https://6c4aacdb6e461e386fe04ab2538fc20f.mykajabi.com/normaleater

    Resources for this episode:

    Previous episode: Hyperpalatable foods: How to Trust Yourself Around Them https://elenakunicki.libsyn.com/hyperpalatable-foods-how-to-trust-yourself-around-them

    Metabolically healthy obese

    https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2802164#:~:text=Main%20Outcomes%20and%20Measures%20Metabolically,%2DC)%2C%20or%20triglycerides%20based

    Dieting predicting future weight gain:

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3759019/

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16650913/

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-020-0547-1#:~:text=The%20notion%20that%20dieting%20makes,classic%20longitudinal%20Minnesota%20Starvation%20Experiment.

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471015315000045

    2014 meta-analysis showed: Compared to normal weight-fit individuals, unfit individuals had twice the risk of mortality regardless of BMI. Overweight and obese-fit individuals had similar mortality risks as normal weight-fit individuals.

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0033062013001552?via%3Dihub

    Restraint vs Restriction past podcast episode: https://elenakunicki.libsyn.com/dietary-restraint-vs-restriction-the-key-to-reaching-physique-goals-without-binge-eating

  • Free Class: How I Stopped Binge Eating, Got my Period Back and Reach Physique Goals With Food Freedom

    Free Class: How I Stopped Binge Eating, Got my Period Back and Reach Physique Goals With Food Freedom

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    Live Class + Q&A - Thursday Oct 10th! (*You can still watch the recording if you're seeing this in the future!) Register, or catch the recording, via this link: bit.ly/howIstoppedbingeeating

  • Using Will Power to Stop Binge Eating (The “Winter Arc” Trend)

    Using Will Power to Stop Binge Eating (The “Winter Arc” Trend)

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    For 4 years I was trying to stop binge eating.

    I was a disciplined person.

    Dean’s list 4/4 years at Penn State on track to become a dietitian.

    Worked out 6 days a week and hit my 10-15k steps daily.

    Was complimented for my abs, my commitment to “eating healthy”.

    But behind the scenes:

    I’d wake up in the morning at least once a week and the despair would sink in as I remembered eating a whole box of cereal, all of my roommates peanut butter pretzels, and going to the store for more food.

    Throughout those 4 years I tried EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to control the urge to binge.

    Every piece of content from the fitness professionals I followed that said:

    “Discipline equals freedom”!!

    “Just put your head down and do the work”!

    “No one said it was easy - RESIST the hunger if you want to get to your goals”

    Would temporarily motivate me and give me a dopamine hit, as I wrote out a plan for how I would eat to lose fat and commit my will power to resisting the urge to binge.

    …I’d feel so good for those 5 days that I was able to stick to my goals.

    …and utterly hopeless by the end of the week when I binged YET AGAIN.

    If you can relate to this - you may have been tempted by the “Winter Arc” trend on Tiktok.

    It may have given you this sense of hope that if you can use discipline and follow a list of rules for the next 3 months - you can resist the urge to binge.

    One of my client’s recently brought this trend to my attention - so I decided to do a podcast episode about it.

    I would have totally jumped on this trend back in my binge eating days.

    But it wasn’t until I LET GO of rigid control around food, took a break from fat loss and physique goals and started listening to my body's hunger and cravings that I finally stopped binge eating.

    I’ve been binge-free for 6 years, and I’m still a very disciplined person who loves to push herself hard in the gym.

    I still am mindful of my physique - I recently made some changes to my diet and lifestyle to lose a bit of fat - but it’s not the most important thing to me any more and I WILL NOT sacrifice my mental or physical health, or enjoyment of life in the process.

    I accept my body at its natural set weight range and understand that certain levels of leanness are just not healthy for my genetic make up.

    And if you too are tempted by this “Winter Arc” trend as yet another approach to ignore your hunger and cravings and try to “just have more will power”...

    …may I suggest a different approach?

    I unpack more in this episode! Give it a listen and let me know any questions/feedback

    Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]

    ✨ Click here to learn more + apply for my membership - NORMAL EATER: bit.ly/normaleaterdetails

  • Intuitive Eating Didn’t Help Me Stop Binge Eating - At First. Here’s Why

    Intuitive Eating Didn’t Help Me Stop Binge Eating - At First. Here’s Why

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    After my 4 year struggle with binge eating, trying desperately to regain the control around food I had at the beginning of my fitness journey, I was fucking done.

    I finally realized that RESTRICTION was the root cause - my missing periods, uncontrollable urges to eat anything in sight, and chronic constipation and boat were clear evidence of that.

    But I didn’t know HOW to eat anymore without rules, calorie targets, or a specific diet plan to follow.

    So I read the book Intuitive Eating and tried to start implementing the principles:

    Reject the diet mentality!

    Give yourself unconditional permission to eat!

    Honor your hunger!

    Feel your fullness!

    This all made sense. But when I tried to do these things I felt lost and confused.

    “Am I really hungry or just bored?”

    “I just ate an hour ago but I’m thinking about food a lot…I can’t be hungry again?”

    “Okay…” *puts down fork mid-meal to assess fullness level* “I guess I’m full…but I still want to keep eating. Fuck it. Let’s just open the floodgates and eat everything.”

    The binges improved a bit, but still continued.

    Can you relate to this??

    It’s something I see frequently in my clients.

    I tend to work with women who are very fitness-focused, Type-A, perfectionistic and goal-oriented. They tend towards anxiety and overthinking.

    I attract you because I AM YOU 😅 - and I’ve found that we need a slightly different approach to the Intuitive Eating framework.

    When I made these shifts (that I’m sharing with you in this episode), and when my clients make them:

    Binges IMMEDIATELY stop, food thoughts between meals disappear, periods return on average within 3 months, digestion improves, hunger/cravings hit a peak before settling to their “normal” levels AND…drumroll please 🥁…you develop a normal + healthy relationship with food where you can prioritize fitness and physique goals in a way that is actually achievable and does not cause food to consume your life.

    Here are the shifts:

    1️⃣Fully break the diet mindset - don’t try to satisfy hunger with the “lower calorie” option. This process is not about minimizing calories at all. Trust that your body will decrease your hunger and desire for food overtime when it’s got what it needs.

    2️⃣Focus on eating what you want, when you want, until you don't want it anymore. Don’t overanalyze - if there’s even a question if you want to eat or not, err on the side of EATING.

    3️⃣Erase the word “overeating” from your vocabulary - there is only eating what you want and eating until you feel genuinely satisfied, and yes that might mean your stomach is pretty damn full in the early stages.

    4️⃣Honor all forms of hunger - those that show up in your mind (desires for food) as well as body.

    Hope this helps!

    If you want to hear more about my personal story with this (as someone who is now 6 years binge-free and able to prioritize fitness and fat loss goals in a way that does not trigger food anxiety, binge urges or missing periods)

    + more details on all things discussed in these shownotes - listen to the full episode!

    Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]

    ✨ Click here to learn more + apply for 1:1 coaching: bit.ly/elenakwebsite

    Resources for this episode:

    Past episodes where I share my story:

    https://elenakunicki.libsyn.com/how-i-stopped-bingeing-and-got-my-period-back-without-the-pill-after-5-years-of-struggle

    https://elenakunicki.libsyn.com/my-fitness-binge-eating-journey

    Intuitive Eating Principles: https://www.intuitiveeating.org/about-us/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating/

    Past episode on emotional eating: https://elenakunicki.libsyn.com/how-to-stop-an-emotional-binge-qa-with-elena

    Past episode on “mental hunger”: https://elenakunicki.libsyn.com/why-you-cant-stop-thinking-about-food-how-to-stop

  • Dietary Restraint vs Restriction - The Key to Reaching Physique Goals Without Binge Eating

    Dietary Restraint vs Restriction - The Key to Reaching Physique Goals Without Binge Eating

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you’re struggling with some combo (or all) of these 4 symptoms:

    ➡️Binge eating

    ➡️Missing periods

    ➡️Constant food thoughts

    ➡️Anxiety/guilt around food

    You went through a fitness/weight loss journey, felt SUPER in control and “finally” confident in your body, but then these issues crept in and it’s been a struggle to regain control ever since.

    The reason you’re struggling with these things?

    You are engaging in RESTRICTION around food vs RESTRAINT or Intuitive Eating.

    ☝️Restriction = rigid and extreme dietary control to reach or maintain a certain weight or aesthetic goal, or pursue “health”.

    It’s governed by pre-planned rules around what, how much and when one can eat.

    🤗Restraint = moderate and flexible dietary control to reach or maintain a certain weight or aesthetic goal or pursue “health”.

    It’s focused on general intentions around health/aesthetics that influences food choices and ebbs and flows day to day, moment to moment.

    🌈Intuitive Eating = both a 10-step program of healing from chronic dieting/diet culture and eventually a long-term way of life.

    It focuses on letting go of control over weight and instead listening to hunger and fullness cues, honoring food preferences/cravings, engaging in physical movement for health/feeling good…

    …and integrating how different foods make you feel + providing your body the nutrients it needs to thrive as part of decision-making around what/how much to eat.

    RESTRICTION is associated in the research with feeling out of control around food vs restraint.

    Intuitive Eating is the MOST associated with a peaceful relationship to eating.

    So how do you shift from restriction to restraint, you ask?

    1️⃣Focus on becoming an Intuitive Eating FIRST

    2️⃣If you’re struggling with disordered eating or an eating disorder, work with a dietitian to create a plan to eat adequately + consistently throughout the day BEFORE transitioning to intuitive eating

    3️⃣Heal/manage the root causes of low self worth and anxiety that caused you to become restrictive in the first place

    Want to learn more about all this?

    I go into lots more detail in this episode.

    Give it a listen and let me know what you think/any further questions you have!

    Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]

    ✨ Click here to learn more + apply for 1:1 coaching: bit.ly/elenakwebsite

    Resources for this episode:

    Research on restraint shown to be less associated with LOC than restriction: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36688566/#:~:text=Public%20significance%3A%20Some%20research%20suggests,both%20within%20and%20between%20individuals.

    10 Principles of Intuitive Eating - https://www.intuitiveeating.org/about-us/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating/

    Past podcast episode on Mental Restriction (what, when and how much food rules): https://elenakunicki.libsyn.com/mental-restriction-the-hidden-cause-of-your-binge-eating

  • Taking an Exercise Break to Get Your Period Back

    Taking an Exercise Break to Get Your Period Back

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    You may have heard before that in order to get your period back with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (aka a missing period due to under eating, overexercise and/or STRESS)...you need to exercise less.

    With my clients, I actually recommend taking a FULL exercise break.

    I believe this to be proven by the data we have on women who lose their periods due to HA, and the BEST path to regaining optimal hormonal health + become truly healthy and fit.

    I took a 3 month exercise break back in 2018, and have walked hundreds of clients through this process.

    I break down the what, how and why behind exercise breaks in this episode.

    An exercise break = Temporarily stopping all structured exercise and only doing low-intensity exercise IF truly desired in the moment.

    Taking an exercise break helps you get your period back by:

    Reducing cortisol (not suppressing the hypothalamus)

    Creating the proper calorie surplus to increase estrogen, leptin and insulin (sends signals to the hypothalamus: “we are fed”)

    🤓 Evidence to back this up:

    According to the research conducted by Dr. Nicola Rinaldi (author of the book No Period Now What), women who…

    Decreased intensity of exercise from a score of 7 to 3.5

    Reduced their time spent exercising to 3 hours per week at a lower intensity

    Immediately reduced exercise vs gradually reduced exercise

    …were most likely to regain their cycles.

    Other reasons an exercise break is helpful (especially for those who are also struggling with binge eating and constant food thoughts):

    Removes the hunger suppression effect that exercise can have, preventing extreme hunger and binge eating episodes later on

    Decreases the feeling of never satisfied, and feeling uncomfortably full by the time you’re done eating

    Improves digestion by getting out of “fight or flight” and into “rest and digest”

    Disconnects exercise as a crutch to allow yourself to eat, or be okay with your body image - so you can have a TRULY joyful, empowering, non-stressful relationship with it

    What reincorporating exercise after a break looks like:

    Waiting till 3, consecutive cycles (“recovery periods”)

    Reintegrating slow and steady

    Increasing to the amount/intensity you desire over time

    I go into loooots more detail and nuance in this episode - so give it a listen if you want to learn more!

    Click here to learn more about my coaching programs + free resources: bit.ly/elenakwebsite

    Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me at [email protected]

    Resources for this episode:

    https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates (low intensity heart rate zones)

    No Period Now What Book (Page 158)

    https://elenakunicki.libsyn.com/the-cause-of-your-missingirregular-period-how-to-get-it-back-qa-with-elena (What is HA)

    https://elenakunicki.libsyn.com/returning-to-the-gym-after-an-exercise-break (Returning to exercise after a break)

  • Seeing a

    Seeing a "Bad Photo" of Yourself - 9 Ways to Cope

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    So you’ve seen a “bad” photo or video of yourself.

    You were kind of shocked at what you saw, it doesn’t match with how you think you look. Or it’s “worse” than what you thought.

    You’re picking apart certain parts of your body - your face, your belly, your arms - and maybe judging them as “fat” or “ugly”.

    A COMMON response is to say: “Omg. Something needs to change. It’s time to start working out more, eating less, or doing a new diet so I can lose weight and change these parts of my body.”

    This is where many people’s disordered eating begins.

    They reactively restrict food and move more to lose weight.

    They lose sight of their overall values, hobbies and interests in life.

    They lose sight of their mental and physical needs to be holistically healthy.

    They ignore their hunger cues and follow rigid, unsustainable food rules.

    Periods go missing, they think constantly about food, they isolate themselves from social situations, friends and family to stick to their eating and exercise schedule and avoid temptation to eat.

    And eventually, in most cases, they start losing control around food and/or experiencing full blown episodes of binge eating.

    Then have to continue restricting/dieting to “make up” for the binge. And the cycle repeats.

    If you can relate, here are 9 ways to cope with seeing a “bad photo” of yourself in a HEALTHY WAY (that allows you to maintain a good relationship with food):

    PAUSE. Check in with thoughts and feelings.

    Responding with restriction and disrespecting your body’s needs for food *literally* doesn’t work

    Mantra: “This is my body. It’s okay. I don’t have to change it. There is no right way for a body to look.”

    Mantra: “There is nothing inherently wrong with this body”

    Picture yourself as another woman you’ve seen (maybe online) who doesn’t fit the beauty standard and rocks it. If you don’t have an example - use your imagination. Picture yourself in your current body, completely accepting and loving it. Even feeling confident in it and embracing it. Feel how that energy is magnetic and enticing.

    Picture yourself as a fluid, flowing, fertile, feminine goddess. See old paintings of aphrodite or the renaissance women.

    Remember that our society conditions us to pick apart our bodies - you get to decide if you want to buy into this or create your OWN life and reality by design, based on what really matters and how you want to feel at the end of your life. You can live an amazing life in THIS body. Go out and do the things that bring you joy, that give you a sense of purpose, find things you’re passionate about. See and feel that there is so much more to life than how your body looks

    Ask - how can I continue to meet my body’s needs for enough food and rest despite how I’m feeling about how it looks right now?

    Trust that your body will look exactly how it’s meant to when you are *holistically* healthy and well (which includes a peaceful, flexible relationship with food)

    *All of this is not to say that you can’t want to change how your body looks in a healthy way.

    But it only *really* works when led with self-love and respect for your bodies above all else, not desperation.

    For more on this?

    Listen to the full episode!

    Other episodes disscussed in this one:

    How to Pursue Fat Loss and Physique Goals in a Healthy Way

    Contact me:

    DM me on Instagram @elenakunickird

    Email me [email protected]

    Learn more + apply for 1:1 coaching: bit.ly/ekprivatecoaching

  • Irregular Periods with Disordered Eating? Recommended Lab Work

    Irregular Periods with Disordered Eating? Recommended Lab Work

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    If you’re struggling with disordered eating as well as period problems - I’ve got some information to help you.

    My clients are women who have a history of dieting, losing weight and undergoing a “fitness journey”, after which they start struggling with missing or irregular periods as well as binge eating or constant food thoughts.

    Many of them spend months-years trying to figure out WHY their period is irregular, getting little-to-no answers from their doctors other than:

    “You probably have PCOS”

    “You’re just super fit! It’s normal for fit women to lose their periods”

    “We’ll just get you on the pill to regulate your cycle”

    If you can relate - you’re probably like me and the women I work with; you want to know WTF is going on in your body and get to the ROOT CAUSE so you can be optimally healthy!

    Well in this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing how you can do that.

    SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE TO FIND THE SUGGESTED LAB WORK IN DETAIL.

    Above all though, I want you to know that you don’t need ANY of this testing to start the process of healing your relationship with food.

    Regardless of what’s going on with your hormones, you need to stop restricting food, stop dieting and learn how to listen to your body's hunger and satisfaction cues so you can become truly healthy with a good relationship with food.

    Hope you enjoy the episode! Sending love!

    Contact me:

    Email at [email protected]

    DM me on Instagram at elenakunickird

    Learn more about my 1:1 coaching, group program and free resources here: bit.ly/elenakwebsite

    Resources from this episode:

    Stress and high prolactin levels - https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/hyperprolactinemia#:~:text=In%20women%2C%20physical%20or%20psychological,lead%20to%20elevated%20prolactin%20levels.

    Women diagnosed with an eating disorder were at higher subsequent risk of developing autoimmune diseases - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-a-new-home/201909/the-relationship-between-autoimmune-and-eating-disorders

    Diagnosis of HA https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7418467/

    Diagnosis of PCOS https://advancedfertility.com/infertility-testing/pcos-fertility-testing/#:~:text=Diagnosing%20PCOS%20with%20FSH%20and%20LH%20Hormone%20Levels&text=Normally%20this%20ratio%20is%20about,%2C%20or%20even%203%3A1.

    Low Vitamin D and eating disorders in adolescents - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25130505/

    Sam Abbot - @pcos.nutritionist (see her podcast episode here)

    SEE RECOMMENDED LAB WORK BELOW 👇

    Bloodwork:

    Standard Blood Work (this is what you typically get at your yearly check up)

    Complete Blood Count (CBC)

    Basic Metabolic Panel

    Comprehensive Metabolic Panel

    Lipid Panel - cholesterol can be elevated due to restriction

    Blood glucose and Hba1c

    Full sex hormone panel

    Estradiol - low/normal in HA, normal to high in PCOS

    Testosterone (total) - low/normal in HA, high in PCOS (all the androgens)

    Testosterone (free)

    Adrostenedione

    Progesterone

    Prolactin - can be elevated due to stress, pituitary tumor

    DHEAS - can be elevated due to stress in HA

    LH - typically less than or the same as FSH in HA, greater than FSH in PCOS

    FSH

    SHBG - low can be a sign of PCOS

    Full thyroid panel

    TSH - can be high in both HA and PCOS

    Total T4 - can be low in HA and PCOS

    Total T3 - can be low in HA and PCOS

    Free T4

    Free T3

    Reverse T3

    anti-TPO

    Anti-thyroglobulin antibodies

    Nutrients

    B12 - all of these levels can be low in PCOS and HA and worsen symptoms, or can be depleted by the pill

    Folate

    Iron

    Ferritin

    Vitamin D - protect bone health

    Zinc - digestive health

    Lab work/assessment

    2. Transvaginal ultrasound (rule out structural abnormalities, look at cysts on the ovaries)

    *Cysts on the ovaries can be present with both HA and PCOS

    3. Detailed review of your history and current reality with food, exercise and weight loss (with red flags being currently trying to lose weight, history of any weight loss, exercising a lot) - MOST IMPORTANT



    **This podcast does not diagnose or treat any medical conditions. Speak with your doctor about this information and before taking any action around your medical care.

  • "Am I Hungry or Bored?" - 3 Tips to Stop Boredom Eating

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    My clients often struggle with listening to and TRUSTING their hunger cues.

    After years of dieting and controlling their weight, they’re more used to following external food rules than their bodies.

    This not only leads to things like missing periods, digestive issues, food obsession and binge eating…

    …it also leads them to ask the question “am I REALLY hungry? Or am I just bored?”

    😵‍💫When they’re sitting at their desk working and can’t stop thinking about the pre-prepped asian chicken and rice they made for lunch (despite not feeling physical hunger pangs yet)

    😴 When they have a relaxing day and have to constantly resist the temptation to eat, whereas on their busy days that voice feels more quiet.

    If this is you, read on. 👇

    You see, “boredom eating” is FAR more likely to happen when you have a history of restricting food.

    Under eating and rigid food rules make us hungrier, with more cravings 😬.

    It increases the pleasure and comfort we get from eating which makes us more likely to reach for the ice cream carton when emotional 🍨.

    The solution?

    Is not to “try not to eat” 🙄.

    (As if that ever worked long term anyways)

    Instead, I have 3 tips for you:

    1️⃣ ALLOW yourself to eat when bored

    Listening to your desires for food will allow your body to get the calories it needs + eliminate the scarcity mindset. This will eventually lead your hunger and cravings to decrease and your urge to eat emotionally to go away.

    2️⃣ Follow the “regular eating” principle

    3 meals, 3 snacks, with all 3 macronutrients in them (starchy carbs 🥖, fats 🥑 and protein 🍳) evenly spaced throughout the day.

    OR - eating with your hunger cues throughout the day, INCLUDING mental hunger (the desire to eat) and stopping eating when you are truly satisfied (not just physically full)

    3️⃣ Address other common causes of boredom eating such as ADHD and lack of pleasure/fulfillment in life

    …but address these in ADDITION to stopping food restriction, not in replacement because you are afraid of weight gain.

    That’s even more of a sign that restriction is likely the main root cause of your “boredom eating” and the true work you need to do to find freedom and peace with food ❤️.

    I explain all of this in more detail on this episode 🎤!

    Hope you love it.

    If you want to contact me with any questions:

    Email at [email protected]

    DM me on Instagram at elenakunickird

    Learn more about my 1:1 coaching, group program and free resources here: bit.ly/elenakwebsite

    Get the Binge Eating & Period Recovery Meal Plan: bit.ly/bprmealplan

    Resources for this episode:

    Untamed by Glennon Doyle

    Troubleshooting Unconditional Permission to Eat

    Becca King’s episode (@adhd.nutritionist on Instagram)

  • Client Interview: Emily (Part 2)

    Client Interview: Emily (Part 2)

    · The Binge Eating Dietitian Podcast

    Past client Emily is back on the podcast this week sharing her 1 year update.

    She went from being so obsessed with “healthy” eating that she was deathly afraid of sugar and dairy 😁…

    …to casually saying yes to ice cream on a date for the experience, and naturally not finishing it 🤷🏼‍♀️.

    From feeling literally possessed by a demon during her binge episodes…

    …to sitting in disbelief that she ever even had the urge to binge 🤯(that’s how at peace she feels around food).

    From feeling constant pressure to exercise to burn calories 🏃🏼‍♀️😰and maintain a certain physique…

    …to going for runs at 10 PM after work because she GENUINELY WANTS TO and enjoying a post-workout meal with zero fear about eating “too late”.

    This is a juicy one - you get fantastic insight into what life looks like when you truly, fully heal your relationship with food, body image and exercise.

    Lots of profound mindset shifts that will nourish your brain 😌🧠 so you can start taking different actions and find this freedom and peace with how you eat, how you move and how you feel in your skin.

    Hope it helps!

    Email at [email protected]

    DM me on Instagram at elenakunickird


    Learn more about my 1:1 coaching and group program: bit.ly/elenakwebsite

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