What are some strategies for athletes who struggle with disordered eating or body image issues to develop a healthy relationship with food and their bodies?

Question

Leslie Bonci, RD, CSSD · Answer

I work with a lot of athletes that suffer with body image issues, Eating Disorders, or disordered eating. So how do you balance this out? Is doing things that are good for your body and being mindful of what it is that you eat. First of all we want to be positive and constructive and productive and not destructive. Secondly you have to have your support team working with the therapist working with a sports dietitian to really help you navigate through this third thing. Going about not just physique the way your body looks but performance, the way that your body feels I have yet to meet an athlete to says, I want to be the slowest. I want to be the weakest I want to Tire before I start, nobody wants that, the goal is to optimize, but in order to do that, we have to customize, yes, you can be mindful about what it is that you choose to eat, but that is with permission. Not Omission that focus on what your body lets you do your arms. And your legs, your torso, your lungs, your muscles, your bones. How can we do this in a very, very positive way. And so when we focus on that thinking, more, what we can, instead of what we can't working with people, who help us to reinforce those messages, that is how we can be the best advocate for ourselves and create that healthy selfie.

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"What are some strategies for athletes who struggle with disordered eating or body image issues to develop a healthy relationship with food and their bodies?"