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How one client broke the restriction rules and post-binge hangovers
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Feb 1-7 marks the start of Eating Disorders Awareness Week 
#EDAW2017 #NEDAwareness

 

As Registered Dietitians that specialize in eating disorders, breaking dieting behaviors and creating a healthy relationship with food, our team has the chance to work with some remarkable clients that make our job very rewarding. 

Here is a letter from one of my clients about what life was like before seeking help and what it looks like now as she has learned to be more forgiving and ditch the need to be perfect. I am tremendously proud she took a blind leap of faith and trusted the process despite the initial fear and anxiety.   It is never too late to take the first step towards a better life.  I hope this letter inspires you. 

 

“We are made to be real, not perfect”

 

Dear Health Stand team,

Victory over restriction rules

 

I am writing this letter to thank you for the supportive coaching that has helped me become a better wife, mother, sister, friend and most importantly helped me just be me!

 

When I first came to see Andrea I was stuck inside my head and definitely feeling a post binge hangover. This was not an unusual feeling. The box Inside my mind had some pretty stringent rules and a vision of the perfect me. It was a roller coaster ride of high’s and low’s. Eating “clean”, obsessing over ingredients to “slipping up” and demolishing whatever was in the pantry. My life depended on a good eating day or bad eating day. The voices just wouldn’t stop. It was an all or nothing approach- if I was good then I would love and live life to the fullest, if I was bad I cancelled on friends, I didn’t go on dates, I sat in the dark and watched movies, I told myself I wasn’t enough. I wasn’t good enough.

 

With my 30th birthday approaching sometime in the near(ish) future and a wedding coming soon, I questioned whether or not I would make it through life like this. How could I be there for my husband? How could I raise kids if I was having a “fat” day?! How could I show up to work?! I decided since I want to live this life, I needed to find some help.

 

Then I met Andrea at Health Stand and sought out help from a counsellor. At the beginning I was open yet hesitant – embrace ALL foods?! How was I going to do that if having “one” turned into gorging on the entire box?! But, since I am a firm believer in science and Andrea had lots of science and research based facts I decided that facts don’t lie and they can be trusted. Throughout our sessions, Andrea helped me navigate through the voices to a place of self compassion. A truly soulful way of not only eating but living. Most importantly I have embraced the quote “we are made to be real, not perfect”.

 

Today I have invaluable tools that I will be there the rest of my life – because let’s face it life gets messy! Whenever I get overwhelmed or stressed (which has been a lot lately with a new baby on our hands!) I see old thought patterns and habits pop up. And that’s okay. WOW! That’s okay. I love myself through it, I observe, I regroup back to the toolbox and pull out a hammer, a wrench and maybe some nails. Pat myself on the back and keep loving hard.

 

Andrea- I can be me. I am forever healing with heart and savouring this box of chocolates life has to offer!

 

Thank you,

Annonymous

 

If this post resonated with you, and you would like to break the rules that are keeping you stuck, contact us about a nutritional counselling program

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Success stories

"I am a psychologist in private practice and it is very important to me that my clients have the best care with other health care professionals. For that reason Health Stand Nutrition is my only source for exceptional Dietitians. Andrea and her team provide highly knowledgeable, compassionate, and real world support to my clients who require assistance with food lifestyle. I trust my clients to them and you would be in excellent hands making them part of your health care team."
Adele Fox, Psychologist
“This is the first time I feel satisfied; my cravings have diminished dramatically and I have a whole new relationship with food. I am eating guilt-free for the first time in my life. My energy has also dramatically increased and I feel great!
Rhonda Jenkins, Nutrition Counseling Client
“The Dieticians at Health Stand Nutrition help you to take action on the science behind eating well by making it practical, understandable, and fun. Their office is cozy and not at all clinical or intimidating. I felt like I was sitting down with a really smart, caring friend who wanted to help me make the best choices for my lifestyle and food preferences. They really are the best in the business.”
Marty Avery, Nutrition Counseling Client
“I have come to think of the program as a one stop shopping excursion for everything one needs to know about creating a joyous relationship with food and our bodies. In a single word, the course has gifted me with freedom from the punishing rigidity of disordered eating, old stories that never were true, and body dysmorphia that did nothing but make me lose sight of a body that has done everything I've asked, despite my careless dismissal of her needs. Now when I look in the mirror I find myself shifting from harsh criticism to gentle gratitude.”
Lynn Haley, Pursuit of Healthiness Online Course Participant
“I spent 3 hours when first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I learned more from my Dietitian about food in those 3 hours than I had learned in all the years of my life. I also love the newsletter, there is always something to learn.”
Peter Whitehead, Nutrition Counseling Client
“I didn’t realize how strong my “diet mentality” was, and all the rules I had in my head about food. I was in a cycle of reward/punish/binge/cringe. I booked with your business very reluctantly, on the repeated advice of my doctor, to get my slowly rising cholesterol levels in check. I thought I knew everything about food, and my behaviour with food, but I was definitely re-schooled. My weight is creeping down, I feel good about my diet, exercise, body image, and lifestyle.”
Amy Floyd, Nutrition Counseling Client
“Thanks Andrea for an amazing presentation, I have heard all positive remarks from attendees and the evaluations show the same sentiment. It is really gratifying when a speaker does their “homework” and weaves in our profession’s day to day challenges within their content, you did an awesome job of this! You truly took the “die” out of Dietician! Your information on healthy eating and simplifying how we can work towards this as we are all so busy really hit the mark. Andrea connects very well with her audience; she is energetic, funny, and very approachable.”
Carole Ann LaGrange, Transfusion Medicine Safety Officer

Event Planner for Laboratory Diagnostic Imaging Annual Event

I am a family physician who sees patients with a myriad of eating concerns – from wanting to know how to plan healthy meals for active families, to weight loss, to eating disorders, and so on. I cannot recommend the Health Stand team highly enough. I have worked with (and been to!) other Dieticians in the past and too often find that they just ask for food logs and make suggestions that are easily obtained online or in books. The Dieticians at Health Stand offer much more than just telling clients what they “should be eating.” In contrast, the team really does more of a counselling practice, and they work hard to help their clients learn more about why their eating habits may be off track and not optimal for them, as well as helping people to effect change at a deep level that, most importantly, is sustainable for lifetime health.”
Dr. Deb Putnam, Family Physician

Nutrition Counseling Client & Referring Physician

“I am a busy mom, with kids in high level sports, working full-time downtown, and running our home acreage outside the City. I now have the knowledge and tools I need to plan for and manage the chaos of meal planning.”
Gillian Gray, Pursuit of Healthiness Online Course Participant
“As a construction company, we select speakers who can relate to our industry and its employees. Andrea’s message was delivered with humor and empathy. She makes people feel as though they can make changes without leaving behind every favorite food. Andrea focused her presentation on healthy eating as a way to keep energy high throughout the day. This message and the way it was delivered resonated with our predominantly male, blue collar culture. I would highly recommend Andrea as a speaker for groups such as ours. She will get your message across without alienating anyone in your audience – which is a huge hurdle when trying to introduce a wellness program in the workplace!”
Stephanie Wood, HR and Safety Manager

Fisher Construction Group, Burlington, WA

I found my Dietitian warm, funny, and skilled at teaching nutrition concepts without the overwhelm. The general approach of each session was to mix science with emotion, which was exceedingly effective in helping me shift my perspective on food from one of anxiety to one of joy and curiosity.”
Erin Kronstedt, Nutrition Counseling Client
“Excellent presentation! What a refreshing change to have a speaker inspire rather than “lecture” about nutrition. Your captivating stories, tips and overall approach to healthy eating uplifts and puts people at ease. It was great to hear we don’t need to strive to be perfect eaters, and that small changes really can make a difference in how we feel and in our health. Thanks to Andrea, we have solutions to our everyday nutrition challenges that can actually work in real life!”
Tina Tamagi, Human Resources

ARC Resources Ltd.

“Had I not joined this course I would have struggled with no focus, low energy, and mindless eating. Excellent teaching and motivation. This is not just a course, it is a nutrition club with mentorship, support, and connections with other people with similar situations.”
Lorri Lawrence, Pursuit of Healthiness online course participant

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