Compulsive Exercise and Eating Disorders

Frequent and regular exercise is seen as a good thing in our culture. And when done in moderation it certainly can benefit our physical and mental health.

However, Compulsive Exercise Disorder (sometimes referred to as Exercise Addiction) is different and is actually classified as a significant symptom of an eating disorder. It happens when a person is driven to exercise too much. Pretty much nothing will stop a suffer from exercising, even injury, illness, bad weather, or going out with friends.

Compulsive Exercise and eating disorders are often seen together. An individual with bulimia may exercise excessively as a way to compensate for binge eating. Or someone with an eating disorder may work out excessively as a way to compensate for eating “too much” food or certain types of food.

A person with Compulsive Exercise Disorder may exhibit some or all of the following behaviors:

• They won't skip a workout, even if they’re tired, sick, or injured

• They can't take time off from working out

• They may seem anxious or guilty when they miss even one workout

• They are constantly preoccupied with their weight and exercise routine

• They exercise even more after eating a lot or missing a workout

• They will eat much less if they can't exercise

• They give up seeing friends or other activities and abandon responsibilities to make more time for exercise

• They appear to base their self-worth on the number of workouts they complete and the effort they put into training

• They are never satisfied with their own physical achievements

• They may have irregular periods or stress fractures

This disorder can be completely exhausting for the sufferer. They may feel trapped in an endless cycle - and believe ‘just one more workout’ will make them ‘feel better’.

It can be difficult to diagnose Compulsive Exercise Disorder because what amounts to ‘too much exercise’ is so subjective. Often, it takes the sufferer recognizing and admitting to themself that something isn’t right and reaching out for help.

If you think you may be suffering from Compulsive Exercise Disorder, there are things you can do to help yourself. They could include:

• Eating 3 meals and snacks on days you do and don’t excercise

• Enjoy exercise by being active together with friends or family.

• Try to increase your flexibility around exercise by exercising for less time or intensity or frequency

• Try to find new ways to cope with and ease stress.

If you think that you might be exercising too much, talking to a licensed therapist trained in eating disorders and/or Compulsive Exercise Disorder can really help. They have the experience and tools to help you examine your thoughts and behaviors, and see where you could introduce more balance.

Inside Wellness Utah specializes in the treatment of eating disorders. Our caring, empathetic team want to help you regain your balance and inner peace.

Schedule a call today with our Care Coordinator, who will help match you with the best therapist for you.

Is Binge Eating A Real Eating Disorder?

Western culture has created certain ‘rules’ in peoples’ minds that tell them certain things are ‘fact’, when, in fact, they are not.

Eating disorders have long been misunderstood, and Binge Eating Disorder is no exception.

There are people who think that a person ‘should just stop themselves from eating’ or ‘can’t you control yourself?’, when the sufferer of Binge Eating Disorder can no more stop themselves from eating as they can stop the earth from moving around the sun.

This is a disorder that can make the sufferer feel profoundly alone and isolated, and struggle to reach out for help because their experience has long been one of judgement.

Binge Eating Disorder is a very real affliction. Some of the signs that set this disorder apart include:

• Having a love-hate relationship with food & your body

• Chronic dieting or restriction followed by episodes of eating rapidly & feeling “out of control”

• Eating larger than normal amounts of food within a short period

• Repeatedly eating past fullness, to the point that you often feel sick

• Avoiding eating around other people due to intense fear of judgment from others

• Feeling intense shame about your behaviors

Binge eating disorder is can be present across the size, age, and gender spectrums even though no one talks about it.

If you or someone you love is suffering from Binge Eating Disorder, there is hope! Real help is available! You CAN get better from this affliction.

Inside Wellness Utah is a safe place where sufferers will find understanding, empathy, support, and expert guidance. Our specialist therapists want to help you recover.

Schedule a call today with our Care Coordinator, who will help match you with the ideal therapist for you.

How Can I Cure My Eating Disorder?

Lately you’ve been feeling more trapped than ever before. You are doing all of the “right” things to make your life happy & good, and yet underneath the happy moments or facade, you are exhausted.  Exhausted from scrutinizing your body, your grades, your conversations, your food, and just about anything your brain can come up with-and you feel like you are falling short. Your eating disorder may feel like a cage from which you can never escape.

You want to change your thinking about food and your body, but it just seems like an uphill battle, and honestly, you aren’t feeling up for that Mt. Everest vibe of a climb. It looks & seems impossible, and you’re not even sure if it will be worth it.  You want to sit down & give up, cry, or go on strike from trying so hard in every aspect of your life.  You’re ready for things to just click, to feel less anxious, and for your inner mean girl & eating disorder bestie to back down and leave you alone. If any of that resonates, eating disorder treatment in Utah is here — and this piece is for you.

Your Brain Says Recovery Isn't Possible. But Your Brain Is Not Always Right.

One of the most common things I hear each week is the fear that recovery isn’t possible and that the internal fight will never let up.  And I get it; you’ve been struggling with yourself & that inner critic for much longer than you care to count.  Our culture is swimming in diet culture land, and recently, people who never seemed concerned with their weight are suddenly experiencing body changes. 

It’s easy to believe that making peace with one's body, eating disorder or not, is just not possible.  There are only a few hills I’m willing to die on, and believing that recovery is possible is absolutely one of them.  There is hope, and it is absolutely possible to recover from an eating disorder, and if that feels like too big of a leap, then maybe you can hope that at the very least you can lessen its grip.

The first step is to admit that you have a problem.

This may seem obvious to you, and you may be thinking, ‘I’ve already done that - that’s why I’m reading this article!’  Disordered eating and eating disorders often start sooner than most people think.  Which makes sense, because exposure to dieting, body comparisons, and self-criticism has likely been present in small degrees long before it was obvious it had a strong hold on you.  Another hill I will die on is: No one chooses an eating disorder. Full stop.  This is not your fault, and I wish you didn’t have to put in the work of recovery even though you do.

I’ve yet to meet someone who, when they started doing certain behaviors, hoped to be in a state of constant fear, obsession, stress, moving through every day controlled by the presence or avoidance of food, mirrors, clothing, etc.  It can feel safe & predictable, but it is also the stuff of nightmares- that feeling when you are having a bad dream, and you are struggling to wake up & feel safe & centered again.   But admitting to yourself and being willing to admit the problem to someone who can help you are two parts of the same step.

And recovery happens one step at a time, so even reading this blog is a forward step.

Your Brain Learned These Patterns. That Means It Can Learn New Ones.

The behavior surrounding eating disorders is a set of behaviors and feelings that are very strong and very convincing.  What is also true is that feelings, even when they are SO strong and SO loud, are not facts. So yes, your brain is telling you so many fear- and shame-based things that you believe and feel like facts.  Our brains LOVE predictability, and so even fear or shame-based patterns can start to feel safe even if they are also causing harm. 

But the good news is that our brains are wildly capable of learning new patterns, gaining new tools, and feeling a sense of empowerment instead of the sense of control that the eating disorder provides. This is not easy and will take effort from you, but with the right guidance, tools, practice,  and support, it is absolutely possible to navigate your world without being pushed & pulled by an eating disorder.

To truly recover from an eating disorder, you will learn to:

• Listen to your body

• Listen to your feelings

• Listen to your thoughts that create those feelings

• Understand yourself

• Accept yourself

• Love yourself

I know that reading a list like this can kick up an array of emotions.  You may feel hopeful, you may feel overwhelmed, you may feel irritated, or you may believe that some of these things are not a problem.  And however you feel is okay; our feelings always make sense when we are looking through the lens of lived experience and where our nervous system is at the time.  So we start where it makes sense for you to start & what you think might help you most.  

Not Every Therapist Is the Right Eating Disorder Therapist — Here's What to Look For

The most effective way to see improvement is to enlist the help of a licensed therapist who specializes in eating disorders. Therapy is most successful when you find someone who truly gets how an eating disorder presents, where it’s straightforward, where it can be tricky. It’s very similar to choosing a doctor.  If you have the flu or something that’s common, you see a primary care doctor. If you are having knee problems, you see an orthopedic doctor.

You also need to choose someone who you feel like you can connect with over time.  Your eating disorder therapist needs to be an expert in the reasons you're seeking therapy; they need the tools that will best help you, and a personality style or way of interacting that is a good fit. If you are missing one of these elements, it may be time to pivot.  A good therapist will want you to be with someone who is a fit on all fronts, so it’s totally okay to ask for their help in pivoting. 

You need support- the right support, expert support, to help guide you back to health.

And eating disorders have a significant impact on both your physical health & mental health. Reaching out for help does not mean you have to agree to it right away, nor does it mean that you have to commit to a person(s) you think might be a good fit.  Contact a few providers and see who you think might work.  Call a few places and ask all of your questions.

When people reach out to us, we do a short intake call to see if we are a good fit for your needs on every front.  If you feel we aren’t, we are more than happy to connect you to someone who you think will be. Our goal is for people to get the help they need. There are many excellent eating disorder providers in Utah, and I’m confident you can find the best fit for you.  Schedule a call today with our intake coordinator, who will help you find the right therapist for you.

You Don't Have to Figure Out Eating Disorder Treatment in Utah Alone

Recovery is not a straight line. Some days the tools click. Some days the inner critic is loud, the feelings are heavy, and just getting through the day is the win. Both count. Both are recovery.

If you're reading this and wondering whether things can actually get better, that question itself is worth paying attention to. It means some part of you is still reaching. That part deserves real, specialized support — not just someone who sort of understands eating disorders, but someone who truly gets it.

Eating disorder treatment in Utah is here to meet you wherever you are in the process — whether you're just starting to consider help or you've been in the fight for a long time.

At Inside Wellness, we're here to help you get there.

• We are here to help — give us a call 801-699-6161 or visit us at insidewellness.com

• Learn more about working with an Eating Disorder Therapist in Salt Lake City, UT

• You don't have to keep doing this alone — support is closer than you think.

Other Services Inside Wellness Offers in Provo and Salt Lake City, UT

Eating disorders rarely travel alone. They're often woven together with anxiety, perfectionism, body image distress, and the exhausting pressure to hold everything together while quietly falling apart on the inside. At Inside Wellness, we offer more than eating disorder treatment in Utah. Alongside specialized eating disorder support, we provide body image therapy, anxiety therapy, support for perfectionism, online therapy, and therapy for burnout, all designed to address the full picture of what recovery actually involves.

Whether you're just beginning to reach for help, working through the harder layers of recovery, or trying to find a therapist who truly understands how eating disorders work, our team is here. You don't have to keep pushing through alone. With the right support, recovery gets to be something more than managing the noise. It gets to be your life.

Visit our blog or FAQ to learn more about how therapy can support your recovery and help you find your way back to yourself.

Help! I'm In My Thirties & I Think I Have An Eating Disorder

If you’re in your thirties and are concerned you may have an eating disorder, you are definitely not alone. 

In fact, it might surprise you to learn that eating disorders are actually most common in women in their thirties. 

According to a recent review, the majority of people reaching out for help are women aged between 25 and 35 years old. Not image-conscious teenagers, as you might imagine.

A large part of the reason for this development are our increasingly-hectic lifestyles. When you already feel out of control of your work or personal life, this can be a trigger (consciously or unconsciously) to take control wherever you can; in the case of an eating disorder, with the food you eat (or don’t eat).

There are many other possible triggers for an eating disorder - even when you’re in your thirties and feel like you ‘should be more stable.’ Just some of these triggers could be:

• Finishing college

• Starting a new job

• Going through a breakup

• Deciding to go on a diet

• Having a child

• Getting married

• Starting a significant relationship

Basically anything that unsettles you (even positively) or destabilizes your world can be a trigger for an eating disorder.

If you are in your thirties and think you might have an eating disorder, what can you do? The fact that you’ve sought out and are reading this article is a major first step - well done! 

An eating disorder is a serious condition that needs expert help and support. Reach out for support today from a licensed therapist who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders.

At Inside Wellness in sunny Utah, our warm and caring therapists will work with you to help you regain control of your thoughts, your relationship with food, and your life.

Schedule a call today with our friendly care coordinator, who will help you find your ideal therapist match. 

What Is The Most Common Eating Disorder?

Anorexia nervosa may be the most well-known eating disorder in the world. Bulimia nervosa has also seen increasing recognition in the past few decades.

However, you may be supposed to know that the most common eating disorder in the US is binge eating disorder. 

Eating disorders can have multiple causes and triggers. Any stressful or traumatic event, such as divorce, a breakup, physical illness, death of a loved one or any significant life change can all trigger an eating disorder.

The specific kind of disordered behavior around eating and food is an external expression of disordered thinking in the mind. How that manifests can vary hugely between individuals.

Individuals suffering from binge eating disorder often lose control over their eating, but they don’t show the purging behaviors that mark Bulimia nervosa.

Binge eating disorder is most often seen in individuals who are obese, compared with individuals of average weight (seen most often with bulimia), or underweight (seen most often with anorexia).

Although the dangers of binge eating are different to those associated with bulimia or anorexia, they can be just as difficult to deal with and can be just as life-threatening. 

If you think you or someone you know may be suffering from an eating disorder, reach out for specialist support today. 

At Inside Wellness, Utah, our warm team of therapists specializes in caring for sufferers of eating disorders in Salt Lake and Utah Counties . We want to give you the best care possible, so we are constantly training in new therapy modalities and the latest research surrounding eating disorders.

Get the expert help and support you need by scheduling a call with our experienced intake coordinator today.

Do Eating Disorders Affect People of All Ages?

Eating disorders have been stereotyped as a ‘young person’s challenge’. As a result, eating disorders in middle-aged, and older individuals can easily go undiagnosed and even unnoticed.

When you consider the factors that can go into the emergence of an eating disorder, it’s no wonder that increasing numbers of people (of any age) are being recognized to have one or multiple eating disorders. 

The group affected by eating disorders has expanded to affect even more individuals in midlife and beyond. Why is this?

Even though an eating disorder may not be recognized or diagnosed until later in life, the disorder is often developed while a person is still very young, often before age 18. 

Forty, thirty, and even twenty years ago, there was much greater social stigma surrounding eating disorders, and many individuals hesitated to reach out for help. This has resulted in some individuals, especially women, seeing their eating disorder as almost a ‘personality characteristic’, as many define themselves by the eating disorder.

It’s not uncommon for psychologists specializing in eating disorders to see clients in their 50s, 60s, and 70s coming forward with disordered eating behavior. Sufferers seeking help are most commonly women, but not always - men suffer from eating disorders too.

If you think you or someone you love might be suffering from an eating disorder, what can you do?

Reach out for help from a mental health therapist who specializes in eating disorders. Some older individuals hold back because they’ve been told that therapy doesn’t really work, it’s ‘pyscho-babble’, or that it’s for ‘weak’ people who ‘just want to talk about their feelings’. 

This is simply not true, and there is much data to back this up. A therapist who specializes in eating disorders has focused experience and training working with different therapy modalities that are proven to improve everyday life for sufferers of eating disorders, regardless of age.

You don’t need to suffer or try to figure this out alone. Reach out for help today from one of our gentle, supportive therapists at Inside Wellness, Utah. Schedule a call with our caring intake coordinator by simply Clicking This Link

Can You Have Multiple/More Than One Eating Disorder?

Everyone is unique and individual, and a person’s experience of eating disorders is no exception.

The disordered thinking that results in an eating disorder can just as easily cause two or more overlapping eating disorders, or cause one to morph into another over time.

It is completely normal for an eating disorder sufferer to experience two or more eating disorders at once, or to see one eating disorder they’ve grown accustomed to ‘managing’ change into a different eating disorder entirely. 

The mind is a fascinating, complex, and powerful place, and the point where thought crosses over into action can is fluid and can easily change with time.

Getting professional, expert help with an eating disorder is important for regaining control of your life. But if you feel you may be dealing with more than one eating disorder, or if it’s changed over time, you really need to get someone involved who knows what they’re dealing with.

The key is to look for a qualified mental health therapist who specializes in the management of eating disorders and all the unique challenges and complications that come along with that diagnosis.

At Inside Wellness, Utah, our caring team of therapists are constantly undergoing training to stay up to date with the latest advances in science and treatment modalities for eating disorders. We have the experience and knowledge to support you and help you heal.

Reach out for support today by scheduling a call with our experienced Intake Coordinator.

Do You Have ARFID?

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), previously referred to as ‘Selective Eating Disorder,’ is a relatively new entry to the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the US).

However, ARFID behavior is not new - individuals have suffered from this eating disorder for a long time.

ARFID is similar to anorexia nervosa in that both disorders involve limiting the amount and/or type of food eaten. However, ARFID typically does not involve any distress or fears about body shape or size.

Children are known to often go through phases of ‘picky eating’; however an ARFID sufferer is different. In children, the disorder results in not consuming enough calories to grow and develop physically; in adults, the restriction in calories results in a struggle to maintain basic body function. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with ARFID, what can you do? Do you feel trapped by how your eating disorder affects, your daily life, your relationships, your job? Is there any hope for improvement?

Thankfully, yes - help is absolutely available and there IS hope that things can improve for you.

Although mental health therapists are trained in a general understanding of disordered thinking and the behaviors that can result from that (eg. an eating disorder), an experienced therapist who specializes in eating disorders will have access to the latest science, training, and therapy modalities relating to eating disorders, including ARFID.

Your specialist therapist can guide you through the process of reframing your thoughts and addressing any underlying issues or past trauma that may have contributed to you developing ARFID.

Help IS available and you CAN get better. At Inside Wellness, our therapists are highly-trained and experienced in helping individuals just like you to take control and regain their inner peace.

Take the first step today by scheduling a call with our caring intake coordinator. 

Can I Have An Eating Disorder If I Am In a Larger Body?

You may have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, or maybe you suspect you may have one, and yet you feel like your body size is not “small enough” or that you are “too big” to have an eating disorder.

Western culture has a very unhealthy and unbalanced perception of weight and health in general. Put those two together and our society loses the plot altogether. 

It’s a sad & erroneous belief that most people don’t equate being in a larger body or anything short of an “extremely thin” body with also having an eating disorder. Yet, these misconceptions get in the way of people getting help.

In their book ‘Radical Belonging: How To Survive & Thrive In An Unjust World (While Transforming It For The Better)’, Lando Bacon, Ph.D., says: “It’s important to acknowledge that the ability to make personal behavior changes is a class privilege. …No matter how you change your eating or activity habits, the factors that make up your lifeworld—challenges like discrimination, stigma, job insecurity, poverty, and caregiver responsibilities—will remain unchanged.”

Many factors, such as genetics, chronic stress, illness, and available food options, can affect your weight, shape, and size

The factors that can lead to simultaneously having an eating disorder involve your deep psychological reactions to these and other factors, such as the crushing pressure of society’s judgmental views.

Shame, loneliness, guilt, fear, and anxiety only make things worse. And suffering from an eating disorder while also feeling stigmatized for your appearance can drive you into a deep depression and feelings of hopelessness. 

It can feel like the odds are stacked against you and it can be hard to know where to turn for meaningful help, and what that help is even for. Do you constantly feel like you need to lose weight? Do you feel that if your body was a different shape or size your life would be dramatically better? Do you find yourself thinking that if you just exercise more or lose “x” amount of weight you’ll then be able to get your life back? Or do you know that this hasn't worked before, but you are scared you’ll be dismissed or judged for having an eating disorder because of your body shape or size?

Questions like these only add to a sense of despair and loneliness. But you are not alone in feeling this way!

Many others have felt the same as you but have found help and relief. At Inside Wellness, every one of our caring, compassionate counselors believes strongly in the Health At Every Size principles. We know that eating disorders occur in bodies of all shapes & sizes. We believe that all bodies and all people are deserving of help and respect! We will work with you to help you identify and challenge the thoughts and beliefs that are hurting you, and help you set and reach behaviors that support your body & mind moving the focus away from your current negative beliefs & eating disorder behaviors into a way of coping that will bring hope & balance to your life again. This is where you’ll find the support and guidance you need.

Begin Eating Disorder Treatment in Provo, UT

Our team of caring therapists would be honored to support you in navigating the stressors of eating disorder treatment you may face. We are happy to offer support from our Provo, UT-based practice and across the state. You can start your therapy journey by following these simple steps:

1. Schedule your free, private consultation by clicking this link.

2. Get to know a caring therapist

3. Start receiving the help and respect you deserve!

Other Services Offering with Inside Wellness

Our team understands you may experience a number of mental health concerns in addition to eating disorder treatment. This is why we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health services. Other services offered include body image counseling, anxiety treatment, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog for more helpful information today!