Under-Eating Isn’t Always Intentional: Redefining Nutrition in Eating Disorder Therapy for Athletes in Cherry Hill
Many athletes assume that under-eating only happens when someone is dieting or has an eating disorder. Many get scared away by the label of “eating disorder therapy” or eating disorder therapist” for this very reason. For those with high activity levels, it can be easy to unintentionally under fuel.
There are many unique challenges that athletes face when it comes to fueling. Exploring and understanding these hidden ways of under-fueling and redefining your relationship with nutrition is where therapy can help. Whether you have an eating disorder or not gaining a healthy relationship with food will help you become a stronger athlete.
Why Under-Eating isn’t Always a Choice
Whether you are an athlete in high school, college or post collegiately, you most likely have a busy schedule. This can lead to missed meals. The high energy demands of an athlete can be underestimated. If you have constant workouts, adrenaline, stress or distraction, your hunger cues can disappear. You may not realize how much fuel you actually need.
The Hidden Cost of Under-Eating in Athletes
Under-fueling leads to low energy availability or LEA. This is the key component in RED-s or Relative Energy Deficiency in sport. RED-s impacts every system in your body and can leave you with both short and long term effects. The short term impacts look like fatigue, poor recovery time, irritability and decreased focus. While the long term impacts can increase injury risk. It can also lead to poor bone health, loss of menstrual cycle, reduced performance and risk of developing an eating disorder. Unfortunately, many of these side-effects are normalized as “part of the grind” of being a competitive athlete.
Redefining Nutrition in Eating Disorder Therapy in Athletes
Don’t be scared away by the term eating disorder therapy. This just means that an eating disorder therapist has knowledge around how to talk about food, fueling and your body in an appropriate and mindful way. Eating disorder therapy helps athletes reframe nutrition as fuel instead of calories or weight gain/loss. It helps reframe recovery from RED-s s a supportive and nurturing environment, rather than a burden. It is a way to protect both physical and mental health within your sport.
Strategies Athletes Can Learn in Therapy
Being aware and mindful about food and how your body feels are key aspects to recovering from under-fueling. Here are a few tips that you learn in eating disorder therapy for athletes:
Listening to your internal cues. Learning to check in with your body and rebuild hunger and fullness awareness after pushing it away due to your busy schedule is a key to recovery.
Practical fueling plans: Making a plan ahead to make sure you are fueling for pre and post workout meals and snacks. A registered sports dietitian can also be very helpful if you need help identifying what these foods should be.
Challenging food rules: Breaking down any beliefs you may have, such as “good verse bad” foods is going to make it easier and more accessible to fuel.
Recognizing under-eating patterns: Spotting skipped meals, inadequate snacks or energy imbalances and getting tips from a registered sports dietitian if you need help picking out how to make meals more dense.
Building flexibility: This includes rest days and non-sports related food enjoyment. Be able to have a life outside of your sport that includes going out to eat with friends is going to make you a better athlete!
Support for Athletes in Cherry Hill, NJ
Under-fueling is not always intentional. It often hides behind busy schedules, sports culture and overlooked energy needs. Therapy helps you reframe nutrition as an essential, supportive and empowering way to improve in your sport. It is normal to seek help. Not for clinical eating disorders but also for improving performance and health through proper fueling. Athletes in Cherry Hill have access to eating disorder therapy virtually and in person.
At Serendipity Counseling Services, individual therapy provides both mental resilience and nutritional balance through obtaining a healthy and mindful relationship with food and fueling. If you are looking for a registered sports dietitian to help you identify which foods are best for your body, check out the Lane 9 directory of clinicians. This is an amazing place to find support as an athlete from mental health therapists to sports dietitians to physical therapists!
Call to Action: Starting Eating Disorder Therapy
If you are looking for eating disorder therapy for athletes in Cherry Hill, NJ or virtually in NJ, PA, MD, FL, VT or AZ, Serendipity is here to help. Start your journey in building a healthier relationship with food, body and sport by following these steps.
Schedule a free consultation and see if we are a good fit.
Hold your first session and start exploring your relationship with food.
Begin the journey of strength, resilience and PRs!
About the Author: An Eating Disorder Specialist in NJ
Kate Ringwood is an eating disorder therapist in Cherry Hill, NJ. She comes from a background in sports, nutrition and mental health. Kate will meet you where you are to guide you through becoming the strongest version of yourself in and off the field.
