Understanding Disordered Eating: For anyone whose relationship with food feels harder than it should

If you've ever wondered why PCOS feels so confusing, why the symptoms don't line up, why the advice is contradictory, why the solutions feel like guesswork, you're not imagining it. That's exactly why I brought back Julie Duffy Dillon, registered dietitian, author, and host of Find Your Food Voice, to cut through the noise. Julie has a rare way of talking about PCOS that immediately makes your sho...

Relapse isn't the end of recovery. It's part of it. There's this moment that happens for so many people in recovery, that sinking feeling when you realize some of those old patterns have crept back in. Maybe it's skipping a meal. Maybe it's the familiar swirl of guilt, shame, or perfectionism. Whatever form it takes, relapse can feel like you've failed. Like everything you've worked so hard for ju...

Have you ever looked around and wondered how everyone else seems to have such an easy, peaceful relationship with food? They order what they want at restaurants, stop when they're full, and move on with their day. Meanwhile, you're stuck in your head, negotiating with yourself, worrying about how much you ate, or planning the next meal before you've even finished this one. If that sounds familiar,...

The holidays are a time of joy, connection, and celebration. But they can also stir up difficult emotions, memories, and patterns, especially if you've experienced trauma or struggled with disordered eating. In this episode, we're diving into the complex and often misunderstood relationship between eating disorders and trauma. Joining me for this powerful conversation is Dr. Giulia Suro—a psycholo...

Have you ever felt like your mind just won't shut off about food? You're in a meeting, at school, or out with friends, and instead of focusing on what's in front of you, all you can think about is what you'll eat next, what you shouldn't have eaten, or what you'll allow yourself later. That constant mental chatter, what many call food noise, can be exhausting. Tune in to the full episode to uncove...

When it comes to eating disorder treatment, one of the biggest questions people have is simple: What does it actually look like? The reality is that there's no single answer. Every person's story with food, body image, and recovery is unique, which means treatment has to be flexible, supportive, and tailored to the individual. Still, there are common building blocks that show up again and again, a...

Ever feel like nothing in your closet feels good, no matter how many outfits you try on? Or maybe you've found yourself spiraling about what people will think when they see you at a reunion, a wedding, or even just in the office. In this episode of Understanding Disordered Eating, I'm joined by my good friend and colleague, Sydney Green, MS, RD, to unpack the truth about body image: what it really...

What does it really mean to be fully recovered from an eating disorder? For decades, the conversation has been clouded by vague definitions, conflicting philosophies, and the fear that "recovery" might not even be possible. In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Carolyn Costin, a renowned therapist, author, and pioneer in the eating disorder field, to dig into what recovery actually looks...

Have you ever wondered where the line really is between disordered eating and a true eating disorder? It's not always as clear as we'd like to think. In fact, so much of what we consider "normal" in diet culture—tracking every bite, stressing over body image, or skipping meals in the name of health—can feel harmless at first… until it slowly starts taking over more and more of your life. If you've...

While we're on summer break, we're bringing back some of the most impactful episodes that deserve a second listen—and this one is just too good to pass up. This is our last re-release for the summer. We will be back with new episodes on September 9th, so be sure to tune back in. In this episode, we're going deep into the neurobiology of eating disorders with Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo, a renowned psychia...

We're diving into the archives this summer to bring you some of our most memorable and impactful conversations — and today's episode is just too good to pass up. While we take a short summer break, we're re-sharing these standout episodes. So stay tuned all summer long for these gems! This week, we're bringing back Episode 27 with Dr. Danielle Novak — a deep and moving conversation that fuses psyc...

While we take a little breather, we're diving into the archives to bring you some of the most powerful, thought-provoking episodes from the past. These conversations are just too good to leave behind—and today's is no exception. We're throwing it back to Episode 57, a deeply moving and intellectually rich conversation with Heather Ferguson, one of the most respected voices in trauma-informed psych...

We're continuing our summer throwback series with a powerful episode that's simply too important to leave behind. While we're taking a short break this summer, we'll be resurfacing some of our most impactful conversations — the ones that made us think, challenged the status quo, and sparked meaningful dialogue. Today's rerun is one of those episodes. Originally aired as Episode 72, this conversati...

We're kicking off our summer throwback series with an episode that's just too good not to share again. While we take a little summer break, we'll be rereleasing some of our most powerful and thought-provoking conversations—and this one tops the list. Originally aired as Episode 73, this conversation with Dr. Judith Brisman is one of those rich, soul-stirring interviews that stay with you long afte...

Let's be honest—most of us would love to be the kind of person who "lives in the moment." You know, one of those magical unicorns who wakes up excited for the day, mindfully savors every bite of their avocado toast, and breathes through stress like it's non-existent. But instead, we're over here eating lunch in front of our inbox, wondering why we feel like a disembodied ghost hovering somewhere b...

If imposter syndrome were a person, most of us would be in a very toxic, on-again-off-again relationship with it. And just like any clingy ex, it loves to show up at the worst possible time—like, say, the first day of a new job, or every single time we try to feel confident about our bodies. Fun, right? *Quick reminder that next week will be our last episode until September. Stay tuned for the re-...

Today, we're diving back into the murky waters of secrets with none other than the incredible Dr. Katheryn Zerbe. If you've been around the UDE fam for a while, you'll remember her from our earlier episode on secrets and eating disorders (if not, press pause and go listen to that one first—we'll wait). This time around, we're exploring what secrets do to our bodies, why we keep them, and how they...

This episode is all about what happens when you combine years of working with people navigating eating disorders, a healthy dose of sarcasm, and way too many personal run-ins with perfectionism. I'm unpacking the idea I'm calling The Perfectionist Paradox—where striving for perfection actually gets in the way of the thing you're trying to do well in the first place. Neat trick, right? Tweetable Qu...

Forget everything you think you know about eating disorders—this episode goes way beyond the old myths about "willpower" and "control." Today, we're digging into the real, science-backed roots of eating disorders with Dr. Erin Knopf: pediatrician, psychiatrist, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, and co-founder and chief medical officer of Very, a virtual outpatient treatment center delivering h...

In this episode, I'm diving into the messy and complicated cycle of restriction and bingeing—not just with food, but with all the things we tell ourselves we shouldn't need. Why do we do this? How does it backfire every time? And more importantly, how do we break free? Tweetable Quotes "You can't just ignore your needs and wants forever. That's when this moment of lapse of judgment, the binge, whe...

In this episode, I sit down with therapist and author Ilene Fishman to explore what it really takes to achieve lasting recovery. We dive into the complex, sometimes uncomfortable truths about healing from an eating disorder, the importance of self-compassion, and why true freedom goes beyond simply "eating normally." Ilene V. Fishman, LCSW, ACSW, FAED, has maintained a general psychotherapy practi...

When it comes to exercise and movement, we believe it is this wonderfully balanced, healthy thing, right? But for a lot of us, it's… complicated. Maybe you feel like you have to move or else your anxiety will skyrocket. Maybe you mentally calculate every bite of food and match it with a "required" workout. Or maybe you find yourself hitting the gym even when you're sick, exhausted, or, oh—I don't...

You know that feeling when you'd rather do literally anything than sit with your own emotions? Like, suddenly, cleaning out your junk drawer or reorganizing your spice rack sounds way more appealing than dealing with that uncomfortable feeling creeping in? Yeah, we've all been there. The truth is, our brains are wired to avoid pain and chase comfort—it's a survival thing. The more we run from disc...

People like to say that OCD and eating disorders go together. They even sometimes like to use fancy words like "co-ocurring." Then they talk about how OCD can explain the development of ED symptoms and sit back triumphantly as if they've solved the world's toughest rubik's cube. Satisfying, right? Meh, not really.. We're setting the record straight and peeling back the layers on this so-called "co...

Alright, let's be real—working in the eating disorder field while navigating your own relationship with food? That's messy. Like, "double-booked therapy sessions and forgot your coffee on the roof of your car" kind of messy. And yet, it's something so many clinicians face but rarely talk about. So, let's talk about it. Tweetable Quotes "There's something particularly scary about being supported by...