Destination Recover(ed): Day 670

October 26, 2012

What I don't miss about my eating disorder: Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. In fact, my most favorite day every year is the very first time you can smell it in the air. It's the changing of the season, the crisp air swirled with smell of people warming their homes with a burning fire, the earthy smell of rain and Autumn leaves ... you can actually smell the change in the air! I absolutely love it, for that day marks the beginning of all the upcoming holidays, which is another all time favorite time for me! All the shopping, Christmas carols, decorations, baking, family time ...

I don't miss when I couldn't partake in all the festivities, wouldn't allow myself a hit steaming cup of cider. When it was too much to help decorate because I couldn't find the energy or strength to even walk around. I so look forward to enjoying this year and having the strength to really be present!

EATING DISORDER DIET TECH, PART-TIME

Located in Seattle’s University District, Ramey Nutrition is a nutrition clinic offering individual and group nutrition counseling, support groups, yoga, and fitness. We take a patient-centered approach by listening to patient needs, providing nutritional and emotional support and individualizing treatment for our patients. Our methodology is unique in that we focus less on the food and more on the issues that become barriers to creating positive and healthy food and body image changes in our patient’s life.

While our current patient services primarily consist of Eating Disorders Recovery, Diabetes Management, and Weight-Management, it is our desire and goal to build a strong enough team to assist patients with any nutrition-related issue. The Eating Disorder Diet Tech (EDDT) at Ramey Nutrition will play a vital role in working with individuals recovering from an eating disorder by providing compassionate, genuine, honest, and unwavering support to promote a full and life-long recovery.

Job Description
• EDDT will work with patients on an individual and group basis up to 20-hours per week (with a strong potential for an increase in hours in the future)
• The EDDT will assist in keeping patients on task according to their individual schedules and goals (schedules/goals will include: field trips, meal support, groups, appointments, activities, etc.), for the Day Program at Ramey Nutrition
•The EDDT will coordinate and communicate with the Eating Disorder Specialist Dietitian regarding patient struggles and successes
• The EDDT may be asked to lead and facilitate Day Program Core Group check-ins and activities if necessary, according to Ramey Nutrition standard of care
• The EDDT will help Day Program patient’s with what struggles or conflict they may require support/guidance in; promoting a normal and safe environment for Day Program patients
• The EDDT will document according to Ramey Nutrition standard of care
• The EDDT will facilitate patient/group outings and field trips (e.g. to restaurants, fast food, grocery shopping, etc.), if necessary


Please answer and include the following questions with your resume:
Questions
1. Ramey Nutrition is often referred to as the “black sheep of nutrition,” why? How are you a black sheep?
2. What do you consider a “normal” meal versus an abnormal or disordered meal? Please give at least two examples.
3. The eating disorder population is often challenging, why? How might you handle such challenges? Please give an example.
4. When a conflict arises between patients, how would you respond?
5. What counseling (not nutrition education) experience do you have?
Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelors in nutrition or psychology
• Experience working with and a strong desire to work within the field of eating disorder recovery
• Strong therapeutic counseling teaching and leadership skills
• Ability to work well independently with little supervision
• Excellent listening and communication skills
Desired Qualifications
• Diet Tech Registered (DTR)
• Familiar with and interested in the emotional impact of nutrition-related issues
• Practical experience in counseling
• Ability to prioritize work and handle multiple tasks
• Experience in and comfortable with leading groups
Contact
Bonnie Atkisson
(206) 909-8022
bonnie@rameynutrition.com
www.rameynutrition.com

Destination Recover(ed): Day 669

October 25, 2012

What I am not going to miss about my eating: Having little old ladies coming up to me while I'm at Trader Joes and ask if everyone in my family has the same beautiful tiny legs as me, while everyone within earshot pauses to hear my reply and I think to myself, "Seriously?! Is this really happening right now?" All I wanted was to end my quest for the elusive Kiwi Berry, which hasn't happened yet, but now I'm center stage breaking news in the produce section at Trader Joes. Over over again praising me for my beautiful beautiful legs. I will not miss this feeling of embarrassment and humility.

Exercise May Delay Early Aging of People With Diabetes

Fitness training improves their cardiovascular health, preliminary study finds


FRIDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Regular exercise may slow the premature aging of the cardiovascular system that occurs in people with type 2 diabetes, according to new research.

A healthy adult loses about 10 percent of fitness with each decade of life after age 40 or 50, but research shows that fitness levels in people with type 2 diabetes are about 20 percent lower than in healthy adults.

This accelerated loss of fitness increases the risk of early disability and death, said Amy Huebschmann, of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and colleagues.

"Not only do these patients have more trouble with exercise ... but also with activities of daily living, such as a simple stroll to the corner store," the researchers said in an American Physiological Society news release.

The investigators confirmed other research, however, that has found that regular exercise can slow premature cardiovascular aging in diabetes patients. The findings suggest that their fitness levels can improve by as much as 40 percent after 12 to 20 weeks of exercise training.

"In other words, these defects are not necessarily permanent," Huebschmann said. "They can be improved, which is great news."

Regular exercise, however, does not restore diabetes patients' fitness levels to those of healthy adults, according to the findings. The research was presented last week at an exercise conference in Colorado sponsored by the American Physiological Society, the American College of Sports Medicine and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Data and conclusions presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal

Although exercise can benefit diabetes patients, it may be difficult for them to achieve the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise. Huebschmann and her colleagues are working on ways to help diabetes patients reach their exercise goals.

"Type 2 diabetes has a significant negative impact on health, but that impact can be improved with as simple an intervention as regular brisk walking or other physical activity that most people with diabetes can do," Huebschmann said.

More than 8 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes, mostly type 2, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With type 2 diabetes, the body can't properly process glucose, the main type of sugar in the blood.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains how to stay healthy with diabetes.

Destination Recover(ed): Day 668

What I'm not going to miss about my eating disorder: Having to spend my days in bed because I'm too tired to do anything else. I would so much rather be out and about, having fun, enjoying the rainy Fall weather. I would rather feel good and not sick today. Luckily I have a stack of good movies to watch and meds that are making me feel better. I'm not going to miss getting back on track because I'll just be on track all the time. Fighting an eating disorder seems so much harder than having an eating disorder, but then I just have to remember that it took me 20 years to get this sick and I'm not going to be recovered overnight. I'm much stronger than I was 2 years ago, in my body and especially my mind.

Destination Recover(ed): Day 667

October 20, 2012

What I don't miss about my eating disorder: Today I'm not missing spending Mother's Day 2009 at inpatient treatment. Making the cards for my moms out of foam letters with unsharp kids scissors, glitter glue, pipe cleaners and tissue paper ... like a kindergartener ... Not really sure where that came from, lol, but I don't miss it.

What I'm not going to miss about my eating disorder: Today I'm not going to miss racing pounding heartbeats because I'm dehydrated from too much Ensure and not enough water.

Destination Recover(ed): Day 666

OK, sorry I went MIA with the blogging ... but I'm back to it.

September 19, 2012

What I don't miss about my eating disorder: I know I said this before, but I can not say it enough: The secrecy revolved around having an eating disorder and the etaing disorder behaviors seem to be the source of power behind the eating disorder. This was just reinforced and proven true, again, in my own journey. The last couple of weeks of my recovery journey I was on a detoured route. When it came time to talk about it this week in my appointment I pulled my beanie down over my face and started crying because I didn't want to talk about it. I felt ashamed and embarrassed to admit what I had been up to and what I had gone through. I didn't want to speak the words, I just wanted to hide from it and move on, forgetting it ever happened, remembering always the way it made me feel: Sick. Incapable. Out of Control. Embarrassed. Ashamed. Sad. Scared. Angry. I just wanted to bury it deep down and not speak of it, forget. It may work that way in therapy, saying "I don't want to talk about it" is respected in therapy. It's a trust boundary a therapist can not cross. But I wasn't seeing Sandy for therapy at the time ... When it came time to talk about it, I was at my appointment with Scarlett ... Scarlett is NOT a "therapist". She doesn't have to follow those rules or boundaries about not goading or going somewhere that is "off limits" ... If it needs to be addressed, it's going to get talked about before you leave, she won't let you leave with it. And thank God for that. In all honesty, you could say anything, admit to anything and it's never going to be shocking, there is never going to be judgement. I felt so much compassion and understanding for what I was going through and what I had gone through. But the best revelation was that by pulling it out from the deepest corners of my life, all of a sudden I wasn't ashamed of it anymore. I wasn't embarrassed about it anymore. Now that it wasn't a secret, all of a sudden I had a power over it instead of it controlling me. I had this strength to bash it down and kick it the fuck out of my life instead of hide from it. I feel so much better now. I feel so much stronger in my recovery now, remembering how bad keeping secrets feels. Secrecy is a one way ticket leading to relapse. Compassion, Honesty and LOVE is how you battle back, and I feel like I'm back.