The Daily Balance

This will be the second-to-last Q&A post, as I don’t want to bore you by going on and on and ON about myself. So if you have a question you want to ask me anonymously, do it now! It will be your last chance.

Q: Have you ever had any encounters or personal experiences with eating disorders (known anyone, even acquaintances, struggling). If so, how do you try to talk about your balance philosophy (which I love)!

A: One of my good friends in college died from anorexia. She lived with her parents, so my friends and I were not fully aware of the problem. I sensed it, but was never 100% sure — and I didn’t think it was as bad as it obviously was. Due to her anorexia, her organs were weaker than normal — most of all, her heart. One night she blacked out because her heart stopped beating. She never woke up.

This was the point in my life when I realized the impact that eating disorders can have on our lives…for such a beautiful, vibrant one had been taken. I think of her often and try and stop myself from wondering how things might have been different if my friends and I had acted on our intuitions.

As my father would say, it’s a slippery slope. I think that too often, what starts with a plan to get healthy and lose a bit of weight, can turn into an obsessive disease. I know that calorie counting works for many people, but it’s because of this slippery slope that I really try and avoid number crunching. We all know the healthier choices — we just need to make them.

Q: Do u think lebron will stay in Cleveland?

A: HA – great question! If only I knew the answer. I do think LeBron will stay in Cleveland — he better.

Q: What time do you wake up every morning?

A: If I’m working out at the gym, I wake up at 5:30. If I’m working out at home, I wake up at 6:00. If I’m being lazy not working out in the morning, I wake up at 7:00.

7 Responses to “More of your questions…answered”

1. Heather (Heather's Dish) said:

   i love that answer about eating disorders…it’s so hard to find that balance between eating well to lose weight and becoming obsessed with it. thank you for promoting that balance with great ideas, workouts, and food

   Posted on February 9, 2010 at 3:13 pm | Reply
2. Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg said:

   Great answer about the ED– I think your dad (and you) are exactly right– it’s such a scary, slippery slope. I had a friend in high school who struggled on and off with anorexia for years, and it was hard to feel so helpless about her situation.

   Posted on February 9, 2010 at 3:50 pm | Reply
3. Brittany said:

   Your wake up times are the same as mine and for the same reasons ha.

   Posted on February 9, 2010 at 6:50 pm | Reply
4. Jenny said:

   I am so sorry to hear about your friend’s battle with anorexia. But I greatly appreciate that you chose to share such a personal experience here. From my personal experience with anorexia, I know that anything my friends and even family said could not help me when I was my weakest. It was finally a choice that I had to make on my own. I hope that eases some of your inuitions you’d had about your friend.

   Posted on February 9, 2010 at 7:07 pm | Reply
5. K said:

   Oh wow, I’m so sorry to hear about your friend. That is very sad but I’m glad that you can promote healthy living with your blog and warn readers about the devastating impacts of eating disorders.

   Posted on February 9, 2010 at 7:55 pm | Reply
6. katie said:

   i cant imagine how hard that must be about your friend! i am so sorry girl!

   Posted on February 9, 2010 at 11:16 pm | Reply
7. Kristilyn (My 29th Year) said:

   It is such a slippery slope with dieting in general. I count calories once in a while so I can actually see what I’m eating, but there’s no way I’ll restrict them so much that I’m hungry all the time. People have to realize that even if you cut calories, you still have to get all of your nutrients in during the day and eat balanced meals.

   K

   Posted on February 10, 2010 at 2:17 pm | Reply