Lauren was kind enough to share her story on how she conquered her eating disorder with the help of Rebecca.

Lauren started seeing Rebecca in March 2008, when she was diagnosed with moderate-severe bulimia and was strongly recommended to see a Registered Dietitian. At this time, she was a sophomore in college and Lauren needed help to stop purging and embrace a healthy diet. She saw Rebecca every week for at least a year and a half and also emailed her every night for a long time.  Lauren claims that Rebecca was the reason she was able to stop purging. She was scared she might not be able to return to college for her junior year because if her disorder continued she would have to be admitted to in-patient clinic. “Rebecca saved my college career and my life.”

Rebecca helped Lauren by making a meal plan, allowing her to choose the foods she wanted to eat. She learned that purging was damaging her body and she was slowly trying to adopt a healthier approach. If she was purge free for a weekend, she would then aim to be purge free by the end of the week. In this way she gradually worked up to the point where she would not relapse for months at a time. Rebecca also helped Lauren understand nutrition and what healthy foods can do for her body. She kept very detailed food logs for over a year and even emailed them to Rebecca while at she was at school. Rebecca helped Lauren realize that even if she feels uncomfortable with something she just ate, it’s not the end of the world. If she had too much pizza, she doesn’t have to purge, she can just eat better tomorrow.

Lauren is still seeing Rebecca even though she has been purge-free for about a year. She drives over an hour, very early in the morning before classes just because she always feels more positive and hopeful after her appointments. “Rebecca is so friendly and giving and she knows exactly what to say.” Lauren claims her life is completely changed and she is so much more comfortable in her day to day activities and when socializing with friends. Lauren remembers how she felt unresponsive towards her friends and family while she was purging. Rebecca taught Lauren so much about herself and through this she became such a stronger person that now she has things she wants to accomplish in her life and she doesn’t want to be held back by this disorder.

Lauren definitely recommends anyone with an eating disorder to see an RD. Lauren says that only with help of Rebecca has she been able to recover and she doesn’t think anyone else could have helped her like she did. Rebecca was very therapeutic, not only in regards to nutrition, but her feelings towards food as well.

Lauren struggled with an eating disorder through HS and some of college, and she is now to the point where she has fully recovered. She is even writing her senior thesis on the impact of globalization on eating disorders. This accomplishment has helped her to realize how far she has come; she went from struggling with an eating disorder every day, to writing 60 pages worth of research on it. She did a complete 180 and the fact that she is comfortable enough to write about it now, shows that she has really conquered this disorder.

Thanks for sharing Lauren, we are so inspired. Best of luck on your thesis and the rest of school.