26. Developing a Healthy Relationship with Exercise and Movement with Dawn Lundin MS, RD, CNSC

Welcome to another episode of the Understanding Disordered Eating podcast. Today we are talking to Dawn Lundin, MS, RD, CNSC. She is a registered dietitian, endurance athlete, and full-time mom. She also runs a virtual private practice focusing on eating disorders and sports nutrition. She aims to help clients achieve nutrition and athletic-related goals and shift their mindset into a happier and healthier manner.   Join us in today’s discussion as we dig deeper into how you can manage your relationship with exercise so that it serves you. Dawn also shares some first-hand insights on how one can reframe their thoughts and break food/movement bondage. We break down how athletes and non-athletes are different yet similar. Feeling chaotic in your relationship with movement? Feeling anxious about not working out? This one is for you. [0:01-3:38] Introduction  Dawn’s background  She got into athletics and an active lifestyle  Worked w/ clients with ED and Sports Nutrition    [3:39- 10:07] Relationship with Exercise Overriding your body’s intuition is detrimental  Working out to lose weight and with rules attached  Equating movement with health Finding balance with life and workout  There are a lot of identities wrapped around a movement that isn’t always a good thing   [10:08-16:24] What does movement look like for athletes and non-athletes? Handling athletic clients in their Eating Disorder Equating eating less and movement to a healthy lifestyle is a false mindset  Social media influence health and body image Honoring our body’s hunger fullness cues Honoring movements that we enjoy As control increases, enjoyment in food and movement decreases  Using food and exercise as a coping mechanism    [16:25- 25:33] Using Exercise and Diet As An Escape to Your Emotional Baggage and How it Affects Your Lifestyle  Binge-purge cycle in exercise Exercising as a form of self-harm Running away from our feelings through movement  Movement and Managing Anxiety Making a positive impact on your eating disorder recovery Dangers of using excessive exercise and diet culture [23:34-42:03] Calculating Your Workout and Food Intake Might not Be the Best Solution The calculations circulating throughout media may be underestimating one’s nutritional needs Misinformation can lead to an unsustainable relationship with food and exercise Unrealistic expectations take away the ability of our bodies to heal Finding appropriate movement Red flags to look out for when exercising The pursuit of strength  How prevalent are eating disorders in athletes? [42:04-42:45] Outro Where to reach Dawn?   Resources Mentioned: Dawn’s Instagram  Dawn’s Website Tweetable Quotes:    “Just because you could, doesn’t mean you should.”-Dawn Lundin   LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who may need this podcast by sharing this episode.   You can connect with me, Rachelle Heinemann on Instagram, through my website www.rachelleheinemann.com, or email me directly at [email protected]