former tennis star talks about binge eating disorder

Former tennis star Monica Seles talks about her struggle with binge eating disorder and what worked for her. Some highlights that emphasize the need for healthier, balanced eating instead of a crazed diet diet diet mentality:

Why do you think getting rid of the experts was the first step in helping you solve your problem?

I had to throw out the word diet. I love food. That’s who I am. I enjoy a good meal. I’ve got to accept who I am. I’ve had enough of people telling me what to do. I had to do this one thing for myself, not for my mother, for the media or for my career.

I threw out every single diet notion I’d learned. I allowed myself to eat every single food group. My extreme cravings went away. I allowed myself to have cookies or pasta. I stopped dieting and I started living life. That’s how I lost 37 pounds.

You talk about making small changes to gain control of the eating binges. What were some of those changes?

I love to walk. Everybody told me walking was a waste of time. I started walking half an hour because my foot was in a cast. I started slowly, but now I walk seven days a week every week for maybe an hour or maybe just 45 minutes. And I put pasta and bread back into my life. In the beginning I would struggle. I’d say, “let me just go for a walk” and slowly shift my mind. It took my mind off of that intense pressure I felt that I needed to eat right away to calm me down. Read the full article