Latest / 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids. / The Realities of Recovering from an Eating Disorder with Author Grace McCready

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The Realities of Recovering from an Eating Disorder with Author Grace McCready · 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids.

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to another episode of the Five Minute Parenting Podcast.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Karen Ferguson, wife, mom, grandmom, and children's book author with a background in K-8 education and a passion for equipping parents to raise confident and God-confident kids.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: In this podcast, we'll cover parenting practices for both a practical view and a biblical view.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Our goal is to help you raise kids with a positive, godly self-image so they can become all they were created to be.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: I know you're busy, so we'll keep it short.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Let's take just five minutes and dive in.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Five Minute Parenting.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Karen, your show host, and today I'll be interviewing Grace McCready, author of Real Recovery: What Eating Disorder Recovery Actually Looks Like.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Grace is a writer and speaker who's passionate about encouraging young women through personal stories and biblical truths.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Grace is a full-time writer and blogs at Tizzy's Tidbits of Truth.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: Grace, welcome to the show.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_01: I appreciate you having me.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so glad that you're here.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I know this is a sensitive topic, but it is an important one for families.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm just grateful you're here to share a little bit about your story and about your book.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: So let's begin there.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Tell us about yourself, Grace, and your book, Real Recovery.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I um wrote the book Real Recovery because I personally struggled with an eating disorder.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: I was in high school when I started struggling and um yeah, just developed an eating disorder very gradually, very slowly, subtly, but um, and everyone's story is different.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: But for mine, it was just a very gradual process of losing weight.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: The specific eating disorder I struggled with was anorexia nervosa.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: And so I starved myself, I exercised a lot, I paid attention to calories constantly, how many I was eating, um, how many I was burning through exercise, and just this eating disorder took over my life.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: And um, for about two years I struggled with it.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: And then um, close to when I was turning 18, um, I started very reluctantly the uh recovery process by seeing a nutritionist, and we kind of went from there.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it involved a lot of different people, a lot of different um recovery um on my own, and then with counselor and different people.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: But um yeah, I wrote for recovery because it's kind of the book I wish I had had um when I was recovering.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: And um it's just um it really has my heart poured out.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_01: I feel so much for those who are struggling with eating disorders and with recovery.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it can be very difficult.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: And so I just really want to encourage readers that there's hope in in recovery.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I like the format of it, how in each chapter you deal with a false expectation and then um the real recovery expectation.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that's really great for for people to have because I'm sure there are a lot of false expectations as you start moving through the recovery process.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I also love how you uh bring it back to the word of God and exposing the lies of the enemy and keeping um keeping it focused on what is the real truth.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: I I love that.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: Well, what do you hope readers take away from this book?
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: Well, um, you kind of touched on it, but really the expectations around recovery.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, like I said, I mean, I didn't I didn't have the right expectations when I started recovering.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: And um when when you don't have the the right expectations, it can make recovery that much harder.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's already a hard, very hard thing.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so I really hope people take away truth um rooted in scripture, rooted in you know the realities of recovery, which um I experienced myself.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um and just know that even if recovery isn't fast or easy um or as smooth maybe as expected, like it's still worth it.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: It's still absolutely worth all the all the um challenges, all the time, all the effort that goes into it.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: And also just providing a more comprehensive perspective on recovery.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: It's not just physical recovery, though that is a big part of it, it's also mental recovery and emotional recovery and spiritual recovery.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: All of those are um part of the recovery process.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes those don't get as much attention in the you know eating disorder and recovery world, um, but they're very important too.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Well, to the parents listening right now who think their daughter may be struggling with an eating disorder or food addiction, what advice would you give them?
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: I would definitely um say from personal experience, I mean, I was constantly like trying to get away with just cutting corners here and there and trying to um, you know, subtly but um persistently lose weight.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: And so I would say paying attention to her habits, um they may not all indicate, okay, she's eating less at dinner.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: That means she definitely has an eating disorder.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: But over time, paying attention to, okay, is are her habits changing, especially around food and exercise, even though the way she talks about her body, about other people's bodies, um, because her thoughts, what's going on inside her head, um, will come out in habits.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so noticing those um and maybe having conversations with her if they notice any changes, that would also be helpful.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, keeping the lines of communication open there.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: Were you, can I ask personally, were you receptive when did your parents come to you first, or how did that work?
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, when they first kind of approached me about, you know, it looks like you've lost weight, we're worried about you, those kinds of things.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I was very um hesitant, reluctant, um, didn't want to be honest about what I was struggling with.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I didn't actually even think I really needed to recover.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't think I had a problem.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I was struggling.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so, but I wouldn't have um even started the process if they hadn't talked with me, if they hadn't um really encouraged the visit to the nutritionist, that first visit, all those things.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: They really when they stepped in, that's when the recovery process began.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's good.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, their intervention was I wouldn't be where I am today without them, that's for sure.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, I like to keep it very practical on this podcast for parents.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: So for those listening who know their kids are struggling with this issue, what tips would you give them for helping their their kids?
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_01: Well, what I needed from my parents um was just their consistency and they were so consistent in praying for me and encouraging me with the truth and taking me to my appointments even when I really did not want to go.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: They loved me so well.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, they still do, but they loved me consistently through the entire process, prayed me through the entire process.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and they were, yeah, I could always count on them to um be stable and steady, even though my emotions were all over the place.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_01: So I would say just consistency and consistently turning to the Lord for wisdom and direction um about how to proceed.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: That's good advice.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: Now, in your experience, then did you do the nutritionist and the counselors at the same time?
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Did you start with one before the other?
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I um actually first started with a counselor, a Christian counselor who I'd seen before, um, years prior to that.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: And um she recommended a nutritionist.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: And then I actually, as I started seeing this nutritionist regularly, I actually changed counselors who was to someone who was um had more experience with eating disorders and and recovery.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_01: And so I I had at different points, I think ended up having three different counselors, um, but started with counseling, then nutritionists, then changed counselors.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so yeah, it was it was a lot of appointments.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: Sure, I bet, but so important.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: And that's a good point.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: You know, sometimes uh with with any issue we're dealing with, we have to find the right counselor, the right person to help walk us through this.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: Not everybody is a good fit for everybody.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, definitely very important.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: If it's not really helping, if it's not flowing, if you guys aren't on the same wavelength, find someone else.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's a good reminder there.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: Well, last question.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: What do you recommend to help parents raise their kids to have a healthy relationship with food?
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: You know, before even they get to that point of struggle.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Are there some tips or things that you want to share on that?
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I've um I've written about this um in an article.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and just kind of um emphasizing the importance of balance.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_01: That's something actually one of my counselors really emphasized to me is just taking a balanced approach to um food, to exercise, to health in general.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think some parents maybe they um mean well for their kids, but they go really far in one direction or very anti-certain foods.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, it is important to like say, hey, let's eat our fruits and vegetables, or let's not eat ice cream at every meal and all those things.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: But um, I think just taking a balanced approach is really underrated and yet really important, um, maintaining just cons consistency and a balanced perspective on okay, yes, food is important and how we treat our bodies is important, and God values our bodies, He created them, but um they are not, you know, they shouldn't become idols in our lives, they shouldn't become too important.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: So that's what I would encourage.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: So balance, it sounds like.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I could see that not going to one extreme of over control, you know, food is bad, or I'm gonna control what you eat, or try to.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: But at the same time, yes, you know, because we I know, especially young kids, they would eat ice cream for every, you know, for every um uh meal if they could.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a good approach.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: Just try to try to maintain that balance.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: Well, Grace, thank you so much for being here and just sharing a little bit about your book and your story and some tips for parents.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Please share the best place to find you online so parents can connect with you and and check out your book.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, my book is on Amazon, and that's where I definitely recommend people get it.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: And um, my blog, which um has more information about the book, and also I post weekly on there, is Tizzy's Tipits of Truth.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, wonderful.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: Well, we will have links to that in the show notes.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you again for being here, Grace.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: And listeners, thank you for joining us.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: Be sure to check those show notes for links to Grace's book and blog and share this episode with someone you want to encourage.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: Then come back next week for another episode of Five Minute Parenting.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: Have a blessed week.