Rachael Rose Steil's Blog, page 4

Discovering Dysthymia: A Mental Health Journey (Guest Post with Melanie Brender)

I met Melanie Brender when raced together on a team for Michigan at the Mideast Cross Country Championships at the end of our senior cross country seasons. Melanie and I stayed connected over social media ever since, and when I began posting for this blog, she was extremely supportive the entire way. Melanie has had […]

My Eating Disorder Dietitian Saved My Life

This is a shout-out to all the dietitians on National RD (Registered Dietitian) day today! I’ve been talking more and more through the Running in Silence presentations how little we’ve utilized them, how they’ve been undervalued/unappreciated, and how desperately we need them in a time that diet culture is making many people feel inadequate and, […]

Struggling with Identity: When Your Sport Becomes Your Everything

Running was a great sport to participate in throughout high school—it gave me something positive and constructive to focus on, showed me how to make new friends, and taught me valuable life lessons. It gave me a chance to fail and get back up again, allowed me to see the joy in helping others achieve […]

Eating Disorder Treatment for Athletes: We Need It!

In February 2012, our college coach told the team to complete a tempo workout on the treadmill since the weather outside was too icy from a winter storm. He assigned a pace for my group to run for five miles. But two miles in, I couldn’t keep it up. I knew my body had changed […]

Breaking Silence, Sparking Conversation: Talks to Coaches, Students, & Parents

The first trip of the year for the Running in Silence nonprofit started off near Chicago, IL Friday January 11 with a presentation at the ITCCCA clinic—the Illinois coaching clinic that brought me in to speak for the second year in a row. This year I was pleasantly surprised to see a larger group of […]

Coaches in the Dark: What Can Athletic Staff Do in Eating Disorder Situations?

I’ve been a high school assistant cross country coach for the past four years, and more recently became the head cross country coach. Having had an eating disorder as an athlete, I’ve been hyper-aware of the signs to look for in the athletes who I coach. I also knew, from my own personal experience, that […]

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What Can Parents Do if They Notice Eating Disorder Behaviors? (Q&A with Dr. Quatromoni Part 6)

Q: My daughter started running and quickly developed a highly restrictive diet. She tries to eat no carbs. She has lost so much weight, but it’s not enough. She enjoys running, but I’m afraid she is using it as a punishment, and has to do “workouts” in the morning and before bed. I am very worried […]

The post What Can Parents Do if They Notice Eating Disorder Behaviors? (Q&A with Dr. Quatromoni Part 6) appeared first on Running in Silence.

What Can Parents Do if They Notice Eating Disorder Behaviors? (Q&A with Dr. Paula Quatromoni Part 6)

Q: My daughter started running and quickly developed a highly restrictive diet. She tries to eat no carbs. She has lost so much weight, but it’s not enough. She enjoys running, but I’m afraid she is using it as a punishment, and has to do “workouts” in the morning and before bed. I am very worried […]

The post What Can Parents Do if They Notice Eating Disorder Behaviors? (Q&A with Dr. Paula Quatromoni Part 6) appeared first on Running in Silence.

An Ode To Carbs: The Macronutrient That Jumpstarted Eating Disorder Recovery

As I went on many “lifestyle” diets throughout my eating disorder, I was often told that eating sugary food or carbs would make me crave more carbs. I was quick to agree with this because any time I did eat carbs, my body screamed for more. What I failed to realize was that my body […]

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Conversations with Coach: The Rollercoaster of Running with an Eating Disorder

It was fall 2012, and I had bonked at one of the most important races of the season. Days later, Coach Woj asked me to meet him in his office. “It will be a tight match at the conference meet in two weeks,” he said as he took out a scrap of paper and scribbled […]

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