Health at Every Size® (HAES)
EDCMT follows the Health at Every Size (HAES) principles and believes in weight inclusive treatment and respectful care for all. We are not a weight loss clinic or diet program. We know that each person will have a different natural (set point) weight based on genetics, history, etc. What we find is that with proper nourishment, people’s bodies tend to trend towards and settle at their natural weight and their metabolism will regulate. An important piece of our nutrition therapy is helping our patients to accept and live in peace with their natural body size.

All Foods Fit
Our dietitians support an “all foods fit” philosophy. We understand that all foods provide energy to our bodies and we are not a better or worse person because of our food choices. Our meal plans are based on an exchange system which means that each meal contains a balance of food groups and we support a great deal of variety within those food groups. We help our patients portion their meals to meet nutrition needs. Our dietitians also work with patients to relieve anxiety around foods that they have deemed “unhealthy” and normalize eating these foods in the context of a balanced diet.

Meal Plans
Our registered dietitians work closely with each patient to create an individualized meal plan, and in PHP and IOP, RDs are present at all meals and snacks to maintain a safe space, in terms of discussion and behaviors. RDs meet individually with patients weekly and assess meal plan compliance between sessions on the Recovery Record app. During the session, the RD will work with the patient to explain the function of the meal plan and work around any barriers to meeting the meal plan. A patient’s meal plan may be adjusted at various times during treatment to meet their current needs and the patient will always be given the opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns. 

At the first appointment with our dietitians, we will take a full weight and nutrition history. Taking in consideration one’s individual weight history as well as their history of weight suppression through dieting and ED behaviors, we will prescribe nutrition interventions and a meal plan. 

Tracking
We integrate the Intuitive Eating principles into our nutrition therapy, with the end goal being that our patients can make decisions around food that honor their body’s needs and internal cues. At the beginning of eating disorder treatment, hunger cues are typically either absent or quite unreliable due to chronic restriction and an disordered belief that the body cannot be trusted. Hunger cues will begin to be more reliable with consistent and adequate nourishment and we will work towards understanding and honoring those cues. We use the Recovery Record app for tracking, and invite patients to tune into hunger cues, and attune to appetite before and after meals as well as within mindfulness practice before meals.