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KICK THE SCALE: A mommy blog with advice from a former soccer star who overcame an eating disorder & learned about life along the way.

Erin Konheim Mandras is a mom of three boys, married to a wonderful husband, Jon, and resides in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a currently a blogger at www.kickthescale.net where she focuses on eating disorders, body image, exercise, and nutrition, particularly in athletes. Erin’s writings have appeared on several national websites, including Kveller.com. Born and raised in West Bloomfield, Michigan, Konheim Mandras played college soccer at Michigan State University. Immediately following her collegiate career, she played semi-professional women’s soccer. She then pursued college coaching, in which she has six years of experience. She began her career at her alma mater, MSU, and then moved on to Towson University and Loyola University Maryland before choosing to be at home full-time with her children. Konheim Mandras continues to coach youth soccer in Baltimore, Maryland. Erin is the recipient of the 2017 Nell C. Jackson Outstanding Alumna Award from the Michigan State University Varsity “S” Club.

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Suicide Among College Athletes is Contagious, And Here is Why.

Suicide Among College Athletes Is Contagious, And There Must Be An…

Suicide among college athletes is contagious, and there must be an immediate call to action. If there has ever been ...
A Senior’s Goodbye: Inside the Mind of a “Larger-than-Life, Fierce Competitor.”

A Senior’s Goodbye: Inside the Mind of a “Larger-than-Life, Fierce Competitor.”

There is nothing better or more satiating than victory. The unmistakeable traits that separate collegiate student-athletes from others is their ...

When My Anxiety Was Too Crippling to Complete a Work Obligation Overseas

Have you ever had to quit or walk away from something that you committed to because of your mental health? ...

The #1 Reason Body Shaming Needs To F*ing Stop.

While I wasn’t disqualified by a referee for my school-issued uniform revealing too much bare body, I was taunted by ...

Why I Hate The Sound of an Ice Cream Truck Now.

The sound of the ice cream truck reverberated through our community, and instantly all of the kids began screaming and ...

The One Moment That Would Shatter My Body Image Forever.

It only takes one moment, one second, one phrase to shatter a girl’s self-image, and take away her innocence forever ...

Basing Our Self-Worth On Instagram Accounts Like Arielle Charnas’s Is Destroying Our Mental Health.

While I have the utmost respect when someone creates their own stardom and successes, I can’t help but cringe when ...

It’s Not As Perfect As It Always Seems.

Every kid dreams of being a collegiate athlete. Every parent dreams that a scholarship is offered. But not everyone knows ...

A Letter To The Girl Who I’m Watching Wither Away At The Gym.

To the girl I see at the gym everyday: Each day I walk up the steps to the cardio equipment ...




Suicide Among College Athletes is Contagious, And Here is Why.

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Suicide among college athletes is contagious, and there must be an immediate call to action. If there has ever been a time to call for a state of emergency in college athletics, it is now. When I share articles about a star collegiate athlete dying by suicide, with a caption, “…and another,” there must be immediate and aggressive action. In March, Stanford University soccer goalkeeper Katie Meyer, who helped win the 2019 NCAA women’s soccer championship for her school, took her own life. This past weekend, the suicide of University of Wisconsin track star Sarah Shulze was announced. Yesterday, Lauren Bernett, a key member ofRead More →

A Senior’s Goodbye: Inside the Mind of a “Larger-than-Life, Fierce Competitor.”

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There is nothing better or more satiating than victory. The unmistakeable traits that separate collegiate student-athletes from others is their fierce competitiveness, determination, and refusal to accept anything less than their best on the field, court, or track. Of course, in addition to these characteristics, it must also take a tremendous amount of dedication and commitment to a sport.  Starting at a young age, competitive sports demand intense training multiple times a week, with games or competitions heaped on top. In some cases, families commute long distances to provide the opportunity for their child to play at such high levels of a sport. When itRead More →

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Have you ever had to quit or walk away from something that you committed to because of your mental health? A time that you had to actually acknowledge you had a problem, and then admit it to those relying on you to fulfill an obligation? Admittedly, I have, and it was crushing, demoralizing, and humiliating. The situation I faced seems minuscule to that of Naomi Osaka—a tennis great who withdrew from the French Open and revealed that she has experienced depression and anxiety since winning her first major at the 2018 US Open. Quitting was never an option for me. I had always persevered, pushedRead More →

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While I wasn’t disqualified by a referee for my school-issued uniform revealing too much bare body, I was taunted by my opponent for my uniform being too small and tight. I know how uncomfortable and self-conscious I felt, so I can only imagine how this young, innocent swimmer suffered when her hard-earned win was stripped from her because of her appearance. Before you shame anyone, please think about this: I was recovering from the most paralyzing eating disorder at the time my opponent had the audacity to make fun of how tight my uniform fit. My school didn’t have the luxury to purchase new uniformsRead More →

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The sound of the ice cream truck reverberated through our community, and instantly all of the kids began screaming and shouting in pure excitement. I don’t blame them. Still, as a grown adult, when I hear that music, I associate it with delicious summer treats, neighborhood camaraderie, smiles and laughter. As a kid, there was nothing more exciting in the summer than to hear an ice cream truck in the vicinity, sprint inside to plead for money, and then  track it down. Since having a child diagnosed with food allergies, so many things have changed. Now, I experience anxiety and fear in situations that onlyRead More →

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It only takes one moment, one second, one phrase to shatter a girl’s self-image, and take away her innocence forever. And, that defining moment can never ever be taken back as the damage has already been done. For me, that one moment was when I was told I needed to be more fit in order to perform at a higher level in my sport. I believed the only way to be more fit and faster was to lose weight. Before that moment, I never counted calories, looked at the nutrition facts panel, or “dieted.” In fact, none of those things ever even crossed my mind.Read More →

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While I have the utmost respect when someone creates their own stardom and successes, I can’t help but cringe when it can so negatively impact thousands and thousands of people.  1.1 million followers are lured to Arielle Charnas’s Instagram account. There is no question that her style blog, Something Navy, offers helpful information, direction, and advice when it comes to clothing and fashion. But, in a time where young girls are struggling emotionally and physically by constantly comparing themselves to others on social media, Charnas does no favors. In our world of social media, we validate our worth based on how many people follow us,Read More →

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Every kid dreams of being a collegiate athlete. Every parent dreams that a scholarship is offered. But not everyone knows the emotional toll that comes with being a college athlete. If we continue to view this life through rose colored glasses, then stories like this will continue to happen. The pressure these kids feel to succeed in their sport, classroom, and socially can be incredibly overwhelming, and rightfully so. I was a college athlete, who accepted a full-ride scholarship to a power 5 school. Trust me, I wish I was telling you this to brag. But, I’m not. I’m sharing with you all who dreamRead More →

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To the girl I see at the gym everyday: Each day I walk up the steps to the cardio equipment at my gym, I hope that maybe you won’t be there. But, then again, I am relieved when I see you because I know you are still surviving. I see you. I see you wearing a sweatsuit to workout. Those baggy sweatpants that you have to tie at the waist to keep them in place. At some point in your past, they fit a completely different way. Your huge hooded sweatshirt drapes down your body as you go through the movements on the elliptical. IRead More →

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I am guilty of it, and I’ll be the first to admit it. I take a hundred different shots, delete the unsharable ones, adjust the angles, assess, edit, re-take, and then if I somehow was able to get that one perfect picture, I finally share to my newsfeed. Social media has become a place where we post and share what we deem to be “shareable” pictures and videos of our personal lives. And, while we all know that, we still question ourselves compared to others. My family traveled to Mexico for vacation just last week. As a tradition, we took family photographs by the beautiful,Read More →

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