Michigan State Dream

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“Wow. I never knew any of that,” said an assistant coach of one of the men’s athletic teams at Michigan State University following my speech. This coach happened to be a contemporary of mine. One who I actually have known since I was twelve years old. As I looked at him, and smiled, I thought, “Well, of course you didn’t know any of it.” Until Kick The Scale became established and publicized, the thought of anyone knowing I suffered from a psychological or physical disorder was horrifying. Why would I have wanted anyone to know I struggled, or needed anti-depressant medication, or that I evenRead More →

How To Be A Friend To Someone Battling An Eating Disorder

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She lives in Detroit. I live in Baltimore. She is a physician. I am home with my kids. She has two girls. I have two boys. Her kids are mild-mannered. Mine are not so much. She is Catholic. I am Jewish. She is calm and laid back. I am hyper and impulsive. The saying holds true… Opposites do attract. There has not been a time I have come to Detroit to visit my family that I have not seen her. She has made the trip to Baltimore to spend time with us, and to see my new life there. She was a matron of honorRead More →

Pregnant and Told Not to Exercise

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Let me preface this piece with a story that I will never forget. In fact, it’s the reason I struggle to write about pregnancy, knowing the issues many encounter throughout the entire experience. I was only dying to conceive; to test positive when taking a pregnancy test; to have a third child. And, though it’s an extremely personal part of our lives, it finally happened. And, then, it failed. I miscarried. To try to take my mind off of it for even a minute, I scheduled a manicure for the following day. As I sat in the chair struggling to catch my breath from sadness,Read More →

amy-schumer-plus-size-glamour-body-image

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I remember the day when I was categorized as obese so I totally get what’s going through Amy Schumer’s mind after being included in a Plus-Size issue of Glamour Magazine. I remember that day as if were yesterday. I went to the doctor for a physical, as a child, with my mom, and I did the usual. I stepped on the scale to be weighed, and then backed up against the wall to have my height measured. I was 5-feet-and-one-inch tall, which is still my current height today. I weighed 126 pounds, which is the weight I have attempted to maintain for the last several years.Read More →

wentworth-miller-depression

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In a world of full of people, I never felt so alone. Eating disorders are complex. They often coexist with other physical and psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, depression, obsessive behavior, or substance abuse problems. At the time I developed an eating disorder, I was, also, diagnosed with depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. I had not only lost a significant amount of weight, but I developed compulsive rituals connected to food, and was obsessed with calorie restriction and weighing myself. Depression plagued me. I was not consuming enough food to maintain a healthy body weight, and I was shameful of how sickly thin I appeared.Read More →

Jewish and an Athlete - How it led to my downfall

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My last post about being an athlete and being Jewish may not have discussed body image or eating issues directly, but the challenges I faced related to being different from my peers were added stresses in my younger years. Eating disorders can develop as a result of many different causes, whether psychological, environmental, or biological factors. In my case, my eating disorder began when the pressures in my life became so overwhelming, and unbearable, that I clearly wasn’t able to cope, other than turning to food and exercise. As I reflect on specific scenarios in my childhood, I am able to identify experiences that caused immenseRead More →

Erin Mandras Kick the Scale

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I had received an instant message from him almost immediately after plugging in my laptop, turning it on, and signing into instant messenger. I had just arrived in Georgia to take a nine-day coaching course, with plans to travel to Michigan before heading back to Baltimore a couple weeks later. He introduced himself as, “Jon,” like I was supposed to have known who Jon was at the time. He then explained he was a friend of Jon’s — a guy I had recently gone on a date, having enjoyed his company, but knowing he wasn’t the “one.” Confused, frustrated, and annoyed at that point fromRead More →

Erin Konheim Mandras Blog Eating Disorders

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We were waiting to hear back the results from my 14-month-old’s endoscopy. The pediatric gastroenterologist who was caring for and treating my son had us prepared for what she anticipated the biopsy would reveal. History The prior 14 months had been exhausting, challenging, and extremely difficult as a mother and parent. The issues we faced daily since his birth included spitting up, vomiting, difficulty bottle feeding, and then refusal to eat solid foods at the time we were instructed to introduce them. Though he had struggled to initially gain weight, he somehow made it out of the “red,” and his growth became a nonissue. TheRead More →

sports-illustrated-three-covers

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Sports Illustrated Made Monumental Statement; but, it is not the answer. I have often dreamed of.. …having long, skinny legs. …not having my inner thighs touch. …fitting in a size double zero. …owning long, wavy hair. …being sized in a double “D” bra. …possessing a flat stomach. …having narrow shoulders. …having zero fat on my body. When I think of a Hollywood “model” and “beauty,” I think of all the above qualities. The standard of beauty has been illustrated in a way where, as a society, we all have the same vision of beauty and of the perfect body. As somebody who suffered terribly fromRead More →

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I had the amazing opportunity to visit my old stomping grounds, alma mater, and meet with the critical people who played a major role in my maturation process, provided support, and guided me to become the best person I could possibly be at the time I walked across the stage to receive my college diploma from Michigan State University. I expressed to these leaders, administrators, and, now, colleagues that by the end of my college journey and enduring the most challenging obstacle I had ever faced, I was forced to quickly acquire qualities that I had been lacking. Prior to that experience, I had beenRead More →