Are you pushing your body to the point of exhaustion in the name of performance?
Do you feel like you can’t stop exercising, even when your body is begging for rest?
Are you constantly obsessed with your weight or body shape, trying to control them to improve performance?
Do you find yourself exercising to "make up" for what you eat, or to compensate for perceived slip-ups in your diet?
Do you feel trapped in a cycle of over training, guilt, and self-criticisM?
If so, you’re not alone.
Many athletes struggle with these behaviors, but they are often normalized, misunderstood or overlooked. Compulsive exercise and disordered eating can become deeply ingrained patterns, fueled by the need for control, perfectionism, or the pressure to meet impossible standards.
As an athlete, you’ve likely been taught that pushing your body harder is the key to success—whether it’s to enhance your performance or achieve a specific body composition. But when exercise and food become ways to control, punish, or cope with deeper emotional struggles, the line between dedication and harm becomes dangerously blurred. Many athletes believe that pushing harder, restricting more, or obsessively focusing on weight and body size will lead to better results. In reality, these behaviors can have serious long-term consequences, leading to burnout, injury, and a distorted relationship with both your body and your sport.
If you’ve been struggling with compulsive exercise, disordered eating, or an unhealthy relationship with your body and performance, Conason Psychological Services can help you break free from this cycle. You don’t have to sacrifice your physical and mental well-being for the sake of performance. With the right support, it’s possible to restore balance, rebuild a healthier relationship with your body, and rediscover your passion for your sport.
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Are you wondering if you have a disordered relationship with exercise?
Here are some signs and symptoms to look for:
Feeling like you have to exercise every day, even when you’re injured or fatigued
Exercising to "make up" for food eaten, or to "burn off" calories
A constant focus on your performance, body composition, or weight
Feeling extreme guilt or anxiety if you miss a workout or don't meet your training goals
Pushing through pain, fatigue, or injury because you feel like you can’t take a break
Exercising despite feeling emotionally drained, or using excessive exercise to cope with stress or negative emotions
A feeling of shame or self-criticism about the amount or type of exercise you’re doing
Exercising beyond what is necessary for performance or health—often to the point of exhaustion or burnout
A lack of balance, where exercise takes precedence over other aspects of your life, such as social activities, family, or recovery
You don’t have to meet every single symptom to be struggling with a disordered relationship with exercise. In fact, many athletes don’t meet all the criteria but still face serious consequences, both physically and mentally, from their behaviors. If you’re feeling anxious, guilty, or conflicted about your training routine, or if you’re questioning whether your approach to exercise is truly sustainable, that’s reason enough to seek support. Reach out to Conason Psychological Services to see if therapy for disordered exercise can help you restore balance, rebuild your relationship with your body, and get back to enjoying your sport in a healthier way.
Are you worried about your exercise habits but don’t see all the signs above?
Mindful eating is a way to reconnect with the internal guidance hardwired into all of us. It separates nourishing ourselves from trying to change or control the size and/or shapes of our bodies. Mindful eating isn’t a new concept, but rather a return to what we knew when we were babies and toddlers, before “food rules” came in and separated us from our ability to eat to satisfaction.
Despite what you may have heard recently, mindful eating is not a diet tool. Mindful eating is an inherently weight inclusive and anti-diet practice, rooted in accepting our bodies as they currently are and working to nourish ourselves according to our internal signals of hunger, fullness, cravings, taste preferences, and how different foods make our bodies feel. Diet culture teaches us that we have to control our food, or else we will eat “too much” or “the wrong kinds” of food; in actuality, it is the restriction of what we want to eat and how much that leads to choosing types or quantities of food that make us feel unwell.
Mindfulness, a fundamental element of mindful eating, can also have widespread benefits in many aspects of life including improving mood, mitigating stress, and improving overall wellness and happiness. With mindful eating, many people experience improvements not just in their relationship with food and their body, but in other aspects of their lives as well.
How can therapy help your relationship with food and body?
At Conason Psychological Services, Shannon Marhan, LMSW specializes in helping athletes navigate challenges with food, body image, and performance. She draws on evidence-based interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness and body awareness practices, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and more. Shannon takes a trauma-informed, weight-inclusive approach to treatment, tailoring her work to each individual’s needs.
As a lifelong athlete herself, Shannon has a deep understanding, and appreciation, of the dedication, discipline, and passion that go into being an athlete. She is committed to helping athletes foster a sustainable and healthy relationship with sport, movement, and their bodies by prioritizing mental health as a cornerstone of long-term performance and well-being.
Therapy for disordered eating and exercise can help you:
Develop a healthier, more balanced relationship with exercise—one that prioritizes well-being and performance, rather than guilt or punishment
Cultivate a deeper understanding of your body’s needs, including rest, recovery, and nutrition
Learn to listen to your body’s internal cues for training, fatigue, hunger, and overall health
Explore emotional factors that drive overexercise, perfectionism, or compulsive behaviors
Build resilience to combat societal and self-imposed pressures related to body image and performance
If you’re an athlete struggling with disordered exercise, body image, or performance anxiety, therapy can help you find balance, restore your love for your sport, and build a healthier, more sustainable approach to training and self-care.
Are you wondering if mindful eating is right for you?
Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if Conason Psychological Services can be a good fit for you.