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Achieve recovery. Heal your relationship with food and body.

Compassionate Eating Disorders Treatment for Wrestlers, Specialized Dietitian Nutritionists in Colorado provide Medical Nutrition Therapy and Counseling for Athletes to achieve optimal health, wellbeing, and performance

Embark on a transformative journey with our specialized dietitians who help to address the unique intersection of eating disorders and sports nutrition with wrestlers. Our tailored approach is carefully crafted to support both your health and athletic goals, promoting holistic well-being and fostering a positive relationship with food and body.

Within our eating disorder and sports nutrition program, our dedicated team of medical nutrition therapists focuses on optimizing your performance and overall health without compromising body image or falling into the traps of disordered eating that can often affect wrestlers.

Reach full recovery and potential in your sport with experts who empower you to prioritize recovery while maximizing your athletic potential. We aim to help you embrace a balanced, nourished relationship with food, body, and sport that ensures sustained vitality, enabling you to excel in your sport while maintaining a healthy mind and body.

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What is the goal of medical nutrition therapy for wrestlers experiencing an eating disorder?

At Side By Side Nutrition, our certified dietitians specialize in delivering personalized, individualized nutrition counseling for individuals who are both wrestlers and grappling with an eating disorder. We provide outpatient medical nutrition therapy for wrestlers struggling with anorexia, bulimia, OSFED, and disordered eating.

Our approach is grounded in a holistic philosophy that prioritizes behaviors, and overall well-being, fostering a positive relationship with food and our bodies, and practicing self-compassion rather than fixating on numbers. This philosophy forms the foundation of values-aligned, intuitive, sustainable health and well-being. Our focus lies in assisting clients in cultivating a sustainable, empathetic, respectful, and trusting connection with food, body image, and self.

With offices in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, Colorado, and Woodinville, Washington, we provide in-person and online nutrition counseling services for patients across the state and country.

 
 

How bad is weight cutting in wrestling?

The primary goal of having weight categories in wrestling is to create an “even playing field”. Unfortunately, weight cutting has become a common and unsafe practice in the sport. Weight cutting involves the athlete engaging in weight cycling (losing weight before the match to meet weight requirements, often using unsafe and unhealthy strategies) and gaining it back afterward. It can have negative short and long-term effects, leading to significant medical problems, and even death. Moreover, continued weight cycling can distort the athlete’s relationship with food and body, leading to eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and OSFED, among others.

The NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) now has rules against weight cutting, but there must be awareness and education among parents, coaches, athletes, and healthcare professionals, like sports dietitians.

What is the treatment for wrestlers with an eating disorder?

For wrestlers navigating anorexia, bulimia, OSFED, and disordered eating, we tailor nutritional interventions to support overall health, enhance performance, and aid in recovery. As expert ED dietitians and sports nutritionists we:

  • Consider the unique dietary needs of the wrestlers, taking into account factors like the type and intensity of their training and individual health objectives.

  • Ensure adequate fueling and hydration to meet energy demands

  • Promote efficient recovery through diet plans and rehydration, preventing nutrient deficiencies and dehydration

  • Address any specific challenges or conditions that may affect an athlete's well-being and performance

    Ultimately, we want athletes (wrestlers) to achieve and sustain peak physical condition while safeguarding their long-term health, reducing the risk of injuries, addressing any nutritional imbalances, and achieving lasting recovery with a sustainable and compassionate relationship with food and body.

 
 
 

We want to work with you.

 

What do dietitians do for eating disorder treatment?

Our devoted team of nutrition experts specializing in eating disorders is dedicated to guiding clients toward a journey of healing that transcends fear and shame. By addressing concerns around food and dismantling negative body image perceptions and behaviors, we empower clients to reclaim ownership of their relationships with food and body and to shift their outlook, beliefs, and behaviors towards love, respect, and acceptance. This transformation paves the way for sustainable recovery and lasting wellbeing. Together, we strive to eradicate feelings of shame related to food and body image, identify triggers that fuel self-doubt, and nurture a trusting relationship with both food and body, creating space for our authentic selves and true values to emerge and thrive.

Dietitians play a crucial role in eating disorder treatment by providing specialized nutritional guidance and support. They assess the individual's dietary needs, develop personalized meal plans, educate on balanced eating habits, monitor progress, and collaborate with the healthcare team to ensure a comprehensive approach to recovery. Additionally, they help address any challenges or barriers related to food and eating behaviors, aiming to restore a healthy relationship with food and support overall well-being.

 

For individuals specifically dealing with an eating disorder as a wrestler, a dietitian specializing in this field plays a crucial role in providing support and guidance. The primary responsibilities include:

  • Personalized Counseling: Customize counseling for wrestlers struggling with anorexia, bulimia, OSFED, and disordered eating, considering the unique challenges of both eating disorders and athletics.

  • Assessment and Customization: Evaluate dietary habits, nutritional status, and overall health to develop individualized nutrition plans.

  • Sport-Specific Adjustments: Adapt nutrition strategies to meet the specific demands of different sports and athletic activities.

  • Energy Balance Maintenance: Assist individuals in achieving a balance between energy intake and expenditure for both daily activities and athletic performance.

  • Hydration Recommendations: Accurate determination of minimum wrestling weight from total body fat requires the wrestler to be properly hydrated. AND, dehydration can cause serious, deadly medical problems.

  • Preventing Deficiencies: Advocate for a diverse diet rich in essential nutrients to prevent common deficiencies associated with Anorexia Athletica.

  • Emotional Support: Provide compassionate support and implement behavioral interventions to address disordered eating patterns and promote a positive relationship with food and body image.

  • Long-Term Health and Recovery Promotion: Work towards sustained health, injury prevention, and addressing nutritional imbalances to support long-term recovery.

Overall, the role of a dietitian in treating an eating disorder in wrestlers is comprehensive, involving a combination of nutritional expertise, personalized counseling, and support to address the physical and emotional aspects of the condition.

What does nutrition therapy include?

 

A Comprehensive Initial Assessment

Our holistic approach begins with a comprehensive initial assessment, where we delve into your unique needs, exploring your past and present relationship with food, body image, and health history. With your permission, we work collaboratively to understand your goals and aspirations for our partnership. In our specialized work with sports nutrition from a weight inclusive and holistic lens, we prioritize the holistic healing of the individual by fostering a positive relationship with food and body.

 

Build Trust in the Body’s Natural Cues

Our approach is centered on breaking free from the constant thoughts and behaviors associated with the eating disorder that keep individuals stuck in a cycle of distress. Together, we embark on a transformative journey to build trust in the body's natural cues and become intuitive and trusting eaters, allowing for a renewed sense of freedom and openness in life.

 

Go Beyond Symptom Management - Shift Body Image Perception

Our focus extends beyond mere symptom management; we strive to instill a profound shift in body image perception, promoting self-acceptance and a genuine appreciation for one's unique identity. By dismantling the mental and emotional barriers imposed by the eating disorder, we empower our clients to embrace a life unburdened by constant thoughts, fostering a newfound sense of joy, purpose, and possibility. Follow-up sessions form the core of our work together. We thoroughly examine your relationship with food and body, addressing challenges and co-creating individualized tools. We delve into body image exploration, dismantling external influences of food and body shame, and establish supportive structures as needed. Our goal is to help you increase variety and flexibility with eating, learning to respond to your body's hunger and satiety cues, and developing a joyful relationship with food and body.

 

Continued Support

Throughout your journey, we offer unwavering support, navigating the inevitable ups and downs. We celebrate your progress and stand by you as you cross the finish line. Our mission is not only eating disorder recovery but also the cultivation of a life that is rich, meaningful, and fully aligned with your values. We believe in the importance of this journey and the therapeutic relationship, and our dedicated dietitians are here to guide you every step of the way.

 

TESTIMONIALS

Testimonials List

Recent “graduate” from Side by Side Nutrition. I started working with SBSN to figure out how food worked after having an eating disorder for years. And I’m so happy I got so much more than that! SBSN introduced me to Self-Compassion and met me with an approach that never included shaming me. I looked forward to our sessions every week, even if I hadn’t done any of my work, because I knew she’d be understanding and work with me to figure out what I needed to make it happen. And none of that compassion and presence was lost when we had to switch to telehealth. When I started, I didn’t think healing from an eating disorder was possible. And I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I’d come out of it with an unshakable love for my body (certainly not a plus size body with chronic illness)! I’m so glad circumstances sent me here because I know I wouldn’t have gotten to this place with my previous dietician! I am STRONG, I am CONFIDENT, and I am in LOVE with myself! Thank you so much for helping me on my journey here! It wasn’t easy, but it was so worth it!

— Michaela Myers

I worked with SBSN at Side by Side after an eating disorder diagnosis, and it changed my life for the better. The entire team is incredibly supportive, patient, and full of resources. There's a lot of confusion out there about dieticians and nutritionists, and I'm lucky to have found a place that helped me the way no one ever had. I thought recovery was impossible for me, but it's not! You just have to find the right people, and that can take some digging. Side by Side is the real deal.

— Melanie Smith

As the director of an eating disorder outpatient clinic, licensed psychologist, and certified eating disorders specialist, I am extremely picky about the dietitians my team and I will collaborate with. I can say with full confidence that my team completely trusts Jamie Magdic and her entire team of dietitians. Jamie is incredibly compassionate and dedicated to her patients, in addition to being extremely knowledgeable . Side By Side Nutrition is one of our clinic's top picks for nutrition therapy. They are excellent, know eating disorders, and are actually weight-inclusive and HAES-informed. I would trust Side By Side Nutrition with any patient with any diagnosis in any stage of recovery.

— Dr. Janean Anderson

I started working with SBSN after 20 years of disordered eating and 3 years of eating disorder treatment. My RDs were always focused on my weight restoration and how I felt food, but never really got how I felt about my body. I have made bigger strides in recovery working with SBSN than I ever did with any other RD. SBSN is kind, compassionate, non-judgemental, and easy to relate to. I felt comfortable with SBSN starting from day 1. To quote my therapist, SBSN is a unicorn and you won't find anyone like them!

— Alexandria McCombs

When I started working with SBSN, I had been struggling with my eating disorder for over six years. I had worked with RDs and therapists before, but they solely focused on weight restoration and not the mental aspect of recovery, so I stayed stuck in my disorder while in a "recovered" body. SBSN's approach was unlike any other RD or eating disorder specialist I had worked with before in that she treats her clients as whole, multifaceted people and addresses so much more than just the food piece of recovery. They helped me to constantly challenge my eating disorder and tackle food fears while also teaching me about the importance of self care and self compassion in recovery and how I could incorporate these into my life. I truly feel that my work with SBSN not only helped me win my battle against my eating disorder but helped me to be a stronger, happier, healthier person in general now that I have those self care tools. It was so refreshing to work with someone with a holistic approach to eating disorders and body image issues and I cannot recommend working with her enough! Thank you so much SBSN for your support!

— Kacey

SBSN gave me peace and restoration in my mind, body, and life. I had deeply rooted issues surrounding food and my body, and I thought I would never recover from my concerns. I had my reservations about meeting a dietician on my first appointment, but the therapy is never diet-focused, and focused more on client-centered care and recovery. They tailor therapy sessions around your goals and comfort. They provide many resources for her clients to guide them through each phase of recovery. I will never forget SBSN, they were an essential factor in my recovery.

— Lauren

I am so thankful to this organization, they are helping me out so much in so many different areas. My dietitian is an outstanding registered dietitian to work with and Jamie has jumped hoops to make sure that I could get into this program and I am so humbled by their partnering care! I love the inviting and accepting feel of the staff and overall office feel, from when I walk in the doors through when I walk out after my appointment every time I come. I truly don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have Side by Side guiding me through my healing journey. My eyes well with gratitude for this practice as I write this review! Thank you!!!

— Mary Sanders

Our team of Expert Dietitian Nutritionists Have Been Featured In:

 

Our Team of Dietitian Nutritionists, Expert ED and Medical Nutrition Counselors

 

The Side by Side Nutrition team has a team of 12+ outpatient registered dietitians. We provide online nutrition counseling to patients in Colorado and around the country. We offer one-on-one and family nutrition counseling for patients either online or in person, with offices located in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins. We specialize in eating disorder recovery and body image healing.

RD - Registered Dietitian
RDN - Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
MS - Masters of Science

As specialists in ED nutrition counseling our mission is rooted in compassion. We:  

  • Strive to create a safe and nurturing space for individuals on their journey to wellness. 

  • Understand the profound impact that eating disorders can have on one's life.

  • Are committed to fostering a supportive community where every client feels seen, heard, and understood. 

  • Work from an intuitive eating, HAES (Health at Every Size) Informed Approach.

  • Believe everyone has the right to high-quality care – accessibility and inclusivity are at the core of our values.

  • Stand firm in our belief in the possibility of full recovery. 

  • Continually invest in our education to stay at the forefront of the field.

  • Are committed to ongoing learning.

  • Channel all our resources into becoming the best eating disorder nutritionist counselors.

  • Are dedicated to guiding our clients toward a life of lasting health and empowerment.

 

We Accept Insurance:

We are committed to ensuring that our clients have access to healthcare, and we make every effort to facilitate this. We accept insurance plans such as BlueCross Blue Shield (Anthem/Regence), United HealthCare (Optum), Aetna, and Cigna.

 
 

Dietitian for ED and Medical Nutrition Therapy FAQ

 

How many wrestlers struggle with bulimia?

Providing an exact number of wrestlers who struggle with bulimia is challenging due to various factors such as age, gender, competitive level, and individual circumstances influencing the prevalence of eating disorders, including bulimia, among wrestlers. While research indicates that athletes, including wrestlers, may have a higher risk of developing eating disorders due to the sport's focus on weight management and body image, specific data on the prevalence of bulimia among wrestlers is limited. It's crucial to understand that eating disorders are complex conditions influenced by genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors, and individuals facing these challenges require adequate support and intervention.

Does wrestling cause eating disorders?

Engaging in wrestling doesn't directly lead to eating disorders. Yet, the sport's focus on weight management and body image may contribute to the development of eating disorders in certain athletes, especially when they resort to unhealthy methods like severe dieting or excessive exercise.

Which eating disorder is common in male wrestlers?

Male wrestlers commonly experience disordered eating behaviors associated with conditions like Anorexia Athletica or bulimia nervosa. These disorders often involve restrictive eating habits, excessive exercise, or unhealthy weight control methods.

Do wrestlers have eating disorders?

Some wrestlers may develop eating disorders due to the sport's weight-related demands and pressure to maintain a certain weight class. However, not all wrestlers have eating disorders, and it's essential to address any concerns about disordered eating with proper support and intervention.

Is it bad to cut weight for wrestling?

Rapid weight cutting, commonly practiced in wrestling, can have adverse effects on health and performance. Extreme weight loss methods, such as dehydration or severe calorie restriction, can lead to dehydration, muscle loss, fatigue, and increased injury risk. It's crucial for wrestlers to prioritize safe and sustainable practices.

Why don't wrestlers eat?

Some wrestlers may restrict food intake as a way to control their weight or achieve a specific weight class for competition. However, this practice can be detrimental to health and performance, leading to nutrient deficiencies, fatigue, and other health complications.

Why do wrestlers have to lose so much weight?

Wrestlers often aim to compete in specific weight classes to gain a competitive advantage. This may involve losing weight to reach a lower weight class, where they believe they can perform better against opponents of similar size and strength. However, extreme weight loss methods can pose significant health risks.

What is the rate of eating disorders in wrestling?

The prevalence of eating disorders among wrestlers may vary depending on factors such as age, gender, and competitive level. While specific statistics on the rate of eating disorders in wrestling are limited, research suggests that athletes in weight-class sports like wrestling may be at higher risk for disordered eating behaviors.

What insurance plans do you accept?

Side By Side Nutrition is in network with Cigna, Cigna Localplus, Aetna, BlueCross Blue Shield (Anthem/Regence), UMR, and United Healthcare. Prior to your visit, please call your insurance company to check your benefits. We can not guarantee coverage. For other insurance companies, we are out-of-network providers. This means we can provide you a superbill to submit to insurance for possible reimbursement. SBS can not submit superbills without a medical diagnosis. Payment is due at time of service for folxs using out of network benefits.

How does treatment work? What does a typical session look like?

Sessions are highly individualized and change from week to week. Our dietitians are constantly assessing the needs, progress, safety, and next steps with their client’s end goals in mind. 

We work at an outpatient level of care for the treatment of eating disorders. An outpatient team consists of a dietitian, therapist, primary care physician and psychiatrist at minimum.

An outpatient team works collaboratively to ensure clients get the best care for their recovery while staying in their day to day life. Clients in eating disorder recovery being treated on the outpatient level will typically visit with their dietitians 1-2x/week, therapist 1-2x/week, PCP monthly, and psychiatrist as needed.

I don’t live in Colorado, can we still work together?

Absolutely! We are passionate about making care accessible for you and offer telehealth services and online nutrition therapy when appropriate. We will meet via a HIPAA-compliant video conference platform and communicate between sessions using email. 

We provide nutrition counseling to clients from around the county.

How do I get started?

You can schedule directly online here!

You can also contact us to help you schedule via our contact form here.

If you have any questions about working with us or scheduling, feel free to contact us via email or phone: contact@sidebysidenutrition.com or call us at 708-717-7394.