Amazing and eye opening interview. For the ladies that are looking to recover from over training, I have a mantra for you that I have used: Ovulation! Ovulation is incredibly important for female physiology. And we need estrogen, FSH, LH to signal correctly to ovulate and unless you ovulate, you don’t make progesterone. And that wrecks havoc in female bodies. Please consider that in your 60s you will still need your bones and brain, and that day will come. Make ovulation your goal now so you build the reserves to have a LONG, Healthy, fruitful life.
Great interview. Resonates so much. Even the plant based part :) Thank you Sarah for sharing your story, and thank you Jill for having Sarah over :) I have had anorexia and bulimia nervosa for 15 years. I have recovered around 2014/5 and running helped me go through that recovery. I even got my period back. I started eating more through running so I think that's the reason. But also, as I got better at it I started harder training, and started experiencing injuries, overuse injuries. Also, I recovered hard from training. So since 2018 my running is on and off. I still have my period but these injuries creep in everytime I train more. What I have noticed is that it doesn't even matter now if I run or do yoga or strength train - I find always a way to overdo things and sometimes it seems that the treshold for overdoing is lowered. It is like my eating disorder has me left with having to do something, never completely still. When the pandemic started I returned to running early in the morning, not much but a few kilometers (max 4km), and the rest of the day I was at home working or reading, generally relaxing or doing yin yoga (very easy :)). But after a month I wanted more. So I got back to a training plan...and of course added more intense yoga, bodyweigth exercises, walks, cycling, etc. Parallel stress from work increased. So I ended up again burned out and injured. I just wonder how many times does this have to happen in order for me to learn? I did not even run that much, but I guess everything combined and my busy brain led me to this point. Now I can again do only very easy things. How do you break the cycle? I do eat, but I still think I don't do it enough and still restrict certain foods. The thing is, I am also really trying to be conscious about the environment and everything, but it seems sometimes that it takes toll on my body. The fear is real.
I simply want to thank both you Jill and Sarah, because this is such an inspiring video! I'd watch it over and over again. Sarah just said all the things I've been trying to say lately but I have not been able to express myself. Body image and the image of ourselves as sport people rather than as women, using running as a tool rather than enjoying it as a pure passion, the idea of controlling running since you cannot control anything else in your life, not even your own periods...! I wish I could gain Sarah's consciousness and awareness during my own journey into healing and growth and, hopefully, rebirth as a person and as an athlete. I so want not to restart again but to start from the scratches and leftovers and become a better person, a new person. I do not want to waste time anymore. I wanna enjoy my life. I wanna grow and ADAPT. Do they call it resilience?
The power to change really does lie within us. It's a big shift sometimes, but if you want that healing and growth, you have to take the first steps. We're with you!
Thank you for sharing this interview with us. I really appreciate the honesty and how relatable both of you are in your discussion. Looking forward to hopefully more conversations with Sarah to come!
I'm curious, I'm 46 years old with a history of anorexia nervosa and over-exercise compulsion. I lost my period during the years I exercised, but it came back when I stopped, even though I was still underweight. How do you explain that many people still have their periods even though very underweight and suppress the caloric intake (but has given up exercise).?
Everyone's body is different, therefore there are different catalysts for amenorrhea. In some cases it will be caloric restriction without exercise, in others it can be over-exercise plus caloric restriction. Some people can lose their period with life stress, alone! Still there are other options like: too much exercise but inadequate carbohydrate intake despite overall caloric intake being adequate. I am sure it is disconcerting to have a period despite being dramatically underweight. I am no expert on eating disorders, but I am pretty sure that just because you have a period...it does not mean that you do not need to gain weight in order to be in a healthier place with regard to your nutrition. That being said, a period may be an indicator of improvement for some people, but mental health considerations typically persist and need to be dealt with for the longer term. Basically, we are all different! But all of it requires careful consideration and care.
Min 20 and on... I TOTALLY relate!
Amazing and eye opening interview. For the ladies that are looking to recover from over training, I have a mantra for you that I have used: Ovulation! Ovulation is incredibly important for female physiology. And we need estrogen, FSH, LH to signal correctly to ovulate and unless you ovulate, you don’t make progesterone. And that wrecks havoc in female bodies. Please consider that in your 60s you will still need your bones and brain, and that day will come. Make ovulation your goal now so you build the reserves to have a LONG, Healthy, fruitful life.
Awesome comment and 100% true. Thank you!!
Great interview. Resonates so much. Even the plant based part :) Thank you Sarah for sharing your story, and thank you Jill for having Sarah over :)
I have had anorexia and bulimia nervosa for 15 years. I have recovered around 2014/5 and running helped me go through that recovery. I even got my period back. I started eating more through running so I think that's the reason. But also, as I got better at it I started harder training, and started experiencing injuries, overuse injuries. Also, I recovered hard from training. So since 2018 my running is on and off. I still have my period but these injuries creep in everytime I train more. What I have noticed is that it doesn't even matter now if I run or do yoga or strength train - I find always a way to overdo things and sometimes it seems that the treshold for overdoing is lowered. It is like my eating disorder has me left with having to do something, never completely still.
When the pandemic started I returned to running early in the morning, not much but a few kilometers (max 4km), and the rest of the day I was at home working or reading, generally relaxing or doing yin yoga (very easy :)). But after a month I wanted more. So I got back to a training plan...and of course added more intense yoga, bodyweigth exercises, walks, cycling, etc. Parallel stress from work increased. So I ended up again burned out and injured. I just wonder how many times does this have to happen in order for me to learn? I did not even run that much, but I guess everything combined and my busy brain led me to this point. Now I can again do only very easy things. How do you break the cycle?
I do eat, but I still think I don't do it enough and still restrict certain foods. The thing is, I am also really trying to be conscious about the environment and everything, but it seems sometimes that it takes toll on my body. The fear is real.
I simply want to thank both you Jill and Sarah, because this is such an inspiring video! I'd watch it over and over again. Sarah just said all the things I've been trying to say lately but I have not been able to express myself. Body image and the image of ourselves as sport people rather than as women, using running as a tool rather than enjoying it as a pure passion, the idea of controlling running since you cannot control anything else in your life, not even your own periods...! I wish I could gain Sarah's consciousness and awareness during my own journey into healing and growth and, hopefully, rebirth as a person and as an athlete. I so want not to restart again but to start from the scratches and leftovers and become a better person, a new person. I do not want to waste time anymore. I wanna enjoy my life. I wanna grow and ADAPT. Do they call it resilience?
The power to change really does lie within us. It's a big shift sometimes, but if you want that healing and growth, you have to take the first steps. We're with you!
Thank you for sharing this interview with us. I really appreciate the honesty and how relatable both of you are in your discussion. Looking forward to hopefully more conversations with Sarah to come!
Glad you enjoyed Jenny!!
Interesting conversation, thank you both!
Thank you for watching!
I'm curious, I'm 46 years old with a history of anorexia nervosa and over-exercise compulsion. I lost my period during the years I exercised, but it came back when I stopped, even though I was still underweight. How do you explain that many people still have their periods even though very underweight and suppress the caloric intake (but has given up exercise).?
Everyone's body is different, therefore there are different catalysts for amenorrhea. In some cases it will be caloric restriction without exercise, in others it can be over-exercise plus caloric restriction. Some people can lose their period with life stress, alone! Still there are other options like: too much exercise but inadequate carbohydrate intake despite overall caloric intake being adequate. I am sure it is disconcerting to have a period despite being dramatically underweight. I am no expert on eating disorders, but I am pretty sure that just because you have a period...it does not mean that you do not need to gain weight in order to be in a healthier place with regard to your nutrition. That being said, a period may be an indicator of improvement for some people, but mental health considerations typically persist and need to be dealt with for the longer term. Basically, we are all different! But all of it requires careful consideration and care.