Body Dissatisfaction & Maladaptive Behaviors Following Athletic Retirement

It’s not uncommon for athletes to experience body dissatisfaction and body grief in the transition following their retirement from competition. After all, it’s not especially realistic to maintain the same physique as schedules and priorities shift when the competition days come to an end. What’s much less common though, is meaningful conversation on the topic. Body dissatisfaction and body grief can at times lead to maladaptive behaviors related to food and exercise as it can take some time for athletes to get into a new rhythm and shift expectations. It’s important for athletes in transition to be mindful of thinking patterns and habits related to food and exercise which don’t serve them well. 

In this podcast we discuss this topic and the implications for potential eating disorders with Stephanie Wilson, a medically retired athlete who has personally experienced maladaptive behaviors related to food and exercise and now works professionally in this space as a Registered Dietitian specializing in athletes experiencing disordered eating, eating disorders, and Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome (RED-S).

Join us for this engaging discussion and share with others! You never know who you could help and what important conversations this could start. 

Show Notes: 

1:47 Stephanie’s background & personal experience

5:05 The complex relationship with food & body for athletes

• Perfectionism & comparisons 
• Different fueling needs for different sports
• Pressures from coaches
• Pressure to conform to social/athletic norms
• Body monitoring &  hyper-body-awareness

10:30 The role of an athlete’s own expectations in post-athletics body changes

• Body shifts and the struggle to find a new normal 

14:20  Maladaptive behaviors in dealing with unwanted body changes 

• What is a maladaptive behavior? 
• Do maladaptive behaviors automatically equal an eating disorder? 
• Examples of maladaptive behaviors
• Unhealthy coping behaviors, both eating and exercise 
• The possibility of “a new normal” that serves you better

18:27 Compensatory behaviors 

• What is my motivation for this behavior? 
• Behaviors as “punishment”
• “I should be doing this” vs. “this is what I want to do”
• What movements bring you joy?
• How do you fuel the movements that bring you joy in retirement? 

21:26 How fear can often drive our behaviors related to food/exercise post-retirement 

• Acknowledgement & acceptance of our fears 
• How to appropriately challenge our fears 
• The power of “Sitting in the suck”

26:37 The lesser known eating-related disorders

• Binge eating disorder
• Shame & stigma
• Secrecy
• Muscle dysmorphia disorder
• Compulsive exercise disorder
• How less can be more
• Orthorexia nervosa
• Fear surrounding “taboo” foods

34:51 Key factors in overcoming “body grief” and moving towards “body acceptance”

• Body image & the value of “body neutrality” 
• Identity outside of sport, feeling “whole"
• Body change expectations 
• Acceptance of the “journey” 

38:58 Shame and stigma 

• The isolating effect 
• Shame as a barrier for not getting help 
• How to begin to open up to someone

41:02 What professional help looks like

• Finding the right fit: dietitian, therapist, sports psychologist
• What if it doesn’t feel right? 
• What if I can’t afford it? 

45:40 Final words of encouragement to athletes listening who are struggling