A few months into my own divorce my mother came up from Los
Angeles for a visit. She asked me why I was “so thin.” Her words weren’t
condemning but she was concerned. I have always been “thin” but clearly I had
gotten even smaller. I shrugged it off and happily told her about all of my
recent physical activity, thinking I was simply burning more calories. A few
months after my mother’s visit I ran into a former neighbor who exclaimed, “Oh,
you’ve been on the ‘Divorce Diet’!” I’d
never heard of such a thing – what was she talking about??
The fact
is, the “Divorce Diet” is a real phenomenon.
According to a recent New York Times article, it is caused by “stress, rage,
sadness, and (for some) a need to control any part of their lives…that hasn’t
fallen into complete chaos.” This seems
accurate and I was happy to see it in the news. Recently I saw a friend who is
divorcing and had lost a lot of weight. I mentioned the “diet” to her. She’d never heard of it. It made me think of
my surprise at hearing the term during my divorce and I realized that this is
one of those “nasty topics” that we don’t talk about, and we probably should. Talking
about it might help divorcing people to
pay a little closer attention when they start dropping pounds they’re not
intending (or wanting) to lose.
Eating
properly is one of the most basic – and essential – things we can do to take
good care of ourselves. Especially during times of extreme stress…like a
divorce….
Resources:
- · https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/14/fashion/weddings/the-divorce-diet-losing-a-spouse-and-some-pounds-too.html
- · https://www.wholelifechallenge.com/how-to-stay-healthy-during-a-divorce/
- · coaching@karenjusterhecht.net
