Restrictions

Content warning: this post discusses dietary restrictions tied to medically testing. Please be gentle with yourself and skip this read if it doesn’t feel like a good fit for you.

A friend recently mentioned she has been instructed by her doctor to eat a restricted diet for about a month. The protocol is on the types/variety of foods, not on the quantity. Although this is a medical recommendation it reminded me of a very popular 30-day diet focusing on eliminating certain types of foods and then gradually adding them back in after the allotted period. I tried that diet many years ago (due to popularity, not medical need) and only lasted about half the time. It brought up a lot of feelings around disordered eating for me and I stopped when I realized the harm that was happening. In my house that diet is jokingly known as the Hole-15.

Shortly after discussing this 30-day restriction with my friend I learned that I will need to be on a restricted diet prior to a medical procedure in a couple weeks. The restriction will only last about a week, but will get gradually more restrictive approaching procedure day. Interestingly, the restrictions will allow for a lot of foods that I consider “comfort food.” Even knowing that I immediately began having anxiety about any type of food restriction and the alarm bells that triggers in my brain. After a lifetime of disordered eating, weight cycling, and fighting with my body I always proceed with great caution when “rules” around diet and exercise pop up (see also: any post I’ve written about failing to reach a minimum set of workouts, time outside, etc and so forth).

I have a lot of resources and tools in place to manage this period of restriction. And I’m incredibly relieved that it is “only” 7 days and not longer. But I can’t help notice that neither the nurse at my general practitioner’s office or the scheduler at the specialist’s office felt it was important to mention the restricted diet and ask if any additional support would be needed around that protocol. The nurse just said the specialist’s office would call to schedule the procedure. And the scheduler said she would “send the instructions over” for me to review. I do have an appointment to speak with someone else about a week before the procedure to get more information and ask any questions. But that comes 2 weeks after having received the information for this restricted diet… for me that equals 2 weeks of anxiety and worry.

A few years ago I made a commitment to myself that I would seek regular medical care despite the weight bias and shoddy treatment of many patients in larger bodies. I also vowed that I would speak up when I noticed something like this, talking to the provider(s) about how a small change in their protocol may be beneficial to patients.

Have you noticed any medical protocols that you could bring awareness to for yourself or others? Please share in the comments.

Amy Smith is a professor of Media & Communication and a communication consultant who lives north of Boston. Her research interests include gender communication and community building. Amy spends her movement time riding the basement bicycle to nowhere, walking her two dogs, and waiting for it to get warm enough for outdoor swimming in New England.