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Many people are waking up to the fact that diets don't work, but if we're not dieting, now what? How are we supposed to find balance around food and figure out how to eat? Join Sarah and Stef, a psychotherapist and a health coach, as they talk about all things related to disordered eating, bad body image and creating a life that's free from food and body obsession. The hosts draw on their own eating struggles and openly share the highs and lows of pursuing food freedom over weight loss.
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Geneen Roth coined the terms "permitters" and "restrictors" to differentiate between two types of (disordered) eaters -- the latter, who tend to restrict food and adhere to food rules and regulations; and the former, who reject food rules and regulations. The rule-followers vs the rebels, if you will. Which camp do you identify with? What can we le…
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123. But Should I Keep Fear Foods in My House?
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If we're no longer dieting, should we keep all of our trigger foods and/or "fear foods" in the house? Will we just end up eating them all and feeling MORE out of control? On the other hand, would it be restricting to not have them around? It's complicated! We're here to talk about the nuances of this question, including: Does not keeping foods in y…
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122. Body Image and Eating Disorder Recovery with Marcus Kain
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This week we talk to Marcus Kain, a nutrition coach and trainer specializing in binge eating recovery. Marcus, who also hosts the Strong Not Starving Podcast, shares with us his own journey into and through an eating disorder. Marcus discusses his journey with food and body image issues, tracing back to childhood and the influence of his environmen…
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Do you ever feel like you're just kidding yourself about things? About how you're going to just get it together one day, or finally arrive in that smaller body you keep striving for? What is the difference between hope and self-deception? This episode talks about: Stef is just soooo self-aware Self deception might look like: “just one last time; I …
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120. Dopamine and Binge Eating: a Review of Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke
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Sarah and Stef review the book Dopamine Nation by Dr Anna Lembke, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. Dopamine is a fascinating neurotransmitter when it comes to binge eating for its role in the pain and pleasure connection in the brain. This episode c…
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Are you a “should”-er or a rebel? Let’s talk about Kettle Chips, for example Milkshakes, beliefs, and ghrelin (the hunger hormone) What if our mind wants more than our body needs? Collecting data & experimenting with portion sizes How Stef worked with portions of peanut butter Satisfaction and bottomless pit syndrome Can you eat a whole box of mac …
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118. But I Don't Like Eating In Front of Other People
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How do you feel eating in front of other pepole? Do you tend to become self-conscious about your food choices, or find yourself overly influenced by what other people are eating? This episode looks at these questions and... Stef & Sarah’s food experiences in Dublin and how self-consciousness played (and didn’t play) a role Ways it can be helpful to…
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117. Fitness without Obsession with Elena Kunicki, RD
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This week, we're talking to Elena Kunicki RD who recovered from binge eating and an obsession with exercise that led to hypothalamic amenorrhea (when your period stops due to excessive exercise, stress, and disordered eating). In this episode, Elena shares her story of how she recovered, including how she was able to return to exercise without feel…
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116. But How Do I Deal With Mental Hunger?
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This episode discusses several aspects of mental hunger including its relationship to physical hunger. It emphasizes how mental hunger can feel like an insatiable desire for food, often arising from emotional and psychological factors rather than physical need. We also touch upon the significance of nervous system regulation and the complexities of…
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In this episode, we dive into the concept of self-abandonment and the journey towards self-compassion. We explore the role of shame and the profound loneliness that often accompanies self-abandonment. By learning to separate feelings from shame and embracing self-care, we can navigate life's challenges without losing ourselves. Topics include: Expl…
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114. But Do I Need To Do Inner Child Work?
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Embracing your inner child is a concept that you might see coming up when you work on ditching diet culture and embracing a nondiet or intuitive eating approach to disordered eating recovery. What is this all about? Do we need to do this in order to heal? This conversation explores: What is the inner child? Being “too much” What is the point of inn…
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Do you want to eat intuitively but find yourself only wanting "junk food"? This is a common thing to hear from people trying healing their relationship with food. A caveat to this conversation -- depending on where you are in this process, the approach to this conflict will be different. For example, wanting fun foods (and ONLY fun foods) at the be…
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**BONUS EPISODE** Unintentional Weight Loss, Food "Purity" and "Wellness" Practices in Yoga (with Sarah and Becca)
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Please read time stamps carefully and skip any segments, which might be triggering or unhelpful for you in your recovery. This video is an honest account of two mental health practitioners who are in recovery from food and body image issues sharing the challenges they faced in this area during yoga teacher training in Rishikesh India. 2:35 – 13:23 …
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112. Food & Body Image at Yoga Teacher Training (Sarah's story)
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This episode was recorded after Sarah’s return home from yoga teacher training in India. Sarah explores some of the human ups and downs (including body image and food difficulties) she experienced while away during training. Transitioning to the retreat and the impact of culture shock Indian eye flu, anyone? Toxic positivity “Everyone else can do i…
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If you're not in diet culture, you're probably in anti-diet culture. Diet culture is the water we swim in. If you're learning about the ways in which dieting and thinness-as-idol has harmed you, chances are you've also been embracing new ways of thinking espoused by the "anti-diet mindset." Weight and body neutrality, fatphobia, health at every siz…
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In a world of technology, how many of us find it easy to sit down to eat without the distraction of a screen? Is there a difference between eating in front of a TV versus eating in front of a laptop or cell phone? And more importantly, how is this impacting us? How do we work on Intuitive Eating if we feel like we need this type of distraction, or …
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Eating is more than just eating. It's also all of the things surrounding eating -- like thinking of what to buy; actually going out and buying it; bringing it home, unpacking it, cooking it. What do we do if it's all too much? This episode also looks at: Stef’s attitude to food changing through having a family Black and white thinking/perfectionism…
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108. But IT'S NOT FAIR that recovery is so hard.
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When we stop trying to control food and body size, it can feel unfair. It's not fair that some people are smaller and others aren't. It's not fair that some people can "eat normally" and others can't. In this episode, Stef & Sarah talk extensively about their feelings of resistance around various topics related to their bodies, plus... My body isn’…
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Are you a journal-er? Do you want to be a journal-er? In this episode, we explore the benefits and drawbacks of journaling from the perspectives of Sarah (a journaler) and Stef (an ex-journaler). As you might expect, this is not a black and white issue; what feels helpful for some might not be as helpful for others. We'll look at: Stef’s journaling…
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Have you ever felt jealous of someone else's body? (Or anything else, really?) Comparison is normal, but if jealousy's got you down, this episode will teach you how to banish it, forever, from your life. Just kidding. But we WILL discuss: The difference between envy and jealousy What does jealousy feel like in the body? A technique for jealousy Sar…
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The intersection of weight and visibility is discussed at length in this episode. Weight can make us feel more visible or less visible because it is something our culture pays attention to. When we lose weight, we are "seen"; when we gain weight, we may become invisible. We discuss this topic from psychodynamic and somatic perspectives; how might o…
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104. But I've Heard That Fasting Is Helpful...
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Fasting is a trend that claims to have health benefits and influence on weight loss. What do we make of the hype? And how does it factor into people who have a history of eating disorders/disordered eating? Fasting in religion Fasting for wellness reasons How restricting – even if it was one time many years ago – gets coded as trauma in the body an…
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103. A Conversation with Evelyn Tribole, Co-Founder of Intuitive Eating
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This is the third week in our mini-series on Intuitive Eating, and this week we have Evelyn Tribole (co-founder of Intuitive Eating) on the podcast to talk about her personal stories and perspectives. We discuss: Most people don’t believe IE will work for them Personal influences on Evelyn’s own journey of IE How do we stay positive when there is s…
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102. Intuitive Eating with Co-Founder Elyse Resch
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This week we are talking to one of the co-founders of Intuitive Eating, Elyse Resch! Alongside Evelyn Tribole, Elyse developed and wrote the book Intuitive Eating, which has gained popularity for people who have been burned by diets and want to get back in touch with their body's intuition around food. However, this process is more complicated than…
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101. Intuitive Eating Changed My Life! With Sinead Crowe
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This week Sarah & Stef are joined by Sinead of Intuitive Eating Ireland! Sinead is the other half of The Intuitive Eating Hub and a co-host of our live event in Dublin this September. Sinead, the oldest of three sisters, left diet culture and started her own social media account back in 2020 and has become a popular force in Ireland for helping peo…
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100. Our 100th Episode! What We've Learned...
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It's our 100th episode! We sat down at a recording studio in NYC to celebrate 100 episodes and counting. This episode recaps the lessons we've learned doing this podcast, especially from one another, and how that has shaped our professional and personal perspectives over the past couple of years. The value of a regulated voice "Regul-eating" Contro…
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No conversation about dieting and restricting is complete without talking about the inner rebel! Is binge eating rebellious? Is restriction rebellious? How is our inner rebel at work when it comes to our relationship with food? Stef grew up as a people pleaser, but deconstructed that when her binge eating became out of control. Sarah's most importa…
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98. But How Would I Cope Without my Disordered Eating?
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Most of us develop disordered relationships with food because that food serves a purpose; it becomes a coping tool. So when we no longer have it as a way of comforting ourselves, what happens? How do we deal with that vulnerability and the huge gap it leaves in our emotional support system? What does the disordered eating help solve? Stef finds res…
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Suffering around food comes from having too much internal conflict around it. How do we reduce the amount of conflict so that we are better able to make calm decisions about food, or better able to find peace even when we don't make "good" decisions? This episode looks at: What inner conflict about food physically feels like Not restricting” as a r…
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This podcast speaks a lot about the binge restrict cycle, but what about less extreme eating habits like grazing? What do we do with the distress of more subtle behaviors like eating throughout the day without boundaries? Is this "bad"? Is it helpful? We'll discuss: The definition of grazing The difference between grazing and a “slow binge” The sat…
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This episode was livestreamed to our LAD community to answer the question: should I keep my trigger foods in my house? Stef and Sarah share some personal experiences of foods pre and post-recovery, and listeners ask questions pertaining to the conflict around this experience. Granolaaaaaaaa Muscle memory of a binge: when we eat certain foods in a c…
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94. But What Does Recovery from an Eating Disorder Really Look Like?
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In this episode, Sarah and Stef go behind the scenes of their lived experience of being in recovery from eating disorders and body image issues. What does "recovery" really look like for the hosts? Expectations of a "recovered life" Sarah’s experience with the cupcake shop that doesn’t actually sell cupcakes, and sitting in bed with fast food Stef:…
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What role does rejection play in your relationship with food and your body? JOIN US IN NYC ON MAY 6TH Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Social media as rejection-in-training Byron Katie: when people reject you, it’s because you don’t fit in with the way they want the world to be. When staying in the mind (instead of the emotions) is actually helpful Su…
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Sarah packed her bags to head to NYC -- and this episode was recorded just a few days after she arrived. The conversation focuses on the disorientation and overwhelm we can feel during times of transition, captured in real time. How did Sarah interact with food and body image as she left her home and ventured into a new chapter? Sarah’s just arrive…
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A topic we haven't broached on this podcast to date: SEX. How do we navigate intimacy when we're dealing with body image issues? This episode is juicy -- you don't want to miss it. We'll cover: A taboo topic to begin with – no wonder we have shame! The typical female avatar; why would we assume anyone would like our body just as it is?? What Leah l…
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Do you feel like your problem is just that you love food too much? Is it possible for true foodies to ever feel neutral around food -- and is feeling neutral around food the key to recovery? In this episode we discuss: Stef & Sarah: do we identify with loving food? Stef appetite for The Crown (and other nightly TV) Dopamine as a “pleasure” and “see…
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Do you feel like procrastination is a barrier to recovery? Sometimes we eat as a form of procrastination, or we eat because we feel badly about procrastinating. In this episode, we explore the concept and its intersection with food and body image. Is procrastination bad? And if not, what’s it good for? Why do we procrastinate? Procrastination and b…
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The definition of failure Stef’s motherhood “failures” When we feel like our appetite is a failure I have the tools but I don’t use the tools The failure of not showing up to an event because of your body image How do you want to show up for yourself with you fail? The importance of recognizing our “parts” Sarah’s story of customer service Sarah & …
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87. But What If I'm a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)?
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Psychologist Elaine Aron coined the term "Highly Sensitive Person" to refer to a subset of the population (estimated to be about 15-20%) who seem to have more sensitive nervous systems than the rest of the population. HSPs may be more easily overwhelmed and activated by stimuli in their internal and external environments, which may intersect with u…
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86. But I Know What I Should Be Doing -- So Why Don't I Do It?
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The voice of the "should" -- the things we know we should be doing but can't seem to do. Maybe we consume so much self-help information and don't feel like we can apply any of it. Why does this happen? What can we do about it? Shift of language: “I’d like to” or “I can” instead of “I should” or “I need to” Stef’s experience of the should voice in y…
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85. But I Feel Shocked When I See Photos of Myself
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Have you ever looked at a photograph of yourself (or passed by your reflection in a mirror) and felt a surge of shock or body image distress run through your whole body? This is what Stef calls a "flood," and in this episode we dive a little deeper into why this happens and what we can do about it. We’re coming to NYC! Fatphobia is implicit in feel…
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84. Transition Eating and Autopilot Eating
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Have you noticed difficulty or discomfort in the small transitions of life, like coming home from work or preparing to wind-down for the night? Why are transitions a time we turn to food for help? In this episode, we talk about: What is transition eating Sarah’s afternoon walk Stef’s nighttime transition and home/work transition When the kids go to…
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83. But Can Abstaining from Sugar & Carbs Help?
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Many of us have tried to reduce or eliminate white sugar, flour, carbohydrates, and/or processed foods in order to improve our relationship with food, reduce overeating, and lose weight. Does this approach make sense? Does it help? Is it a problem with the approach or a problem with us? In this episode, we explore: Stef’s experience of feeling good…
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82. But How Do I Dress This Body? Feat. Dacy of Mindful Closet
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Has your body changed in recovery, or as a result of your disordered eating patterns? This can be hard enough in our fatphobic society, but there is often an added layer of “clothing grief.” Fashion can be part of a creative expression that feels like part of our identity; and its not secret that fashion culture caters to smaller bodies. In this ep…
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81. A Conversation About Brain Over Binge
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Many people who've struggled with binge eating for a long time have come across the book "Brain Over Binge" by Kathryn Hansen. Sarah and Stef, co-hosts, both read the book as they tried to recover and are discussing how the method landed for them. The episode looks into: Stef’s history and experience with reading BOB and taking the official BOB cou…
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Restricting and bingeing (and the spectrum of these behaviors) can be attempts to numb our emotional experience. This episode looks at different ways of numbing and how Sarah & Stef experienced using food as an escape. We cover: Numbing via eating and numbing via restriction Do binges make us “not feel” or feel more? Stef’s recollection of numbing …
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Control is an unavoidable theme in the subject of eating disorder recovery. What is your relationship to control and how do you define it? The hosts explore their own experience of the concept and also highlight its important (and at times, healthy) role in navigating recovery. Sarah & Stef discuss: Light podcast banter. What podcasts do we listen …
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What role does food play in grief (around death, breakups, or existential itchiness)? In this episode Sarah & Stef share some personal stories, including a little cry! Sarah’s loss of her Mum Stef’s losses of relationships The idea of a “revenge body” Weight gain as a “sign” of a breakup? Stef’s loss of a primary friendship in college, and what hap…
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77. But Do Binge Urges Ever Completely Disappear?
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In this episode, Sarah and Stef talk about their relationship with food from a recovered perspective. Do we ever feel binge urges? Does a disordered tendency ever really disappear? Stef’s experience of over-hunger and how it impacts her urge to eat Sarah’s experience of brunch last Sunday Cake as a habit and compulsion (minus guilt) – Sarah’s story…
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Happy (almost) 2023, LAD listeners! This time of year is loaded with resolutions and plans for becoming a "better" version of ourselves. It seems like this is more often than not related to changing our body size or eating in new ways. If you're looking for a conversation about the New Year that can put some of this into perspective and take the pr…
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