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 inner child work? Where did you first learn your body was “wrong”? Stef’s adolescent period of restrictions Stef’s three moments of “splitting” at ages 8...
Sep 20, 2023•46 min•Ep. 114
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 beginning of recovery can be a really normal part of the healing process. This conversation also considers the more chronic, ongoing experience of wanti...
Sep 13, 2023•44 min•Ep. 113
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 : Self-induced vomiting / vamen douhti practices 13:23 – 23:10 : Moralisation of food and purity in yogic tradition 23:10 – 33:09 : Pushing our bodies...
Sep 07, 2023•54 min
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 it, I should be able to, too” The discomfort of being misunderstood The book that Sarah turned to in moments of extreme discomfort Being one of the lar...
Sep 06, 2023•49 min•Ep. 112
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 size, and intuitive eating are some of the terms and concepts you might be familiar with. With this new approach comes a lot of good, good stuff. So good...
Aug 30, 2023•39 min•Ep. 111
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 can't break the habit? We'll also talk about: Sarah’s experience of separating screens from bingeing Stef’s transition from dinner in front of the TV ...
Aug 23, 2023•40 min•Ep. 110
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 getting in the way of food preparation Sarah’s digital nomad lifestyle and recipe boxes Exploring resistance Cooking as an act of ‘adulting’ Sarah’s ...
Aug 16, 2023•36 min•Ep. 109
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’t small – it’s not fair! My body can’t work like it used to – it’s not fair! Would you rather be at the top-of-the-bottom or the bottom-of-the-top...
Aug 09, 2023•35 min•Ep. 108
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 experiment Can journaling make us more anxious? And if so, what else can we do? Rambling, stream-of-consciousness journaling versus intention journal...
Aug 02, 2023•50 min•Ep. 107
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 Sarah wants Stef’s house but Stef wants Sarah’s freedom If we had the thing we were jealous of, it might play a supporting role, but would it really chan...
Jul 27, 2023•40 min•Ep. 106
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 our weight be protecting us? Note: this episode is not suggesting that weight is pathological. Body sizes are diverse among humans depending on a multi...
Jul 19, 2023•38 min•Ep. 105
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 and “sabotages” our fasting efforts later on. The 5:2 “lifestyle” The “big names” that influenced Sarah and Stef’s fasting experiences How do you know i...
Jul 12, 2023•43 min•Ep. 104
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 so much diet culture all over the place? TikTok is getting Intuitive Eating wrong Evelyn’s favorite principle of IE (hint: it’s not the same as Elyse’s...
Jul 05, 2023•41 min•Ep. 103
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 it sounds. Elyse answers questions from our community and explains many of the nuances of IE for our listeners. Intuitive Eating: is it a method for ...
Jun 28, 2023•55 min•Ep. 102
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 people leave diets behind and find success with Intuitive Eating. She sat down with us to talk about her personal story with dieting, body image, bin...
Jun 21, 2023•40 min•Ep. 101
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" Control as a mechanism of safety The dynamic of differing opinions The concept of Self-abandonment (as opposed to numbing) Sarah’s concept of “states” as op...
Jun 14, 2023•36 min•Ep. 100
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 important factor in keeping peace with food: feeling like she has choice. We think of the "rebel" as a bad, naughty thing; but the rebel acts in the name our...
Jun 07, 2023•43 min•Ep. 99
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 restriction the bigger gap; for Sarah, it’s the binges. How do we make our own cocoons if it’s not with food? Stef’s somatic practice for overwhelm Depre...
May 31, 2023•49 min•Ep. 98
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 reduction of conflict Stef’s experience of negotiation in recovery How body image work helps reduce conflict with food Allowing before accepting before...
May 24, 2023•42 min•Ep. 97
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 satiation point of a meal vs a binge Emotional eating vs grazing: can they be one and the same? What is powerful enough to interrupt this cycle? The impa...
May 17, 2023•42 min•Ep. 96
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 certain place, does the body automatically move into binge mode? Stealing Easter candy from kids baskets Nudge Theory Do you bring home the leftover de...
May 10, 2023•46 min•Ep. 95
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: to eat or not to eat the rest of the Cadbury eggs? Stef’s “Marble in the middle” concept What is Body image recovery? Sarah’s “two states” concept Th...
May 03, 2023•42 min•Ep. 94
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 Surviving rejection on purpose (in the context of dating) Binge eating as evidence of the right to be rejected; as long as we’re “a mess,” rejection isn...
Apr 26, 2023•49 min•Ep. 93
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 arrived in NYC for seven weeks! Rerouting the original plan for this weeks’ topic because Sarah is in the middle of an identity/existential crisis and we wa...
Apr 19, 2023•33 min•Ep. 92
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 learned in Jamaica The issue of TRUST when it comes to what our partner thinks of us What if my partner is not interested in me since I’ve gained weigh...
Apr 12, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 91
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 “seeking” neurotransmitter Is it that you really love the food or are you afraid of how you’ll feel without it? Stef’s hearty appetite Can you feel sa...
Apr 05, 2023•44 min•Ep. 90
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 body image (clothes) Changing the language – “I should” to “I get to” The relationship between resting and inner conflict The issue of self worth Six t...
Mar 29, 2023•40 min•Ep. 89
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 & Stef discuss their future personal dynamics for all to hear Join the LAD Membership Connect with the show! Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/l...
Mar 22, 2023•39 min•Ep. 88
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 using food to help regulate the system. In this episode, we talk about: What does it mean to be a HSP? Stef’s score vs Sarah’s score (on the HSP test) ...
Mar 15, 2023•44 min•Ep. 87
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 yoga Permission to do things inconsistently Do we feel better about doing things that are non-negotiable? How do we deal with the disappointment in our...
Mar 11, 2023•42 min•Ep. 86
