In this live episode, hosts Sarah and Stef explain the concepts of "All-In Recovery" versus "All or Nothing Thinking," particularly in the context of the nondiet approach to overeating and restriction cycles. Stef explains that "All-In Recovery" involves abandoning restrictive eating behaviors entirely, which actually IS a quite all-or-nothing experience. She also explains how it worked to find enough inner quiet to actually find intuitive eating authentically. Throughout the episode, they highl...
Nov 06, 2024•44 min•Ep. 173
In this episode, we delve into the concept of "triggers" and how they affect our emotions and behaviors (including how they impact binge eating and restricting and body image). Our hosts, Sarah and Stef, share personal anecdotes about feedback on social media (like when people make comments about our clothes or teeth or how we are only in this for ourselves), the psychological and physical responses to being triggered, coping mechanisms, and practical tools. They differentiate between being trig...
Oct 30, 2024•46 min•Ep. 172
In this heartfelt episode, we dive deep into the complexities of motherhood, pregnancy, and recovery. Join Stef and Sarah as they discuss personal experiences and answer listener questions surrounding motherhood, disordered eating, and the challenges of recovery. From confronting body image issues during pregnancy to navigating the hurdles of parenting while recovering from an eating disorder, this episode offers valuable insights and emotional support for mothers and parents with a complicated ...
Oct 23, 2024•39 min•Ep. 171
In this episode of our podcast, join Sarah and Stef as they delve into the complexities of eating out. From the anxieties and guilt associated with ordering and calorie counting to the social pressures of dining with others, they discuss the various challenges people face. The conversation also touches on topics like intuitive eating, practical tips for overcoming eating-related stress, and reflections on personal experiences with food and dining out. Whether you're navigating disordered eating ...
Oct 16, 2024•39 min•Ep. 170
In this lively and unique episode, Sarah and Stef delve into the concept of joy. They share their personal experiences and struggles with finding joy, reflecting on moments that brought them happiness and the impact those moments had on their mental states. From a sunny drive to Brighton listening to summer reggae (Sarah) to a rollercoaster ride with her daughters (Stef), they explore how joy can stem from both big and small moments. They also discuss the complications of linking joy to external...
Oct 09, 2024•40 min•Ep. 169
This week, we are talking to Dr. Jenn (@menopause.nutritionist), an Intuitive Eating dietician and naturopathic doctor, who is a medical expert in Functional and Intuitive Nutrition for Women in Midlife. Because how the heck do we stop dieting and stay sane when we're dealing with menopause symptoms?? We'll cover: Jenn's story The difference between perimenopause and menopause Estrogen's impact on our appetite and weight The role of nutrition in balancing hormones Weight gain in menopause (and p...
Oct 02, 2024•50 min•Ep. 168
In this episode, we dive into a thoughtful and nuanced review of the book 'Ultra Processed People' by Chris Van Tulleken. They explore the book's themes around ultra processed foods, their potential impact on our health, and the broader societal implications. The conversation navigates through personal anecdotes, scientific claims, and the complicated relationship with food, making it a must-listen for anyone intrigued by the intersection of nutrition, mental health, and recovery from disordered...
Sep 25, 2024•53 min•Ep. 167
This episode features Livia Sara, known as @LivLabelFree, who shares her journey and expertise in disordered eating recovery through the lens of autism. We'll discuss: Liv's Background : how Livia started helping others with neurodivergent eating disorder recovery Autistic Traits vs. Eating Disorder Behaviors : The conversation delves into distinguishing between autistic traits and eating disorder behaviors, emphasizing the importance of intention and the roots of these behaviors. Experience wit...
Sep 18, 2024•45 min•Ep. 166
In this episode, hosts Stefanie and Sarah dive into the complexities surrounding overeating, especially in the context of recovery from binge eating. They discuss the difference between binge eating and overeating, and explore how habits, stress, and emotional regulation play into our eating behaviors. Using real-life anecdotes and client experiences, they offer compassionate insights into understanding and managing overeating without demonizing it. Listeners will also learn about the psychologi...
Sep 11, 2024•43 min•Ep. 165
Welcome back to another episode, everyone! In today's chat, we are explaining Stef's concept of "anchor meals", their psychological and physiological impacts, and how they fit into our daily routines. We start off with entertaining personal stories—from recording mishaps to culinary adventures in Spain—that segue into a discussion on why knowing when your next meal is coming is important for our mental and physical well-being. We explore how sticking to regular meal times can sync up with our bo...
Sep 04, 2024•35 min•Ep. 164
In this episode, we're talking about the challenging and often unspoken topic of hopelessness and despair in relation to recovery from eating disorders. We offer personal experiences of the complex emotions intertwined with despair, such as fear, sadness, and anger. We also discuss what mindfulness, connection, and individuality might have to do with navigating despair. We discuss the power of belief, personal barriers, and the potential for unexpected breakthroughs. 00:00 Introduction to Hopele...
Aug 28, 2024•37 min•Ep. 163
In this episode, we explore the complex emotion of anger. We discuss how anger can be a suppressed emotion (and create conditions for bingeing and restricting) because sometimes, it's an emotion we are afraid to feel. On the other hand, it can be a high-energy emotion that just takes a lot of wrangling to keep regulated! For the first time ever on this podcast, we actually discuss -- live, and without pre-planning -- a recent personal conflict between us when we went to Bournemouth for a worksho...
Aug 21, 2024•46 min•Ep. 162
In this episode, we explore the complex role guilt plays in our lives, particularly around topics like eating, self-care, and productivity. We start things off with some chit-chat about recording while standing up -- Stef has a moment of body image angst, revisted at the end of the episode. We discuss how guilt can stem from societal expectations and personal values, and whether it truly helps drive positive change or just makes us feel worse. We also talk about how guilt compares to integrity a...
Aug 14, 2024•40 min•Ep. 161
In this engaging episode of their podcast, Stef and Sarah dive deep into the topic of mindful eating. Stef shares some insightful anecdotes about how clients often come to her with a preconceived notion of how they "should" be eating. Sarah chimes in with practical advice from her workshops, suggesting that eating mindfully isn't about being perfect but more about being present. Throughout the episode, they explore the challenges and misconceptions surrounding the practice. They emphasize that m...
Aug 07, 2024•44 min•Ep. 160
This episode features a conversation with Danielle Bublitz, a registered dietitian from Southern California who has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 20 years. Danielle shares insights on the stigma surrounding type 2 diabetes, what it means to have prediabetes, and the tendency of wellness culture to pathologize blood sugar spikes in people without diabetes (including people with eating disorders, disordered eating, and orthorexia). The conversation also touches on the controversies surroundi...
Jul 31, 2024•52 min•Ep. 159
In this episode of the "WTH Effect" podcast, hosts Stef and Sarah dive deep into the "What the Hell Effect," discussing personal experiences, psychological factors, and actionable strategies to cope with this common eating phenomenon. They explore the intersection of binge eating, restriction, and emotional regulation, providing valuable insights into how to manage the cycle of "breaking food rules" and guilt. Key topics include the abstinence violation effect, black-and-white thinking, and the ...
Jul 24, 2024•49 min•Ep. 158
In this episode of the "Life After Diets" podcast, we explore the journey of coping with depression in eating disorder recovery . Join us as we discuss personal stories, coping strategies, and nervous system theory with our hosts, Sarah Dosanjh, psychotherapist and author of I Can't Stop Eating , and Stefanie Michele, Certified Intuitive Eating Coach and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, both recovered from binge eating. Episode Highlights include: Anxiety and Depression: are they linked? How? ...
Jul 17, 2024•38 min•Ep. 157
You know what's hard in a life after diets? When people comment on your body or your food choices. How are we supposed to respond? It is a tough balance between setting boundaries, managing conflict, and not feeling triggered. The conversation starts out with a reflection of Stef's conversation the previous day with her Mom, but moves through different scenarios that we might run up against in our non-diet culture driven life. Some scenarios include: what if someone asks me if I'm pregnant? What...
Jul 10, 2024•47 min•Ep. 156
If we're not dieting, won't we just be completely out of control with food? That's the risk when we feel like we can't trust ourselves. In this episode, we talk about what self-trust is -- including how we thought about it before recovery and how we think about it now. And maybe most importantly, how we developed more of it! This episode was livestreamed to our private community so we also answer some listener questions about personal experiences with self-trust. We discuss: trusting yourself no...
Jul 03, 2024•40 min•Ep. 155
How do other people make decisions about what to eat? Have you ever been interested in understanding what makes a person choose the breakfast or lunch or snack that they choose? Sarah and Stef offer their personal decision making processes of the meals they ate the day of recording this podcast. From there, the conversation branches off into topics like practical hunger, interoception (a principle of Intuitive Eating), cravings, habits, and preferences. We also ask ourselves the question: what d...
Jun 26, 2024•45 min•Ep. 154
This week we are talking to Sam Abbott, RD about PCOS! Many of our listeners have been diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian sydrome) and medical recommendations to manage symptoms are usually geared towards weight loss and food restrictions. How does someone with PCOS balance this condition within a nondiet value system? We'll look at: What exactly is PCOS? What can be mistaken for PCOS? How does PCOS get diagnosed? Is eating low-carb important for symptom management? Can intermittent fasting...
Jun 19, 2024•44 min•Ep. 153
This episode is all about relapse in the context of eating disorder recovery. We cover topics such as shame, self-awareness, boundaries, dopamine regulation, catastrophization, and the impact of life circumstances on relapse. Relapses can be very distressing; it's tempting to think we've failed or that we'll "never really get better." In the second half of this episode, we talk about the idea of "remembering and forgetting" as a muscle that actually builds resilience over time in eating disorder...
Jun 12, 2024•43 min•Ep. 152
This week we are talking about attachment styles. The psychological concepts of anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, and disorganized attachment have been used to understand our relationship dynamics with other people , but can it also be used to understand our relationship dynamics with food ? For example, anxious attachment in relationships looks like constantly seeking validation and having porous boundaries with ourselves and others for fear of losing connection. Might this also translat...
Jun 05, 2024•43 min•Ep. 151
The world talks a lot about self-care, but many people in this community feel selfish taking care of themselves. It can be seen as indulgent to take the time to tend to our own needs, especially as mothers -- check out the second half of the podcast where Stef addresses this from her perspective as a parent (her take might surprise you). So what's the difference between self care and self indulgence? Speaking of indulgence, we also look at the way we talk about food under this lens. Are the conn...
May 29, 2024•47 min•Ep. 150
This episode is a review of "The Hunger Habit" by Judson Brewer, MD, PhD. Is this a book that can help people who struggle with binge eating and disordered eating? Will Sarah and Stef come to the same conclusions about the book? Most importantly, will Stef remember her note-to-self about making her points of contention calmly? I guess you'll have to tune in to find out! Sarah's Connect and Recover groups: https://thebingeeatingtherapist.com/connect-recover-groups/ Join our growing support commun...
May 26, 2024•40 min•Ep. 149
We are back with another recovery story -- this time from Louise, a member of our community (which you can join here , by the way!) Louise explains her story of disordered eating and restriction starting in adolescence, eventually leading her to give up dieting to lean into an anti-diet approach. Like so many others in ED recovery, Louise had to deal with weight gain and body image issues in exchange for food freedom -- but came out with this story to tell. Listen to her inspirational message ab...
May 15, 2024•44 min•Ep. 148
Join us live on Monday 20th May 2024 in Brighton: https://www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com/evening-in-brighton/ And on Thursday 23rd May 2024 in Bournemouth: https://www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com/day-retreat-on-the-beach/ Join our growing support community. This community is for you if you want to improve your relationship with food and become more comfortable in your own skin. Community membership includes invites to live episode recordings (online), support meetings, a private Facebook group and ...
May 09, 2024•24 min
This episode was a toughie, not gonna lie. It's really, really hard to have this discussion without potentially triggering some folks -- and we only know that because at one time, it triggered us, too. But this podcast is valuable because it does explore nuances, including the things less talked about in the anti-diet world. At the end of the day, the desire for weight loss remains after we stop dieting. And for some people the question of: can I pursue this intentionally without regressing or s...
May 08, 2024•44 min•Ep. 147
In this episode, the hosts really get into how scarcity affects us, especially when it comes to food. They start by breaking down what scarcity truly means—it's not just about running out of something, but feeling like you never have enough of what you need. This feeling can lead to behaviors like hoarding or binge-eating, not just with food, but in many parts of our lives. They share personal stories and observations from society to show how the fear of not having enough drives us to overcompen...
May 01, 2024•45 min•Ep. 146
This body image centered episode delves into the distinctions between body positivity and body neutrality, offering a nuanced exploration of how individuals can relate to their bodies beyond conventional narratives of self-love. The conversation begins by distinguishing body positivity from body neutrality. Originally, body positivity emerged from the fat activist movements of the 1960s, aiming to empower marginalized bodies, especially those of fat, Black women, and aligning with LGBTQ rights. ...
Apr 24, 2024•46 min•Ep. 145
