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 with food and reach intuitive eating? 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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159. Blood Sugar, Diabetes, and Binge Eating Recovery
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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 with…
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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 i…
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157. But I'm Trying To Recover from Disordered Eating with Depression
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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…
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156. But How Do I Handle Insensitive Comments?
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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 diffe…
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155. But I Don't Trust Myself with Food (Live Episode)
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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 livest…
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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…
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153. Let's Talk About PCOS with Sam Abbott RD
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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 exac…
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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…
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151. But What Do Attachment Styles Have to Do With Food Boundaries?
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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 loo…
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150. But Is It Self-Care or Self-Indulgence?
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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 …
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149. Review of The Hunger Habit by Judson Brewer
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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 t…
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148. A Recovery Story: But What If No One Is Attracted to My Body? with community member Louise
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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 dea…
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BONUS Ep. w/Marcus Kain – Exercise After Dieting
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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 co…
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147. But Is It Possible to Pursue Weight Loss After Giving Up Dieting?
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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, …
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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 i…
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145. But Is Body Neutrality Really Possible?
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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 …
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In this podcast episode, we explore the concept of Gentle Nutrition, explained as combining basic nutritional knowledge with body attunement. This 10th principle of Intuitive Eating is about recognizing how different foods affect one’s body while maintaining a non-restrictive approach to eating. We also touch on personal experiences with nutritiona…
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This conversation discusses the challenges of confronting the aging process, with Sarah sharing a recent moment of seeing photographs of herself and thinking she looked...well, older. This introspection is mirrored by a conversation about Stef's Wednesday Weekly email, which talked about the "emergency" feeling of noticing differences in sagging sk…
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142. But What If Food Gets Me Through the Day?
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In this podcast episode, the hosts explore the complex relationship between food and emotional needs. The conversation begins with a reflection on Stef's Instagram post suggesting that food serves as a portal to solitude, comfort, pleasure, and escape, making the idea of changing one’s relationship with food seem like a sacrifice of essential copin…
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141. "But I Did Feel More Confident in a Smaller Body" with guest Stephanie Dodier
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In this episode, we have a pretty cool chat with Stephanie Dodier, reformed dieter and coach for women post diet-culture. We dive deep into how society kinda messes with our heads, telling us we need to look a certain way to feel good about ourselves. Dodier brings up something called "the safety of conformity," which is basically about how we mix …
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140. But I love those "What I Eat in a Day" Videos
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In this playful and insightful episode, our hosts dive into the intriguing world of "What I Eat in a Day" videos and the complex feelings they evoke. They kick things off with a light-hearted banter about the unexpected topics that might arise in a conversation about daily diets, quickly steering the conversation towards the deeper curiosity and co…
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139. Review of "Overcoming Binge Eating" by Christopher Fairburn
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Overcoming Binge Eating by Christopher G Fairburn has been adopted by the NHS as the gold standard approach for binge eating recovery. This episode offers our personal and professional opinions on the OBE approach and is not meant as a substitute for, or a deterrent against, using this book as part of your own recovery process. We discuss: Who is F…
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138. But Has My Healthy Eating Gone Too Far?
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An obsession with healthy eating has become part of the Eating Disorder and disordered eating spectrum. But how do we differentiate between taking responsibility for our health and disorder? Where's the line? This episode looks at: What's wrong with valuing health and nutrition? What is orthorexia? How did Stef develop orthorexia in her 30's? Healt…
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137. But Why Can't I Stop Eating in the Evenings?
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The most common time of day for people to overeat and/or binge is in the evening. After work, after dinner, after the kids are in bed, after the quiet sets in. Those hours between dinner and bedtime can be the hardest to navigate and there are many reasons why this happens so much -- we're here to take a comprehensive look at many of these reasons.…
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136. How to Support a Loved One With Disordered Eating
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This episode is different from our usual ones in that it was created not just for you, dear listener, but for your loved ones. If you've ever felt like you want your friend or family member to understand eating disorders better, but just don't know how to describe it or feel like it's hard for them to understand what you're going through in recover…
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Self-esteem has implications in eating disorder recovery, and this episode explores some of those -- including self-compassion, connection, competence, comparison, social expectations, shame, and even anger! Tune in for this nuanced conversation about self-esteem (and self-worth, by extension) with topics including: What comes first -- low self-est…
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130. But What If Recovery Isn't Worth It?
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What if you're recovering from an eating disorder and it's not all it's cracked up to be? What if the "better life" everyone talks about doesn't feel true for you, and you wonder if it was actually better before? In this episode, we look at this very nuanced, delicate, and lesser-talked-about aspect of some people's experience. Does it matter if yo…
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129. But How Do I Know If I'm Making Progress?
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This episode, livestreamed to our Facebook community, is a response to a listener question that asks: How do we know when we're making progress in recovery? If we aren't celebrating pounds or dress sizes lost, how do we mark the "successes" of recovery? And how do we deal with the fact that no one else can "see" it? Stef's moment in the kitchen, ye…
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Back to Basics (4/4): The Process of Recovery
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The fourth and final in our Back to Basics Series (following a set list of: (1)Do I Have a Problem? (2)How Did I Get Here? and (3)A Recovery Toolbox). This episode looks at what recovery looks like from a process perspective. How does it actually look as you go along? How long does it take to recover? Stef's Tetris analogy -- what if you've been wo…
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The third in a four-part series of Back to Basics; this episode reviews helpful tools for recovery from disordered eating and eating disorders. Tools include cognitive, somatic, emotional, behavioral/practical resources to support your recovery with a list of helpful accounts, books, podcasts, and links below. Education from social media, books, po…
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Back to Basics (2/4): But WHY Do I Have a Problem With Food?
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Second in a four-part Back to Basics Series, this episode looks at the question of how we develop disordered eating, eating disorders, and body image issues. What causes it to get so...well, disordered... for some people and not for others? The Minnesota Starvation Experiment Social and Family influences Growing up in the 80s, 90s and 2000s Why do …
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Back To Basics (1/4): Do I Have a Problem?
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The first in a four-part series called: Back to Basics to explore the foundational concepts of disordered eating and eating disorders from the ground floor. We hear from so many people who weren't aware that their experiences had a name, or that other people are dealing with them, too. In this first session, we're looking at the question: Do I Have…
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Two annoucements! Join our mailing list if you want to be in the know about upcoming events in the UK this May 2024; and our next four episodes will be a Back To Basics Series. Now on to this week's episode...we're reflecting on the past year and looking ahead to the new one, but not in the mainstream fashion of toxic positivity or or New Year New …
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We believe that authenticity can have to do with our relationship with food. In this episode, we explore those intersections and tell personal stories abour our own experiences with authenticity and how that has impacted our behaviors with food. The definition of authenticity How it feels to be authentic...and to be not authentic Can disordered eat…
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Catastrophizing things like what we've eaten or how much weight we've gained (for example) can often led to despair or fear-based decision-making. In this conversation, we explore what catastrophization is, why we do it, and strategies to deal with it. We also discuss: Feelings of catastrophization post binge "Meta-eating" as a version of catastrop…
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125. But Why Aren't I Prioritising My Health?
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Aside from body image, health seems to be one of the biggest concerns about gaining weight. Because weight gain is common for many people recovering from eating disorders, health is a big sticking point making recovery harder and more complicated. In this episode, we're looking at the relationship between weight and health, to include: Stef explain…
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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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