Oh my, this is a GOOD ONE, fam. Chrissy King joins the pod to talk about her journey through and away from the harms of diet and fitness culture. And of course, her NEW book, The Body Liberation Project, which you should order and read immediately. Topics discussed: Chrissy's experience with dieting and her body image growing up Getting wrapped up in fitness culture and the pursuit of thinness The connection between racism, the patriarchy, the beauty standard, and diet culture Macro counting and psychological distress ….

Today's episode is extra special, because it's the first time Abbie has had a client on the pod. It's so important that we hear diverse stories and the real talk from people who are "in it". Dory joins the pod to talk about her experience with disordered eating (even though she didn't know it at the time), how she always thought that she was just a binge eater and had to use "will power", the diet that ended her dieting, her experience with healing through community and group coaching, and so much more.

Have you been curious about whether an anti-diet / intuitive eating approach can coexist with a food budget, or whether it's possible to meal plan without it being rooted in diet culture? In this episode, Abbie does a deep dive into both of these questions from listeners. 

Dr. Gregory Dodell joins the pod to chat with Abbie about his work as an Endocrinologist using a HAES-aligned and weight-inclusive approach to treatment and caring for his patients.

This episode with Kelsie covers so much that it was difficult to give it a title! Above all, it is a conversation between friends, and just allows for the winding of an authentic and connected chat.  Topics we discuss: We can't keep our plants alive What's been on Kelsie’s plate since we chatted last (Episode #14) Her experience directing a play and addressing representation and inclusion with bodies Unpacking fat-phobia with your therapist Experiencing a lot of anger while healing your body image and divesting from diet culture and other systems of oppression Setting boundaries with loved ones about fat-phobic comments and diet talk Trauma and seeing old photos Reparenting ourselves and thinking about our younger self Ableism and body acceptance Navigating the doctor’s office and medical weight-stigma.

We're baaaack! Abbie's husband, Jeb, returns to do Whole30 part two. If you haven't listened to part one, make sure to start there. Topics discussed: What Abbie and Jeb are fighting about Does dairy cause inflammation, skin issues, hormone imbalances, and digestive issues? Reintroduction of dairy and symptoms "The Pancake Rule" and emotional eating Are elimination diets safe? IBS and elimination protocols Orthorexia and disordered eating in wellness culture

Jessica Wilson, author of the forthcoming book It's Always Been Ours: Rewriting The Story Of Black Women's Bodies, joins the pod to explore the ways in which white supremacy has influenced anti-fatness, the thin beauty ideal, and our current understanding of health and wellness.  This is SUCH an important conversation and imperative to truly understanding the body shame that permeates our society. In order to heal, we must be able to see clearly the social injustice that underpins the diet industry, the pursuit of weight-loss, and the ever-increasing prevalence of eating disorders. Jessica is fantastic, brilliant, and a much-needed voice in this space. Go order her book!

TW: Mention of eating disorder behaviors in this epidode. Shira Rosenbluth, LCSW joins the pod to talk about her experience in eating disorder recovery as a clinician in the anti-diet, weight-inclusive space.  We talk about so much, including: What’s going on for Shira in this moment of life with her recovery and her therapy practice Balancing structure and flexibility in meals during ED recovery The culminaiton of factors that led to Shira's eating disorder Weight stigma and diet culture in eating disorder treatment The trap of quasi-recovery The new AAP guidelines on higher weight children The problem with “atypical anorexia” Being a “good fattie” Health is not a moral imperative How we keep healing in this world.

Whether or not you’ve done a Whole30, this episode goes through how this diet is a specific example of wellness culture – the new version of diet culture, where restrictive eating is disguised as “health”.

Let's talk about MOVEMENT (without a side of diet culture). Kira Onysko Jones joins the pod to share her journey with fitness, body image, and her relationship with food. We discuss so much on this one -- from cooking new foods as a part of healing from disordered eating, to Gilmore Girls (just kidding, that was only for a few minutes at the end, I PROMISE). The main topics include: Disordered eating as an athlete, how wellness culture influences fitness goals, the process of releasing body control when it comes to movement, disconnecting food from exercise, finding joyful forms of movement, and making peace with rest. Abbie leaves you with a tip depending on whether you feel resistant or reliant on exercise at this point in your journey.

Aleta Storch joins the pod to talk about her experience growing up with ADHD, how her disordered eating began in college, and the ways in which that manifested alongside her navigating a mental health condition. Abbie shares ways in which this relates to her experiences with anxiety and OCD. We also discuss food rules when you have a mental health condition, how athletes are impacted by diet culture, how Aleta realized she needed support for disordered eating, what finally propelled her to look into a diagnosis for ADHD, and how she came into the weight-inclusive anti-diet approach. We also explore neurodivergence and eating – how to cultivate a less chaotic relationship with food so you can physically nourish your body while supporting yourself mentally and emotionally. This was a wonderful conversation, and I think there is something for everyone in this one, regardless of what you’ve experienced from a mental health standpoint. 

In this episode, Abbie answers a listener question from Patreon and talks about the seduction of diet culture in the New Year. You’ll hear about how you can challenge the diet culture mindset using self-compassion rather than comparison, a values-based framework, and the body of evidence on "weight management". This episode is an important reminder of ways to navigate the feeling of wanting to do a “reset”, and how to take tangible action to approach those feelings and desires without spiraling. Diet and wellness culture is STRONG in January, but you are stronger.

Summer Innanen joins the pod to talk about body image and self-worth. We go into a little bit of everything on this one – from Summer’s experience of diet culture growing up, to the crossfit world and Paleo diet, to bargaining with herself as she learned about intuitive eating and body acceptance. 

Let's talk diet talk. It's the holiday season, and that means plenty of opportunities to be surrounded by other people WHILE being surrounded by food. Cue the "I'm being so bad!" and "Good thing I'll be doing a January detox!" and "Are you really eating ALL of that?" comments. 

Dr. Colleen Reichmann joins the pod to talk about her own lived experience with an eating disorder and the rocky road of recovery that led to her becoming a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders. We also talk about how early childhood and our personality and temperament impact why and how we reach for coping mechanisms like food restriction. Colleen speaks openly and generously about infertility and IVF, how that relates back to her experience of ED recovery, and the ways in which she is approaching (and fighting!) diet culture with her children. We get into so much – including plenty of laughs. I appreciate Colleen for her wisdom, her work in this space, and her humor. I think you’ll love this conversation!

Let’s chat about sugar – specifically the concept of “sugar addiction” and what the science says. This topic has been requested countless times, and I can absolutely understand why. Diet culture has demonized sugar in a myriad of ways, leaving so many of us to feel like we “can’t control ourselves” around sweet foods. If you’ve ever felt like you are addicted to sugar (or food, for that matter), tune in to this one. 

Body acceptance coach Kristina Bruce joins the pod to talk about how our thoughts and conditioning shape our the experience we have in our body. We discuss the impact of body comments on body image, why dieting and body control can feel like a form of safety, how diet culture keeps us from living an authentic life, and what we can do to begin challenging the negative beliefs we hold about our bodies. 

Time for some holiday Q&A! In this episode, Abbie answers two listener questions relating to food guilt, over-eating, and general anxiety about holiday food festivities. You'll hear about common causes of guilt with eating and how to rethink guilt in the context of diet culture. These questions also take us on a bit of a road trip through mental restriction and physical restriction and how those impact our experience of over-eating.

Get ready because this is a good one! First, Abbie and Diane talk about some changes to the pod in the What's New With You segment. Then Abbie introduces us to her favorite (yes, she has a lot of favorites) way to approach food choices. It's something that will help you tune into what you really want to eat as well as how to eat in a more peaceful way.

In this episode, we explore the nuances surrounding the distinction between a “food rule” and a true food preference. This can be a tricky distinction to make when you are ditching diet culture, healing from chronic dieting, or recovering from an eating disorder / more generalized disordered relationship with food.