Life After Diets

In this episode, Sarah and Stef pull out old journals to read excerpts from their deepest binge eating days. In this vulnerable episode, we share: Stef's entries from college: feeling like the cycle never stop repeating, and themes of loneliness and disconnection Sarah's "Fasting Journal" The difference between Sarah's despair and Stef's inner critic Sarah's experience in OA and ups and downs from...

In this episode, Sarah and Stef review Caroline Dooner's book: The F*ck It Diet . We'll talk about: The book that changed Stef's life The power of the Minnesota Starvation Experiment Caroline's Five Tools The parts of the book most helpful to Stef versus Sarah Orthorexia and "in defense of sugar and carbs" Does food become a "non-issue" after we heal from binge eating? Is all binge eating rooted i...

  Improving body image is one of the most popular topics in this field. In this episode, we talk about our own stories of making more peace with our bodies and offer concrete tools we use with clients and ourselves. We discuss: Stef's initial body image recovery journey in a group Sarah's sense of "splitting" from her identity Stef's story of being called "fat" on the ice rink Do body gratitude jo...

Our very first guest on the podcast! This week we're talking to former dieter Katie Thistleton, host of Life Hacks on BBC radio. Katie has given up on dieting while in the public eye as a media presenter and is here to chat with us about her experience. We'll discuss: Katie's New Year's Instagram post and how that prompted this episode The "Last Supper" epiphany moment How Katie sees the media cha...

Talking to loved ones about recovery from disordered eating (or the choice to give up dieting) is complicated. We created this episode to share with friends and family who want to support your journey but aren't quite sure what to say. We'll discuss: Sarah & Stef's experience of talking to friends about binge eating When your disorder is not taken seriously The difference between support and "gett...

Deciding not to diet anymore can feel empowering…especially from the safety of social media communities or inside of a pandemic. But what happens when we go out into the world and get confronted with people who actively trying to lose weight and eat "healthy?" What comes up for us? In this episode, Sarah & Stef discuss: Dieting with others as a form of community and connection Wanting other people...

Greed is a word that comes up a lot around binge eating and overeating. What if you believe that your binges aren't a disorder or a "problem," but a manifestation of being greedy? In this episode, Sarah and Stef address questions like: Do we want too much food or do we simply want too much? Where does greed come from? Does greed have a reason, or are reasons just an "excuse"? What does greed have...

Do you struggle to be more consistent in your life? Whether its with food, exercise, self-talk, or pretty much anything else in life, what is the story with consistency (or lack of it)? In this episode, Sarah & Stef talk about: What consistency looks like for Sarah & Stef Consistency depends on your context of the day How do you know when to push yourself or not? Example: journaling How consistenc...

In this episode, Sarah & Stef talk about the influential Geneen Roth, author of books like "Breaking Free from Compulsive Eating" and "Women, Food, and God." The hosts discuss how Geneen's work influenced their own recovery and ways in which they still agree and depart from her message. We are now on Patreon! Join the private FB group. Connect with the show! Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/l...

The Intuitive Eating approach sometimes gets portrayed as a "junk food free for all." So does eating nutritious food only happen in the context of a diet, or are there ways to incorporate nutrition intentionally without dieting? In this episode, we explore: What is your definition of "healthy eating"? The role of flexibility in a non-diet world What if you don't automatically crave nutritious food...

Have you ever heard people talk about their experiences of eating in secret? How does secret eating make us feel? In this episode, Sarah and Stef talk about: Shame as it relates to secret eating Binge eating with roommates Eating privately as a way to focus on pleasure and "me time" Feeling more "in control" when eating in front of others The connection between eating alone and loneliness or disco...

Food guilt is a popular theme in the disordered eating community. How often has food guilt been linked to your own behaviors of binge eating and/or restricting? In this episode, we look at: Guilt induced by food excess How understanding the primal brain's role in binge eating can help reduce guilt Is "permission to eat" alone enough to reduce guilt? Guilt about the health impact of binge eating Re...

Does intuitive eating and not dieting anymore sound good – but you're afraid that the alternative is to "let yourself go?" In this episode, we discuss: What does it actually mean to "let yourself go"? Love from others vs approval from others Creating your own template for existing in a larger body in this culture Admiration VERSUS connection & love Inherent worth (we go down the rabbit hole) What...

Have you ever felt like you don't want to start eating because it actually makes it harder to stop? Why do you think that is? In this episode, we discuss: The desire to put off eating to reduce "out of control" eating The psychology of the ego in diet mentality, and how that sets up expectations and perfectionism with food The "Eat When You're Hungry" downfall of some Intuitive Eating mindsets Wha...

Have you ever thought: "I've gained weight and now I don't want anyone to see me?" In this episode, Sarah & Stef talk about: Stef & Sarah's family reactions to weight changes How it feels to see ex-partners The opinion of the collective versus the personal How our brains recalibrate weight changes Do you like someone less when their weight changes? The power of appearance based hierarchy systems S...

All the self-help input in the world feels like it makes sense until the moment a binge urge presents itself – and then what? In this episode, we discuss: Announcement: More live Zoom Community events! Is the point of recovery to get rid of binge urges or to manage them? Permission to binge as a binge management tool Are there different kinds of binge urges? What do binge urges feel like physicall...

Have you ever looked at a photograph of yourself and moved into a bad body image spiral? What is it about photos that feels so triggering? In this episode, we discuss: Why Sarah changed the topic of this episode at the last minute The difference between intellectual body image and emotional body image How a photo feels in the moment vs how it feels a few days later Stef's photo shoot experience An...

GUIDED MEDITATION TO RESET AFTER OVEREATING, BINGE EATING AND/OR EMOTIONAL EATING – Sarah shares her guided meditation to help you find balance after an episode of out-of-control eating. Compulsive eating is a cycle and sometimes the place to break in the cycle is how we treat ourselves AFTER we have binged by shifting our emotional state and setting an intention that will help to restore balance....

Have you ever felt like you might be truly addicted to food? Have you been told that food is addictive and you have to avoid certain foods in order to have control over your eating? In this episode, we discuss: Is food addiction about the food or the behavior? The role of the addiction model in OA The withdrawal effect of a post-binge day Do "hyperpalatable" foods automatically mean they are addic...

This week, Sarah & Stef answer a listener question: is there hope for healing even after having an eating disorder for decades? We discuss: The role of social media in recovery Is recovery a real thing, anyway? The emerging role of somatic experiencing  The difference between younger clients and older clients in therapy and coaching Readiness that comes with age References: Somatic Experiencing Th...

Has dieting been center-stage for so long that you don't know who you would be without it? In this conversation, we discuss: Dieting, body image, and the pursuit of recovery as an identity The Diet Personality vs the Restricting Personality How our identities can feel black and white in a dieting mentality Why is dieting "bad" if it helps us create a sense of purpose? How dieting behaviors show up...

So many people are on board with the idea of not dieting anymore, but does that mean giving up on weight loss entirely? In this episode, we dive into: Can you diet and heal from dieting at the same time? Can you heal your relationship with food and return to the pursuit of weight loss? Does "taking better care of yourself" mean you'll lose weight? Why can some people diet "successfully" then? Sara...

But How Do I Handle My Relatives? As we head into the holiday season, discussions about family dynamics and boundary setting with loved ones is a relevant conversation post-dieting. Do you find it difficult to stay grounded in the presence of family members? Is it harder to stay in a protected headspace? Join the conversation where we talk about: The roles we play with our family members The diffe...

All or Nothing (otherwise known as black and white) thinking is one of the most common thought patterns of disordered eaters. Do you ever feel like you've eaten one "bad" food and you "might as well keep going?" Or feel rigid thinking that turns into an all-out binge? In this episode, we talk about: What is black and white thinking? How black & white thinking shows up with food Gray area thinking...

Are you still influenced by the diet culture messages you received in childhood? Does your family conditioning still impact your beliefs and behaviors about food and eating? In this episode, Sarah and Stef take a look at: Jane Fonda, Nair commercials, and Disney princesses  Beliefs about the "ideal feminine" and gender hierarchies, especially in previous generations Sarah's memory of mangoes and S...