Love & Learn

"I thought my body was the problem and that once I lost weight, the eating disorder would disappear. That didn't happen." Fellow warrior and Courage Club member Tiffany Folk returns to the podcast channel to open up about her life-long struggle with body image, and how she's come to a place of focusing on what her body does for her, over how it looks. Take a listen as she candidly shares the press...

"True recovery means that I can eat anything, and trust myself not to purge or compensate afterward." - Kim Today we're diving deep with Courage Club member and fellow warrior, Kim. Take a listen as she shares her intense battle with societal pressures, body image, and eating disorders - and the extreme measures and substances she took to get there. She peels back the curtain on the harsh reality...

Hack your brain to heal your body image. 🧠 Dr. Carolyn Becker is a licensed clinical psychologist and professor at Trinity University at the Center for the Sciences and Innovation and co-creator of The Body Project. Through extensive research, she has discovered methods that you can practice in your daily life that are scientifically proven to make a positive difference. These are empirically bac...

"At the most basic level, everyone who's struggling with an eating disorder, is struggling with a profound sense of disconnection and shame." In this episode you'll learn about five intense emotions that come up in body image healing work and the eating disorder recovery process.  With the right emotional processing and regulation skills, you can get to a place where you can embrace their intensit...

"An eating disorder starts out as a way to gain control, until it starts controlling you." In this episode, we explore the scientific research on the role control plays in eating disorders and the different reasons it manifests.  With an eating disorder, food, weight, appearance, and self-concept become meticulously managed and controlled.  You may find that your life gets organized around routine...

"I had so much body grief and body resentment at this time that I completely lost my way. My body image took a huge hit. And a huge hit in terms of my eating disorder. I had so much grief that I was out of control. My body was out of control. I just needed to get to a place where I accepted that I needed help." In today's episode, we're spotlighting the courageous and inspiring Nikki, a long-time...

"I had really lost myself, but I love who I am now. I love growing into my recovered self." Fellow warrior and Courage Club member Sarah Wiseman joins Jessica to share her powerful journey from struggling with body image, to finding strength and healing through starting a business in floral preservation. From childhood experiences to the pivotal moments in her recovery, Sarah's vulnerability and w...

"Body image experiencing is not a destination where you get there and it's done." Today we're joined by renowned dietitian and eating disorder specialist Anna Sweeney to guide us through the profound impacts of body grief and the journey to rebuilding body trust. Anna shares her powerful journey of body grief and evolution while navigating a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Her story resonates with t...

"And for some reason, I thought if I was smaller, I would somehow be better at my sport." Sherry is a driven woman. Someone you would want on your team because you would trust that she wouldn't give up and would give it her all. This trait has served her well in her career, academics, and athletics, but not with food and exercise. Sherry starved herself and ran herself ragged for years trying to b...

It took her over 40 years, but she finally found peace with food and her body. In the process, she gained A LOT of hard earned wisdom.  Intuitive eating counselor and life balance coach, Joni O'Donnell is here today to share it all with you. Listen and learn about: - Childhood experiences triggering the pursuit of perfection - Changing inner thought patterns and self-care practices - Letting go of...

To meal plan, or not to meal plan? An intuitive eating dietitian chimes in. Take a listen and discover the role of meal planning and regular eating in recovery, and how these two things can help you find your way out of a binge/restrict cycle. Vincci Tsui, RD shares how to navigate meal plans without feeling restricted, and how to tune back in to your natural hunger cues after years of living with...

"I'm living the life that I never thought I could have, free from the hell of body shame." From childhood insecurities to overcoming societal pressures, Andrea's path to self-acceptance is a testament to the strides that can be made in body image healing. Take a listen as Andrea Wells dives into her inspiring journey, and discover how she embraced her natural body size and redefined her relationsh...

“The more you try to “fix” the more you fixate on the “problem”. The problem that’s not even there. But it magnifies and you see it get bigger. This makes you feel more negative about yourself. You obsess over it and this only makes you feel worse.” This is an excerpt from a beautiful letter written by Nikki, a current member of the Courage Club .  In this episode, you'll hear the entire letter an...

Can people in recovery use Ozempic? Should they use it? Today we’re diving deep into the world of weight loss injections. We’re talking Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and all semaglutides. Their increasing popularity is changing the landscape of recovery and diet culture, and raising a lot of questions. Like: how do they work? Are they safe? Can people in recovery use them?  Host Andrea Wells and Regi...

The financial & psychological impacts of body dissatisfaction are real. Toxic beauty standards not only impact mental health but also have significant financial implications. Jessica Flint and Andrea Wells share personal experiences and statistics, from costs of care, costs of missed opportunities, to the costs of keeping up, to highlight how body dissatisfaction takes a toll on us as individu...

Are you in what feels like a never ending recovery/relapse cycle? You're not alone. Community member Amber wrote in to Fear Less to share her experience with a long term eating disorder that persists, even after attempts at treatment. Hear what hosts Jessica and Andrea have to say about this common recovery predicament, and find out if weight restoration really needs to happen before you do the de...

"Eating disorders are the only health issue where there's a race to the bottom." If you've ever felt like you are not sick enough or thin enough to receive eating disorder care, this episode is for you. Host Andrea Wells and guest Nia Patterson address a burning recovery question from a community member about feeling unworthy of support due to the size of their body. Nia shares insights on why you...

What's leading your recovery: your head, or your heart? In preparation for this weekend's Map My Year event, Jessica and Andrea discuss the concept of head goals vs. heart goals and why it’s important to be able to differentiate between the two so you can set goals that fulfill you and you can follow through on rather than goals that deflate you and leave you feeling frustrated. Take a listen to l...

What stories do you tell yourself about your body? That's what fellow recovery warrior and mental health advocate Nia Patterson asks in their new body image workbook What's The Story? . Nia is a social activist, artist, content creator, podcaster, and business and body image coach. You may know Nia as @thefriendineverwanted online, where they share messages about eating disorder recovery, body lib...

"You've gained weight." "You're too much." "You aren't credible." What judgments are you most afraid of hearing? In this episode, Jessica and Andrea talk about letting go of the confining grips of judgement and others opinions which hold us back from reaching full recovery from an eating disorder. They share strategies and perspective shifts for navigating fears of judgment, and Jessica explains w...

What if it's okay to gain weight? In this episode, Jessica and Andrea discuss the worthiness wound and how it ties into fears of gaining weight. They break down societal standards around body size, and explore the topic of internalized fatphobia and how working through it can be the key to taking your power back from an eating disorder. THE 5 DAY MINDSET MAKEOVER Visit recoverywarriors.com/mindset...

NEW Episode! Stop "should"ing yourself! In this episode, Jessica and Andrea discuss throwing out the long lists of "shoulds" that are holding you back in recovery, so you can embrace what your heart deeply desires in 2024.   Referenced video: Rocks, Pebbles and Sand: Prioritizing Your Life THE 5 DAY MINDSET MAKEOVER Visit recoverywarriors.com/mindset to receive 50% off   CONNECT WITH RECOVERY WARR...

Sometimes it only takes one thing to set your recovery on a new and stronger path. Today we are bringing back a roundtable conversation from Team Recovery warriors. You’ll hear from past and present members of the team, as we each reflect on one key thing that was a game changer for eating disorder recovery. Take a listen with an open heart and open mind, as these insights can be helpful to consid...

"There are no prerequisites for my worthiness. I am worthy right here right now in this very minute, in this very body." Welcome to Love Notes, a NEW show on The Recovery Warrior Shows. Love Notes are weekly audio affirmation sets designed to help you nurture new ways of thinking and being. Today's focus is on breaking free from unworthiness and discover greater self-acceptance, as you build a lif...

"You look like you've gained/lost weight" "Are you sure you want to eat that?" Comments about your body or what you’re eating are upsetting, no matter what size you are. And they're extra frequent this time of year with all the holiday parties and family gatherings going on.  That’s why today we’re re-releasing a roundtable conversation we had last year with Team Recovery Warriors. You’ll hear fro...