Show Notes:
In this episode, I talk with Dr. Colleen Reichmann, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in eating disorders. She works in her private practice (Wildflower Therapy) in Philadelphia, PA, and has also worked at various treatment facilities including University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro Center for Eating Disorder Care, and The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt. Colleen herself is recovered from an eating disorder, and this experience sparked her passion for spreading knowledge and awareness that recovery is possible. She is deeply committed to Health at Every Size and body liberation, and considers herself a fat-positive clinician. Colleen speaks at national and regional eating disorder conferences, and writes about body image and eating disorders for Project HEAL, The Mighty, Recovery Warriors, and more. In this episode, Colleen briefly shares how and why she became an eating disorders clinician. Then, she dives deep into the subject of self-disclosure as a clinician. Colleen discusses why she decided to disclose her own recovery from an eating disorder, and the specific boundaries that she believes are important to set when sharing personal information during sessions or online.
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In this episode I talk Shira Rosenbluth, a social worker/therapist by day and a style blogger by night, known for her blog “A Sequin Love Affair.” Her blog encourages having fun and dressing in a way that reflects who you are, regardless of budget or body size. The blog also chronicles Shira’s recovery from an eating disorder; this is something that she wasn’t always open about. In this interview, Shira shares why it was important for her, as a therapist, to disclose that she is still in recovery. She also discusses the nuances of being both a fashion blogger, who shares photos of her body, and a health-at-every-size advocate, who believes everyone is more than their body. Further, she shares the many barriers she has faced with access to treatment, and describes that obstacles that many individuals face while trying to pursue recovery.
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In this episode I talk to Simi Botic, health coach and Author of Letting Go of Leo: How I Broke Up with Perfection. We talk about Simi’s relationship with perfectionism and how that bled into her relationship with food and her body. What I love so much about this episode is that we talk so much about what breaking up with perfection (especially around food) can do for your whole life, not just how you feel about your food and your body. Simi talks about how she ultimately changed her whole career trajectory and how we both felt like we were both able to be present for the highs and the lows without the burden of food worry.
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In this episode I talk to RD to be Kimmie Singh about her dietetic internship experience, weight stigma in the healthcare field, how medical nutrition therapy (MNT) and Health at Every Size (HAES) are aligned, and how Intuitive Eating is still possible, even if you have PCOS with insulin resistance! This episode is definitely geared towards RDs, but if you’re not an RD or healthcare provider don’t turn away too quickly - I think everyone can benefit from listening to this conversation.
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In this episode I talk to fellow dietitian Anna Sweeney. Anna is a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian with a private practice in Concord, MA. But we don’t talk about eating disorders or nutrition in this episode. Anna talks about her experience living in a disabled body, how her relationship with movement has evolved since childhood, and what her experience with movement is like now.
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In this episode I talk to Soraya Chemaly, an award winning writer and author of Rages Becomes Her, the Power of Women’s Anger. After reading Soraya’s book last year I was so excited to finally have her on the podcast to talk about all of the parallels between women’s anger, diet culture, and body image. And as expected, she did not disappoint. This episode is chock full of amazing nuggets of wisdom from Soraya and ends on a more inspirational note, to help us all use our anger for the betterment of ALL bodies.
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Tally Rye is a personal trainer and group fitness instructor in Central London. She trains with a weight-neutral approach and frames exercise as an act of self-care for the body AND mind. Her mission is to empower clients with the support to feel comfortable and confident in a fitness environment, and to change perceptions of exercise as a tedious punishment to something that can be intuitive and fun. She encourages intuitive training by intentionally directing clients to listen to their body cues.
In this episode, Tally describes her transition from studying to musical theater to working in fitness, and her transition from a weight-centric to weight-neutral approach to wellness. She shares nuggets of wisdom and important realizations she has had while incorporating Health at Every Size and intuitive eating into her work as a trainer. Her perspective is highly informative for any trainer hoping to take a body positive approach to their work. Tally explains why rejecting “traditional” fitness marketing (based on shame and guilt) has ultimately helped her business to grow and helped her clients enjoy their sessions more.
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Lauren Minear is a psychotherapist and yoga teacher who focuses on treating disordered eating, eating disorders, body image, anxiety, and trauma. Her treatment approach is informed by a commitment to social justice and attention to the impact that trauma, relationships, and culture have on the body. Lauren is also the creator of InBodied Yoga® a movement practice that empowers all bodies to practice self-care through yoga poses, mindfulness, breath work, therapeutic exercises, and guided visualizations.
In this episode, Lauren discusses what led her to becoming a psychotherapist and yoga teacher (after starting a career investment banking). Then, Lauren dives deep into trauma-informed movement. She elaborates on how to create healing spaces for individuals recovering from trauma and/or eating disorders. She also touches on nervous system regulation through movement, and on the importance of integrating movement into your life, rather than compartmentalizing it into “exercise.”
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Caroline Dooner is a comedian, yoga teacher, and author of “The F*ck It Diet.” Caroline transformed years of suffering through the diet mentality and body image issues into writing, yoga classes, and online courses that guide people towards intuitive eating, self-care, and body acceptance. Overall, Caroline helps chronic dieters come back into their bodies, rest, breathe, and be willing to be human.
In this episode, Caroline reads an enlightening excerpt from her new book and briefly discusses her recovery from diet culture and binge eating. She also talks about how, even after she recovered from dieting and body image issues, she still had a lot of societal “rules” to unpack. After moving out of New York City, Caroline committed to taking two years of “rest,” which taught her the true value of “doing nothing.”
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Victoria Welsby is a body image activist, adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, TEDx speaker, and the author of “Fierce Fatty: Love Your Body And Live Like The Queen You Already Are!” Victoria went from being homeless and abused with self-esteem that was achingly low to the courageous fat activist and change maker she is today. Victoria guides people towards falling in love with themselves and eating intuitively. Further, she is fiercely dedicated to changing the way society views fat bodies.
In this episode, Victoria shares the story of how her mindset shifted from feeling that she just had to lose weight to knowing that it was absolutely okay to be fat. She also unpacks the way society measures self-worth, and discusses why and when to set boundaries in personal relationships.
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In this episode I talk to Adrianne Finn, a certified SCOTT Pilates instructor, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Certified Yoga Teacher, TRX and barre instructor. If that wasn’t enough she also has her degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science and currently works at an eating disorder treatment center where she helps patients honor their body’s unique needs and develop a healthy relationship with movement.
In our last episode my intern Caitlyn and I answered your questions about Intuitive Movement and while we answered A LOT, we didn’t get to quite a few. One of the most-asked questions was does exercise have a place in eating disorder recovery? My hope is that you find some of the answers that you are looking for in today’s episode. That said, a general disclaimer that movement in eating disorder recovery is a highly individualized and nuanced topic so it is really important to work with your treatment team to determine what will work best for you.
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Thank you to our sponsor, Simple Mills!
In this episode Caitie and I answer listener questions about Intuitive Movement.
We answer the following questions:
In this episode I talk to Lisa Du Breuil, a therapist specializing in binge eating disorder and substance use disorders. Lisa is a Health at Every Size practitioner with a private practice in Salem, MA.
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Chrissy King is a Milwaukee-based ISSA certified personal trainer and fitness blogger. Chrissy first stepped into a gym eight years ago with a weight loss goal. But she was soon introduced to strength training, and realized that this fitness modality brought her a sense of confidence and inner strength that was completely independent of her weight...and of any results. She fell in love with the process. Now, she guides clients through strength training and creating a sustainable fitness routine that they can genuinely enjoy. She also created a webinar titled “Diversity and Inclusion 101: Taking an Intersectional Approach to Wellness,” which covers special considerations for creating safe, diverse, and inclusive wellness spaces. Further, she regularly updates a blog, where she discusses diversity, inclusion, and intersectional feminism in the fitness industry. In this episode we talk about:
Sadie Lincoln is the co-founder and CEO of barre3, a fitness studio company that started in Portland, OR. In this episode Sadie and I talk about one of her (and my) many missions: redefining what success in fitness means. We talk about:
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Dr. Nicola Rinaldi has a PhD in biology from MIT. Since experiencing hypothalamic amenorrhea (missing periods) herself, Dr. Rinaldi has been on a mission to spread awareness of the condition and how to recover. In 2016 she published the book "No Period. Now What?" This book is a comprehensive resource that includes much of the medical and scientific research that underlies our current understanding of the triggers for amenorrhea, what steps to take for recovery, and treatments to use for recovery and pregnancy as needed. In addition, Dr. Rinaldi performed the largest survey to date of women who likewise experienced amenorrhea, and includes results from the survey answering many of the common questions women have, such as "How long will it take to recover?" "Will I be able to get pregnant?" and "Will I resume cycling after pregnancy?". Finally, the book includes Dr. Rinaldi's own story along with those of hundreds of other women, providing hope and reassurance to women following in their footsteps. Since publishing "No Period. Now What?" Dr. Rinaldi has been a guest on multiple podcasts, attended the ACSM and SCAN conferences, and presented the winning poster at the 2017 Female Athlete Conference.
In this episode we talk about how you can advocate for yourself when you’re suffering from amenorrhea (absence of a period) or Oligomenorrhea (irregular periods), how to know the difference between amenorrhea and PCOS, and what it takes, and how long it takes to get your period back, and how to check out your cervical mucus for a more intuitive way to track your ovulation. You can check out her website and popular blogs below and make sure to check out her book, No Period, Now What? For more details on all of the information we talked about in this episode!
Bleeped Content:
24:18: “I did a survey for my book of over 300 women who experiences HA… Over 82% of them lost 10 pounds or more in the last few years. That’s a significant weight loss for anybody.”
30:06: “[getting your period back] will happen more quickly if you’re able to go “all in” and eat more than 2500 or more calories per day…”
Navigating BodyLove IRL:
In this episode we talk about how to advocate for yourself at the doctor if you are experiences amenorrhea; especially if you are living in a larger body, or struggling with a ‘false’ PCOS diagnosis.
Listener Q/A
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Nicola’s Most Popular Blogs:
In this episode Anna and I talk about what the term “Body Love” means to us, how she developed Body Love Yoga, how ableism in the yoga and fitness industry is rooted in the patriarchy, and how to get comfortable taking up space in this world. In this episode we cover how to navigate difficult conversations around asking for seat belt extenders, chairs without arms (AKA fat positive chairs), and writing open letters to public figures to elicit uncomfortable but necessary conversations. Anna also answers a listener question about her favorite fat positive yoga clothing brands.
Navigating BodyLove IRL
At the Airport
It’s no secret that airplanes are uncomfortable. But if you’re living in a thin body, you might not realize that this discomfort is heightened if you’re living in a larger body. Anna gives some practical tips on how to make traveling more physically and emotionally comfortable.
With Public Figures
Anna talks about how author Brene Brown has played a vital role in her ability to navigate fatphobia, but also doesn’t recognize how some of her writing perpetuates the shame that people in larger bodies feel on a regular basis (see episode 47 to learn more about this!). Anna went to one of Brene’s events a few months back and felt empowered to ask for a more comfortable chair (without armrests), and when she returned home, wrote an open letter to Brene Brown which is one of my favorite things ever written.
Listener Q/A
What are your favorite plus size activewear brands?
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Katherine Zavodni is a non-diet, Health at Every Size registered dietitian/nutritionist specializing in eating disorder treatment, intuitive eating, chronic dieting and weight concerns, and family and childhood feeding dynamics. In this episode Katherine and I talk about how diet culture impacts how we feel about our body, how our body is not the problem (diet culture is), and how it’s OK to be part of the body positive movement and still have days where you hate you body.
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Dana Sturtevant and Hilary Kinavey are the co-founders of Be Nourished, a weight neutral practice based in Portland, OR. In this episode Dana and Hilary talk about how to build Body Trust(TM), why it's so important for clinicians doing this work to use weight neutral messaging in our marketing materials, and why this work has to support people in ALL bodies. You can learn more about Be Nourished and their upcoming workshops at: https://benourished.org/
In this episode Liz hits the nail on the head, naming a place where I hung out for a long time: Conditional Body Acceptance (see also: healthism). This idea that you can accept your body at any size, if and only if you are meeting orthorexic ideals. If this resonates for you, you might also know that these ideals differ from person to person, and my (past) ideals not only kept me deeply dissatisfied with my body, they also wreaked havoc on my health and kept me in a disconnected and disordered relationship with food, movement, and my body. Liz also sheds light on how Conditional Body Acceptance also plays a role in the yoga community, and how she is working to spread the Health at Every Size and Unconditional Body Acceptance movement as a newly registered yoga teacher.
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Jessi is flying solo in today's episode to talk about the pro's and con's (ok they're all con's) of doing the Whole 30 diet (lifestyle, protocol, program etc). She talks openly about how she used to sell a similar "program" and why she will *never* do it again. She also lays out why the Whole 30 is so harmful to your health (both physical and mental) and hopes you can use this framework to think critically when you find similar programs as seductive as this one!
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To celebrate ONE YEAR of the BodyLove Project Podcast I'm re-releasing an episode with the women who inspired me to start this podcast in the first place: Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole, the dietitians who literally wrote the book on Intuitive Eating.
Give it a listen and make sure to download my free Intuitive Eating Audio Guide if you're ready to dig in for more!
Caroline Dooner is a former food & dieting addict turned writer and storyteller. She is also the founder of the only diet I will ever recommend: The F It Diet. This diet (although literally not a diet at all) was created after Caroline decided to get off the diet-binge rollercoaster and stop measuring her self worth by the number on the scale. In this episode Caroline shares her personal story with dieting and disordered eating, talks about the difference between a good teacher and a cult leader, and shares some information about her upcoming course: How to Be Your Own Damn Guru. She is hilarious and insightful and I can’t wait for you to give this episode a listen!
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Haley Goodrich is a registered dietitian fiercely passionate passionate about helping others create flexible, joyful eating habits and cultivate a peaceful relationship with their body. Haley is the founder of her Pittsburgh-based private practice, INSPIRD Nutrition. She specializes in intuitive eating, eating disorder recovery and digestive health from a Health At Every Size perspective. She is currently pursuing her Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian (CEDRD) Certification. In addition to her full-time private practice she is also the co-founder of INSPIRD to SEEK, a community- based learning experience designed to mentor and guide nutrition entrepreneurs to build amazing businesses.
In today's episode we're digging into Brene Brown's new book, Braving the Wilderness and how it relates to our wok as advocates for body justice and fat acceptance.
Dr. Laura Douglass is the Academic Dean of Professional Studies at Endicott College, where she also serves as the faculty advisor for the Trauma Studies Club. She is an interdisciplinary scholar with research interests in trauma, eating disorders, and the integration of yoga as pedagogy in higher education settings. She also owned her own yoga studio in Watertown for five years.
In this episode, Dr. Douglass talks about learning through our bodies, how we use verbal narratives to describe how we’re feeling in our bodies, and how we shift from hyper- and hypo-aroused states through physical activity in order to feel safe in our bodies. She talks about the importance of slowing down to listen to our bodies in their present moment and to break down the communication between the body and the narrative to create a new, more intuitive narrative.
It is typical human nature not to trust our bodies, not to connect with them in the present, and to constantly chase what they "used to be" or what we want them to be. Dr. Douglass feels that the loss of communication in the relationship between self and body translates to how we treat other relationships we have, with ourselves and with others. To learn more about how to learn from your body, to stop chasing your “past self,” and to connect with your body through movement, listen to the full episode.
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