Life After Diets

Latest Episodes:

136. How to Support a Loved One With Disordered Eating Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

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 recovery, this episode if for you AND them.

The rational experience versus the felt experience
This is not a willful choice
Frustration exists on both sides!
A note on offering health advice
Binge eaters don't "just need to eat less"
The DONT's!
and the DO's!

Join the LAD Membership

Life After Diets on Instagram

The LAD Website

Email us @ lifeafterdietspodcast@gmail.com

Stefanie's Website

Stefanie on Instagram

Stef's Body Image Webinar + Workbook

Sarah's website

Sarah's YouTube Channel

Sarah's book, I Can't Stop Eating, is available on Amazon

135. But I Have Low Self-Esteem Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

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-esteem or disordered eating behaviors?
The relationship between safety, shame, and self esteem (especially in restrictive behaviors)
The role of creativity (for Stef) and self-compassion (for Sarah)
Addressing the expectations we have of ourselves
The momentum of self-esteem when it interacts with other concepts (like consistency)
"Pinterest Moms" as a gateway to Stef's self esteem rehabilitation
Social covert pressure vs overt pressure
Competence for self-esteem for self worth
The Five C's of self-esteem in research
The role of Joy (and rethinking "joy")
Are glimmers the opposite of triggers?
Six Pillars of Self Esteem by Nathaniel Brandon (book)
Self esteem vs self worth
Tickets to Brighton Event on May 20
Tickets to Bournemouth Nervous System Retreat on May 23

Join the LAD Membership Community HERE

Life After Diets on Instagram

The LAD Website

Email us @ lifeafterdietspodcast@gmail.com

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Stefanie's Website

Stefanie on Instagram

Stef's Body Image Webinar + Workbook

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Sarah's website

Sarah's YouTube Channel

Sarah's book, I Can't Stop Eating, is available on Amazon

130. But What If Recovery Isn't Worth It? Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

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 you have other "things" in your life to fall back on?
Needing something else to fill the gap of a sense of "purpose"
What does it mean to "create" a relationship with yourself
Book recommendations for cultivating a relationship with the self: Martha Beck's Following Your Own North Star and the Bewildered Podcast; Untamed book by Glennon Doyle
The caveat of safety
What if trauma comes up in the recovery process?
Hope
The irony of needing to escape recovery
Sarah's dating comparison
Tweaking the recovery approach and getting another set of eyes on it
The case of the messy middle
Weight loss surgery -- is it a part of recovery or a departure from recovery?
TICKETS TO AN EVENING IN BRIGHTON with Stef, Sarah, and Marcus Kain
TICKETS TO NERVOUS SYSTEM RESET DAY RETREAT IN BOURNEMOUTH

Connect with the show!

Join the LAD Membership

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – lifeafterdietspodcast@gmail.com

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist

Sarah's book I Can't Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Wednesday Weekly Emails: www.iamstefaniemichele.com/wednesdays

Body Image Webinar + Workbook: https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/get-started/p/bodyimage

129. But How Do I Know If I'm Making Progress? Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

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, yesterday
Sarah's mincemeat pies (and a tangent discussion on mincemeat)
Stef offers examples of the small wins from her first year in recovery
Self-compassion instead of shame
Vulnerability and sharing with other people (power of witness)
The perspective of our progress from others
The value of stability and regulation
Can other people "feel" your recovery?

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – lifeafterdietspodcast@gmail.com

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist

Sarah's book I Can't Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Body Image Webinar + Workbook: https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/get-started/p/bodyimage

Back to Basics (4/4): The Process of Recovery Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

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 working on recovery forever and your behaviors don't change?
Where do the feelings of discomfort (hopelessness, despair, insecurity, anxiety, depression) go when food is not the outlet? What happens to them in recovery?
The Whack-a-Mole phenomenon
What if you feel hopeless a lot?
How do you know if you're ready to recovery? How do you become ready?
Does it matter what age you are when you recover?
Can you focus too much on recovery?
Sarah's theory of "State A and State B"
The Dahlia; nature's instinct to expand and contract
Trauma and recovery

RESOURCES:

Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin
Book: Body Positive Power by Megan Jayne Crabbe
Book: The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – lifeafterdietspodcast@gmail.com

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist

Sarah's book I Can't Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Back To Basics 3/4 : Tools For Recovery Jan 17, 2024

Show notes

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, podcasts, etc
The case for regular eating
How ghrelin works
"All-in" recovery or a gradual approach?
Does body size matter if you do all-in? Is it easier to do in a smaller body? The part of the conversation that gets glossed over on social media.
Is it true that you ALWAYS gain weight in recovery?
Why is self awareness important?
Tools we used for increased self-awareness
The various approaches to self-compassion
Retreats, including Sarah's highly recommended UK retreat (and the US version)
Inner child work

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – lifeafterdietspodcast@gmail.com

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist

Sarah's book I Can't Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course - starts January 29 2024: https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin

RESOURCES:

Books:

Free audio recording of Sarah's book: https://youtu.be/Qr5qmQxiutw?si=RdTf9q07wNbmWniE

The Fuck It Diet by Caroline Dooner

Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch (featured on LAD Episodes 102 & 103)

Body Neutrality by Jessi Kneeland

More Than a Body by Lindsay & Lexie Kite

The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

Recovery accounts:

Sarah's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thebingeeatingtherapist

https://www.instagram.com/iamstefaniemichele/

https://www.instagram.com/the_binge_eating_therapist/

https://www.instagram.com/intuitive.eating.ireland/

https://www.instagram.com/intuitive.eating.ni/

https://www.instagram.com/mkaincoaching/

https://www.instagram.com/knacoaching/

https://www.instagram.com/bingefreeandbeautiful/

https://www.instagram.com/body_peace_liberation

https://www.instagram.com/theeatingdisordertherapist

https://www.instagram.com/theeatingdisordernutritionist

Nondiet fitness accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/elenakunickird/

https://www.instagram.com/amysnellingpt/

https://www.instagram.com/sizeinclusiveyoga

Body Image accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/jessikneeland/

https://www.instagram.com/mybodypositivehome/

https://www.instagram.com/bodyimagewithbri/

Sarah's favourite YouTube yoga channels:

https://www.youtube.com/@yogawithkassandra and https://www.youtube.com/@yogawithadriene

Byron Katie's method: https://thework.com/ and her examples on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=byron+katie

The retreat Sarah's always banging on about:

https://www.heros-journey.co.uk/

LAD Episode mentions:

Episode 107: Journaling

Episodes 101-103: Intuitive Eating Series

Episode 87: Highly Sensitive Person

Episode 56: Food planning/logging

Episode 57: Trauma and eating

Sarah's guided meditations: https://youtu.be/uhFEtY4Drs0?si=vrGgIDth0fQTLQgk https://youtu.be/4qRtno0UBjI?si=jGf3TKRI_PxXVIni https://youtu.be/HbiBvGoPnVA?si=2ww0kuYztUxuWEwo

Journal with Sarah: https://youtu.be/MMr5IhwgBL4?si=TsnmizIpmKpNyPBJ

Podcasts:

Back to Basics (2/4): But WHY Do I Have a Problem With Food? Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

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 some people develop a disorder and not others?
Perfectionism and black and white thinkers
The role of Self esteem
Nature or nurture?
The role of trauma and the nervous system
The Primal Brain
Mental Restriction
Stef's Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course for beginners - starts January 29 2024: https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – lifeafterdietspodcast@gmail.com

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist

Sarah's book I Can't Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (for beginners - starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin

Back To Basics (1/4): Do I Have a Problem? Jan 03, 2024

Show notes

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 a Problem? Is what I'm dealing with considered a disorder? Is it binge eating? Restricting? Orthorexia? What if I'm just an emotional eater?

Do you need to have a diagnosis to listen to this podcast or get "help"?
Binge Eating, Restriction, Orthorexia, Bulimia, and Chronic Dieting
What's the difference between ED and disordered eating?
Is it helpful to name the problem? Do we need labels? A few ways of looking at it
If you stop binge eating and you just overeat, is your issue more stigmatized? Now it's not even a "real" eating disorder?
What is binge eating?
"Normal amounts of food" is highly subjective
Does "normal eating" even exist nowadays??
What constitutes "restriction"?
Whats the difference between "normal healthy eating" and orthorexia? Stef offers three criteria for consideration
Are anxious attachment styles more susceptible to EDs?
When does emotional eating become a disorder
When does body image distress become disordered?
What can community do?
Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin
Join the LAD Membership

Connect with us!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – lifeafterdietspodcast@gmail.com

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist

Sarah's book I Can't Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

128. Reflections & Projections Dec 27, 2023

Show notes

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 Me crap. If you need to get away from that energy, this one's for you. It's a silly-ish one.

Our words and intentions for 2023 -- how did we do??
Writing a book?
Sarah's reflection on her year of nomading and her new word for 2024
Sarah helps Stef pick a word because she doesn't want to pick a word but also sort of does
What does makeup have to do with it?
Frivolous bullshit
What can you possibly take from this episode? (we do get there)

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – lifeafterdietspodcast@gmail.com

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist

Sarah's book I Can't Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (for beginners - starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin

127. But What About Authenticity? Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

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 eating behaviors come from an authentic place?
"Racket feelings"
A look at authenticity through a "Parts Work" lens
Inauthenticity, roles, and family
Where does authenticity go when we feel triggered?
Authenticity and friendship
Authenticity and marriage
Is too much authenticity not a good thing?
Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (for beginners - starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin