Life. Unrestricted.

Latest Episodes:

LU 055: Me, solo – Stuck on the island of disordered eating? Miserable, yet afraid of leaving it? Aug 09, 2017

Show notes

Hey there, lovely radicals... podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I'm telling you about the shame we feel to be stuck in patterns of disordered eating, disordered exercise and our fears to break out of those patterns. It's not a coincidence that I should be talking about this in this week's episode; it's the humbling experience of the persistence of my own struggles and my own seeming inability to change certain behaviors for good. It's the painful realization that, for most of us – certainly for me – recovery isn't something "we just waltz through", even if we have all the expert's advice in our heads. Also, I'm in the mood for a little metaphor, inspired by my internal challenge. A little story about: – How we get tempted by the diet-siren's call – How our disordered eating thoughts convince us that recovery is too hard – How we get sucked into diet-cultures images, messages and false promises – How we often lose faith in ourselves and our strength – How we doubt ever finding that long-lost trust in our body's wisdom again – How we forget that we are FREE to leave the miserable island of diets, disordered eating, overexercising and eating disorders, the island that was once sold to us as the "happy, skinny, self-confidence island", the place we believed we would find what we were yearning for – Why we often forget how much we really do sacrifice when we're stuck on this island that only causes us misery, despair and obsession, just to keep suppressing our body's natural weight – How we forget that our bodies are our friends, not projects to be fixed – Why we end up putting up with increasingly unacceptable conditions and more and more rules – How we're influenced by the people surrounding us who have bought into the same set of body-lies and – Why we often don't leave, or why we return to this miserable place. Love, always. M. Please consider supporting the podcast by becoming a "Patreon"; so that I can keep producing it. Thank you! Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/lifeunrestricted If you want this sort of badassery to come to your phone automatically, please DO subscribe on iTunes (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/ch/podcast/life.-unrestricted.-podcast/id1130713233?mt=2 or on Stitcher (Android): http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=93987&refi ********* Don't forget!********* Make sure to join my tribe and meet some of the most supportive, loving and kind people of all shapes and sizes, including great coaches and leaders! We're right over here at: http://www.lifeunrestricted.org/join/

LU 054: Amy Pence Brown – Taking a badass stand for radical self-acceptance & body image healing. Aug 02, 2017

Show notes

Download Episode! Hey there, lovely radicals... podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I get to talk to Amy Pence-Brown from Boise, Idaho. Amy describes herself as a fat feminist mother who believes in opening her mouth and her heart. From both of these places she tells stories – as a writer on her blog and other local & national publications, as a historian giving tours for Preservation Idaho, and as a visual artist creating subversive stitchings and performance pieces. She has a Master in Art & Architectural History, she has worked at many museums and has juried and curated numerous exhibitions. You might know Amy from her radical stand for self-love at the Capital City Public Market on August 29, 2015, in Boise, Idaho, or from her TED talk. Amy's message of self-love and the value of all bodies, no matter their size, went viral and has been written about by countless media outlets. You'll hear Amy talk about: – How she remembers feeling about her body as a kid – How her chubbiness was perceived at different stages of childhood – Why she considers herself lucky in terms of how her parents related to food and bodies – Where the bullying about her body came from – What her parent's ideas were about "beauty" and "being a woman" – What she describes as her "first defiant feminist act" – Why she got pulled in the direction of feminism – How her experience with boys and their reaction to her body influenced her view of herself – Why books and education were (and still are) key to her body positive attitude – How early she started drawing attention to the public body image crisis – When she first experienced online trolling and what that did to her – Why she created the "Boise Rad Fat Collective" – Why feminism and a positive attitude about bodies must go together – Why feminism is not a concept "against men", but including men – Why we all get hurt when we get put in societally predefined boxes of what "masculinity" and "femininity" are supposed to look like – Why women are often other women's harshest critics, and thereby reinforcing the very limitations that they would like to free themselves from – How her famous "stand for self-love" came about and subsequently went viral – What she experienced in those 50 minutes of standing half-naked and blindfolded in the middle of a public square in Boise, Idaho – How men engaged with her during her stand – Why she wore a blindfold – How the media shapes our culture's assumptions about bodies and how different it would be if there were adequate representation of those people who are happy with their bigger bodies (instead of the usual, dehumanizing depiction) – Why it is crucial to feel secure and confident enough in your own body positivity to do such a thing – How, after her video went viral, lots of women started speaking up – How each one of us can find ways to send a powerful message to the world – Why stepping out of our comfort zone is leading us to live fuller lives – What she does in her "Radcamps"... ... And so much more! Check out Amy's website: www.amypencebrown.com Here's one of the video's of Amy's famous "Stand for Self-Love": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n50KVLgwlY&index=4&list=PLXsBK-DbXmku30EaoWD4AZxBdbAo2mt3a Here's the link to Amy's TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnTLFlQ419s Please consider supporting the podcast by becoming a "Patreon"; so that I can keep producing it. Thank you! Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/lifeunrestricted If you want this sort of badassery to come to your phone automatically, please DO subscribe on iTunes (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/ch/podcast/life.-unrestricted.-podcast/id1130713233?mt=2 or on Stitcher (Android): http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=93987&refi ********* Don't forget!********* Make sure to join my tribe and meet some of the most supportive, loving and kind people of all shapes and sizes, including great coaches and leaders! We're right over here at: http://www.lifeunrestricted.org/join/

LU 053: Me, solo – When the inner Gremlin insists on perfectionism and productivity, give him this. Jul 26, 2017

Show notes

Download Episode! Hey there, lovely radicals... podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, it's time to call out the inner Gremlin voice and all its rules that it is constantly making up for us. Most of you might be familiar with those thoughts; the ones that tell us we have to be "on" all the time, that we "better pull ourselves together", that we have "to soldier on, no matter what", that we have "to power through", that it's our "duty to be productive", that we need "o prove our worth", that it's our job to always "be the responsible one", and that we – heaven forbid! – can never (ever!) be perceived as "a slacker"... Sound familiar? Now... wait a minute. Whose thoughts are these? Mine? Yours? No way! These are inner Gremlin thoughts. They are NOT truth. And in order for us to keep our sanity, and to take responsibility for ourselves and our wellbeing, we need to talk back to those Gremlin thoughts. We have to learn to let those Gremlin thoughts be just what they are: Thoughts. Not something we have to act upon. Because we are of no use to the world when we are burnt out, when we are running on empty, and when we are secretly breeding resentment left and right, because we aren't listening to our needs, and not creating healthy boundaries. Also in this shortie: – Why the myth of „we should be happy all the time" is detrimental to our wellbeing – What the myth of „we should be productive at all times" does to our mental and physical health – Why „I'm Fine!" is one of the most common lies – Why we take on false identities ("The Fit one", "The Healthy Eater", "The Perfect Mom", "The Not-Ever-Complainer", "The Productive One", "The Happy, Smiley One" etc...) and how these false identities end up shackling and constricting us – Why it's an act of bravery and the only path to true liberation to step up from behind our masks and reclaim our truth, our own personal values, our purpose, and to let go of old identities that might once have served us – Why we will only find „our people" when we start showing up „real and authentic" ourselves... ... And so much more! Time for some permission slips! Re-listen to episode 23 with me: www.lifeunrestricted.org/lu023 Please consider supporting the podcast with a donation by becoming a "Patreon"; so that I can keep producing it. Thank you! Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/lifeunrestricted If you want this sort of badassery to come to your phone automatically, please DO subscribe on iTunes (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/ch/podcast/life.-unrestricted.-podcast/id1130713233?mt=2 or on Stitcher (Android): http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=93987&refi ********* Don't forget!********* Make sure to join my tribe and meet some of the most supportive, loving and kind people of all shapes and sizes, including great coaches and leaders! We're right over here at: http://www.lifeunrestricted.org/join/

LU 052: Jennifer Rollin – Exercise bulimia, engrained habits, ED myths, and getting very personal. Jul 19, 2017

Show notes

Download Episode! Hey there, lovely radicals... podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, it's not just vulnerability time, it's not just real, raw badassery time, no, it's also ... Well, it's actually the most fun episode with the most unexpected circumstances I've ever had. Mix that with the incredible depth of the conversation, and you've got a pretty unique ride ahead of you. And the mission for this one is pretty simple: It is to say, hey, who ever you are out there, you are not alone, you are not crazy, you are not broken... Recovery is messy like that. Eating disorders really come in all shapes and sizes, and they take many forms for the sufferer too. So, lovely radicals, It is my extreme pleasure to bring you Jennifer Rollin, a professional psychotherapist in private practice in Rockville, Maryland. Jennifer is an eating disorder and body image specialist, and expert writer and speaker. She is passionate about helping people to find freedom from eating disorders and body-hatred. Jennifer has completed certificates in CBT-E for Eating Disorders (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), and is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. She is a member of The Junior Board of Directors for The National Eating Disorders Association, and her articles have reached thousands of people through print and online media including The Huffington Post, Psychology Today, FabUplus Magazine, Social Work Today Magazine... From out of her practice in Rockville, she offers eating disorder therapy and eating disorder recovery coaching to people worldwide. If you were wondering where the fun part of the situation comes in...... Well, listen for yourself! Jennifer talks about: – Why this very interview is proof that perfectionism is a hindrance to fully experiencing life – How she discovered Health at Every Size (HAES) and why she didn't fully understand it at first – Why being weight-centric is an active hindrance to recovery from yoyo-dieting, disordered eating, eating disorders AND binge eating – Why she often gets frustrated when people completely misunderstand the message of HAES – When to invest in educating others about HAES and when to prioritize self-care and step back – Why it is so hard to recover into a world that actively promotes disordered eating and disordered exercise behaviors – How we can talk to ourselves when we're struggling and there's no one around who seems to understand – How weight-stigma in eating disorders treatment often hinders a full recovery for those who are in treatment, and prevents millions who suffer from actually GETTING treatment – What she would want the world to know about eating disorders and the myths surrounding them – Why the common depiction of eating disorders (anorexia, skeletally skinny, mostly white teenage girls) in the media actually represents the smallest percentage of how eating disorders manifest, and why this is detrimental for all of those who suffer and "don't feel sick enough" – Why some of the sickest people are not officially diagnosable – What she means when she describes eating disorders as being "competitive and comparative diseases" – Her thoughts on exercise bulimia and why this – very common! – subtype of eating disorders is not being openly addressed more widely – What makes exercise bulimia so hard to overcome – How to reframe exercise behaviors in recovery from compulsive exercise, when the voice in our heads tells us that we "can't rest" – How to decode those negative body thoughts and find what they really stand for – How to find out what our compulsive behaviors around exercise and food are really about – How to make behavioral changes and set small challenges that support recovery – Why discomfort is an inevitable result of going against our ED voice, and how to see that discomfort as a sign of success in recovery – How she would deal with a client who suffers from exercise bulimia – How she would address entrenched behaviors and habits/rituals that have been in place for years – Why it is so important (in any process of recovery) to find out what really brings us joy in life, and add those things into our lives that do NOT revolve around food or exercise – How we can start to decode and make sense of our are behaviors – How we can recognize moments of body neutrality and slowly create more of those – Why it's important to ask ourselves "what would I like my life to look like in 5 years from now?" – How she addresses the fear of weight gain with her clients – How to find out what we really want when we say that we "just want to be thin" – How to give less of a damn about what other people think of our recovery, our looks, our eating, our weight or any other comments – How to see the gift in losing those people who only "loved" us for an artificial version of ourselves – Why this process of recovery is the doorway to finding those people who really love us for who we are – The advantage of getting into the mindset of "giving recovery a try", just as one would do with an experiment – Why we need to change behaviors first, in order for the thoughts to be able to adjust and change (or in other words, why there is no "thinking ourselves into recovery") – Why eliminating all restrictions is the crucial step in recovery from anorexia and bulimia – How, after eliminating all restrictions, the most important next step must be to eliminate all compensatory behaviors for eating – Why never to forget that eating disorders are sneaky, and so behaviors can sneak back in almost unnoticeably and suddenly we're deep in unwanted behaviors again – Why having an accountability partner when reducing the amount and intensity of exercise can be the key to avoid denial... ... And so much more! Check out Jennifer's website: www.jenniferrollin.com Please consider supporting the podcast with a donation by becoming a "Patreon"; so that I can keep producing it. Thank you! Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/lifeunrestricted If you want this sort of badassery to come to your phone automatically, please DO subscribe on iTunes (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/ch/podcast/life.-unrestricted.-podcast/id1130713233?mt=2 or on Stitcher (Android): http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=93987&refi ********* Don't forget!********* Make sure to join my tribe and meet some of the most supportive, loving and kind people of all shapes and sizes, including great coaches and leaders! We're right over here at: http://www.lifeunrestricted.org/join/

LU 051: Andrea Wachter – How to make therapy work for you (whatever your struggle might be). Jul 12, 2017

Show notes

Download Episode! Hey lovely radicals, podcast alert! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, it's my pleasure to talk to Andrea Wachter from California. Andrea is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the author of "Getting Over Overeating". She is also the co-author of "The Don't Diet, Live-It Workbook" and "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Breaking the 'I feel fat' Spell", a book for kids who struggle with body image. Andrea is an inspirational counselor, author and speaker who uses professional expertise and her personal recovery to help others overcome their struggles with food, body image, exercise and weight. Today, you'll hear Andrea talk about: – How she remembers feeling in her body as a child – How her parents related to food and weight – What made her feel ashamed about her body and got her to start dieting – How she hid her struggles with food from her family – Why she compares the way she related to food with the way a drug addict relates to drugs – Why she, as so many, believed "If I just change my body, I will be ok" – How her eating disorder took over her life, and no one had a clue, because she looked so "put together" and pretended everything was fine – Why she eventually did turn to alcohol and drugs to numb her pain from feeling "not enough" – How she found her way back to herself – Why she feels hope that more people are getting help these days – What concerns her about this "age of social media" we are living in today – How she has to deal with younger and younger girls and boys who are already obsessed with their appearance and restricting food – How to avoid the "addiction transfer"-trap – How our emotions (usually the ones we repress the most) play into the way we relate to our bodies – Why body- and weight-obsessing is often a distraction from deeper issues – Why for so many, their struggles with food tend to get overlooked in therapy – What she found out about people's issues with their bodies when she worked with recovering drug addicts and alcoholics – Why having the "wrong" therapist can do much more harm than good – What to look out for in a therapist, and how to spot it it's the right one for you – The fallacy of thinking that "staying in the disordered mindset is easier than having to face the pain" – The fallacy of believing that we are supposed to "be happy" all the time – What happens when we try to avoid difficult feelings – Why it is crucial never to forget the reality behind social media and people's performance of "health", "happiness", "fitness", etc. – How we can all upgrade our unkind mind patterns – How to become aware of the nasty tricks our minds can play with us – How our negative thoughts turn into negative feelings and into negative behaviors – How to find out what the next steps are that you are actually capable of taking that will lead to more and more steps – What she found out about the bad body image legacy that was passed on to her from talking to her parents – How our own beliefs shape our perception, which, in turn, shapes our behavior – How we can break the bad body image legacy – Why never to expect other people to change, but to focus on our own growth instead... ... And so much more! Check out Andrea's websites: www.andreawachter.com www.innersolutions.net Here's the link to "The Human Fulfillment Institute": www.humanfulfillment.org And here's the link to Andrea Wachter's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Andrea-Wachter/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i%3Abooks%2Cp_27%3AAndrea%20Wachter Please consider supporting the podcast by becoming a "Patreon"; so that I can keep producing it. Thank you! Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/lifeunrestricted If you want this sort of badassery to come to your phone automatically, please DO subscribe on iTunes (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/ch/podcast/life.-unrestricted.-podcast/id1130713233?mt=2 or on Stitcher (Android): http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=93987&refi ********* Don't forget!********* Make sure to join my tribe and meet some of the most supportive, loving and kind people of all shapes and sizes, including great coaches and leaders! We're right over here at: http://www.lifeunrestricted.org/join/

LU 050: Sarah Harry – Yoga without pressure or fancy pants; the kind that is for... EVERY BODY! Jul 05, 2017

Show notes

Download Episode! Hey, lovely radicals... podcast time! In today's episode of the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I talk to Sarah Harry from Melbourne, Australia. Sarah is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, researcher, writer and university lecturer. As a leading body image and eating disorders specialist and experienced clinician she has a refreshing perspective on bodies, weight, movement and inclusivity. Sarah was the first yogi in Australia to offer yoga for bigger bodies. She has practiced yoga for more than 20 years, and as the owner and founder of "Fat Yoga", she runs specialist classes and retreats. She is also co-director of "Body Positive Australia" (alongside Fiona Sutherland, whom I interviewed in episode 28). Sarah is a member of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition USA, sits on the National Advisory Board of Health at Every Size Australia and she is a member of the National Eating Disorders Coalition. Listen in as Sarah tells us: – How Fiona and herself started working together, and how "Body Positive Australia" came into existence – Where they both see the problem with the term "Body Positivity", and how it's being co-opted – Why there are opportunities to help change the system from the inside – How she aims to get her message across in interviews – Why authenticity and humor have helped her a great deal – How she decided to show up in regards to her own personal family story – What readers of "Fat Yoga" tell her they are most thankful for – What she remembers about growing up in a body that was different from what her parents believed was "a good body" – How her 20-year-long quest to be thin started, and what it cost her – Why she never told anyone about her raging eating disorder – How her body hate led her to have various surgeries and why she believed the massive pain those caused her was "the punishment for being bigger" – Why she would NEVER recommend weight-loss-surgery to anyone – At what point she started to turn her life around – Why she hit the jackpot with the person she ended up working with – Why yoga is often misunderstood in the west, and what it's really about – Why she works on bringing more "real" yoga to the field of recovery – How she called out "The Yogi Times" on their weight-stigmatizing articles – Why people react with anger when their beliefs, that they were invested in for so long, are challenged – When and how to address people's weight-biases, and what reactions to expect – Why "body love" can be a misleading and overwhelming term, and why "body acceptance" or "body neutrality" can be much more helpful – Why Instagram (and social media in general) are intensifying people's focus on bodies and appearances, and what she has to say about that – Why there are people who dislike the term "all bodies are good bodies"... ... And so much more! Here's the link to Sarah's website: www.fatyoga.com.au Check out the "Body Positive Australia" website: www.bodypositiveaustralia.com.au Link to the "Weight Bias & Stigma Tools" of the Uconn Rudd Center: http://www.uconnruddcenter.org/weight-bias-stigma-tools-for-researchers Please consider supporting the podcast by becoming a "Patreon"; so that I can keep producing it. Thank you! Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/lifeunrestricted If you want this sort of badassery to come to your phone automatically, please DO subscribe on iTunes (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/ch/podcast/life.-unrestricted.-podcast/id1130713233?mt=2 or on Stitcher (Android): http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=93987&refi ********* Don't forget!********* Make sure to join my tribe and meet some of the most supportive, loving and kind people of all shapes and sizes, including great coaches and leaders! We're right over here at: http://www.lifeunrestricted.org/join/

LU 049: Erica Leon – Free yourself from chaotic patterns of yoyo-dieting and overexercising. Jun 28, 2017

Show notes

Download Episode! Hey, lovely radicals... podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I get to talk to Erica Leon from Westchester County, New York. Erica holds a Bachelor's degree in nutrition from Cornell University and a Master's degree in clinical nutrition from New York University. Erica works with clients all over the globe - by all technical means necessary -, people who struggle with food, their body, and people who want to overcome years of dieting or being stuck in disordered eating. She meets people where they are at and guides them to a better relationship to food and their body with a non-diet approach. She has 25 years of experience under her belt and her career has included working in hospitals, corporations and colleges. Ultimately combining all of her skills and interests, she established a private nutrition practice over 15 years ago. As a Certified Eating Disorders Registered Dietitian (CEDRD) she also volunteers on the Board of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals, she has written professional articles on nutritions, she frequently gives talks, and she has often been quoted in the media on topics such as eating disorder prevention and childhood weight issues. Today, you'll hear Erica talk about: – How she remembers being in a body felt like as a child – Where she internalized the message that her body was too big – What the role of her family was in the development of her relationship to food – What counting and tracking points/calories can do to our self-image – Why it is so important to curate your social media feed, and to look at bodies in all shapes and sizes – Why striving for "a flat stomach" is complete BS, and why having belly-fat is, in fact, important for a woman's overall health as she gets older – Why it is crucial to realize that we are all so much more than a body – How it can be helpful to think about what we would love our legacy to be – How long she lived with her own internal diet-mindset – How she got into the field of nutrition – Why she was working in the marketing department for a weight-loss company (and what memories about her connection to one of Oprah's many weight-loss incidents still make her cringe) – How she herself unknowingly contributed to diet-culture and its message that "thin is better" – What made her realize that something was not right – How working with eating disorders helped her on her own journey – What she would tell her younger self with the knowledge she has now – Why women often automatically objectify themselves according to what they see in the media and in ads – Why she loves the "Poodle Science" video of the Academy of Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) – The problem with today's celebrity worshipping culture and the unfortunate influence they have on our children's self-esteem – How she's helping one of her clients with exercise bulimia – What the key ingredient is in the journey to give up lifelong dieting, as well as recovering from disordered eating or eating disorders – Why it takes time, self-compassion, patience and community to heal our societally damaged body image and how we relate to food and weight – How she curated her social media feed and left all the groups (and unfollowed/unfriended people) that were repeatedly engaging in of diet- and weight-loss-talk – Why social media opened up a whole new world for her and made her realize that she wasn't the only one AT ALL who was preaching the non-diet approach to health – Why it is so hard for the old paradigm-believers to change their minds – What kind of transformations she gets to witness in her practice... ... And so much more! Check out Erica's website: www.ericaleon.com Here's the link to the wonderful "Poodle Science" video of the Academy of Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H89QQfXtc-k Make sure to support the podcast by becoming a "Patreon", so that I can keep producing it and help as many people as possible. Thank you! Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/lifeunrestricted If you want this sort of badassery to come to your phone automatically, please DO subscribe on iTunes (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/ch/podcast/life.-unrestricted.-podcast/id1130713233?mt=2 or on Stitcher (Android): http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=93987&refid ********* Don't forget!********* Feel free to join my tribe and meet some of the most supportive, loving and kind people of all shapes and sizes, including great coaches and leaders! We're right over here at: http://www.lifeunrestricted.org/join/

LU 048: Chevese Turner – Breaking the stigma of Binge Eating Disorder with insight and compassion. Jun 21, 2017

Show notes

Download Episode! Hey there, lovely radicals... podcast ahead! This week, on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, it's my pleasure to talk to Chevese Turner from the Washington DC area. Chevese is the woman who almost 9 years ago founded the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) in June 2008, recognizing the need for an organization to advocate on behalf of individuals affected by Binge Eating Disorder (BED), as well as the providers who treat them. Turner's well-rounded career in the health care, pharmaceutical, political and non-profit arenas, as well as her many leadership roles within these fields, prepared her to launch BEDA, the only organization specifically suited to support individuals and treatment professionals managing BED. Today, you'll hear Chevese talk about: – How old she was when she lost the innocent, joyful, and non-judgmental attitude towards her own body – What drove her to start searching for, stealing and hoarding food – What every type of binging behavior stems from – How her mother related to food and weight – Why denial about unhealed past wounds always leads to us passing along the same pain (we can not outrun our own shadow) – Why those old painful memories are often the ones that leave the deepest imprint on our soul – Why we often treat ourselves the way we have been treated as children – Why food (restricting/dieting, or overeating) is so commonly used to try to escape difficult emotions – How we can start to make sense of our own behavior around food – Why there is no need to be ashamed for recognizing those behaviors for what they are – How shame and weight-bias affect a person's physical and mental health – Why all the advice she got actually only perpetuated her eating disorder – Why she never really knew what she liked/what her hobbies were – Why she immediately regretted having lap band surgery – What is commonly misunderstood with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) – Why, at the root, anorexia and BED are much more alike as they outwardly seem – Why our society is too quick to categorize people, instead of listening to the person in question first – How terribly effective diet-culture and its constant messages and images really is, and why it is important to be aware of how all of that seeps into our subconscious and colors our own judgment – What she wants us all to know about our bodies – Why bariatric surgery is often done solely for profit, and why there's so little information about the dangers and the long-term effects of it – The medical ramifications of our society's belief that "healthy" looks a certain way – How she reacted when she first heard that her Binge Eating Disorder was only to be treated effectively by nourishment – How many years she wasted by being stuck in the diet-cycle, and having little mental space for anything that would have really sparked her interest – Why so many body-obsessed women have no idea who they really are outside of dieting – What led her to found BEDA, and how wonderfully that organization developed – What BEDA is about and what they are actively working on – Why it is important for all of us to resist any sort of weight-stigmatization, and to speak up against it... ... And so much more! Here's the link to BEDA (where you'll also find info about the conferences) www.bedaonline.com And here's the toll-free number that Chevese mentioned (only for US listeners): 855 855 2332 Make sure to support the podcast by becoming a "Patreon", so that I can keep producing it and help as many people as possible. Thank you! Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/lifeunrestricted If you want this sort of badassery to come to your phone automatically, please DO subscribe on iTunes (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/ch/podcast/life.-unrestricted.-podcast/id1130713233?mt=2 or on Stitcher (Android): http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=93987&refid ********* Don't forget!********* Make sure to join my tribe and meet some of the most supportive, loving and kind people of all shapes and sizes, including great coaches and leaders! We're right over here at: http://www.lifeunrestricted.org/join/

LU 047: Jessica Setnick – When eating and exercising turn into attempts at escaping emotions. Jun 14, 2017

Show notes

Download Episode! Lovely radicals, it's podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, it's my pleasure to talk to Jessica Setnick from Dallas, Texas. Jessica is an internationally known pediatric dietitian, an award-winning writer and she is training professionals to work in the field of eating issues. She is definitely the best sort of woman to talk to about the origins of our world's body image problem and our issues with eating and weight; Jessica is an icon in the eating disorder field. Her academic background is in human behavior and with her Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition, she has become an expert in dysfunctional and disordered eating who has a unique ability to see what others might miss. As a Certified Eating Disorder Dietitian and Dietitian Supervisor, she has treated thousands of patients in the hospital and out, and she knows how to identify the underlying issues influencing patients' eating. Jessica is the author of "The Eating Disorder Clinical Pocket Guide" and "Eating Disorders Boot Camp", and she is a co-founder of IFEED, the International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians. In 2013, after 16 years of hospital and community work, Jessica closed her private practice to fulfill her mission of educating health professionals about our current understanding of eating disorders and thereby empowering them to confidently and competently help those who suffer. In all of her work, Jessica combines humor, science, and professional experience to help us all improve one of the key relationships in life—the one we have with food. Today, you'll hear Jessica talk about: – How she related to food and her body as a child – What drove her to get a degree in Anthropology as well as one in Sports Nutrition – What she learned about people's eating behaviors – Why there is always a reason for the way we relate to food – Why the oldest emotional wounds often have the deepest imprint on our soul – Why we are so often attracted to people who end up treating us like our fathers or mothers did – Why we can only recognize as love what we grew up to believe was love – What we hope to achieve by re-creating our childhood "drama" – Why our habits very often evolved as way to self-soothe, at a stage when the particular behavior was the only way we knew how to deal with difficult experiences – Why there is no need to be ashamed for recognizing those behaviors for what they are – What our own judgments can tell us about ourselves – Why our society is too quick to categorize people in their particular problems, and how to look at eating disorders from an individual's perspective – Why it can be the most powerful thing to just be present with someone who's currently struggling – What the advantages are for recovering from disordered eating as an adult, no matter how long their behaviors have been disordered – Why it is never too late to start un-dieting, recovering, and befriending food and our body again – How early in life we get conditioned to detach our eating from our internal cues – What she wants us all to know about our bodies – Why it's important to remind ourselves who's profiting off our insecurities – How weight-bias in the medical field can cause people to die – The medical ramifications of our society's belief that "healthy" looks a certain way – What's dangerous about our society's unhealthy coupling of the concepts of food and exercise – Why our controlling tendencies can only give us a false sense of safety – How little is actually known about eating disorders – What an ideal eating disorder professional should bring to the table – What she means when she says "start being an anthropologist in everyday life" and why it is so helpful – The danger of repeated exposure to seemingly harmless advertisements – How to see the ridiculousness of the made-up/fake-advertisement world – Why awareness (and self-awareness!) is key on the journey of growing more resilient – What she thinks about the memes that tell us to "love our bodies"... ... And so much more! Check out Jessica's website: www.understandingnutrition.com Find more info about the "Eating Disorder Bootcamp" and other resources here: http://www.understandingnutrition.com/store/default.php www.eatingdisordersbootcamp.com If you enjoy and love my podcast, please consider supporting it by becoming a "Patreon"! It would greatly help me to keep those episodes coming to you. Thanks! https://www.patreon.com/lifeunrestricted If you want this sort of badassery to come to your phone automatically, please DO subscribe on iTunes (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/ch/podcast/life.-unrestricted.-podcast/id1130713233?mt=2 or on Stitcher (Android): http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=93987&refid ********* Don't forget!********* Make sure to join my tribe and meet some of the most supportive, loving and kind people of all shapes and sizes, including great coaches and leaders! We're right over here at: http://www.lifeunrestricted.org/join/

LU 046: Jessamyn Stanley – What yoga is about, what it's not about, and why it is for EVERY BODY. Jun 07, 2017

Show notes

Hey there, lovely radicals... up for a mind-stretching podcast? In today's episode of the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I talk to Jessamyn Stanley from Durham, North Carolina. Jessamyn, as many of you know, is a yogi who breaks all the stereotypes. She has built a life as an internationally recognized yoga teacher and award-winning Instagram star by combining a deep understanding for yoga with a willingness to share her personal struggles in a way that touches everyone who comes to know her. Now she brings her body-positive, emotionally uplifting approach to yoga in a book that will help every reader discover the power of yoga and how to weave it seamlessly into his or her life. It's called "Every Body Yoga", and just like herself, this book breaks all the stereotypes. You will hear Jessamyn share: – Where she thinks our self-consciousness about our bodies comes from – What it was that made her become dissatisfied with who she was and how her body looked – What brought her to yoga – What anxiety/depression have to do with our mind's tendency to ruminate about the past and/or worry about the future – How she understands the spiritual aspect of the yoga practice – Why there's so much to be said for having a healthy detachment to the materialistic focus that our culture promotes – Why she thinks that the obsession with surface-level things, like the "look" of bodies, are huge shortcomings of our society – What the dangers of social media and the display of fake "perfection" are – Why "getting likes" is never something we should be aiming for – Why no amount of outside approval can ever fill the void in our hearts – Why the disconnection that happens when everybody "lives" on the screen is so harmful for our soul's wellbeing – Why most of what we see on social media is fake and—upon closer inspection—completely irrelevant – Why she says what she wants and doesn't care too much about what other people think of her – Why we often look for "meaning" in life in the exact wrong places – Why people who feel insecure make better customers – How we can become more comfortable in our own company – Why facing and owning our "shit" is the only way to liberation – Where true inner contentment comes from – What most people plain misunderstand about yoga – What the problems are with "modern" (westernized) yoga – What she feels yoga is really about (hint: it's not about how the body looks) – How she got connected to her emotions after years of stuffing them away – What emotions she has most difficulty with – How she deals with critics and haters – How she deals with getting so much attention and having to be more social than she feels is her nature... ... And so much more! Check out Jessamyn and all of her work (including her book "Every Body Yoga") at: www.jessamynstanley.com If you enjoy and love my podcast, please consider supporting it by becoming a "Patreon"! It would greatly help me to keep those episodes coming to you. Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/lifeunrestricted If you want this sort of badassery come to your phone automatically, please DO subscribe on iTunes (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/ch/podcast/life.-unrestricted.-podcast/id1130713233?mt=2 or on Stitcher (Android): http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=93987&refid ********* Don't forget!********* Make sure to join my tribe and meet some of the most supportive, loving and kind people of all shapes and sizes, including great coaches and leaders! We're right over here at: http://www.lifeunrestricted.org/join

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected