Can I be really honest with you today?

This episode is personal. Like, properly personal. I'm taking you through the actual chapters of my life — the eleven-year-old me at the kitchen table, the bullied teenager with the (truly catastrophic) bowl cut, the uni student eating chips alone in her room, and the woman who had bariatric surgery and was still binge eating within months.

But here's why I'm sharing it: because I know this isn't just my story. If you grew up in the nineties and early two thousands watching Princess Diaries glow-ups, Fat Monica punchlines, and Kate Moss staring back at you from every magazine cover — you were being taught something about what your body was worth. And most of us absorbed that lesson without even realising it.

In this episode I'm sharing the five things I wish someone had told me before the damage was done:

• Why your relationship with food probably didn't start with food at all
• The movies and magazines that quietly built your beliefs about bodies and worth
• What trauma actually does to your eating — and why it makes complete sense
• The truth about weight loss surgery that nobody told me beforehand
• Why you are not broken — and what healing actually looks like

Whether you're deep in the cycle right now or you've been in recovery for years and still carry some of this — I think this one's going to land for you.

Resources and Links:

https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:52 The 11-Year-Old Girl Who Learned Thin = Worthy

03:55 Lesson 1: Thinness Was Taught As Worth

08:53 Lesson 2: Bullying Didn’t Mean You Needed to Change

13:59 Lesson 3: Trauma Changed My Relationship With Food

19:30 Lesson 4: Weight Loss Didn’t Stop The Binges

23:24 Lesson 5: You Are Not Broken

25:29 How I Actually Became Binge-Free

26:40 The Truth I Want You To Hear

27:55 What You Can Do Next

Is your mum's diet culture still living in your head? Here's how to make sure it doesn't reach your kids.

Most of us grew up in homes where dieting was just... normal. Mum was always on something. The body comments were constant.

Food was either good or bad, clean or naughty, and we absorbed every single bit of it.

Now we're beginning to raise kids of our own or have young people in our lives. And we want to do it differently. But how?

In this episode of the Binge Free Bestie Podcast, I'm getting personal, sharing the comments my own family made about my body when I was at my heaviest, and why, despite their good intentions, it made everything so much worse. And I'm breaking down exactly what to do if you're navigating this with your own children right now.

Whether you've got little ones, a teenager who's gone full gym bro, a child being bullied about their weight, or you're just terrified of saying the wrong thing while you're still figuring out your own relationship with food, this one is for you.

What we cover:

— How diet culture gets inherited and why it's not your mum's fault (but it is yours to stop)

— The almond mum era and what growing up in an 80s/90s diet household actually did to us

— Real word-for-word scripts for the conversations most parents dread

— What to do when your teenager's "healthy eating" starts to look like something more worrying

— How to raise an intuitive eater who trusts their body, even if you're still learning to trust yours

— Why you don't have to be healed to be a brilliant parent around food

The cycle stops with you 💜

Resources / Freebies / Work With Me:

https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie

00:00 Intro

02:00 How family comments shaped my relationship with food

05:30 The generational cycle of diet culture

07:30 Real struggles parents are facing right now

11:30 The #1 mindset shift

13:00 Principle 1: Stop labeling food “good” or “bad”

14:00 Principle 2: Kids copy what you do (not what you say)

15:30 Scenario 1: “Am I fat?” 

16:30 Scenario 2: Teen obsessed with dieting/macros

18:30 Scenario 3: Restrictive eating or underweight child

19:40 Scenario 4: Child being bullied for their body

21:40 Scenario 5: You say something negative about yourself

23:30 You don’t have to be healed to help

24:30 Where to start (even if you’re struggling)

binge eating recovery, emotional eating, food freedom, intuitive eating, diet culture, raising intuitive eaters, generational trauma, food trauma, body image, disordered eating recovery

The food noise goes quiet on GLP-1s — and that relief is real. But what happens when the injection stops? In this episode, Nic shares her own experience with bariatric surgery and why the binge came back anyway, breaks down what the research actually says about GLP-1s and eating behaviour, and uses the story of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Layla Taylor as a cultural mirror for what happens when we try to sidestep the deeper work.

This isn't a takedown of weight loss medication. It's an honest, compassionate conversation about what these drugs can and can't do, and what's waiting for you on the other side of actually healing your relationship with food.

If you're on the fence about doing the mindset work, exhausted from trying, or wondering whether the jab might just be easier, this episode is for you.

Work with Me, Resources and Freebies: https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:00 What GLP-1 medications actually do

02:30 Why “food noise disappearing” feels life-changing

05:00 The 3 root causes of binge eating

07:00 What happens when you stop the medication

10:00 What GLP-1s can’t teach you

12:00 My personal story: surgery didn’t fix it

15:30 The deeper issue: your “operating system”

19:30 Why we choose the “quick fix”

21:00 If you’re using GLP-1s right now (what to do)

22:30 The best-case scenario: using the “quiet window”

Do you have a food that lives on a weird pedestal in your brain?

One you either avoid completely… or eat the entire thing in one sitting?

In today's episode, Nic shares the psychology behind why certain foods, especially childhood favourites, can end up carrying a disproportionate emotional charge. Spoiler: it's not about the food.

In this episode, Nic covers:

• Why your brain links specific foods to emotional memories (and what that actually means for your eating patterns)
• The neuroscience of sensory anchors , how taste, smell, and texture get stored alongside emotional experiences
• How chronic stress and nervous system overload drive your brain back toward "comfort" foods from childhood
• Why banning a food from your house doesn't solve the problem, and often makes it worse
• What actually changes when you remove the emotional charge from food (hint: it's not discipline)
• Nic's own story of eating chips alone in her car during nursing placements, and what was really going on

You'll leave this episode understanding:Why your eating isn't random, and what your nervous system is actually asking for when the urge to eat hits out of nowhere.

Resources mentioned:

• The Break Up: Nic's flagship food freedom program
• The Break Up: Inner Circle, for women who want more private support
• Free Guide Emotional Eaters Fix

Find Everything Here: https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=701bf119-79a6-4128-a6ca-92306ffd7ed9

• DM Nic the word DONE on Instagram to find out more about working together

Connect with Nic:Instagram: @bingefreebestieWebsite: www.bingefreebestie.com

Binge Free Bestie Podcast is hosted by Nic Gaviria- registered counsellor (Master of Counselling), food freedom coach, and founder of Binge Free Bestie. New episodes drop weekly.

If you're driven, capable, and holding everything together, and you're also quietly struggling with food, this episode is for you.

Today we're talking about the link between high performance stress and secret food rituals. Not just for corporate women climbing ladders, but for the mum managing the household like a project manager, the partner carrying the invisible mental load, the woman who is everyone's emotional anchor.

Because the woman who eats in the car before she walks in the door? She can also look like she has it all together.

This isn't a personal defect. It's a coping mechanism. And coping mechanisms can be replaced, not shamed away.

Ready to go deeper?

Resources, Freebies and How to Work With Me:

https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie

Joint the community on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bingefreebestie/

The Diet Culture Survival Guide: How to Handle Diet Culture Chat

Diet culture hasn't disappeared.It has rebranded.In 2026 it sounds like wellness, optimisation, hormone balance, metabolic health, fasting windows, protein targets and “discipline challenges.”And while you might be doing real work healing your relationship with food, navigating these conversations in everyday life can still feel… uncomfortable.Because diet talk isn’t just about food.It’s often how women bond.In this episode, I’m sharing The Diet Talk Survival Guide- how to stay grounded when conversations about calories, carbs, weight loss, fasting, Ozempic, macros, or “being good” pop up around you at work, with friends, or at family dinners.We’ll unpack what’s really happening in those moments and how to navigate them without abandoning yourself or getting pulled back into old patterns.In this episode we cover:💜 Why diet culture has evolved and become harder to spot💜 How body criticism and dieting often function as a bonding ritual💜 Why these conversations can trigger comparison or self-doubt💜 The internal “wobble” many women feel in those moments💜 Practical ways to respond to diet talk without arguing, explaining or shrinking yourself💜 How to stay steady before, during and after these situationsYou don’t have to control every room you walk into.But you can learn how to stay anchored in yourself when diet culture shows up.🎧 Listen now and share this episode with a friend who needs the Diet Talk Survival Guide.

Work With Nic ( Freebies, My Signature Program, Community):

https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=50fb6f83-e8f9-4afe-89c3-563644246738

Kelly Osbourne, Diet Culture & Why “Concern” Is Still Body Surveillance

The internet has a lot to say about women’s bodies right now.

In this episode, I'm diving into the public discourse around Kelly Osbourne and the intense speculation about women’s changing bodies- from Ozempic rumors to “concern” about health.

Kelly Osbourne was relentlessly fat-shamed as a teenager. Now, years later, she’s being scrutinised for being “too thin.”

Different narrative. Same body surveillance.

I'm unpacking why commenting on women’s bodies- even when it’s framed as concern- reinforces diet culture, comparison, and the same systems that keep women competing with each other.

This episode also explores why these conversations can be particularly activating if you struggle with binge eating, restriction, or body image, and how to protect your nervous system when social media starts spiralling.

Most importantly, it’s an invitation to opt out of body commentary culture and focus back on your own healing.

Resources & Links Free resources, programs, and ways to work with Nic:

👉 https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie

Let’s Stay Connected

If this episode resonated, please follow or subscribe and share it with a friend.

Your support helps this message reach more women who are healing their relationship with food and their bodies 💜

Chapters:

00:00 - Why everyone is talking about Kelly Osbourne

00:55 - The return of thinner body ideals

01:56 - Why this conversation matters

03:25 - Kelly’s long history of public body scrutiny

05:01 - The latest photos and the brutal reaction

06:47 - Grief, vulnerability and public shame

09:57 - When “concern” becomes body surveillance

12:05 - How these conversations affect your body image

14:09 - Why comment sections can dysregulate you

15:23 - What to do if this is triggering you

17:05 - Why women are conditioned to turn on each other

18:31 - Solidarity over speculation

20:06 - Redirect the energy back to your own healing

21:27 - Protect your peace and share this with a friend

Body image conversations are LOUD right now.

Between the ANTM documentary resurfacing millennial trauma… and the viral New York Times interview where former body positivity influencer Gabriella Lascano stepped away from the movement…People are feeling hurt. Confused. Betrayed. Defensive.

And if that’s you- this episode will steady you.As a therapist who specialises in binge eating, emotional eating and body image, and as a millennial woman who recovered from body dysmorphia and an eating disorder, I’m unpacking:

✨ Why body positivity feels different now

✨ Why people feel betrayed when influencers change their bodies

✨ The autonomy piece no one is talking about

✨ How body positivity shifted from radical roots to social media aesthetic

✨ Why I teach body neutrality instead of “love your body”

✨ The Body Image Continuum (a tool my clients LOVE)

✨ Body checking, body avoidance & appearance-altering behaviours

✨ The shame → restriction → binge cycle

✨ How reducing body obsession actually reduces binge eating urges

If you’ve felt activated by Lizzo’s weight loss… confused about the cultural pendulum swing… or stuck in a body shame loop that fuels emotional eating…This episode is for you bestie.

You don’t need to pick a side in an internet war to heal your relationship with your body.

You need tools.

💜 If This Helped You:

- Follow for weekly therapist-led conversations on binge eating & body image

- Share this with a millennial bestie

- Comment: Where do you sit on the body image continuum right now

- Work With Me: https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie

- Grab My Free Guide on Binge and Emotional Eating: https://checkout.bingefreebestie.com/opt-in-page

Bestie! This week we’re unpacking the new America’s Next Top Model documentary- and the impact shows like this had on millennial women’s relationships with their bodies.

ANTM didn’t just entertain us.

It normalised:

• public body critique

• comparison between women

• shrinking yourself to be chosen

• and managing food to manage your appearance

Contestants were weighed on camera, told to lose weight publicly, pressured to change parts of their appearance, and had deeply personal experiences aired as storyline- all framed as “mentorship” or “opportunity.”

In this episode we talk about:

• the harm experienced by contestants
• the accountability conversation around Tyra Banks
• how comparison became automatic
• and how this kind of conditioning can link to restriction, binge eating, and emotional eating later in life

Not because a TV show caused your struggles- but because culture shapes how we relate to hunger, worth, and our bodies.

💜 Want to start healing your relationship with food and body?

https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie

In this episode, I'm going to delve into the complex relationship between millennial women and their bodies, exploring how societal standards and cultural conditioning have shaped their experiences with food and body image. I share more of my personal journey through binge eating and the impact of diet culture, emphasizing the importance of community and self-compassion in the recovery process.

This is a call to action for listeners to challenge their beliefs about body image and to seek support in their journey towards food freedom.

Group coaching enrolments are now closed, but you can join the Break Up self led or private coaching program with anytime via the link below

Lets work together bestie, check out how here: https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie