Emotional Eating with Marilyn

By Marilyn Rafih, Pharm, PhDHealth & Fitness Mental Health

Emotional Eating with Marilyn episodes

October 08, 2025 What Emotional Eaters Have in Common & How to Change
Summary:
In this episode of Emotional Eating with Marilyn, the host explores the common characteristics of emotional eaters, emphasizing that emotional eating is a behaviour rather than an identity. Marilyn discusses traits such as hyper-empathy, the tendency to wear one's heart on their sleeve, the importance of listening to body limits, and the disconnection between mind and body. She provides insights and tools for listeners to better understand themselves and work on their emotional eating habits, encouraging a balanced approach to self-care and emotional well-being.

Chapters
00:00 Understanding Emotional Eating
03:01 Common Traits of Emotional Eaters
05:48 Hyper-Empathy and Its Impact
08:30 Listening to Your Body Limits
11:34 Connecting Mind and Body
14:33 Tools for Grounding and Self-Care
17:19 Recap and Moving Forward
Find me here
https://linktr.ee/marilynrafih
18 min
October 01, 2025The Winter Arc Challenge to Feel Great on January 1st
My take on the Viral Tiktok Challenge called the Winter Arc Challenge+ crucial things to think of in the context of emotional eating!!

In this episode, Marilyn Rafih discusses the viral Winter Arc Challenge from TikTok, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and caution when approaching self-improvement goals. She provides insights on how to tailor the challenge to individual needs, the significance of emotional well-being, and the long-term vision for personal growth beyond the immediate New Year resolutions.
Takeaways
The Winter Arc Challenge is about self-improvement during the colder months.

Caution is advised for those with a complicated relationship with food.

It's important to approach challenges from a place of self-love, not self-hate.

Tailor your goals to your own physical and mental state.

Consider the long-term impact of your actions beyond January.

Emotional eating can be triggered by stress and challenges in life.

Bravery is required to start new challenges, even if you might fail at first.

Focus on feelings rather than just quantifiable results.

Social connections can help combat seasonal affective disorder.

Think about your future self and what you want to achieve in the long run.
Self-Improvement in the Cold Months

Long-Term Growth Beyond New Year Resolutions
"I really like the concept of winter arc."

"Be cautious with the winter arc challenge."

"Are you brave enough to start something new?"
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Emotional Eating and Winter Arc Challenge
05:18 Cautions for the Winter Arc Challenge
07:47 Embracing the Challenge: When to Go Full Speed
08:44 Tailoring Your Approach to the Challenge
14:16 Long-Term Vision: Beyond January 2025
Follow me on social media and get my journal here:
https://linktr.ee/marilynrafih
16 min
September 15, 2025 Why Perfectionism is Making You Gain Weight
Summary:
In this episode of Emotional Eating with Marilyn, the host discusses the intricate relationship between perfectionism and emotional eating.
She explores how perfectionism manifests in black-and-white thinking, leading to unhealthy eating patterns influenced by diet culture.
Marilyn emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and offers practical strategies to manage emotional eating, including addressing anxiety, procrastination, and the need for balance in task completion.Chapters
00:00 Understanding Perfectionism and Emotional Eating
02:55 The Impact of Diet Culture on Eating Habits
07:59 Perfectionism in Task Completion and Its Consequences
11:25 Anxiety and Black-and-White Thinking
14:43 Procrastination: The Link to Emotional Eating
Find me here
https://linktr.ee/marilynrafih
18 min
September 01, 2025 I Need Help, I've Been Bad During Summer
In today's episode we talk about the "back to school/back to work" phase, the need to go back to routine, understand what happened in summer.
You can find me here:
https://linktr.ee/marilynrafih
22 min
May 22, 2025 Looking back at seasons 1,2,3 and what’s next for season 4

Hello guys, this is a personal message to let you know that I am taking a well deserved break and will be back very soon.
In the meantime, you can find me on Instagram, get the Positive journal on emotional eating or book one-to-one sessions with me.
All links below:

https://linktr.ee/marilynrafih
5 min
April 30, 2025 Self-Awareness: How and Where to Start
Summary:
In this episode of Emotional Eating with Marilyn, the focus is on self-awareness and its critical role in understanding and managing emotional eating. Marilyn discusses the definition of self-awareness, its connection to emotional eating, and various techniques to enhance self-awareness, including journaling, mindfulness, and understanding emotions through the Wheel of Emotions. The conversation emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's feelings and stress levels to reduce reliance on food for emotional comfort. Marilyn also highlights the significance of self-reflection and how our perceptions of others can reveal insights about ourselves.Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Self-Awareness
03:03 Understanding Self-Awareness and Emotional Eating
16:01 Tools for Enhancing Self-Awareness

Find me here
https://linktr.ee/marilynrafih
20 min
April 16, 2025Self-Talk: How and Where to Start?
Summary
In this episode of Emotional Eating with Marilyn, the focus is on the concept of self-talk and its significant link to emotional eating. Marilyn discusses how self-talk influences our emotional well-being and the quality of our lives. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing negative self-talk patterns and offers practical exercises, including journaling, to foster self-compassion and understanding. The episode aims to guide listeners on their journey to improve their relationship with food and themselves by cultivating a healthier inner dialogue.

Takeaways
Self-talk is a crucial factor in emotional eating.
Recognizing negative self-talk is the first step to change.
Improving well-being can reduce the urge to eat emotionally.
Journaling can help identify and shift negative self-talk.
Compassion towards oneself is essential for healing.
Healing is a non-linear journey with ups and downs.
Self-talk often reflects the voices of caregivers from childhood.
Practicing self-compassion can lead to better emotional health.
Awareness of self-talk can improve overall quality of life.
The journey of self-improvement requires patience and understanding

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Self-Talk and Emotional Eating
03:48 Understanding Self-Talk and Its Impact
07:07 The Role of Childhood in Self-Talk
11:46 Journaling Exercise for Self-Reflection
15:49 Compassion and Self-Understanding

Find me here
https://linktr.ee/marilynrafih
24 min
April 02, 2025 Self-Confidence: How and Where to Start?
Summary
In this episode of Emotional Eating with Marilyn, the host explores the intricate relationship between self-confidence and emotional eating. She discusses how low self-confidence can lead to feelings of guilt and shame, which often trigger emotional eating. Marilyn emphasizes that self-confidence is not a binary trait but rather a spectrum that can be developed through recognizing and building on personal skills. The episode also highlights the importance of self-love and acceptance in overcoming emotional eating habits.Chapters
00:00 Understanding Self-Confidence and Emotional Eating
04:20 Building Self-Confidence: Skills and Growth
09:27 Overcoming Emotional Triggers and Self-Doubt
14:56 The Journey to Self-Love and Acceptance
Find me here
https://linktr.ee/marilynrafih
23 min
March 21, 2025 Self-Care: How and Where to Start?
Summary:
In this episode of Emotional Eating with Marilyn, the host discusses the significance of self-care in the context of emotional eating. Marilyn emphasizes the importance of taking care of oneself beyond food, exploring the concept of the inner child, and identifying barriers that prevent individuals from engaging in self-care. She provides practical strategies for incorporating self-care into daily life and highlights the long-term benefits of developing a diverse toolbox of coping strategies to enhance overall well-being.Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Self-Care and Emotional Eating
04:10 Understanding the Inner Child and Self-Care
08:47 Identifying Barriers to Self-Care
14:40 Implementing Self-Care into Daily Life
16:04 The Long-Term Benefits of Self-Care
Find me here:
https://linktr.ee/marilynrafih
20 min
March 05, 2025 My Whole Routine Gets Disrupted When I Travel
Summary:
In this episode of Emotional Eating with Marilyn, the host discusses the challenges of maintaining healthy eating habits while traveling. She emphasizes that it's normal to feel a loss of routine and offers insights into the emotional triggers that can lead to overeating during travel. Marilyn provides practical tools for listeners to create healthier travel routines and encourages self-acceptance and mindfulness. The episode concludes with a reflection on the positive aspects of travel and how to incorporate those into daily life.Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Emotional Eating and Travel
12:00 Exploring the Reasons Behind Emotional Eating
22:09 Reflecting on Positive Travel ExperiencesFind me here:
https://linktr.ee/marilynrafih
21 min