Episode 43. "Stay silent, stay still." Have you ever unconsciously followed that command? I know I have. Today I have the pleasure of talking with Racheal Rickabaugh where we dive into learning and un-learning and her journey of regaining the sense that her body, and her intuition, could in fact be trusted.

Racheal is a 33 year old second grade teacher from Grand Haven, Michigan.  She is passionate about supporting her students' social/emotional development and fostering a mindset for learning in her classroom. She enjoys walks along the pier, board games, listening to podcasts, reading, and spending time with her friends.  Racheal enjoys writing.  Currently, she does it mostly for herself but has blogged a bit and hopes to have a more public platform one day. Check out her blog on her eating disorder journey here.

Today Racheal shares about her journey with her relationship with food and her body. Racheal is one of my early blog and podcast listeners/readers and has been such a wonderful part of the Psychology of Wellness community. She was one of our Founding Members of the Body Respect Program, our online program. What I have so appreciated about Racheal is her inquisitive nature, her deep desire to understand her body, openness to learning, and wanting to look at things truly holistically. She has the BEST questions. Many times when I’m asking questions to guests on the podcast or various settings, Racheal is the voice behind them! I’m so excited to dive in today and have her share more about her journey.

In this interview, we cover:

Racheal's early relationship with food and her body and how being biracial growing up in predominantly white West Michigan impacted her identity and sense of selfHer progress with weight loss and flexible habit change (and the impact of people's comments and being asked to share this publicly online) and when it turned into an eating disorderHere extreme skepticism at first with Health at Every Size and Intuitive Eating (e.g., "I thought they were BS") and what eventually changed her mindHow she has used science and research to really empower herself and achieve a more wholistic and flexible view of health than ever beforeWhat she wants providers and people to know about making comments about weight loss

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Are You New Here?

Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.

We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.

Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here!

Introduction: What is this podcast all about?Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and HealthEpisode 2: How Dieting Steals Our MotivationEpisode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress

Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?

I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.

I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to "be healthy"The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought "they will notice I gained weight" or "I need to...