Escape Diet Prison by Anne-Sophie Reinhardt

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What is it really like to grow up with a body that is not "right"?

What is it really like to be labeled as overweight, lazy, weak?

What does it really mean to live day-in day-out in a body that doesn't conform with the beauty ideal of our time?

Being a person that has either had a "normal" weight or was scarily thin, I don't know what it's  like to live in a body that - despite many, many, many diets -  refuses to be as thin as it's "supposed" to be. That's why I invited a friend of mine to join me on this podcast, discussing her lifelong struggle with weight, prejudice and the daily challenges of being seen as somewhat sub-par.

This episode of Escape Diet Prison is raw, honest and completely unscripted. I didn't want to share a conversation with a coaching client who had already made major strides into a life with beautiful body-acceptance and the profound knowledge that health at every size isn't just a concept, it's the truth.

Instead, this conversation gives a glimpse into the mind of someone whose life has not only been completely transformed by her weight, but who is still trying to come to terms with a body that she sees "flawed" and almost too much to bear.

Let's be honest, being overweight in today's world sets you up for a life-long battle; not only with yourself but also with society. Being overweight means being stupid, lazy, binging all day long, not being able to control yourself, having absolutely no willpower and being a failure in life altogether. Although I know that none of this is true, the stigma is real and the shame that comes with living in an overweight body is too.

But the more we talk about the guilt, the shame and the fears, the more open we are about all of it, the more we'll be connected, knowing that we're not alone, not unique and in the end, all so worthy of being loved and cherished.

Life in a body that is deemed unacceptable means learning to love yourself first in order to then go out and begin changes this world - one baby step at a time.

You are worthy. You are so worthy of being seen, heard and loved. This podcast shows you why.

Book your 30-minute breakthrough session here.

Join us in the Escape Diet Prison Facebook Group here.

Stay joyful!

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In this episode of Escape Diet Prison, I am joined by  Annette Sloan.

Annette empowers women and teen girls who want peace, freedom, and balance in their relationships with food to break through the negative food/body cycle and eat healthy with ease. Through her work as a mind-body-nutrition coach, speaker, and award-winning educator, she gently guides the current and next generation of women to eat (and live) in a way that nourishes their bodies, minds, and souls. Her compassionate approach helps her clients to cultivate more self-acceptance, love, and peace in their lives and embraces the fact that each of us is simultaneously a work-in-progress and a masterpiece.

Annette shares:

her own story of wanting to be super healthy, thin and binging

when it all began, what the worst time was and how she healed her relationship with her body and food

what having a balanced, soulful and loving relationship with her body and food means to her today

how she decided to become a mind-body-nutrition coach

how she got involved with working with teens

how we should approach talking to teens about weight

her biggest piece of advice for teens how are struggling

difference between coaching women and coaching teens is

her opinion on the F word

the biggest take-away from her training as an eating psychology coach

her hopes for her work as a mind-body-nutrition coach

her tip for women who want out of diet prison but cannot seem to get started

who inspires her

Book your 30-minute breakthrough session here.

Join us in the Escape Diet Prison Facebook Group here.

Stay joyful!

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When you are healing your diet-obsessed mind and your nutrition-starved body, there are many obstacles, gremlins and "theories" that try to keep you from taking the necessary steps toward freedom.

Though these challenges may seem completely unique, really, they're not. Most women who escape diet prison, face the same fears and have the same questions. That's why I dedicate this episode to questions that I received in my Facebook group giving answers that will most likely concern you too.

We discuss:

How to find joy again when your life has turned into a living diet hell

What to do when you cannot break the negative thinking pattern - you know these thoughts that keep you up at night and make you come back to dieting over and over again...

How to handle the constant discussions about needing to lose weight for health - basically, how to keep your friend's toxic discussions from making you insane

Why some exercise behaviors and obsessions persist even if you've been off the weight loss - weight gain rollercoaster for years

If binging when trying to heal is normal

How to find the right eating pattern for yourself without feeling guilty every darn time you eat

Resources I talked about in this episode:

The Work by Byron Katie

Tapping

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (short ACT) is a unique and creative model for both therapy and coaching, based on the innovative use of mindfulness and values.The aim of ACT is to maximise human potential for a rich, full and meaningful life; to cultivate health, vitality and well-being through mindful values-based living.

Get this book to dive into ACT work: ACT Made Simple: An Easy-To-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Diana, Herself by Martha Beck

50 Things to do instead of binge eating

Book your 30-minute breakthrough session here.

Join us in the Escape Diet Prison Facebook Group here.

Stay joyful!

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Do you ever get stuck on Facebook comparing old photos of yourself to the most recent ones and are angry because you've changed?

Do you ever get stuck on Instagram looking at models in bikinis and cry because you don't look that way?

Do you ever google the most recent diet fads and wish you had the willpower to follow those to a T?

The internet impacts the way we see ourselves in big ways. There are plenty of opportunities for comparing, belittling, stalking, obsessing over different body types, bikini shots and the life that others seem to live.

It's quite easy to get into a spiral of self-doubt, self-rejection and the feeling of always being less than when you spend too much time on the social web.

This episode of Escape Diet Prison is dedicated to the influence that Facebook and Co. have on your body image, diet plans and self-image.

Telling my story of not having access to wifi for 3 months, I share my favorite ways of learning to deal with the dangers of the internet in a healthy way.

Log off

This one is quite obvious but super effective. Try logging off when everything gets too much or do it every day as a preventative measure to save your self-image.

Upload fewer photos

If the comparison of yourself to yourself or others takes over your life, stop uploading so many photos to the social web. This is not a great long terms strategy, but it will kickstart your way to a healthier body image.

Up your self-care

In times of being vulnerable, you've got to kick your self-care routine up a notch. Do what feels good, ask the right questions, get out, lean in, do what you have to do to ground yourself again.

Educate yourself

Remember that photoshop, filters, angels, poses, lighting are real and dramatically alter the way one looks in photos. Keep that in mind when you go down a toxic spiral of self-hate because others just look a billion times better than you ever will.

Build Resilience

This is what it all comes down to. Cultivating resilience to the harm that the internet can do to your self-image takes commitment but it'll help you to be online, see photos of others or yourself and not get triggered by them anymore.

Enjoy this episode of Escape Diet Prison and do share it if it helped or inspired you.

Love and light,

Do you still have negative body image habits that keep you stuck on the sidelines, afraid to fully live your life?

Many of my clients come to me ready to escape diet prison, but they’ve only scratched the surface. They haven’t yet addressed the deeper patterns that truly matter. And that’s okay—because everyone has to start somewhere.

Often, addressing surface-level habits is the gateway to deeper, lasting healing. To achieve a healthy body image, it’s essential to identify and let go of the embedded habits that keep you trapped in a cycle of chronic dieting, body shame, and dissatisfaction.

In this episode of Escape Diet Prison, I uncover 8 common negative body image habits that might be holding you back from true freedom, self-love, and confidence.

Negative Body Image Habits to Let Go Of

1. Weighing Yourself Daily

You might think weighing yourself is harmless or even necessary for your health. But it’s not—it’s a trap that keeps you locked in body-loathing mode.

I haven’t stepped on a scale in years, and my life is so much better for it. The number on that scale is not a measure of your worth or happiness. If you’re clinging to it, it’s time to let it go—throw it out and never look back.

2. Making Negative Comments About Your Body

Constantly criticizing your body reinforces shame and dissatisfaction. Negative self-talk about your thighs, arms, or belly keeps you stuck in a cycle of punishment and guilt.

Start replacing those comments with compassion and appreciation. It takes practice, but shifting your inner dialogue is a key step toward healing your body image.

3. Reading Magazines That Shame Your Body

So many magazines pretend to empower women while perpetuating impossible beauty standards. If you’re flipping through pages filled with fat-shaming headlines and airbrushed bodies, you’re feeding negativity into your life.

Laugh at those headlines, recognize the ridiculousness of those ideals, and leave those magazines behind.

4. Relying on Diet Books

Diet books promise salvation but deliver misery. They’re designed to make you feel inadequate, trapped in the cycle of dieting and keep you stuck in the negative body image habits you've had for years.

Here’s the truth: no diet book or weight-loss program will magically make you love your body. Toss them out and start living instead of dieting.

5. Counting Calories

Calorie counting isn’t a path to health or happiness—it’s a distraction from tuning into your body’s real needs. Listening to your hunger cues and honoring your satiation is far more effective for building a healthy relationship with food and your body.

6. Using Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners may seem like a shortcut, but they keep you rooted in diet culture. Choosing artificial options over real sugar often stems from a fear of weight gain, reinforcing negative body image habits.

Opt for natural choices instead—they’re better for your health and your mindset.

7. Over-Exercising

Pushing yourself to the limit with exercise might feel productive, but it’s actually harmful. Your body needs rest to recover and thrive.

Scaling back on intense workouts doesn’t mean you’re giving up—it means you’re creating balance and a healthier relationship with movement.

8. Eating and Drinking Diet Products

Low-fat, no-carb, and diet-friendly products are all part of the problem. They keep you mentally tethered to diet culture and deny your body the nutrients it truly needs.

Choose full-fat, real versions of foods that nourish your body and mind.

Listen to the Podcast

In this episode, I dive deeper into these habits and provide actionable steps to overcome them. Breaking free from negative body image habits is a powerful step toward living a life of freedom, self-love, and confidence.

Share the Love

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs it. Together, we can help more people escape diet prison and embrace a healthier, happier way of living.

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“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't achieve it.”

― Jordan Belfort

I probably wouldn't have put it so harshly, but there's a hint of truth in Belfort's words.

When we're in the trenches of escaping diet prison, when things get hard and we feel challenged, we often give in, find an excuse and go back to old (unhealthy, destructive, painful) ways of behaving around food and our body.

It's quite human and there's no shame in it, but if you keep going back to your old ways, you'll never move towards the life you want to live, a life that is worthy of you, a life that is free of obsessive food thoughts and the constant fear of gaining (more) weight and living with a body you hate.

In this episode of Escape Diet Prison, I share the most often repeated excuses to not give up dieting and create a healthful relationship with your body.

It is actually not that bad

This excuse is often said when we’re gaining the first few pounds and we feel super uncomfortable. We then daydream about the glorious time we had when we dieted and binged. It was all so good. We felt so light. We were in control and life wasn’t really that bad at all.

Yeah…

But what about my health?

Gaining weight is often associated with diseases. And having a BMI over 25 is said to be so lethal that we do anything to stay under that critical number.

Well, these are lies made up by the pharmaceutical and the diet industry. We live longest with a higher BMI, which is quite a surprising fact considering that overweight is said to be so deadly. We also know that the BMI was lowered by the pharmaceutical industry in 1998 and suddenly, millions of people woke up being considered overweight and at risk without any of their doing.

So, yeah, I am not buying this one.

For the facts and backgrounds, read Health at Every Size. It's a brilliant and critical book that everyone should read.

I don’t have the time to focus on healing

Just think of how much time you are spending now on obsessing over food, preparing food, reading diet books and blogs, weighing yourself, worrying about your weight and exercising.

How much more time would you have if you took the time now to focus on your inner wellbeing?

I won’t be able to stop eating

This excuse is a biggie and it comes up the most. Often times, we’ve experienced this in the past and are terrified that it will happen again.

But it doesn’t have to. And you'll never find out if you don't try (again).

It is not going to happen to me anyway

Yes, it will. I never thought that I could stop worrying about food and I did.

I never thought that I could stop overexercising and I did.

I never thought I could be happy and I am.

Listen to the podcast to get the full scoop and do share your excuses in the comments below.

Love and light,

Ready to get more support? Join my free Escape Diet Prison Facebook group here.

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We all have them: the fat days.

We wake up, we look in the mirror and we feel bleh, ugly, fat.

When you're breaking out of diet prison, these days can destroy all your good intentions and your commitment to staying off the weight loss sites and choosing a path of sanity and wholeness.

Fat days often come out of the blue and it's difficult to handle them once they're there. All you want to do is stay at home, eat ice cream and cry - because what's the point of going out in the world if you're just so darn fat, right?

Well, if you've read my blogs and listened to my podcasts for a while, you know that all of this is in our head. It's made up, it's imaginary, it's not true.

Here's the science behind it:

Feeling thin or fat is an illusion constructed in our posterior parietal cortex—an area of the brain that integrates sensory information from different parts of the body. Unlike your sense of touch, there are no specialized receptors in your body that send information to the brain about the size and shape of your body parts, says lead study author Henrik Ehrsson, MD, PhD.

"Instead, the brain appears to create a map of the body by integrating signals from the relevant body parts such as skin, joints and muscles, along with visual cues," he says.*

Good to know, right? But this doesn't make those fat days any less painful and annoying.

That's why I share my favorite way of dealing with fat days and how to prepare yourself for them in this episode of Escape Diet Prison.

Love and light,

Want more meditation tracks? Purchase the entire Finally Free - Guided Meditations To Freedom From Emotional Eating album here.

Here's how meditation helped me beat binge eating once and for all.

Ready to get more support? Join my free Escape Diet Prison Facebook group here.

*http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/emotional-health/tips-beating-fat-day

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On March 23rd 2011, I checked myself into a treatment facility to finally recover from anorexia and various other eating disorders.

It was a scary and excited day and so, since the 5 year anniversary of my recovery just happened, I decided to dedicate an entire episode of Escape Diet Prison to the wins and losses in this time.

Recovery from anorexia is a delicate process and it happens differently for anyone but there are a few common skills that everyone has to learn in order to live a life of freedom from the overwhelming thoughts about food and the body.

When I look at photos of myself during this time, my eyes were hollow, there was no joy on my face or strength in my body. I was beat by a 14-year long battle with myself and I was ready to move on and get healthy.

But I wasn't really. Something inside of me was still struggling, fighting and kicking, not wanting to be normal, have a real body or be able to function. Something inside of me wanted to stay sick in order to not have to function in the world and possible fail - not because of a sick body but because of "normal" human experiences.

Staying sick gave me the chance to stay small and stuck. It was safe to not eat, safe to not be able to study, safe to only focus on calories and workouts.

That's why my recovery story is one that isn't told easily - is there such a thing as an easy recovery? - but it does have a happy end; an end that keeps on giving and going.

I don't know what the future holds. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but today I know that I've never been healthier in my body, that I've never had a more sane relationship with food and exercise and that I never ever ever want to go back to the behaviors that almost cost me my life.

If you are still struggling and fighting anorexia or any other eating disorder, this is an episode that will show you that there is hope - no matter how messy your recovery is.

Love and light,

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When you’ve been painfully riding the Diet bandwagon for years and you have no clue what your body wants, what hunger and fullness really is and what it means to have a normal relationship with food, a No Diet Diet might be just what you need .

A No Diet Diet is a certain amount of time where you choose to step off the diet bandwagon and instead begin to listen to your body when it comes to hunger and satiation cues.

It’s about relearning what it’s like too live in tune with your body and discover what actually feels nourishing and grounding to your unique body.

When you decide to go on a No Diet Diet, it’s important to follow some guidelines to know how to deal with weight gain.

Don’t weigh yourself in this time. No matter what happens, weighing is not an option.

Don’t restrict during this time. This is your time to explore and have fun with food. Let go of the restriction, let go of the need to control and relax into what happens if you enjoy life and food. This is how you can really know how to deal with weight gain.

Don’t punish yourself for eating more than you wanted. When you begin your No Diet Diet, you’ll probably “overeat” at times and that is totally OK. Don’t punish yourself or go into self-blame and self-hate. Normal eaters overeat too. It is part of a living and breathing creature.

Don’t abort this process because you’re getting scared, because you’re gaining weight or because you feel it’s not working. You’ve committed to a certain time of not dieting and it matters that you do it until the end. Otherwise, you’ll never know how awesome life without diets can be.

When you feel like you’ve gained tons of weight and you have no clue how to deal with it, remember a few things:

You are probably coming out of a restrictive mindset. If you then begin to eat in a more intuitive way, you may gain weight initially. When you start to eat a sufficient amount of protein, you gain lean tissue mass faster than you lose body fat.

Look at the bigger picture – what are your bigger goals in life, love, job and relationships?

Wear different clothes during this time of transition. Don’t squeeze yourself into clothes that sit too tight and get rid of your skinny clothes once and for all. Make this transition as comfortable for yourself as possible.

Did you keep your weight artificially low by dieting? If so, of course you’ll gain weight if your body has a higher setpoint. If you want to know how to deal with weight gain, you must know this as well.

Do you use the No Diet Diet as permission to overeat and indulge overly? Is your brain in a free for all place because you’ve been restricting for so long?

How have you been feeling while on the No Diet Diet? The way you feel is so so so much more important than your weight. Check in with yourself and ask if you’ve been feeling better or worse since you’ve stopped dieting.

Enjoy this episode of Escape Diet Prison and do share it if it helped or inspired you.

Love and light,