The fourth and final in our Back to Basics Series (following a set list of: (1)Do I Have a Problem? (2)How Did I Get Here? and (3)A Recovery Toolbox). This episode looks at what recovery looks like from a process perspective. How does it actually look as you go along?

• How long does it take to recover?
• Stef's Tetris analogy -- what if you've been working on recovery forever and your behaviors don't change?
• Where do the feelings of discomfort (hopelessness, despair, insecurity, anxiety, depression) go when food is not the outlet? What happens to them in recovery?
• The Whack-a-Mole phenomenon
• What if you feel hopeless a lot?
• How do you know if you're ready to recovery? How do you become ready?
• Does it matter what age you are when you recover?
• Can you focus too much on recovery?
• Sarah's theory of "State A and State B"
• The Dahlia; nature's instinct to expand and contract
• Trauma and recovery

RESOURCES:

• Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (starts January 29 2024):  https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin 
• Book: Body Positive Power by Megan Jayne Crabbe
• Book: The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – [email protected]

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin 

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist 

Sarah’s book I Can’t Stop Eating is available on Amazon

The third in a four-part series of Back to Basics; this episode reviews helpful tools for recovery from disordered eating and eating disorders. Tools include cognitive, somatic, emotional, behavioral/practical resources to support your recovery with a list of helpful accounts, books, podcasts, and links below. 

• Education from social media, books, podcasts, etc
• The case for regular eating
• How ghrelin works
• "All-in" recovery or a gradual approach?
• Does body size matter if you do all-in? Is it easier to do in a smaller body? The part of the conversation that gets glossed over on social media.
• Is it true that you ALWAYS gain weight in recovery?
• Why is self awareness important?
• Tools we used for increased self-awareness
• The various approaches to self-compassion
• Retreats, including Sarah's highly recommended UK retreat (and the US version)
• Inner child work

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – [email protected]

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist 

Sarah’s book I Can’t Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course - starts January 29 2024: https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin 

RESOURCES:

Books:

Free audio recording of Sarah’s book: https://youtu.be/Qr5qmQxiutw?si=RdTf9q07wNbmWniE

The Fuck It Diet by Caroline Dooner

Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch (featured on LAD Episodes 102 & 103)

Body Neutrality by Jessi Kneeland

More Than a Body by Lindsay & Lexie Kite

The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

Recovery accounts:

Sarah’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/thebingeeatingtherapist

https://www.instagram.com/iamstefaniemichele/

https://www.instagram.com/the_binge_eating_therapist/

https://www.instagram.com/intuitive.eating.ireland/

https://www.instagram.com/intuitive.eating.ni/

https://www.instagram.com/mkaincoaching/

https://www.instagram.com/knacoaching/

https://www.instagram.com/bingefreeandbeautiful/

https://www.instagram.com/body_peace_liberation

https://www.instagram.com/theeatingdisordertherapist

https://www.instagram.com/theeatingdisordernutritionist

Nondiet fitness accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/elenakunickird/

https://www.instagram.com/amysnellingpt/

https://www.instagram.com/sizeinclusiveyoga

Body Image accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/jessikneeland/

https://www.instagram.com/mybodypositivehome/

https://www.instagram.com/bodyimagewithbri/

Sarah’s favourite YouTube yoga channels:

https://www.youtube.com/@yogawithkassandra and https://www.youtube.com/@yogawithadriene

Byron Katie’s method: https://thework.com/ and her examples on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=byron+katie

The retreat Sarah’s always banging on about:

https://www.heros-journey.co.uk/

LAD Episode mentions:

Episode 107: Journaling

Episodes 101-103: Intuitive Eating Series

Episode 87: Highly Sensitive Person

Episode 56: Food planning/logging

Episode 57: Trauma and eating

Sarah’s guided meditations: https://youtu.be/uhFEtY4Drs0?si=vrGgIDth0fQTLQgk https://youtu.be/4qRtno0UBjI?si=jGf3TKRI_PxXVIni https://youtu.be/HbiBvGoPnVA?si=2ww0kuYztUxuWEwo

Journal with Sarah: https://youtu.be/MMr5IhwgBL4?si=TsnmizIpmKpNyPBJ

Podcasts:

Second in a four-part Back to Basics Series, this episode looks at the question of how we develop disordered eating, eating disorders, and body image issues. What causes it to get so...well, disordered... for some people and not for others? 

• The Minnesota Starvation Experiment
• Social and Family influences
• Growing up in the 80s, 90s and 2000s
• Why do some people develop a disorder and not others?
• Perfectionism and black and white thinkers
• The role of Self esteem
• Nature or nurture?
• The role of trauma and the nervous system
• The Primal Brain
• Mental Restriction
• Stef's Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course for beginners - starts January 29 2024:  https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin 

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – [email protected]

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist 

Sarah’s book I Can’t Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (for beginners - starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin 

The first in a four-part series called: Back to Basics to explore the foundational concepts of disordered eating and eating disorders from the ground floor. We hear from so many people who weren't aware that their experiences had a name, or that other people are dealing with them, too. In this first session, we're looking at the question: Do I Have a Problem? Is what I'm dealing with considered a disorder? Is it binge eating? Restricting? Orthorexia? What if I'm just an emotional eater?

• Do you need to have a diagnosis to listen to this podcast or get "help"?
• Binge Eating, Restriction, Orthorexia, Bulimia, and Chronic Dieting
• What's the difference between ED and disordered eating?
• Is it helpful to name the problem? Do we need labels? A few ways of looking at it
• If you stop binge eating and you just overeat, is your issue more stigmatized? Now it's not even a "real" eating disorder?
• What is binge eating?
• "Normal amounts of food" is highly subjective
• Does "normal eating" even exist nowadays??
• What constitutes "restriction"?
• Whats the difference between "normal healthy eating" and orthorexia? Stef offers three criteria for consideration
• Are anxious attachment styles more susceptible to EDs?
• When does emotional eating become a disorder
• When does body image distress become disordered?
• What can community do?
• Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin

  Join the LAD Membership

  Connect with us!

  Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

  Email – [email protected]

  Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

  Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

  Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

  YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist 

  Sarah’s book I Can’t Stop Eating is available on Amazon

  Connect with Stefanie Michele

  Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

   

Two annoucements! Join our mailing list if you want to be in the know about upcoming events in the UK this May 2024; and our next four episodes will be a Back To Basics Series.

Now on to this week's episode...we're reflecting on the past year and looking ahead to the new one, but not in the mainstream fashion of toxic positivity or or New Year New Me crap. If you need to get away from that energy, this one's for you. It's a silly-ish one.

• Our words and intentions for 2023 -- how did we do??
• Writing a book?
• Sarah's reflection on her year of nomading and her new word for 2024
• Sarah helps Stef pick a word because she doesn't want to pick a word but also sort of does
• What does makeup have to do with it?
• Frivolous bullshit
• What can you possibly take from this episode? (we do get there)

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – [email protected]

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist 

Sarah’s book I Can’t Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (for beginners - starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin 

We believe that authenticity can have to do with our relationship with food. In this episode, we explore those intersections and tell personal stories abour our own experiences with authenticity and how that has impacted our behaviors with food.

• The definition of authenticity
• How it feels to be authentic...and to be not authentic
• Can disordered eating behaviors come from an authentic place?
• "Racket feelings"
• A look at authenticity through a "Parts Work" lens
• Inauthenticity, roles, and family
• Where does authenticity go when we feel triggered?
• Authenticity and friendship
• Authenticity and marriage
• Is too much authenticity not a good thing?
• Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (for beginners - starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin 

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – [email protected]

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist 

Sarah’s book I Can’t Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (for beginners - starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin 

Catastrophizing things like what we've eaten or how much weight we've gained (for example) can often led to despair or fear-based decision-making. In this conversation, we explore what catastrophization is, why we do it, and strategies to deal with it. We also discuss:

• Feelings of catastrophization post binge
• "Meta-eating" as a version of catastrophizing (meta-eating is Stef's terminology for eating more because you're upset that you're eating)
• What's the problem with catastrophizing, ultimately?
• What are we supposed to DO when we feel this way? What can help?
• The role of doubt
• Reality testing -- is is smart to compare our fears to realities, especially when it comes to body image?
• Is it easier to catastrophize than to feel things?
• Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (for beginners - starts January 29 2024): COURSE DETAILS

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – [email protected]

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist 

Sarah’s book I Can’t Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (for beginners - starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin 

Body Image Webinar + Workbook: https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/get-started/p/bodyimage

Aside from body image, health seems to be one of the biggest concerns about gaining weight. Because weight gain is common for many people recovering from eating disorders, health is a big sticking point making recovery harder and more complicated. In this episode, we're looking at the relationship between weight and health, to include:

• Stef explains why she can't look at her bloodwork results as the episode records
• Separating the impact of binge eating (and restriction!!) on health versus weight
• Defining "health at every size"
• Does health decrease when BMI increases? An anecdote.
• Why isn't the desire for better health enough to get us to stop eating in a disordered way?
• The relationship between health and our self-esteem
• The rebel response -- what's that got to do with health?
• Mental health as a gateway to physical health
• The power of lowering expectations
• Why don't we want to take care of ourselves when we're feeling low? Why wouldn't we want to help ourselves? The concept of self-sabotage.
• The difference between being broken and just being lost or in a freeze state
• The role of shame
• Health and fearmongering
• Regulating the nervous system as a strategy
• The Roseto Effect
• https://www.tbsnews.net/thoughts/roseto-effect-secret-long-life-512826

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – [email protected]

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Somatic Experiencing and Nervous System Regulation Course (for beginners - starts January 29 2024): https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin 

Body Image Webinar + Workbook: https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/get-started/p/bodyimage

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist 

Sarah’s book I Can’t Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Geneen Roth coined the terms "permitters" and "restrictors" to differentiate between two types of (disordered) eaters -- the latter, who tend to restrict food and adhere to food rules and regulations; and the former, who reject food rules and regulations. The rule-followers vs the rebels, if you will.

Which camp do you identify with? 

What can we learn about ourselves and our relationship with food through the lens of these concepts? We'll discuss:

• What does it look like to be a permitter vs a restrictor?
• Overeaters Anonymous meetings felt like a meeting of restrictors for Sarah; but not for Stef
• The importance of choice in our mentality
• Sarah's experience at the gym and having to "set goals"
• What if you are both a permitter AND a restrictor?
• The goal is not just learning how to say yes or no to food; the goal may be to learn how to regulate ourselves and find the wise mind.
• Hmmm...but how do we do that??
• Activation can occur as a result of imminent danger or emotional danger

Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – [email protected]

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Stefanie Michele:

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

NEW! Nervous System Regulation Course: https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/sebegin

Body Image Webinar + Workbook: https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/get-started/p/bodyimage

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh:

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist 

Sarah’s book I Can’t Stop Eating is available on Amazon

If we're no longer dieting, should we keep all of our trigger foods and/or "fear foods" in the house? Will we just end up eating them all and feeling MORE out of control? On the other hand, would it be restricting to not have them around? It's complicated! We're here to talk about the nuances of this question, including:

• Does not keeping foods in your house mean the same thing as abstaining from those foods altogether?
• Stef’s client story: can it be a bad idea to bring foods into the house?
• Inserting a “reactionary gap” – the pause between wanting the food and eating it
• Restrictors vs Permitters – does this have an influence on the approach of keeping foods in the house or not?
• The recovery stage hierarchy
• The difference between “allowing all foods” versus truly feeling peaceful with those foods
• The issue of impulsivity
• Who/what is your voice of "no"? (and the parent on the soccer field)
• Have you "failed" at intuitive eating if you have the foods in the house and still want to binge on them?
• What if there is just one certain food that you just cannot habituate?
• What comes first: belief changes or behavior changes?

This episode was livestreamed to our Community during recording. To join our community and gain access to live episodes, bonus Ask Us Anything episodes, monthly support meetings, and an active (and highly supportive!) Facebook group, Join the LAD Membership

Connect with the show!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterdietspodcast/

Email – [email protected]

Website – www.lifeafterdietspodcast.com

Connect with Sarah Dosanjh

Website – www.thebingeeatingtherapist.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBingeEatingTherapist 

Sarah’s book I Can’t Stop Eating is available on Amazon

Connect with Stefanie Michele

Website – www.iamstefaniemichele.com

Body Image Webinar + Workbook: https://www.iamstefaniemichele.com/get-started/p/bodyimage