LU 049: Erica Leon – Free yourself from chaotic patterns of yoyo-dieting and overexercising.

Download Episode! Hey, lovely radicals... podcast time! This week on the "Life. Unrestricted." podcast, I get to talk to Erica Leon from Westchester County, New York. Erica holds a Bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Cornell University and a Master’s degree in clinical nutrition from New York University. Erica works with clients all over the globe - by all technical means necessary -, people who struggle with food, their body, and people who want to overcome years of dieting or being stuck in disordered eating. She meets people where they are at and guides them to a better relationship to food and their body with a non-diet approach. She has 25 years of experience under her belt and her career has included working in hospitals, corporations and colleges. Ultimately combining all of her skills and interests, she established a private nutrition practice over 15 years ago. As a Certified Eating Disorders Registered Dietitian (CEDRD) she also volunteers on the Board of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals, she has written professional articles on nutritions, she frequently gives talks, and she has often been quoted in the media on topics such as eating disorder prevention and childhood weight issues. Today, you’ll hear Erica talk about: – How she remembers being in a body felt like as a child – Where she internalized the message that her body was too big – What the role of her family was in the development of her relationship to food – What counting and tracking points/calories can do to our self-image – Why it is so important to curate your social media feed, and to look at bodies in all shapes and sizes – Why striving for "a flat stomach" is complete BS, and why having belly-fat is, in fact, important for a woman’s overall health as she gets older – Why it is crucial to realize that we are all so much more than a body – How it can be helpful to think about what we would love our legacy to be – How long she lived with her own internal diet-mindset – How she got into the field of nutrition – Why she was working in the marketing department for a weight-loss company (and what memories about her connection to one of Oprah’s many weight-loss incidents still make her cringe) – How she herself unknowingly contributed to diet-culture and its message that "thin is better" – What made her realize that something was not right – How working with eating disorders helped her on her own journey – What she would tell her younger self with the knowledge she has now – Why women often automatically objectify themselves according to what they see in the media and in ads – Why she loves the "Poodle Science" video of the Academy of Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) – The problem with today’s celebrity worshipping culture and the unfortunate influence they have on our children’s self-esteem – How she’s helping one of her clients with exercise bulimia – What the key ingredient is in the journey to give up lifelong dieting, as well as recovering from disordered eating or eating disorders – Why it takes time, self-compassion, patience and community to heal our societally damaged body image and how we relate to food and weight – How she curated her social media feed and left all the groups (and unfollowed/unfriended people) that were repeatedly engaging in of diet- and weight-loss-talk – Why social media opened up a whole new world for her and made her realize that she wasn’t the only one AT ALL who was preaching the non-diet approach to health – Why it is so hard for the old paradigm-believers to change their minds – What kind of transformations she gets to witness in her practice... ... And so much more! Check out Erica’s website: www.ericaleon.com Here’s the link to the wonderful "Poodle Science" video of the Academy of Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H89QQfXtc-k Make sure to support the podcast by becoming a "Patreon", so that I can keep producing it and help as many people as possible. Thank you! Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/lifeunrestricted If you want this sort of badassery to come to your phone automatically, please DO subscribe on iTunes (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/ch/podcast/life.-unrestricted.-podcast/id1130713233?mt=2 or on Stitcher (Android): http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=93987&refid; ********* Don't forget!********* Feel free to join my tribe and meet some of the most supportive, loving and kind people of all shapes and sizes, including great coaches and leaders! We’re right over here at: http://www.lifeunrestricted.org/join/