Nope, That's Not Normal

In this episode, Jess and Erica share their personal journeys with disordered eating, body image, and movement. Erica offers practical tools for navigating old beliefs with self-compassion while creating a peaceful relationship with food and movement.

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• Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal
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Erica Zayat-Dygos is a certified personal trainer and movement coach who helps people rebuild their relationship with exercise after years of diet culture and disordered movement. Through her work with EveryBODY Moves with Erica, she supports folks in finding ways to move that feel supportive, accessible, and rooted in care, not punishment or control.

Erica’s approach is weight-neutral, size-inclusive, and grounded in the belief that movement can be a powerful tool for mental health, stress relief, and self-connection. She speaks openly about her own experience with disordered behaviors around food and movement, including how those patterns can still show up even years into finding joy in movement, and how she now responds to them with curiosity and compassion rather than judgment.

Her work invites people to let go of “all-or-nothing” rules, tune back into their bodies, and redefine movement in a way that actually fits real life.

• https://www.instagram.com/everybodymoves_witherica/
• https://www.everybodymoveswitherica.com/

In this episode, Jess and Nicola talk about systemic barriers to fertility care and support for folks in fat bodies, the importance of self-advocacy, and practical strategies for navigating healthcare systems where weight stigma is far too common.

• Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/
• Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal
• Subscribe to Nope on Substack: http://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

Nicola Salmon (she/her) is an award-winning fertility advocate, Author of “Fat and Fertile” and fat-positive fertility specialist. She is passionate about supporting fat folks who feel excluded or dismissed by traditional fertility spaces, offering compassionate guidance and evidence-based support to help them navigate their fertility journey without diets, shame, or stigma. Nicola’s work challenges weight bias in the fertility industry and empowers people to trust their bodies and take control of their reproductive health.

• https://www.instagram.com/fatpositivefertility/
• https://fatpositivefertility.substack.com/podcast
• https://nicolasalmon.co.uk/fat-and-fertile-book
• https://nicolasalmon.co.uk/fertility-roadmap

In this episode, Jess and Mallary chat about the complexities of disordered eating and the healing journey. They explore personal experiences with food, the concept of the 'messy middle' in recovery, and the importance of recognizing “slips” as part of the healing process. Bottom line: for many people, recovery is not a linear path but rather a spectrum of growth and learning, and recognizing this can make the journey a little easier to navigate.

• Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/
• Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

Mallary Tenore Tarpley teaches journalism at UT Austin’s Moody College of Communication and writing at the McCombs School of Business.

Her debut book, SLIP: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery (Simon Element, August 2025), blends memoir and journalism to explore the realities of eating disorders and recovery, drawing on her own story along with clinicians, researchers, and others with lived experience. A 2023 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant supported the book’s science reporting on the neurobiological and genetic sides of eating disorders.

She previously served as associate director of UT Austin’s Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas and executive director of Images & Voices of Hope, where she created the Restorative Narrative storytelling framework. She began her career at The Poynter Institute as managing editor of Poynter.org.

Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, TIME, and Teen Vogue. She also writes a weekly newsletter, Write at the Edge.

She holds a bachelor’s from Providence College and an MFA from Goucher College, and lives in the Austin area with her husband and two children.

• https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Slip/Mallary-Tenore-Tarpley/9781668035016
• https://www.instagram.com/mallarytenoretarpley/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallary-tenore-tarpley-6719484/
• https://mallary.substack.com

In this episode, Jess and Zariel talk about Zariel’s journey of exploring clothing as a healing tool, challenging societal norms, and embracing authentic self-expression. Tune into our conversation to discover how style can be a powerful form of self-care and body positivity.

• Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/
• Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/
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Zariel Grullón is a passionate first-generation Dominican American dietitian who blends her love for culinary heritage with accessible wellness. Growing up as the family’s gordita, she understands cultural body image struggles and helps the Latine community embrace their bodies and confidently reclaim their cultural foods.

Through her weight-neutral, Spanglish-infused approach at Love Your Chichos, Zariel guides individuals to heal from dieting and find joy in their health journey. With experience ranging from the farm to outpatient care, she empowers her clients to tackle health while honoring their culture and independence.

Zariel holds a BS in Biology from Ramapo College of New Jersey and a BS in Nutrition from Montclair State University and completed her DI at the CUNY School of Public Health.

• https://www.instagram.com/loveyourchichos
• https://www.instagram.com/zarielcarmen/

In this episode, Jessica and Oona discuss the nuance of the word “fat” and how to talk about this with children. Oona shares practical tips and strategies for teaching children about this word, both generally and in the moment. (Hint: don’t rush to move past it or say it’s bad!) Whether you want to set this foundation with your own child or you work with or spend time with children, this is a must-listen conversation.

• Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/
• Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

In this episode, Jessica, Vanessa, and Kathryn explore the intricate relationship between attachment styles, food, and body image. Together, they share personal experiences with food and body image along with insights and education around the impact of attachment styles on emotional well-being. Tune in to understand attachment styles as a tool for healing and practical suggestions to explore your own relationships with food and self-worth.

• Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/
• Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

In this episode, Jessica chats with Ashantis Jones about her journey navigating eating disorder recovery and chronic illness. They talk about the societal pressures surrounding body image, the importance of self-advocacy, and practical steps for creating more mindfulness (and why this is important) and unlearning the social and systemic BS.

• Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/
• Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

In this episode, Jessica and Charlotte (who is celebrating the launch of The Body Image Book for Girls, 2nd Edition today!) chat about how to foster a positive, neutral, or at the very least non-diet-culture-focused body image for your child. Charlotte brings research-based insights to this conversation, along with her own experiences as a parent. One of her big tips: fake it till you make it! (Yup, it’s true!)

1. Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/
2. Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

Charlotte Markey, Ph.D., is a world-leading expert in body image research, having studied body image and eating behavior for nearly three decades. She is passionate about understanding what makes us feel good about our bodies and helping people to develop a healthy body image and relationship with food. Charlotte is an experienced book author, research scientist, clinician, speaker, and psychology professor at Rutgers University, Camden.

Charlotte loves to talk with tweens, teens, parents, and educators about body image and how to improve body image. She is an experienced public speaker and is happy to talk with groups in person or virtually.

1. https://www.thebodyimagebook.com/about
2. https://www.instagram.com/char_markey/
3. www.CharlotteMarkey.com
4. www.TheBodyImageBook.com
5. https://www.celiabookshop.com/item/5qjEKC8Omz7jC9_W2i6p9g
6. https://www.amazon.com/Body-Image-Book-Girls-Updated/dp/1009545078

In this episode, Jessica and Tomesha explore the impact of social media on body image and nutrition, specifically the very common “what I eat in a day” video—even those that are “well-meaning.”

They chat about the lack of cultural context and representation in these videos, along with the dangers of diet culture and practical ways to foster a healthier relationship with food and self-awareness.

1. Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/
2. Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

For over a decade, Tomesha Campbell has been a leader in Black women’s health and health literacy. She’s the founder of the Enhance Black Women’s Health Community, where she helps patients, providers, and advocates better understand how research, policy, and lived experience shape care for Black women.

Tomesha is passionate about creating evidence-informed education and community spaces that challenge assumptions in healthcare and center context over quick fixes. Her work spans public health education, weight-inclusive nutrition, and patient-centered advocacy. Tomesha holds a Master’s degree in Sustainable International Development and is a NESTA Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach and Precision Nutrition Level 2 Master Coach. She’s based in the Greater Boston area with her rescue dog, Penny Deena.

1. EBWHCommunity.com
2. https://substack.com/@ebwh

In this episode, Jessica and Julie explore...

1. Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/
2. Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

Julie Duffy Dillon is a Registered Dietitian and Host of Find Your Food Voice®, a popular long running nutrition podcast. She also writes the PCOS Health with Intuitive Eating Newsletter on Substack. Through speaking and writing, she helps people with PCOS strategize how to balance blood sugar, increase energy, and improve their body image. Her work has been featured on TLC and in the New York Times, Outside Magazine, Shape and other outlets. She is the author of the book, Find Your Food Voice (Hachette, 2025.) Learn more about Julie at JulieDuffyDillon.com

1. Website: https://julieduffydillon.com/
2. Newsletter: https://findyourfoodvoice.substack.com/
3. Podcast: https://julieduffydillon.com/podcast/
4. Book: https://julieduffydillon.com/book/
5. Book bonus downloads: https://findyourfoodvoicebook.com