The Fit & Free Podcast

If you’re constantly thinking about food, stressing over your calorie budget, losing control around food and restricting to make up for it this episode is for you…

“It’s September and you’re already talking about Christmas?!”

You bet I am! I’m absolutely OBSESSED with Christmas—everything from decorating the tree to, of course enjoying the food! 🎄✨ But it wasn’t always like that for me. Years ago, the holidays were a source of anxiety and stress for me when it came to food and calories.

That’s why in this episode, I share my story on how I let my fear of calories lead to binge-restrict cycles, and consume my holidays, causing me to miss out on memories with loved ones, as well as how I was able to completely turn that around, to the point where the holidays are now filled with excitement, connection, and the ability to enjoy food without guilt SO THAT YOU CAN DO IT TOO ❤️.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- How to overcome your struggles with binge-restrict cycles during the holidays.

- How to be present and enjoy food without anxiety.

- Why improving your relationship with food makes achieving your body composition goals 10x easier.

- How addressing both strategy and mindset is key to breaking free from calorie obsession.

P.S. Please review my podcast, as it really helps get it out to more women that need to hear this. Review here: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fit-free-podcast/id1651978022

P.S.S. No idea how much and what to eat to lose fat & build muscle? Wanna find out EXACTLY what you should be doing next to lose cm off your waist, and tone your body ONCE AND FOR ALL? Take this quiz:

https://lauraswingler.mykajabi.com/plateaued

I’m on such a high after an amazing conversation with my long-term client, Liz. Her story is SO inspiring, and I’m thrilled to share it with you. Liz was once just like many of you, struggling with her body image, and trapped in binge-restrict cycles. But her journey shows what’s possible when you start focusing on the right things.

In this episode, we’ll dive into:

- How she went from lacking confidence to being completely leaned out, free from binge-restrict cycles, and empowered in her body.

- How she overcame her fear of food, ditched the swollen lower belly, and embraced intuitive eating.

- The powerful mindset transformation that allowed Liz to value herself, trust her body, and take control of her own nutrition & exercise strategy.

- The incredible shift that gave Liz the confidence to train for a half marathon and believe in her ability to achieve whatever she sets her mind to.

Liz’s story is a testament to the power of valuing yourself and trusting your journey. If you’ve ever felt stuck, struggling with confidence, or chasing an idea of perfection, this episode is for you. I really hope this inspires you to take the action YOU need to create the change YOU want in your life.

P.S. Please review my podcast, as it really helps get it out to more women that need to hear this. Review here: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fit-free-podcast/id1651978022

P.S.S. No idea how much and what to eat to lose fat & build muscle? Wanna find out EXACTLY what you should be doing next to lose cm off your waist, and tone your body ONCE AND FOR ALL? Take this quiz:

https://lauraswingler.mykajabi.com/plateaued

If you’ve ever felt stuck losing weight, gaining it back, and never being truly happy with your body composition, then this episode is a must-listen.

In this powerful episode, I’m diving into one of the most common questions I get asked as a nutritionist: 

“Should I cut, bulk, or recomp?”

And before you decide that you already know you should just be in a “cut” or calorie deficit, which is what most women THINK they should be doing, just listen to the episode because it may surprise you.

This episode will give you the clarity you need to make the best decision for where you’re at in your fitness journey right now. I'll break down exactly what each phase is all about and how to choose the one that aligns with your goals.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

- Why understanding nutritional phases is crucial for lasting results 

- The biggest mistake people make in their nutrition plans (and how to avoid it)   

- Why fear of weight gain can sabotage your progress and keep you stuck in a vicious cycle

P.S. Please review my podcast, as it really helps get it out to more women that need to hear this. Review here: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fit-free-podcast/id1651978022

P.S.S. No idea how much and what to eat to lose fat & build muscle? Wanna find out EXACTLY what you should be doing next to lose cm off your waist, and tone your body ONCE AND FOR ALL? Take this quiz:

https://lauraswingler.mykajabi.com/plateaued

In this episode I'm interviewing my amazing client, Claudia, who just completed her first 12 weeks inside the Fit & Free Academy. Claudia’s story is truly inspirational, and I’m so grateful she decided to share it.

We dive deep into Claudia’s starting point: her struggles with under eating and over exercising—how she found herself trapped in a cycle of extremely low calories and daily workouts that consumed her life. She talks about her experience with extreme 400-500 calorie diets, as well as pushing herself with daily cardio and steps, and having little to nothing to show for it in terms of physique results.

Then, we talk about where she's at right now, and how she's not only seeing ACTUAL toning results 🍑🍑, but doing it with a new-found sense of freedom and balance.

I hope Claudia’s journey shows you that with the right mindset, exercise, and nutrition strategy, it’s totally possible for you to break free and achieve your goals in a sustainable, healthy way. ❤️

P.S. Please review my podcast, as it really helps get it out to more women that need to hear this. Review here: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fit-free-podcast/id1651978022

P.S.S. No idea how much and what to eat to lose fat & build muscle? Wanna find out EXACTLY what you should be doing next to lose cm off your waist, and tone your body ONCE AND FOR ALL? Take this quiz:

https://lauraswingler.mykajabi.com/plateaued

When it comes to over-eating on the weekend, there are 2 types of patterns:

⠞Pattern 1 goes a little something like this:

You’ve been hardcore dieting all week, restricting calories, and eating “clean” foods. By the time the weekend hits, you think, “I’ve been so good, I deserve a treat.” But all of a sudden that treat turns into an explosion of so many calories. The guilt sets in, and you feel like you’ve ruined your progress. You tell yourself you need to be even stricter next week, maybe add in some extra cardio to undo the “damage.”

Or maybe you’re just craving the foods you’ve deprived yourself of all week. A doughnut turns into three, and before you know it, you’ve hit the “fuck it” button, deciding to go all-out the entire weekend and start fresh on Monday.

⠞ The other one goes a little like this:

You’re CONSTANTLY restricting because you’re terrified of eating too much and undoing your progress. But every time you go out—whether it’s a social event, a movie, or a family dinner—you lose control. You overeat, feel extreme guilt, beat yourself up for days, and then go back to hardcore restriction.

The emotional toll this cycle takes is immense. It robs you of happiness, affects your relationships, and changes how you show up in all areas of your life—whether in your career, at home, with your kids, or with your partner. ❤️

That’s why this episode is all about helping you break free from these destructive patterns. We’ll explore why it’s happening, so you can finally understand why you’re stuck in this cycle and how to stop it.

If you’ve ever felt trapped by overeating and the guilt that follows, this episode is for you. 🔥

P.S. Please review my podcast, as it really helps get it out to more women that need to hear this. Review here: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fit-free-podcast/id1651978022

P.S.S. No idea how much and what to eat to lose fat & build muscle? Wanna find out EXACTLY what you should be doing next to lose cm off your waist, and tone your body ONCE AND FOR ALL? Take this quiz:

https://lauraswingler.mykajabi.com/plateaued

From the age of 16 to 26, food controlled my life. People admired my discipline, my dedication to the gym, and my ability to say no to high calorie “bad” foods. But the truth was, it wasn’t about health or discipline for me—it was about self-loathing and control. Food noise consumed me, and I know I’m not alone in this struggle.

That’s why in this episode, we dive deep into the concept of *food noise*—that constant mental chatter about food, calories, and meal planning that can dominate your thoughts and interfere with your daily life.

If you’ve ever found yourself lying in bed at night obsessing over calories, or if social events make you anxious because they don’t fit into your plan, and could therefore undo your progress, then I am talking to YOU ❤️.

We’re going to cover the signs of food noise, such as:

- Constantly worrying about food choices and feeling guilty about eating higher-calorie foods.

- Beating yourself up for going over your calorie limit or avoiding foods because you can’t track them.

- Being stuck in a cycle of overeating and under-eating.

This episode uncovers:
1. Why you might be experiencing food noise and how it developed.

2. Why food noise is bad, and how it slows or even completely STOPS you from achieving body composition goals.

3. Practical steps to silence the food noise and get back control over your life.

4. Why it’s important to address the issue ASAP due to the long term health and mental wellbeing implications.

P.S. Please review my podcast, as it really helps get it out to more women that need to hear this. Review here: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fit-free-podcast/id1651978022

P.S.S. No idea how much and what to eat to lose fat & build muscle? Wanna find out EXACTLY what you should be doing next to lose cm off your waist, and tone your body ONCE AND FOR ALL? Take this quiz:

https://lauraswingler.mykajabi.com/plateaued

To my ladies who are still under the impression that eating more carbs is going to make them gain weight, and that they can’t achieve their dream body if they’re eating carbs…

I GET IT. We see it all over social media: people saying

“don’t eat this food”,

“don’t eat that food”,

“cut out carbs”,

“do keto”

“do paleo”…

so it’s SO HARD to know what to believe, and especially if you’re not happy with your body, it’s easy to latch on to these things because they give us that little shred of hope that this could FINALLY be the thing that is going to get you to where you want to be…

…but I almost GUARANTEE that if you’re doing this you’re probably also struggling with

😩 Binge restrict cycles

🥱 Low energy

🩸 Not having your period

📉 Not progressing in the gym…

…and overall not happy with your body composition. 🫠

Until you start eating carbs and actually fuelling your body correctly you’re NEVER going to see the results you want in your body, and in this episode I’m going to explain why, and how you can start including them on a daily basis, so that you can start reaching your body composition goals with EASE ✨

P.S. Please review my podcast, as it really helps get it out to more women that need to hear this. Review here: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fit-free-podcast/id1651978022

P.S.S. No idea how much and what to eat to lose fat & build muscle? Wanna find out EXACTLY what you should be doing next to lose cm off your waist, and tone your body ONCE AND FOR ALL? Take this quiz:

https://lauraswingler.mykajabi.com/plateaued

It’s crazy to me that so many women STILL think that they need to always eat in a calorie deficit, or eat really low calories, or cut out certain foods to cut their cals really low or cut out certain foods to see results in their body.

As an example - one of the questions I get asked MOST as a nutritionist is “Should I be eating this food?” Or “Is this a good food, or a bad food?”

It’s wild to me to how much influence diet culture still has on us today… and unfortunately it is this belief and mentality that is holding SO many women back from actually reaching their body composition goals… So do YOU have too many rules & restrictions around food? And could THAT be the thing holding you back from reaching your body composition goals?

Today I take you through 4 really solid signs this is happening to you, and if you’re experiencing any of these, it’s probably a red flag you have too many restrictions in your diet and THAT’s the thing you need to look at. Not the exercise, not a different diet or meal plan, but actually your mindset that you need to work on to be successful.

P.S. Please review my podcast, as it really helps get it out to more women that need to hear this. Review here: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fit-free-podcast/id1651978022

P.S.S. No idea how much and what to eat to lose fat & build muscle? Wanna find out EXACTLY what you should be doing next to lose cm off your waist, and tone your body ONCE AND FOR ALL? Take this quiz:

https://lauraswingler.mykajabi.com/plateaued

This episode is for ALL the people in your life you hold dear to your heart. Your parents, your partner, your friends, and your CHILDREN.

I struggled with my calorie and body obsession for a good 26 years of my life, and since my fiancé Niels and I have been together for 10 years, he’s pretty much seen it all! The good, the bad, and the F%^&ing UGLY.

There were times where the way I treated Niels wasn’t fair at all. I was an irritable, moody bitch at times! I was cold, I was ANGRY. I know I didn’t mean any of it, and all of it had to do with the mental battle that was going on inside my head when it came to food and my body, but I still did that.

That’s why this episode I'm bringing on Niels! I’ve written out a list of questions and Niels has NO IDEA what I’m going to ask him, so this interview is going to be raw, and from the heart. It’s going to be Niels’ point of view, to show you what it was REALLY like dating a person who had such low self-worth, self-esteem, and a poor relationship with food, and what it was REALLY like being married to this cold moody bitch 🙋‍♀️👈…

...AND to normalise that there’s a story behind everyone, and NO-ONE’S life is made up of just a constant social media highlight reel. 

My hope is that this episode opens your eyes and shows you that fixing your constant thoughts about calories IS about you, but it’s also about ALL THE PEOPLE around you that you love, and the impact you have on them! It’s not fair on them, and it’s time to clean this S#$% up.

Let me know if you like it, and I’ll bring him back on!

P.S. Please review my podcast, as it really helps get it out to more women that need to hear this. Review here: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fit-free-podcast/id1651978022

P.S.S. No idea how much and what to eat to lose fat & build muscle? Wanna find out EXACTLY what you should be doing next to lose cm off your waist, and tone your body ONCE AND FOR ALL? Take this quiz:

https://lauraswingler.mykajabi.com/plateaued

Bit of a podcast hiatus, but I’m back! ✌🏽 This episode is about chocolate!…

Kidding obviously… I do love chocolate, but this episode is more about why cutting out the foods you love is the WORST way to get the body you want. It’s a cautionary tale about what happens when I cut out the food I love - CHOCOLATE, to show anyone that is currently going down that road why it’s actually not going to help you with your body composition goals at all.

In this episode I want to take you back in time to tell you about my own experience when I was in my dieting and restricted era. You might look at me nowadays and think that I’ve got it all together when it comes to eating food guilt and shame free, confident in the gym and stuff, but I definitely didn’t used to be that way.

I used to be TERRIFIED of eating more food. I had the WORST relationship with food, and a lot of the things I was doing I didn’t even realise were cockblocking me from actually achieving my body composition goals.

I thought I had to cut out all of these foods like carbs, that I had to eat clean, and wasn’t allowed to have a milky coffee if I wanted to get the body I wanted. I thought it was my lack of willpower and discipline that kept me from reaching the body I wanted. What I didn’t realise is I was missing vital pieces in the puzzle and THAT was the real reason why I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted in my body.

SO this is why I wanted to tell you about my dieting era, with all of the rules and restrictions, so that anyone that currently has ANY rules and restrictions in their diet realises they need to change their strategy because it is INEFFECTIVE.

P.S. Please review my podcast, as it really helps get it out to more women that need to hear this. Review here: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fit-free-podcast/id1651978022

P.S.S. No idea how much and what to eat to lose fat & build muscle? Wanna find out EXACTLY what you should be doing next to lose cm off your waist, and tone your body ONCE AND FOR ALL? Take this quiz:

https://lauraswingler.mykajabi.com/plateaued