This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com

Anti-Diet Dietitian Leah Kern joins the pod to discuss her experience with all the ways that the “crunchy granola identity” can create a funnel into disordered eating, body image struggles, and overall suffering. She and Abbie share their experiences with anxiety, the intersection of spirituality and environmentalism, and how the personal responsibility narrative can become harmful with food choices.

Listen to hear more on:

- Leah’s experience with disordered eating

- Her path to becoming a dietitian

- How she found healing through intuitive eating

- Orthorexia and being "the healthy one"

- How "clean eating" intersects with spirituality

- The complex relationship between anxiety and eating disorders

- Choosing medication for anxiety

- When environmental awareness contributes to restrictive eating

- Whether cannabis use can coexist with intuitive eating

- The importance of social connection in a fulfilling life

- The themes of authenticity and self-identity with food choices

- How societal pressures and diet culture can distort one's sense of self

- The emotional aspects of eating

About Leah: Leah Kern is an Anti-Diet Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who helps people make peace with food and body using the Health At Every Size (HAES) and Intuitive Eating frameworks. Upon graduating from UVM and earning her RDN, Leah built a thriving private practice, doing the exact work she feels she was put on this earth to do. Leah believes that the work involved with unraveling years of conditioning in diet culture and learning to come home to one’s body is deeply spiritual work and she treats it as such. She currently lives in Northern California with her partner and their two kitties. 

Leah’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shoulders-down/id1616910063

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

 

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

 

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

 

Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

 

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by author Paulette Stout, who opens up about her own healing journey — one that moved her from self-judgement and secrecy to self-compassion and rebellion.

Her act of radical defiance this year? Buying clothes that fit now. Not in May. Not “once she shrinks.” But in the body she has today. That shift alone says: I deserve to take up space. Right here, right now.

Paulette’s new novel centers a character healing from an eating disorder, but it’s not just about the food — it’s about rejoining life.

In our conversation, we talk about the deep loneliness that often accompanies body shame and disordered eating — the eating in the dark, the secrecy, the fear of being “found out.” We also talk about the sacred power of story: how fiction can be a mirror, a soft place to land, and a spark for change.

Tune in to hear more about:

- Paulette's journey with body image and dieting

- How diet culture creates a constant pressure to conform to societal standards

- Food as a source of joy, not shame

- Writing as a powerful tool for advocacy and change

- How cultural backgrounds shape perceptions of food and body image

- Isolation that accompanies disordered eating

- How to stand up against diet culture in everyday life

- Her saying: “It's a them problem, not a me problem.”

- Navigating social situations while recovering from an eating disorder

- Whether to “educate” others about anti-fat bias

- Self-acceptance as a journey

- Setting boundaries after healing from diet culture

- Using literature and story telling to challenge cultural norms

- Why Paulette wrote this book and this story

About Paulette Stout:

Read in 43 countries, Paulette Stout is the 17-time award-winning author of fast paced contemporary women’s fiction that tackles social issues often ignored. Fans call her work “Brave”, “Spicy”, and a “Mesmerizing tapestry of realism.” Her stories feature brave characters finding their voices and transforming into their best selves, while finding love along the way. Paulette is also the co-host of The Best of Book Marketing Podcast and works by day as the Director of Brand & Content Strategy at a global software company. Her fourth novel, What We Give Away, released in February.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Group program:

Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

 Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com

The first part of this episode is free, the second part is for paid subscribers. Upgrade to paid on Substack right here

Can we ever get enough support with our body image? Probably not. So, Abbie welcomes Deb Schachter, an incredible therapist who specializes in body image, for a deeper dive into the messy, multi-dimensional nature of body image. 

This conversation touches on analogies and helpful reframes that we haven't yet talked about on the pod -- full of lightbulb moments -- so it's an episode you won't want to miss.

In the episode, we explore:

-How societal pressures shape how we feel in our bodies

-The role of humor and vulnerability in body image work

-How to move through painful comparison

-Whether self-acceptance can make our relationships safer

-What it really means to “improve” your body image (hint: it’s not what we’ve been sold)

Plus, behind the paywall on Substack, we get even more personal and talk about:

-How sex and intimacy are impacted by body image

-Why body image is so difficult in perimenopause

-How to navigate the fear that your partner isn’t attracted to you

-Some truly tangible ways to cope in bad body image moments

If you’ve ever wished for a body image conversation that held more depth, more truth, more permission to be human — this is the one. I hope you enjoy it!

Upgrade to paid on Substack right here to listen to the full episode.

Deb Schachter is nationally recognized as a leading clinician in the areas of body image and eating disorder recovery. She has dedicated her 30-year career to helping people unpack their body’s story and the wisdom it has to offer. She brings authenticity, curiosity and compassion to her work and emphasizes the profound power that connection has in the healing process. She integrates playfulness and mindfulness into her workshops, individual and group work and is inspired by how unique the growth process is for each of us. She believes wholeheartedly that we all have the ability to find our inner alignment and has seen how her confidence in her clients translates into change. Blending together her East Coast sensibility and her West Coast spirit, Deb has developed a language and an approach that is accessible to all. Deb is the co-author of Body Image Inside Out: A Revolutionary Approach to Body Image Healing which was published in October, 2024 and she and her co-author, Whitney Otto, offer workshops for both clients and clinicians to become more skillful and connected to their body image work.

Is anti-diet anti-health? Anti-nutrition? Anti-weight loss? What is this all actually about, and is it getting "extreme"?

If you’ve been wondering if giving yourself permission to eat freely means giving up on your health and experiencing a “free-for-all” with food, this one is for you. It’s also for you if you’re struggling to articulate a definition of diet culture to friends and family members, or are feeling conflicted about your own desire for weight loss. 

In this episode, Abbie explores the myths surrounding the anti-diet movement, addressing misconceptions about how the approach handles health, nutrition, weight, and body image.

Tune in for more on…

A definition of diet culture

Why myths about anti-diet persist

How anti-diet approaches health

How anti-diet approaches nutrition science

How anti-diet approaches weight-loss

How anti-diet approaches weight-gain

Whether this just a “free-for-all” with food

The critique that this is just a trend

Why Abbie emphasizes a compassionate approach to health

Support the show by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. Your support means everything, and helps to keep the lights on around here!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com

Registered dietitian and diabetes care specialist Janice Dada joins the show this week to explore diabetes management from a non-diet, weight-inclusive lens.

Tune in to unpack the myths that dominate diabetes care — from the demonization of rice and bread, to fears about processed foods, to the idea that weight loss is a solution, to the panic that surro…

"Eating disorders are dissociative by nature. It's very difficult to be connected to your feelings while you're engaging in eating disorder behaviors. So it makes a lot of sense that people develop eating disorders as a way of keeping themselves as “safe” as possible."

In this special episode, Abbie is joined by the incredible Monica Ostroff, a therapist and eating disorders specialist, to explore Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and its overlooked intersection with eating disorders. They also have a deeper conversation about the relationship between trauma and disordered eating.

Monika shares her personal journey, detailing her experiences with anorexia and trauma, and how these experiences shaped her professional path in the field of eating disorders. 

Listen to hear more about:

• The misconceptions surrounding DID 
• Trauma-related origins of both DID and eating disorders
• Taking a strengths-based perspective in recovery
• Trauma-informed approaches to treatment
• The complex relationship between trauma, eating disorders, and self-compassion
• Understanding our internal voices
• Using inner world tools for healing 
• The protective nature of eating disorders
• What it means to be gentle in recovery
• Addressing the challenges of worthlessness
• Coping with societal pressures surrounding body image
• Why healing is really about connection
• How we can show up for ourselves with kindness and understanding
• So much more!

About Monika: Monika Ostroff, LICSW, CEDS-S is the Executive Director of the Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association, Inc (MEDA). Prior to leading MEDA, she directed several residential, partial hospital and intensive outpatient eating disorder programs in addition to having owned a thriving private practice. 

Monika is the co-author of Anorexia Nervosa: A Guide to Recovery and a contributing author to Self-Harm Behavior and Eating Disorders. With more than 25 years of experience in the field of eating disorders, Monika has presented at many national conferences, taught at the university level, and appeared on many media broadcasts, publications & podcasts. 

Practicing from a trauma informed, social justice and staunchly HAES® aligned lens, Monika is a dedicated ally and strong advocate working to ensure access to equitable, compassionate, and affirming care for all. Her passion for treating eating disorders and mentoring other professionals was borne out of her own struggle with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa and life experiences.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

 

Group program:

Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching

 

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

 

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

 

Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

 

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode: the first 30 minutes are available to everyone, but to hear the full conversation, upgrade to paid on Patreon: patreon.com/fullplate   (thank you, your support is what makes this podcast possible!)

Abbie chats with Jo Walduck, a recovery coach, about the intersection of gender, mental health, and personal growth. Jo shares her multifaceted identity and journey through recovery from both disordered eating and alcohol use while navigating the world as a trans person. She discusses the complexities of healing through multiple identities while overcoming addiction and chronic illness. 

This episode is an exploration of the non-linear nature of recovery – from the importance of compassion, to the impact of childhood experiences, to why our coping mechanisms need to be seen with nuance and respect. 

Jo reflects on the challenges of feeling at home in her body, letting go of perfectionism, and why it’s so hard to reach out for help when we’re struggling.

Listen to hear more about:

• What’s on Jo’s plate—literally and metaphorically
• Navigating life as a collection of niches and identities
• The ongoing nature of recovery and learning to set things down
• Why self-compassion is essential in the healing process
• How childhood experiences shape our coping mechanisms
• The role of food and alcohol as tools for survival
• The intersection of gender identity and substance use
• How therapy offers tools but isn’t a quick fix
• The pivotal moment of moving beyond coping mechanisms
• The importance of support and community in building a new life
• Grief as a part of understanding identity and healing
• The parallel journeys of sobriety and gender transition
• How chronic illness can complicate the recovery process
• Why recovery is non-linear, layered, and deeply personal
• The role of self-love in living authentically
• Finding a sense of home in one’s body
• Reaching out for support as an act of strength
• Letting go of moral judgments around food and prioritizing self-care
• Embracing uncertainty as part of being human

You can access the first 30 minutes for free, but if you want access to the whole episode, subscribe on Patreon right here! 

More about Jo:

Jo Anne Walduck (pronouns she/they), is in her late 30s, a Brit who’s lived in France for almost all her adult life, a trauma-informed business, life, and recovery coach, a cat lover, a woman in recovery, a writer, a dreamer, a napper. A storyteller and a delighter in the growth and healing that happens when we turn our nurturing energy inwards and let it overflow outwards, rather than focussing on everyone else and gasping for the dregs. A trans femme living with chronic illness and fatigue, a human navigating the waves of generational trauma, familial grief, and queer joy.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

 

Group program:

Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching

 

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

 

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

 

Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

 

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

"Dress for your body type", "define your waist", and "only wear what is flattering". The anti-fat bias we talk about on this podcast all the time extends into how we dress ourselves and what we feel worthy of wearing.

As our bodies change (as they will continue to do throughout our life), many of us are met with barriers to body acceptance. And our clothes are a massive part of that. But they can also be a pivotal part of our liberation.

This week we're joined by Dacy Gillespie, a weight-inclusive anti-diet personal stylist. We untangle the mess of our closets, dismantle patriarchal ideas of fashion, and challenge our sense of what we "should" be wearing based on our body shape and size.

• What’s on Dacy’s plate right now (and importantly, what's not)

• Dacy’s journey to personal styling and anti-diet work

• Why having a passion for clothing is not vain

• Fashion’s role in body image and societal pressures

• Understanding clothing sizes and body measurements

• Size acceptance and our clothes

• How to shop for new clothing as your body changes

• Steps to take to identify your personal style separate diet and beauty culture

• Letting go of old clothes and emotional attachments

• How clothing sizes impact our body image 

• The life-changing magic of finding your authentic style

• Challenging the inner critic when shopping

• Barriers to accessing clothing in a larger body

• The limitations of “flattering”

• The fashion rules we need to ditch 

• How to deal with your closet

About Dacy:

As a weight inclusive, anti-diet personal stylist, Dacy Gillespie helps her clients reject fashion rules and ideal standards of beauty imposed by the patriarchy, white supremacism, and capitalism so that they can uncover their authentic style. Through their work building a functional wardrobe, Dacy’s clients make a mindset shift from thinking they need to wear what’s flattering to unapologetically taking up space in the world. After a lifetime of jobs in high-stress careers that didn’t suit her highly-sensitive, introverted personality, Dacy started mindful closet in 2013 in an attempt to create a more emotionally sustainable lifestyle. Her work has been featured in Forbes and Real Simple and she is a frequent podcast guest. Dacy is married and has two boys, ages 5 and 9.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

Group program:

Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program, kicking off in June 2025: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership, which is an ongoing community for monthly sessions and daily support: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Abbie is on the other side of the mic in this episode -- being interviewed on self-compassion, recovery, body changes, and healing from the toxicity of diet culture. This is an exploration of the importance of trusting your body’s signals—whether it’s hunger, rest, or grief—and how everyday acts of self-kindness can transform your relationship with your body and your whole self. 

Listen to the episode for more on:

• self-compassion as the "first step" in recovery
• societal pressures surrounding body image
• the illusion of control in diet culture
• chronic illness and the pursuit of health
• why healing doesn’t happen in isolation
• how community plays a vital role in helping us feel seen, validated, and connected
• navigating body changes
• trusting your experiences and instincts
• embracing life’s inevitable ups and downs
• what happens when we acknowledge our own pain
• embracing our worth beyond physical appearances and abilities

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

*This episode originally aired on The Feeling Lighter Podcast.

Group program:

Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching

 

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

 

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

 

Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

 

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

You're listening to the FREE version of this episode. To hear the FULL episode, upgrade to paid on Patreon! Your support is so deeply appreciated.

In this episode, Abbie welcomes Amanda Martinez Beck to the pod. Amanda is a fat activist and educator, and she shares her journey with eating disorder recovery, diabetes, the importance of self-care, and the complexities of growing up in a body that didn't fit societal norms. She also talks openly about parenting, and what it means to her to foster a food-positive and body-inclusive environment at home.

Behind the paywall on Patreon, in the full episode, Abbie and Amanda get into Amanda's experience takign Ozempic for medical reasons -- and having to cope with the side effects and assumptions that come with taking a drug that is now being marketed and prescribed for weight loss. She shares very bravely about how she has dealt with the idea of weight loss in recovery, the "food noise" concept, and what it truly means to her to find peace and purpose in her body.

Upgrade to paid on Patreon for the full episode!

Listen for more about:

• the emotional connections we have with food
• why breakfast is such an important part of true self-care as we heal
• whether self-acceptance is ellusive or something we can finally grasp
• what "food freedom" is actually about
• the use of Ozempic for diabetes management versus weight loss
• the challenges of parenting with a focus on autonomy in eating
• living in a body that society deems unacceptable
• the complexities of navigating medical needs while advocating for body liberation
• Amanda's personal journey with the societal stigma of weight loss medications
• how taking Ozempic influences body image
• the importance of redefining body purpose
• fostering connection over perfection

    About Amanda:

Amanda is a fat activist, educator, and the author of More of You: The Fat Girl's Field Guide to the Modern World. Her vision is that every person will know that their body is good, and towards that end, she writes her weekly newsletter The Fat Dispatch and shares her handwritten art on Instagram as @thefatdispatch. She and her family live in eastern Texas. Facebook group: All Bodies Are Good Bodies, Substack: amandamartinezbeck.substack.com, Books: More of You: The Fat Girl's Field Guide to the Modern World; Lovely: How I Learned to Embrace the Body God Gave Me

 

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at Patreon.com/fullplate

 

Group membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Group program:

Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coaching

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

 

Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast

 

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from our Patrons on Patreon: Patreon.com/fullplate

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe