Thrive Beyond Size

Today’s show was inspired by my recent appearance on The Buzz, an Edmonton streaming talk show, where I sat in as the expert on addiction. That same evening my clients and I had a coaching session where the topic of food addiction came up again. So it’s on my mind, it’s been percolating in my brain, and now I really want to share my thoughts with you. Because I have come to a bit of a realization that we risk damaging ourselves when we call our overeating a food addiction. I’ll explain why I think that and I’ll define addiction and talk through it as well.   

Addiction is medically defined as requiring four things: 1) compulsion, 2) negative consequences, 3) symptoms, and 4) development of a tolerance to the object of addiction. It’s important to understand how each one of these requirements plays into addiction, whether it’s alcohol, gambling, shopping, social media, drugs, or anything else we latch onto to numb uncomfortable emotions. But there are considerations that I think separate food from being an addiction. What is the treatment for overeating as compared to the treatment for over-consumption of alcohol or sugar, for example? And how does labeling food struggles as an addiction actually hamper our healing efforts? These are some of the questions I work through in this episode, so join me for this thought experiment journey. 

About host Michelle Tubman:

Michelle Tubman is an emergency physician in Alberta, Canada. She is also an overweight woman who has struggled for decades with her own weight and body image. She has spent her adult life constantly battling the urge to overeat with her desire to be thin and healthy. As a physician she understood the nutritional aspects of a healthy diet, but having the knowledge wasn’t enough to produce the changes she wanted in her body. And so she pursued extra training in life coaching, nutrition coaching, the science of habit formation, and eating psychology. And this is where the magic is. There is so much work that needs to happen on the inside before we can see changes on the outside.

Michelle founded Wazya Health to help successful, professional women who, after years of dieting, understand that optimal weight and health is more than calories-in-calories-out. She wants to help women listen to that quiet voice inside that tells them there’s deeper work to be done when it comes to weight and body image.

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Learn more about Dr Michelle Tubman and Wayza Health:

• Website: www.wayzahealth.com
• Download my free Food Freedom Roadmap here
• Follow me on Facebook and Instagram

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When you encounter a problem, do you immediately throw up your hands and say “I give up” or push the problem away and ignore it? We all do it, let’s be honest. But life is difficult, I’m sorry to say, and we will encounter problems of all sizes throughout life. So I want to talk about problem solving. There is a tried and true strategy out there that has specifically been validated for people suffering from binge eating disorder to help heal the binges. Studies have been done on how effective it is. And indeed, this strategy can be used on any problem in life, not just to aid binging and eating.   

The problem solving strategy is a six step process. Well, six and a half because I like to add a final little note to the end of the six steps. Those steps are 1. Identify the problem, 2. Specify the problem accurately, 3. Brainstorm solutions, 4. Critically evaluate the solution implications, 5. Choose the best solution, 6. Take action. And then the half: Evaluate how well it works for you. But I’m not just going to throw this list at you and say “there you go”, I am going to break down each step, how to do it, and why it’s important. I use this process myself, so I have examples from my own life to share. After this episode you will have an actual step by step guide for how to tackle the next problem you encounter.

About host Michelle Tubman:

Michelle Tubman is an emergency physician in Alberta, Canada. She is also an overweight woman who has struggled for decades with her own weight and body image. She has spent her adult life constantly battling the urge to overeat with her desire to be thin and healthy. As a physician she understood the nutritional aspects of a healthy diet, but having the knowledge wasn’t enough to produce the changes she wanted in her body. And so she pursued extra training in life coaching, nutrition coaching, the science of habit formation, and eating psychology. And this is where the magic is. There is so much work that needs to happen on the inside before we can see changes on the outside.

Michelle founded Wazya Health to help successful, professional women who, after years of dieting, understand that optimal weight and health is more than calories-in-calories-out. She wants to help women listen to that quiet voice inside that tells them there’s deeper work to be done when it comes to weight and body image.

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Learn more about Dr. Michelle Tubman and Wayza Health:

• Website: www.wayzahealth.com
• Download my free Food Freedom Roadmap here
• Follow me on Facebook and Instagram

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The more self-help books I read on the subject of weight loss and our relationship with food, the more I realize that common threads keep appearing amongst so many of the books. The concepts that continue to appear, book after book, year after year, are the concepts containing some truth. When I read “How to Do the Work” by Dr. Nicole LePera I was struck by the similarities between her four pillars of reparenting and the four pillars I stress as essential skills for learning weight loss in a sustainable way. And that’s what I’m talking about today: the four pillars that will assist you in growing the skills you need for weight loss and change.   

I want to take you through the four pillars in detail, so you understand what they’re about and how they assist you. That’s the journey we are on in this episode. The four pillars - emotional regulation, loving discipline, self care, and reconnecting with joy -  contain messages that guide us in healing past wounds and re-setting current patterns. I see them as coming from a loving space, and not a space of deprivation or punishment. The key to essential skills is understanding how we think, how we feel, and what choices we have the power to make to guide us through change. I hope you find this as helpful as I do. 

About host Michelle Tubman:

Michelle Tubman is an emergency physician in Alberta, Canada. She is also an overweight woman who has struggled for decades with her own weight and body image. She has spent her adult life constantly battling the urge to overeat with her desire to be thin and healthy. As a physician she understood the nutritional aspects of a healthy diet, but having the knowledge wasn’t enough to produce the changes she wanted in her body. And so she pursued extra training in life coaching, nutrition coaching, the science of habit formation, and eating psychology. And this is where the magic is. There is so much work that needs to happen on the inside before we can see changes on the outside.

Michelle founded Wazya Health to help successful, professional women who, after years of dieting, understand that optimal weight and health is more than calories-in-calories-out. She wants to help women listen to that quiet voice inside that tells them there’s deeper work to be done when it comes to weight and body image.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• “How to Do the Work” by Dr. Nicole LePera

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Learn more about Dr Michelle Tubman and Wayza Health:

• Website: www.wayzahealth.com
• Download my free Food Freedom Roadmap here
• Follow me on Facebook and Instagram

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How long does it take to start making an impactful change in your life? Would you believe me if I said just 1 to 3 minutes a day? It doesn’t have to take long, be expensive, or seem impossible to be effective. This is the message Sandy Joy Weston, keynote speaker and author, shares with the world. I hear about the experiments she did with clients to find that 1 to 3 minute ideal time. Sandy is a firm believer that the body and mind are absolutely connected, so if we train our minds, our bodies can’t help but get involved. Our bodies want to exist in a state of peace and joy, and it takes less than 5 minutes a day to start reconnecting us with that goal.   

Sandy and I discuss how to notice the signs our bodies are giving us, where they are carrying our tension, and how just a breath can relax our tight neck and hunched shoulders. Breathing, our breath, is something we always have with us. It’s inspiring how much a breath can help us find a moment of centeredness. Sandy’s studies of 100 people she felt exuded joy most of the time led her to the only common denominator between them: doing something in the morning to start their day in a positive headspace. Exercise, petting the dog, meditating, playing the piano, it didn’t matter what it was, but they all started their days with a morning routine just for themselves. And if there’s one message Sandy wants to impart, it’s that we’re meant to have a joyful life so step back and breathe. 

About Sandy Joy Weston

Sandy Joy Weston M.Ed is a keynote speaker, podcaster, 3x published author, and entrepreneur, who has owned and operated health and wellness companies for over 30 years. Sandy is the founder of SJW Productions,  whose main mission is to highlight all the positive in the world. In addition to her speaking and podcasts, she does this through her books, Train Your Head & Your Body Will Follow, My 30-Day Reset Journal, Recess to Reset, and her coaching and workshops. Sandy’s mission is to spread pure joy and inspire others to see their true power.  In her keynote, Life Doesn’t Happen to You…You Happen to Life, she shows how just taking 1-3 minutes a day  to focus on how you want to show up in the World can have a huge impact on your life.

Contact Sandy Joy Weston | Entrepreneur

Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Let’s Keep It Real - Sandy Joy Weston podcast
• Books by Sandy Joy Weston - “Train Your Head and Your Body Will Follow”, “My 30-Day Reset Journal”, and “Recess to Reset Journal for Kids”

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Learn more about Dr Michelle Tubman and Wayza Health:

• Website: www.wayzahealth.com
• Download my free Food Freedom Roadmap here
• Follow me on Facebook and Instagram

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How do you start your day? We all have a morning routine, but do you have a meaningful one? Before diving into our phone and emails which put the day on a frantic “go go go” mindset, we can create a routine that is impactful in that it makes us feel grounded, calm, and centered. Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor, Megan Nolan, joins me to talk about how to create a new meaningful morning routine, even if you’re busy. Megan believes that intentionality connects us to our inner guidance and to how we feel - and making ourselves a priority, even for a short time, is the ultimate gift.  

Megan and I discuss morning routines and how to fit something intentional into whatever amount of time we have. My routine is an hour but yours certainly doesn’t have to be. Megan describes how simply being aware of how you’re holding your body while you brush your teeth is a good step. She shares about how to hack your brain so adding one new thing becomes routine, the importance of celebrating progress, how posture affects our mind, and how to open our posture up throughout the day. Megan inspires putting meaning into mornings with little things that are achievable with even the smallest amount of available time.  

About Megan Nolan

Megan helps purpose driven women get out of self care overwhelm by creating a meaningful morning routine that leaves them feeling AH-mazing and set them up for massive success each day.

She is the creator of the Warrior’s Journey which is her unique combination of Yoga, toning exercises, and mental fitness that gives you the tools you need for holistic health and happiness.

Contact Megan Nolan

Personal Trainer & Yoga Instructor

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Megan’s Mini Morning Routine

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Learn more about Dr Michelle Tubman and Wayza Health:

• Website: www.wayzahealth.com
• Download my free Food Freedom Roadmap here
• Follow me on Facebook and Instagram

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Content Warning: Detailed sexual assault memories and related trauma discussion

Our bodies absorb every experience we have. These experiences can manifest in our bodies mentally, emotionally, and physically. So when we suffer a traumatic event, how does that resonate in our bodies? And how can we heal from those resonating responses? I’m joined today by Yoga Therapist and Founder of the Trauma Healing Yoga Therapy Program, Anissa Hudak. Anissa and I talk about PTSD from trauma and how those memories live in us and return unbidden. Most importantly, Anissa shares how to process that trauma and how to walk a healing journey.  

Anissa and I each share personal stories of sexual assault and triggered traumatic memories as ways to really dig into Anissa’s processes surrounding healing. She explains where trauma lives in the body and brain, how it might look physically, and how PTSD draws on those memories. She details the differences between yoga and yoga therapy and links the physicality of yoga to the ability to heal the body’s trauma. It’s a tough but rewarding conversation today that sheds necessary light on a topic all too familiar to us but not talked about enough.

About Anissa Hudak

Anissa’s life has been intertwined with PTSD/Trauma and the military. Not only is she the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran, she was also married to an active duty member (and Iraq/Afghanistan Veteran) for over 20 years. For 3 years, she volunteered at the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Riley, Kansas providing yoga therapy, meditation, and other holistic treatments to the soldiers, family members, and staff. After seeing others struggle, and having her own personal struggles with trauma/PTSD, she was inspired to create the Trauma Healing Yoga Therapy Program.

As a Yoga Therapist and founder of the Trauma Healing Yoga Therapy Program, she guides others in the use of effective, science based yoga therapy and other holistic techniques for the management/healing of symptoms relating to PTSD and trauma for people who want to control their PTSD - not allow it to control them.

Recently, she has focused her efforts to working with women who have been sexually traumatized to help them heal their PTSD (and other trauma related issues) with yoga therapy. As a 2x rape survivor, she intimately understand the needs these women face, and helps them navigate their healing journeys.

Anissa earned her 200 RYT, 500 RYT and was awarded her Certification in Yoga Therapy from the International Association of Yoga Therapy. Additionally, she has completed a 120 Hour YogaFit Warriors training and the MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) online course through the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Currently a student with the Phoenix Rising School of Yoga Therapy, Anissa is learning another approach to utilizing yoga to help release trauma from the body. She works with people with all types of physical conditions, but specializes in working with those suffering from PTSD, TBI’s and all trauma-related issues and has been for over the past 5 years.

Contact Anissa Hudak, C-IA YT; 500 RYT

Founder of the Trauma Healing Yoga Therapy Program

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Email | LinkedIn

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Resources discussed in this episode:

• EMDR

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Learn more about Dr Michelle Tubman and Wayza Health:

• Website: www.wayzahealth.com
• Download my free Food Freedom Roadmap here
• Follow me on Facebook and Instagram

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What are we feeding when we eat? Sometimes we are feeding inner needs, a desire for connection, and our feelings. It’s the emotional eating, the eating of our feelings, that is the focus of conversation in this episode. I’m joined by the founder, producer and host of What We Crave: The Emotional Eating Summit, Errin Smith, in what is a truly honest and beautiful talk about our cravings and how to make peace with them. This isn’t about the food at all, really. It’s about why we’re eating when we eat certain things. It’s about how to heal and feed what we really want to nourish. 

Errin shares her personal journey through emotional eating and dieting to frame how she decided to really understand the craving beneath the food. She stresses that while nutrition is important, when we’re binge eating it’s not about the food but something deeper. Errin and I discuss how to satisfy our emotional cravings with more inwardly nourishing activities. Where do we find joy, where do we get connection, how are we sleeping? Errin details all the ways in which we can find dopamine elsewhere before we talk about eating. It’s a beautiful conversation about awareness of the connections we’re seeking.

About Errin Smith

Errin Smith, also known as "That Health Chick" on instagram is an avid health and fitness fanatic who is expert trained in health optimization for over 15 years, and has worked with world leading health experts such as Dr. Zach Bush MD, Dr. Christine Shaffner, Mark Groves and a list of other high level celebrity health experts. She is also the founder, producer and host of What We Crave: The Emotional Eating Summit. After 30 years of struggling with emotional eating, food addiction, and "shame fasting",  Errin became obsessed with understanding the root cause of what it is that we are REALLY craving. She is on fire for cultivating real, beautiful, honest conversations that provide roadmaps to healing and how to make peace with food and ultimately yourself.

Contact Errin Smith

That Health Chick, Producer & Host: What We Crave

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Email

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Danielle LaPorte
• Michael Collins
• Tricia Nelson
• Barton Scott
• “Rushing Woman’s Syndrome” by Dr. Libby Weaver

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Learn more about Dr Michelle Tubman and Wayza Health:

• Website: www.wayzahealth.com
• Download my free Food Freedom Roadmap here
• Follow me on Facebook and Instagram

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Many of us have had the experience of symptoms in our body that our Western medicine and doctors don’t always have answers to. And sometimes symptoms are messengers telling us to listen to our bodies. Urging us to reconnect our body and spirit before physical healing can occur. In this episode, I have a wonderful conversation with Amy Stein, Herbalist and Trauma-Informed Breathwork Facilitator, about how to listen to those messages, advocate for ourselves, and connect to our inner wisdom on our healing journeys.

Amy shares her story of the bodily pain symptoms she would experience as a child that nobody could understand. At the time nobody understood what it meant to be highly sensitive and empathic, so it was a long journey to learn that external stimuli were manifesting physically in her body. Amy and I talk about starting healing with breathwork and we explore the value of healthy food, connecting with nature, and how to really hear the messages our bodies send us.

About Amy Stein

Amy's journey began about 12 years ago when her body's message grew increasingly loud and unavoidable. She had always had stomachaches and headaches as a child but the message that was given to her by others was that she was too "sensitive" and was affected by too many things. At the time Amy didn't know what this meant and wouldn't discover that she was Highly Sensitive and an Empath until further in her healing journey. This is when many of these sensations increased in intensity and duration and she was unable to ignore them anymore.

She went the traditional route for healing but nothing seemed to work and she became sicker and sicker. It took some time but she found her way to Plant Medicine and she found some relief. Then she discovered Energy Medicine a few years later and more of the puzzle pieces fell into place. She began to re-connect her Body and Mind and add in the missing component of Spirit. This then led to the final piece of the trauma-informed breathwork training. This piece allowed her to remember that her body was designed to heal and that you can't heal by yourself, you need to be supported in the process to allow for the healing to occur.

Through her own healing and health journey she decided to begin helping others to reconnect to their own inner wisdom. She realized that we all have the ability to live via our intuition-we simply need to trust it. 

Contact Amy Stein - Herbalist, Energy Medicine Educator and Trauma-Informed Breathwork Facilitator: 

• Website | Facebook

Resources discussed in this episode:

• “How to Do the Work” by Dr. Nicole LePera
• Bruce Lipton, PhD
• Dr. Kim D’Eramo
• Amy shares this link to e-book “5 Tips to Help with Overwhelm”

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Learn more about Dr Michelle Tubman and Wayza Health:

• Website: www.wayzahealth.com
• Download my free Food Freedom Roadmap here
• Follow me on Facebook and Instagram

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A few months ago I was on a cruise with my mom and listened to other women at our dinner table fat shame other women who chose to wear bikinis by the pool. I was appalled and so I spoke out. When I posted about that conversation on my social media, I got a ton of questions about how to handle fat shamers. So in this episode I give specific advice on how to talk to:

• Women who are fat-shaming themselves
• People who are fat-shaming you
• People making generalized fat-shaming comments

These conversations aren't easy, but they are necessary. 

Learn more about Dr Michelle Tubman and Wayza Health:

• Website: www.wayzahealth.com
• Download my free Food Freedom Roadmap here

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kate Glendon, a Certified Professional & Mindset Coach, knows what it feels like to burn the midnight fire from all ends - work, relationships, failed diets. She also knows that place most of us know so well--the burning in your heart and head and the desire to be happy, but not knowing how to get there. Together, Kate and I discuss how to clarify your goals, identify the obstacles holding you back, and develop strategies for overcoming them. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.