Unlearning Beautiful

Former model and Beyond Beauty Project founder Bridgett Burrick joins me for a powerful conversation about beauty standards, body image, and what she learned from years spent inside the modeling industry.

While Bridgett never entered modeling in pursuit of validation, her experience gave her a front-row seat to the pressures, expectations, and impossible standards that shape how many women relate to their bodies.

Together, we explore the disconnect that can happen when appearance becomes the focus, why external beauty doesn't automatically create confidence, and how reconnecting with your body can transform the way you see yourself.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Bridgett's journey from international model to founder of the Beyond Beauty Project
• What life inside the modeling industry is really like
• The beauty standards that encourage women to view themselves from the outside in
• Why appearance-focused living can create disconnection from the body
• The difference between controlling your body and being in relationship with it
• How grief, loss, and motherhood transformed Bridgett's perspective on beauty
• Expanding our definition of beauty beyond appearance
• Embodiment, self-trust, and learning to listen to your body's wisdom

CONNECT WITH BRIDGETT:

Website: https://www.beyondbeautyproject.com
Substack: https://substack.com/@beyondbeautyproject
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyond.beauty.project
1:1 Coaching: https://www.beyondbeautyproject.com/1-1-coaching
Dear Body Collection: https://www.beyondbeautyproject.com/dear-body-collection 

WORK WITH KRISTINA

🕊️ 1:1 Body Peace Coaching
Personalized support to help you stop obsessing about your body and feel more peace, trust, and freedom. 

👉https://www.kristinabruce.com/private-coaching

OTHER RESOURCES

📕 Free Guide to Body Peace:  https://www.kristinabruce.com/guide

🌱Body Peace Video Series: https://www.kristinabruce.com/bodypeace-podcast 

💗 Small Group Coaching:  https://kristina-bruce.kit.com/group-interest

CONNECT WITH KRISTINA

🌐 Website: https://www.kristinabruce.com/

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinabrucecoach

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Struggling with a "bad body image day"? Before you try to fix your appearance, restrict your food, or hide from the camera, listen to this episode!

Have you ever caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror or looked at a photo and felt your stomach instantly drop? It’s a gut-wrenching feeling that can instantly cast a dark shadow over your entire day, leaving you feeling like your body just isn’t good enough.

But what if those intense, negative body thoughts aren't a permanent reality? What if they are simply a storm passing through?

✨ LISTENER SPECIAL: Get $20 OFF the Body Peace Video Series - a 3-part mini course to help you FEEL more peace in your body now.
👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/bodypeace-podcast

In this episode I share a powerful metaphor requested directly by one of my coaching clients. You will discover how to stop trying to "fix the weather" of your mind, and instead let the clouds dissipate so you can naturally feel at home in your skin again—without needing to change a single thing about your physical body.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why we treat negative body thoughts like solid problems instead of passing vapor.
• The deeper, hidden "clouds" (like worthiness and fear) that sit underneath daily body critiques.
• A simple experiential exercise to help you walk right through a negative thought storm.
• How to make daily choices about food, movement, and clothing from a place of "clear skies" rather than panic
  

  ✨ ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & SUPPORT

  
  🕊️ 1:1 BODY PEACE COACHING
  In-depth personalized support to make a real shift in feeling more at peace in your body

  👉https://www.kristinabruce.com/private-coaching

  💗 SMALL GROUP COACHING
  You don't have to do this work alone. Heal your relationship with your body alongside a supportive small group.

  👉 https://kristina-bruce.kit.com/group-interest

  📕 FREE GUIDE TO BODY PEACE
  For women tired of trying to "fix" their bodies - and ready to feel free

  👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/guide
  
  ✨ CONNECT WITH KRISTINA

  
  🌐 WEBSITE: https://www.kristinabruce.com/

  📱 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kristinabrucecoach

  This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Have you scrolled through red carpet photos recently and felt a strange wave of déjà vu? From Hollywood to local communities, we are witnessing a rapid, hyperfixation on extreme thinness and sharp, angular lines. But historically, this dramatic shift isn't new. Whenever women begin gaining public influence and power, cultural beauty ideals reliably shift back to favoring extreme thinness.

In this episode of the Unlearning Beautiful podcast, we uncover the real reason women are being conditioned to stay small—and why playing by the rules of beauty only ever gives us a false, ego-driven sense of security. Together, we explore how modern culture has suppressed feminine energy, how we’ve been tricked into trading our real sovereignty for a superficial aesthetic, and how to break the spell to return to true, unshakable power.

• The Historical Backlash: How the rise of GLP-1 medications mirrors past historical waves—like the 1920s flapper, the 1960s "Twiggy" look, and 1990s "heroin chic"—where female advancement was met with societal pressure to physically shrink.
• The Political Sedative: Analyzing Naomi Wolf’s famous quote from The Beauty Myth regarding how a culture fixated on female thinness is actually obsessed with female obedience.
• Masculine vs. Feminine Energetics: Why living in a masculine-dominated culture forces us to live in our heads, treat fat (which is inherently soft and feminine) as the enemy, and override our body's natural signals.
• The Critical Shifts of Puberty & Menopause: Why women naturally carry more fat and how culture steps in to suppress our creative power during these major life transitions.
• The 3 Feminine Power Centers: A practical guide to reclaiming your internal guidance system by moving out of the head and tapping back into your Sacral Center (creativity), your Heart Center (wisdom and love), and your Emotions.

✨ RESOURCES & SUPPORT

🕊️ 1:1 BODY PEACE COACHING
In-depth personalized support to make a real shift in feeling more at peace in your body

👉https://www.kristinabruce.com/private-coaching

💗 SMALL GROUP COACHING
You don't have to do this work alone. Heal your relationship with your body alongside a supportive small group.

👉 https://kristina-bruce.kit.com/group-interest

📕 FREE GUIDE TO BODY PEACE
For women tired of trying to "fix" their bodies - and ready to feel free

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/guide

🌱 THE BODY PEACE VIDEO SERIES
A short 3-part video series where you are guided through experiential exercises so you can feel more peace in your body now. (Special rate: $20 OFF for podcast listeners at checkout)

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/bodypeace-podcast

✨ CONNECT WITH KRISTINA

🌐 WEBSITE: https://www.kristinabruce.com/

📱 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kristinabrucecoach

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Have you ever stopped dieting only to feel more out of control with food?

Many women assume that bingeing, overeating, food obsession, or feeling lost after letting go of dieting means they're doing something wrong. But what if it's actually a normal (and necessary) part of healing?

In this episode, I'm exploring why the urge to binge, restrict, calorie count, or regain control often gets stronger when you first stop dieting. You'll learn why dieting can become a source of safety and control, what the "pendulum swing" between restriction and overeating is really about, and how to begin rebuilding trust with yourself around food.

We'll also talk about:
• Why dieting can feel so difficult to let go of
• The hidden beliefs that drive body and weight control
• Why food freedom can feel scary at first
• How to move from control and fear toward trust, peace, and balance

If you're tired of the binge-restrict cycle and want a more peaceful relationship with food, your body, and yourself, this episode is for you.

✨ RESOURCES & SUPPORT

🕊️ 1:1 BODY PEACE COACHING
In-depth personalized support to make a real shift in feeling more at peace in your body

👉https://www.kristinabruce.com/private-coaching

💗 SMALL GROUP COACHING
You don't have to do this work alone. Heal your relationship with your body alongside a supportive small group.

👉 https://kristina-bruce.kit.com/group-interest

📕 FREE GUIDE TO BODY PEACE
For women tired of trying to "fix" their bodies - and ready to feel free

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/guide

🌱 THE BODY PEACE VIDEO SERIES
A short 3-part video series where you are guided through experiential exercises so you can feel more peace in your body now. (Special rate: $20 OFF for podcast listeners at checkout)

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/bodypeace-podcast

✨ CONNECT WITH KRISTINA

🌐 WEBSITE: https://www.kristinabruce.com/

📱 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kristinabrucecoach

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Ever wished that other people’s comments about your body, your weight, or your choices would just roll off your back? You tell yourself, “I shouldn’t care what they think.” But the moment a family member makes a comment about what you’re eating, or you imagine walking into a room after gaining weight, your stomach drops. You feel exposed, judged, and fundamentally unsafe.

If this is you, you are definitely not alone. In this episode of the Unlearning Beautiful podcast, I deep into why it can feel so hard to not care what other people think. Spoiler alert: It’s not a personal flaw—it’s a survival response hardwired into your nervous system.

If you have a history of chronic dieting, disordered eating, or body anxiety, chances are you are a highly sensitive and intuitive person. While sensitivity is a superpower, growing up in a harsh culture can teach us to equate external approval with safety. When you choose the path of body peace and step outside the societal standard, your brain flags it as a threat to your belonging.

Tune in to discover how to untangle your worth from other people's opinions and move from survival mode into authentic freedom.

• The Root of the Trigger: Why fear of judgment is actually an old childhood survival response living in your nervous system.
• Sensitivity as a Superpower: How being intuitive can end up impacting your relationship with your body and food.
• The Power of "Taking Nothing Personally": We dive into the second of Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements and how to apply it to body comments.
• How to Reclaim Your Power: How we unintentionally give away our authority to critics, and how to stand equal in your own truth.
• 3 Actionable Steps: Practical tools to build the capacity to feel uncomfortable emotions without running back to dieting or negative coping mechanisms.

🕊️ 1:1 BODY PEACE COACHING
In-depth personalized support to make a real shift in feeling more at peace in your body

👉https://www.kristinabruce.com/private-coaching

💗 SMALL GROUP COACHING
You don't have to do this work alone. Heal your relationship with your body alongside a supportive small group.

👉 https://kristina-bruce.kit.com/group-interest

📕 FREE GUIDE TO BODY PEACE
For women tired of trying to "fix" their bodies - and ready to feel free

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/guide

🌱 THE BODY PEACE VIDEO SERIES
A short 3-part video series where you are guided through experiential exercises so you can feel more peace in your body now. (Special rate: $20 OFF for podcast listeners at checkout)

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/bodypeace-podcast

• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (The book mentioned in today's episode)

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Have you ever heard the phrase "She's really let herself go" and felt your stomach drop? You aren't alone. For countless women, the terrifying fear of being whispered about behind their backs is the single biggest hurdle keeping them from making peace with their bodies. When you’ve spent decades dieting, letting go feels less like freedom and more like falling off a cliff.

But what if we have it completely backward? What if "letting yourself go" is actually the most liberating, health-affirming thing you could ever do?

In this episode I unpack the deep psychological roots of this fear. We dive into why our identity gets so tightly tangled up in being hyper-disciplined, how childhood conditioning shapes our adult body anxieties, and why the "all-or-nothing" diet mentality sets us up to fail.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• The "deserted island" metaphor that instantly pinpoints where your body anxiety is actually coming from.
• How hustle culture rewards burnout at the expense of our health and sanity.
• The real cost of managing your size—and what you actually gain when you drop the control.
• A powerful, 1-minute meditation tool to help you reconnect with your true self outside of your appearance.

It’s time to stop fighting your body and step into the middle path of true, easeful well-being.

✨ RESOURCES & SUPPORT

🌱 THE BODY PEACE VIDEO SERIES
A short 3-part video series where you are guided through experiential exercises so you can feel more peace in your body now. (Special rate: $20 OFF for podcast listeners at checkout)

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/bodypeace-podcast

🕊️ 1:1 BODY PEACE COACHING
In-depth personalized support to make a real shift in feeling more at peace in your body

👉https://www.kristinabruce.com/private-coaching

💗 SMALL GROUP COACHING
You don't have to do this work alone. Heal your relationship with your body alongside a supportive small group.

👉 https://kristina-bruce.kit.com/group-interest

📕 FREE GUIDE TO BODY PEACE
For women tired of trying to "fix" their bodies - and ready to feel free

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/guide

🌐 WEBSITE: https://www.kristinabruce.com/

📱 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kristinabrucecoach

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Have you ever feared that if you gain weight, you'll no longer be wanted?

In this episode of Unlearning Beautiful, Body Peace Coach Kristina Bruce explores the fear of weight gain in relationships and why "looking the part" isn't the insurance policy we think it is.

We dive into the "social currency" of attractiveness, the "Trophy Wife" trope, and how to find a sense of worth that isn't dependent on being "selected" by a partner.

Key topics covered in this episode:

• The Trophy Wife Trope: Why we view beauty as a status symbol in dating.
• Lessons from Love Is Blind: A breakdown of the CrossFit comment and what it reveals about relationship insecurity.
• Navigating Body Changes: What happens when a partner isn’t attracted anymore?
• The Cost of "Smallness": Kristina’s personal story of how weight suppression harmed her relationship.
• Body Neutrality & Security: Reclaiming safety within yourself so you can stop fixating on body control.

✨ RESOURCES & SUPPORT

🕊️ 1:1 BODY PEACE COACHING
In-depth personalized support to make a real shift in feeling more at peace in your body

👉https://www.kristinabruce.com/private-coaching

💗 SMALL GROUP COACHING
You don't have to do this work alone. Heal your relationship with your body alongside a supportive small group.

👉 https://kristina-bruce.kit.com/group-interest

📕 FREE GUIDE TO BODY PEACE
For women tired of trying to "fix" their bodies - and ready to feel free

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/guide

🌱 THE BODY PEACE VIDEO SERIES
A short 3-part video series where you are guided through experiential exercises so you can feel more peace in your body now. (Special rate: $20 OFF for podcast listeners at checkout)

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/bodypeace-podcast

✨ CONNECT WITH KRISTINA

🌐 WEBSITE: https://www.kristinabruce.com/

📱 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kristinabrucecoach

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

If you’ve quit dieting but still feel unsure how to approach nutrition and health advice without falling back into food rules, this episode is for you.

In this episode, Kristina reviews the book Glucose Goddess by Jesse Inchaupsé. She shares the key nutrition information expressed by the author, and gives her own thoughts on how to take in that info from a weight-neutral perspective.

In this episode:

• Why you can want to reject nutrition advice after dieting
• The difference between health support vs body size control
• What Glucose Revolution says about glucose spikes and insulin
• Jessie Inchauspé’s “glucose hacks” explained simply
• How food order can affect blood sugar and energy
• Why this approach feels more weight-neutral than most nutrition advice
• The connection between dieting, health habits, and weight loss
• How to approach health without obsession or perfectionism

✨ RESOURCES & SUPPORT

🕊️ 1:1 BODY PEACE COACHING
In-depth personalized support to make a real shift in feeling more at peace in your body

👉https://www.kristinabruce.com/private-coaching

💗 SMALL GROUP COACHING
You don't have to do this work alone. Heal your relationship with your body alongside a supportive small group.

👉 https://kristina-bruce.kit.com/group-interest

📕 FREE GUIDE TO BODY PEACE
For women tired of trying to "fix" their bodies - and ready to feel free

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/guide

🌱 THE BODY PEACE VIDEO SERIES
A short 3-part video series where you are guided through experiential exercises so you can feel more peace in your body now. (Special rate: $20 OFF for podcast listeners at checkout)

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/bodypeace-podcast

✨ CONNECT WITH KRISTINA

🌐 WEBSITE: https://www.kristinabruce.com/

📱 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kristinabrucecoach

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

"I have to lose weight because when I was thinner, I felt great—and now I don't." It feels like a cold, hard fact, but what if feeling good in your body has less to do with the weight itself than you think?

In this episode of the Unlearning Beautiful podcast, body peace coach Kristina Bruce deconstructs the belief that a smaller body is the only requirement for happiness and physical comfort. We’re moving past the surface "yeah-buts" to explore the real root of body peace.

Key highlights include:

• The "Pin" Analogy: Why weight loss is often a "band-aid" that fails to address the root structural or alignment issues causing joint pain.

• The Selective Memory Trap: Challenging the "romanticized" version of our thinner days that often hides a reality of stress and food fixation.

• The High Cost of Resistance: How "at-war" thinking creates a stress response in the body that can lead to the very aches and pains you're trying to fix.

• The Power of Perception: Why shifting your internal narrative can make you feel "lighter" and more at peace in your body right now.

Stop waiting for permission from a jean size to finally relax. It’s time to stop fighting your body and start living in it.

✨ RESOURCES & SUPPORT

🕊️ 1:1 BODY PEACE COACHING
In-depth personalized support to make a real shift in feeling more at peace in your body

👉https://www.kristinabruce.com/private-coaching

💗 SMALL GROUP COACHING
You don't have to do this work alone. Heal your relationship with your body alongside a supportive small group.

👉 https://kristina-bruce.kit.com/group-interest

📕 FREE GUIDE TO BODY PEACE
For women tired of trying to "fix" their bodies - and ready to feel free

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/guide

🌱 THE BODY PEACE VIDEO SERIES
A short 3-part video series where you are guided through experiential exercises so you can feel more peace in your body now. (Special rate: $20 OFF for podcast listeners at checkout)

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/bodypeace-podcast

✨ CONNECT WITH KRISTINA

🌐 WEBSITE: https://www.kristinabruce.com/

📱 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kristinabrucecoach

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

"Fat." For many, it’s the original slur—the first weapon used on the playground and the word so many people fear being called as adults. But what happens when return the word automatically seen as "negative" to its rightful place: a neutral descriptor.

In this episode, Body Peace Coach Kristina Bruce explores "The Other F Word." We’re peeling back the layers of cultural conditioning, media influence, and the multi-billion dollar industry that profits from our fear of fat.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The staggering survey results regarding women's fear of fatness.
• How pop culture (from Friends to Bridget Jones) programmed our biases.
• The "Obesity Paradox" and why our view of health is often skewed.
• A simple "litmus test" to see if your weight loss goals are truly about health
• How to reclaim your "birthright of peace" by rooting out false beliefs.

✨ RESOURCES & SUPPORT

🕊️ 1:1 BODY PEACE COACHING
In-depth personalized support to make a real shift in feeling more at peace in your body

👉https://www.kristinabruce.com/private-coaching

💗 SMALL GROUP COACHING
You don't have to do this work alone. Heal your relationship with your body alongside a supportive small group.

👉 https://kristina-bruce.kit.com/group-interest

📕 FREE GUIDE TO BODY PEACE
For women tired of trying to "fix" their bodies - and ready to feel free

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/guide

🌱 THE BODY PEACE VIDEO SERIES
A short 3-part video series where you are guided through experiential exercises so you can feel more peace in your body now. (Special rate: $20 OFF for podcast listeners at checkout)

👉 https://www.kristinabruce.com/bodypeace-podcast

✨ CONNECT WITH KRISTINA

🌐 WEBSITE: https://www.kristinabruce.com/

📱 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kristinabrucecoach

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.