July 07, 2025

When Weight Loss Isn't a Win: Eating Disorders, Stress, & Body Image Confusion (Content Warning) With Debbie Saroufim @bodyacceptance_coach

33 minutes

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Marianne welcomes back body image coach and anti-diet educator Debbie Saroufim for a candid discussion about what happens when weight loss triggers eating disorder thoughts—even in solid recovery.

Debbie opens up about how recent stress and anxiety have impacted her appetite and body, and how unsolicited weight-related comments from others can be both activating and isolating. Together, we unpack why even “positive” feedback about weight loss can be harmful, how body changes can feel destabilizing, and what it means to hold complex emotions without slipping back into disordered behaviors.

We also talk about:

The problem with equating weight loss with wellness

How eating disorder thoughts can show up years into recovery

The myth of a “correct” body image or recovery experience

Perimenopause, changing bodies, and the grief that can follow

Why body neutrality may offer more freedom than forced body positivity

Mindfulness, fart metaphors (yay!), and how to let thoughts pass without bottling them up

Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or navigating your own relationship with body changes, this episode offers honesty, compassion, and tools to help you stay grounded.

🧠 Want to connect with Debbie Saroufim?

Visit thebodyacceptancecoach.com or follow her on Instagram @bodyacceptance_coach

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

ABOUT DEBBIE

After struggling for years with an eating disorder, Debbie now helps women of all sizes make peace with their body and build up their immunity to diet culture. She also helps schools implement a body-neutral approach to education.

Debbie is also the author of a new children's book called Fat and Beautiful.

Debbie lives and works out of Los Angeles, California, in the United States.

LISTEN TO OTHER EPISODES WITH DEBBIE

Anti-Fat Bias in Schools and Society on Apple or Spotify.

How Eating Disorder Recovery Heals Life Overall on Apple or Spotify.

Let’s Talk Recovery: Ditching Diet Culture & Crushing Eating Disorder Thoughts on Apple or Spotify.

INTERESTED IN HANGING OUT MORE IN DR. MARIANNE-LAND?

Follow me on Instagram @drmariannemiller

Check out my virtual, self-paced ARFID and Selective Eating course

Look into my self-paced, virtual, anti-diet, subscription-based curriculum. It is called Dr. Marianne-Land's Binge Eating Recovery Membership.

Live in California, Texas, or Washington D.C. and interested in eating disorder therapy with me? Sign up for a free, 15-minute phone consultation HERE or via my website, and I'll get you to where you need to be!

Check out my blog.

Want more information? Email me at [email protected]

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By mariannemillerphd

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