FOOD, BODY IMAGE, AND THE WHOLE DIET-AND-EXERCISE DRAMA
There’s a lot more to our struggles with food and our bodies than calories, willpower, or trying harder.
Here, I explore the assumptions behind the traditional diet-and-exercise model, why so many familiar solutions keep us stuck, and what changes when we approach food, exercise, and our bodies from a completely different perspective.
Some posts are personal. Some challenge conventional wisdom. And some might make you laugh.
Browse the articles below. Start wherever you're curious.
Why Your Relationship With Your Body Is Like an Arranged Marriage
Every time someone asks me about self-acceptance, a song from Fiddler on the Roof pops into my head. Stay with me — because this arranged marriage metaphor might be the most honest thing I've ever said about why we struggle so hard with our bodies.
Don’t Make a Resolution — Do This With Your Body Instead
Every New Year we shore up our resolve and declare this will finally be the year we win the battle of the bulge. But what if the battle itself is the problem? Here's why resolutions keep failing — and what to do instead.
One Word That’s Secretly Blocking Your Body Goals
There's a word most of us use dozens of times a day that quietly shuts down every possibility before it has a chance. It shows up constantly when women talk about food, their bodies, and why change feels impossible. Here's what it is — and what to say instead.
How Change Actually Happens (It’s Not What You Think)
A newsletter arrived with the words "we regret to inform you" — and just like that, everything shifted. Unexpected loss has a way of cutting through the noise. Here's what it reminded me about change, choice, and how we experience our lives.
Why the “Diet and Exercise” Model Is Based on a False Cause and Effect
A friend challenged me when I called diet and exercise "a lie." She had a point — so I looked up the definition of lie. What I found, plus a story about a banana and a tunnel, changed how I talk about this forever.
How Ice Cream Ads Are Secretly Shaping How You Think About Food
I was watching a TV ad for ice cream when I realized the company wasn't just trying to sell me dessert — they were reinforcing the belief that ice cream is bad in the first place. Here's how advertising shapes your thought process around food without you even noticing.