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 Nutrition Information Is Making Your Relationship With Food Worse
In the same five-minute segment, the evening news told me that calorie counts on menus don't change what people order — and that maple syrup is full of antioxidants. Here's what that contradiction reveals about the information overload keeping us stuck.
Your Body Is Telling You Something — Are You Listening?
I once pulled an April Fools prank that gave me a knot in my stomach before I even got to the punchline. My body knew before my brain did. Here's what that moment taught me about body wisdom — and why your body might be your greatest ally.
Why the “Right” Approach to Weight Loss Looks Different for Everyone
I was in the audience listening to Dr. Daniel Amen talk about brain health when he pulled out the calorie budget analogy and my blood pressure spiked. And then I had a moment of clarity. Here's what it taught me about why alignment looks different for every person — and why that's actually good news.
Why Releasing Emotions Is the Most Underrated Weight Loss Tool
I was at a seminar from hell — freezing cold room, no schedule, chronic delays — and I was about to lose it. Then I found a bathroom stall on the other side of the hotel and just sobbed. Here's what happened next, and why it explains everything about what I mean by "clearing the channel."
Which Philosophy Is Actually Dangerous — Diet Culture or Food Freedom?
Someone tweeted that Happy Calories Don't Count was a "dangerous philosophy." They may have meant it as a compliment. But it made me wonder — do they really think it's dangerous to eat when you're hungry? Here's a look at what's actually dangerous, backed by the numbers.
Why Weight Loss Experts Are the Only Ones Still Telling You to Just Work Harder
Financial gurus will tell you the wealthiest people love what they do. Relationship experts will tell you that self-sacrifice isn't love. But weight loss experts? They're still telling you to suck it up and diet harder. Here's why that's the one area where nobody has questioned the model — until now.