Explore every episode of the podcast The Full Plate Podcast with Abbie Attwood, MS

We live in a culture where some of the warning signs of an eating disorder are the very behaviors we’re taught to celebrate.

So how do we recognize when someone is struggling, especially when their behaviors look like what we’ve been told is “healthy”? And how can we support the people we love when we don’t always understand what they’re going through?

Today I’m joined by Alli Spotts-De Lazzer for a conversation about what eating disorders actually feel like, why they’re so often misunderstood, and what it means to offer meaningful support.

This conversation is for anyone who has struggled with an eating disorder, loved someone who has, or wants to better understand the complicated relationship between food, fear, and recovery.

In this episode, we talk about:

* Why eating disorders can be so difficult to recognize, especially when disordered behaviors are praised as “healthy.”

* What living with an eating disorder actually feels like, including a powerful exercise Alli walks me through about food fear.

* Why you cannot tell whether someone has an eating disorder by looking at their body.

* How to recognize early warning signs and approach concerns with curiosity rather than judgment.

* What to say (and what to avoid saying) when you’re worried about someone you love.

* The complicated emotions caregivers experience, including fear, guilt, frustration, and the pressure to get everything right.

* Why supporting someone doesn’t mean accommodating their eating disorder, and why getting it wrong doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

* What recovery makes possible beyond food, including the parts of ourselves and our relationships we get to reclaim.

Alli Spotts-De Lazzer, LMFT, CEDS-C, is a licensed psychotherapist, Certified Eating Disorders Specialist and Approved Consultant, author, and educator with extensive experience treating eating disorders and supporting individuals and families through recovery. She is the lead author, alongside Jenny Mullaney, of My Child Has an Eating Disorder: An Essential Guide for Parents of Kids, Teens, and Adults, a resource that answers 80 common questions from parents and caregivers, combining clinical knowledge, research, and lived experience to help families navigate eating disorder recovery.

Support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership for live sessions every other week and a community of support from healing from diet culture:

https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Today’s episode is free for everyone. Full Plate is made possible by paid subscribers. To receive bonus posts and support the pod, consider upgrading to paid. It really means the world, so, thank you!

Paula Atkinson is a psychotherapist and Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who has spent decades working with people around trauma, disordered eating, body image, internalized weight stigma, anxiety, grief, and relationships. For ten years, she was also a professor of Weight & Society at George Washington University, where she taught about our culture’s obsession with thinness, the history and politics of body ideals, and the oppression of larger bodies.

Listen for more on:

Paula’s experience growing up in a fat body, developing an eating disorder, and discovering how differently people treated her when her body became smaller

Why Paula thinks of thinness as a cult, and what makes its promises so difficult to walk away from

The relationship between beauty, patriarchy, white supremacy, and the policing of bodies

How attractiveness became tied to women’s survival, and why beauty standards shift alongside social and political power

Thinness as a moral hierarchy, and the promises of purity, superiority, and belonging

GLP-1s, starvation, and the normalization of suppressing our bodies’ most basic needs

Why understanding body hatred as a systemic issue can change the way we approach recovery

The grief of letting go of the promises attached to thinness, even when we know they aren't real

What to do when you know the body hierarchy is b******t but still struggle with your own body (hint: seething feminist rage)

Find more about Paula here. Follow her on Instagram here. And if you’re not following Full Plate on Instagram, make sure to do that here!

Support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership for live sessions every other week and a community of support from healing from diet culture:

https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

What if our struggles with food and body image have as much to do with our need for safety and connection as they do with food itself?

Upgrade to paid to hear the second half of the conversation right HERE.

Today I'm welcoming back Dr. Vanessa Scaringi and Kate Garland, therapists, eating disorder specialists, and authors of Hungry for Connection: Heal Your Relationships with Food and People in an Insecurely Attached World.

In our first conversation, we explored attachment theory and how our relationships with other people can shape our relationships with food and our bodies. This time, we're taking that conversation further, looking at how diet culture, weight-loss messaging, and the world we're living in can make it difficult to trust ourselves and feel like we belong.

Part One: Free for everyone

In the first part of our conversation, we explore:

*How attachment theory helps us understand our relationships with food and other people

*Why fitting in and genuinely belonging are two very different things

*The connection between loneliness, disordered eating, and our need for safety

*How our relationships can influence our ability to trust ourselves

*Why so much of diet culture recovery involves more than talking about food or bodies

Part Two: For paid subscribers

Upgrade right here to get access to part two.

In the second half, we get into:

*The GLP-1 era and how increased weight-loss pressure is impacting people trying to make peace with food and their bodies

*Why diet culture is so good at selling us belonging and acceptance

*The exhausting pressure to optimize ourselves and how that disrupts our connection with self and others

*How to learn to trust yourself again, and why it doesn’t mean always making the “right” decision

*How we can loosen our dependence on external rules and reassurance

*Why disordered eating isn’t an individual failure, and who gets let off the hook when we treat it like one.

I hope you enjoy this conversation!

Connect with today's guests:

Hungry for Connection: Heal Your Relationships with Food and People in an Insecurely Attached World

CALM Counseling — Austin, Texas

Kate & Vanessa on Instagram

Support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership for live sessions every other week and a community of support from healing from diet culture:

https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a good woman. Particularly in light of what’s been happening at Cornell, the actions of this administration, and the ways we’re watching people and institutions respond to injustice, violence, and abuses of power.

And I keep coming back to this conversation with Savala Nolan.

Savala Nolan is an essayist, speaker, and teacher whose work explores race, gender, power, and the body. She is the author of Good Woman: A Reckoning, which is the book at the center of our conversation. It’s a beautiful, challenging examination of what it means to be raised to be “good” in a culture that has very specific ideas about what goodness looks like for women.

Tune in for more on:

* The myth that being “good” (thin, quiet, agreeable) will keep women safe

* The connection between dieting, thinness, patriarchy, and social control

* Why the endless pursuit of body improvement can keep us from fully participating in our own lives.

* What happens when we stop performing the familiar rituals of body shame and food guilt.

* The discomfort and freedom of becoming a woman who no longer follows the expected rules.

* Raising girls who feel empowered to question authority and resist harmful expectations.

* Race, white supremacy, and the particular ways white women are rewarded for maintaining the status quo.

* Midlife as rupture: dieting, divorce, and the unraveling of social conditioning

* Body liberation as a daily practice — especially in the age of GLP-1s

* What it means to become “illegible” to misogynistic culture

* Savala's powerful question: Where am I being asked not to bear witness?

This conversation is about so much more than food or body image. It's about the price of belonging, what we're taught to ignore in order to remain acceptable, and the difference between being perceived as good and actually living according to our values.

Whether you're hearing it for the first time or revisiting it with me, I hope it gives you something to think about long after the episode ends.

Find Savala on IG: https://www.instagram.com/savalanolan/

Order "Good Woman" here: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/good-woman-savala-nolan?variant=43871718604834

Savala's Substack: https://savala.substack.com/

Support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

What if you’ve been working on your relationship with food and your body for years…and you’re still struggling? Does that mean you’re doing recovery wrong?

This is at the heart of today’s bonus episode of Full Plate, and I think it’s a conversation we desperately need more of.

(To hear the full conversation, become a paid subscriber right here.)

Eating disorder stories are often told from one of two places: from the absolute depths of the struggle, or from the other side, where everything gets wrapped up into a neat recovery story. But most healing happens somewhere in between.

Johanna Scoglio, author and mental health educator, joins me to talk about living with and healing from an eating disorder that has been part of her life for more than 25 years—and what changed when she stopped measuring recovery by whether she could make every thought, urge, or struggle disappear.

Johanna shares honestly about rigid definitions of recovery, weight-centered care, all-or-nothing approaches to food and exercise, and the feeling that struggling meant she was failing.

But we also get into something I think will resonate deeply with anyone who has been doing this work for a long time: the sheer exhaustion of always working on recovery, and figuring out how much of your life to devote to healing.

Listen for more on:

* Why eating disorders are so often about much more than food or body image

* The difference between being “high functioning” and actually being okay

* How perfectionism can follow us straight into recovery

* What Johanna wishes had been different about eating disorder treatment

* Weight stigma and the issues with using weight as a marker of illness or recovery

* Why an all-or-nothing approach to movement can create its own harm

* Harm reduction as an alternative to shame, compliance, and perfection

* Including exercise without an all-or-nothing approach

*The exhaustion that can come from working on recovery for years

* What Johanna believes is the real thing she's healing from (and it has nothing to do with food)

* Learning to trust yourself, your emotions, and your own inner wisdom

* What it means to create a meaningful life while you’re still “in the water”

🎧 To hear the full conversation, become a paid subscriber right here.

Paid subscriptions directly support Full Plate and make it possible for me to continue having long, nuanced, independent, sponsor-free conversations like this one.

If you’ve ever wondered, Why am I still struggling with this?, I really hope this one meets you where you are and offers a way forward.

Johanna Scoglio is an author, educator, and mental health advocate dedicated to reducing stigma and creating compassionate spaces for those navigating eating disorders. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, four bonus children, and their puppy, Copa. Her memoir is called: When the Water Still Holds Me: Letters Through the Tides of a Long-Term Eating Disorder.

Support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership for live sessions every other week and a community of support from healing from diet culture:

https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Today I’m speaking with Stephanie Dodier, a non-diet nutritionist, certified Intuitive Eating counselor, and cognitive behavior coach. Our conversation covers a lot of ground, but constantly circles this question:

What happens when you understand all of this diet culture stuff intellectually…but it still doesn’t quite feel true for you and your body?

We get into:

* The difference between eating something because you genuinely enjoy it and eating it because diet culture told you to

* Why satisfaction and pleasure matter in having a calm, compassionate relationship with food

* How gender, body size, and other identities affect who is “allowed” pleasure with food

* Why Intuitive Eating can feel like it “isn’t sticking”

* The connection between food, body control, self-worth, and belonging

* How patriarchy and cultural conditioning shape our beliefs about our bodies

* Why understanding diet culture intellectually is different from embodying new beliefs

* Why body image work can feel less straightforward than healing our relationship with food

* What embodiment can actually look like in everyday life

* Stephanie’s experience learning to wear short sleeves after years of hiding her arms

* How community helps us grow stronger roots outside of diet culture

* A practical exercise for separating facts from the thoughts and beliefs we’ve attached to them

Stephanie's work is focused on behavioral science, human psychology and body image. Her podcast is called It's Beyond the Food, and you can find her on Instagram at @stephdodier.

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership for live sessions every other week and a community of support from healing from diet culture:

https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

This is part two of my conversation with Ragen Chastain. We pick up with the question of what happens when people stop taking GLP-1 medications, and whether “taking them for life” is actually supported by the research.

From there, Ragen takes us deeper into the research on weight regain, body composition changes, and the increasingly broad claims that GLP-1 medications can treat everything from cardiovascular disease to mental health concerns. We also talk about pharmaceutical influence on healthcare providers, what happens when doctors are working from incomplete or biased information, and how patients can advocate for themselves when / if their doctor presents a GLP-1 as the answer.

This is a bonus episode for paid subscribers. To join us, upgrade here.

And if you’re already a paid subscriber: thank you for making this possible. I genuinely mean that.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

* What the research actually tells us about weight regain after stopping GLP-1 medications

* The idea that GLP-1 medications need to be taken for life

* Weight regain, muscle loss, and changes in body composition

* How researchers define “maintaining” weight loss and why those definitions matter

* The way GLP-1 research is presented in headlines, abstracts, and public conversations

* Claims that GLP-1 medications may benefit conditions beyond type 2 diabetes and weight loss

* Why the dose being studied matters when we’re trying to understand health outcomes

* How pharmaceutical companies influence healthcare providers through research, education, and financial relationships

* The difference between a doctor being malicious and a doctor being misinformed

* What happens when GLP-1 medications are presented as a solution to almost every health concern

* How weight stigma can shape which treatments are offered to higher-weight patients

* BMI-based denials of care and the way weight loss can become a prerequisite for receiving healthcare

* Questions patients can ask when a provider recommends a GLP-1

* How to advocate for weight-inclusive care, even when there is a power imbalance between doctors and patients

* Why informed consent requires more than simply being told that a medication “works”

* What Ragen hopes people take away from the larger conversation about weight, health, and healthcare

Ragen Chastain is a researcher, writer, speaker, and board-certified patient advocate who has spent more than 20 years examining the intersections of weight science, weight stigma, and healthcare. She brings a research- and statistics-informed perspective to a conversation that is often dominated by pharmaceutical marketing, influencer anecdotes, and very simplified claims about what these medications do.

Find Ragen at weightandhealthcare.substack.com and on instagram at @ragenchastain

Support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership for live sessions every other week and a community of support from healing from diet culture:

https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have gone from relatively niche diabetes medications to one of the biggest (and most controversial) stories in health and wellness.

As you may have noticed, I’ve taken a bit of a hiatus from the podcast the past couple of months while I’ve been recovering from a SCAD heart attack.

Today, I'm back with a brand new conversation about weight loss drugs with Ragen Chastain, a researcher, writer, speaker, and board-certified patient advocate who has spent more than 20 years examining the intersections of weight science, weight stigma, and healthcare. She brings a research- and statistics-informed perspective to a conversation that is often dominated by pharmaceutical marketing, influencer anecdotes, and very simplified claims about what these medications do.

We do a deep dive into GLP-1 medications, weight loss, food noise, hunger, weight stigma, and what we actually know about the safety and long-term effects of these drugs.

In this episode, we get into:

* Ragen’s journey from dieting and doing her own literature review to becoming a researcher and advocate in the weight-inclusive healthcare space

* What we know about the failure of long-term weight-loss interventions

* Weight-inclusive healthcare and why it shouldn’t depend on whether we believe people can or cannot lose weight

* How GLP-1 medications work, including their effects on blood sugar, gut motility, digestion, and hunger

* The difference between diabetes dosing and the higher doses used for weight loss

* What “food noise” actually means (and what it doesn’t mean)

* How diet culture and restriction can affect hunger and thoughts about food

* The medicalization of hunger

* Why the same symptoms can be interpreted and treated differently depending on the size of the person experiencing them

* Weight stigma in healthcare and the assumption that weight loss is the answer to an enormous range of health concerns

* What we know and don’t know about the long-term safety of GLP-1 medications

* Why research on a medication at one dose cannot automatically answer questions about that medication at another dose

* Study dropout and what can get lost when we look only at headlines, abstracts, and conclusions

* Conflicts of interest in pharmaceutical research

* Concerns about the quality and transparency of long-term safety data

* What happens when medications designed to suppress hunger are used in people whose bodies are otherwise regulating blood sugar normally

This is part one of the conversation. In part two (releasing next week) we’ll dig further into weight regain, body composition, how GLP-1 research is presented to the public, the explosion of claims that these medications can treat everything from cardiovascular disease to mental health concerns, pharmaceutical influence on healthcare providers, and what you can actually do when a doctor recommends a GLP-1.

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

If you're looking for community and continued learning, apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group. We meet every other Thursday, and have a private online space for ongoing conversations between sessions.

Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Find more resources from Ragen:

Substack: https://weightandhealthcare.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ragenchastain/?hl=en

What does it mean to live in a body that doesn’t always do what you wish it would? A body that’s unpredictable, maybe in pain, maybe exhausted — a body shaped by chronic illness, disability, or medical trauma?

This week on the podcast, I’m revisiting an episode with the deeply compassionate Dr. Jennifer Caspari, a psychologist who specializes in health psychology and lives with cerebral palsy. Her personal and professional wisdom come together in such a powerful way — this conversation felt like a breath of fresh air in a world that so often asks us to override, fix, or fight our bodies.

We talk about what it means to be in relationship with your body when it doesn’t feel like it’s on your side — and how to cultivate self-compassion, presence, and joy even in the midst of that. (Her new book is a beautiful read, by the way).

Jen shares her own story — how she came into therapy, what it’s like navigating the world in a disabled body, and the mindset shifts that have helped her most during painful or difficult seasons.

We explore:

* How societal body image pressure intersects with disability and illness

* Why we don’t have to wait for symptoms to go away in order to start living

* The role of values-based living and gentle courage in hard moments

* Practical strategies for coping with chronic pain

* What it really means to practice radical acceptance

* Why chronic illness often involves grief — of function, identity, possibility

* Navigating relationships and communicating needs with loved ones

* Finding agency, even when so much feels out of your control

* Living fully with a body that’s chronically ill — and maybe always will be

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

If you're looking for support, live sessions, community, and continued learning, apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

This podcast is ad-free and made possible by paid subscribers on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

https://abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Today's episode is a bit different than usual. I'm sharing (solo) a bit about where I've been, what's been going on with my health, and what it all means for this podcast.

To listen, upgrade to paid right here. Paid subscribers get access to all bonus content -- including the full archive of paywalled podcast episodes and newsletters.

In the episode, I get into:

- what happened (the heart attack, the hospital stay, and how my husband and family played a role)

- trusting your body even in the middle of a crisis

- the ways a medical condition overlaps with diet culture

- holding space for how unique everyone's experience with a health condition is, even when it's the same diagnosis

- the emotional impact of a life-threatening experience

- leaning into rest as a radical act of self-care, and how hard that can be in our culture

- where I'm finding the capacity for understanding and patience with my body, and where I'm not

- what this means for the podcast and my business

Thank you so muxh for supporting me -- both as a person, and as an independent writer / producer. It means the world.

Abbie is joined by the incredible Monika Ostroff, executive director of MEDA, clinician, author, and person with lived experience of both anorexia and DID — for one of the most illuminating conversations the show has ever had. This one will change the way you think about survival, the body, and what healing actually asks of us.

In this episode:

- What dissociative identity disorder (DID) actually is — and how it's almost nothing like what you've seen in media

- Why DID is far more common than most people realize, and why diagnosis takes so long

- The striking overlap between DID and eating disorders, and what that tells us about both

- How eating disorders function as a trauma response — and why that framing matters for recovery

- What it means to approach an eating disorder with compassion rather than shame

- The clinical and personal complexity of treating multiple eating disorder presentations within one system

- Why the "control freak" narrative around eating disorders misses the point entirely

- Monica's own lived experience with anorexia, DID, and what recovery has looked like

- The single piece of wisdom that reoriented Monica's entire relationship with herself

About Monika: Monika Ostroff, LICSW, CEDS-S is the Executive Director of the Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association, Inc (MEDA). She has over 25 years of experience in the field of eating disorders. Prior to leading MEDA, she directed several residential, partial hospital and intensive outpatient eating disorder programs in addition to having owned a thriving private practice. 

Practicing from a trauma informed, social justice and staunchly HAES® aligned lens, Monika is a dedicated ally and strong advocate working to ensure access to equitable, compassionate, and affirming care for all. Find Monika: Healing My Parts on Substack, Instagram, and podcast

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

 Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

I'm joined by DK Ciccone — comprehensively certified Pilates instructor, pain reprocessing therapy practitioner, and author of You're Meant to Move — for a conversation that is both deeply personal and clinically rich. We talk about what chronic pain actually is, why so many people have been dismissed or mislabeled, and what it looks like to rebuild a relationship with movement that isn't driven by fear, punishment, or diet culture.

This was originally a paid episode. Consider upgrading to a paid subscription to keep Full Plate going: https://abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode:

DK's journey with chronic pain and her past as a dancerHow chronic pain forms and why the pain is real even in the absence of ongoing tissue damage

The nervous system science behind pain sensitization — and why catastrophizing physically amplifies pain

Kinesiophobia: the fear of movement that develops after chronic pain, and how to work through it

Somatic tracking and pain reprocessing therapy as tools for understanding pain signalsHow to explore the difference between pain and discomfort

DK's "refuge and reach" framework for rebuilding a movement practice incrementally

Exploring functional movement versus "exercise"The research debunking weight loss as a solution for chronic pain

Why restriction and dieting actually increase chronic pain risk — and the clinical evidence behind it

How trauma and disconnection from the body compound the chronic pain experience

What embodied movement looks like when you're coming back from years of diet culture messaging

About DK Ciccone: Dana Karen ("DK") Ciccone is a comprehensively certified Pilates instructor who helps people in pain improve strength, mobility, and well-being in a weight-neutral environment. She is trained in pain reprocessing therapy through the Pain Psychology Center and is the founder of Movement Remedies, a chronic pain–focused Pilates studio and movement coaching business. Her book, You're Meant to Move: A Guide to Conquering Chronic Pain, Increasing Stress Resilience, and Reclaiming an Active Life, was released in December 2023.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

This week's episode is one I have been so excited to share. I'm joined by two brilliant, generous, and deeply thoughtful guests — writer, educator, and body liberation advocate Chrissy King, and creative and founder Claire — who have co-created the Child-Free Coven, a community and mutual aid space for people who are child-free, by choice or by circumstance.

In this episode:

*What the word “childfree” actually means — and why Chrissy and Claire are actively reclaiming it

*Why being childfree is not anti-child, and the James Baldwin quote at the center of their community

*Chrissy’s story: ending a marriage, being the first woman in her lineage to have this choice, and what liberation actually feels like

*Claire’s story: knowing from her early teens, navigating a partner’s uncertainty, and how 25 years of undiagnosed endometriosis is inextricably linked to her childfree journey

*The things people say to childfree women and what to make of them

*The connection between body liberation and the childfree experience

*Race, reproductive justice, and how this conversation is profoundly different depending on who you are

*The political moment we’re in — bodily autonomy, forced birth, and what history tells us about these tactics

*What it means to pour your love, attention, and energy into the world without motherhood as the vehicle

*The difference between grief and regret

*What Chrissy means when she says she wanted more than “fine”

Resources:

Find The Childfree Coven on Substack and Instagram

Chrissy’s book: The Body Liberation Project

Claire on Instagram and Chrissy on Instagram

Rachel Cargill / Rich Auntie Supreme

Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother’s Hands

Tricia Hersey / Rest is Resistance

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

 Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

This is part two of my conversation with Kate Zigrang, founder of Viva Voce — and this is where everything shifts.

To hear it: abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

We left off last week with Kate at a turning point: an OCD diagnosis, a doctor who finally told her the truth about her health, and something beginning to loosen. This episode is about what came next — the harder, slower, more relational work of actually stepping out of diet culture after a lifetime inside it.

We cover:

* Going no contact with her parents — the decision, the grief, and what space it created

* The complicated dynamic with her mom: over-apologizing, enmeshment, and why leaving felt both impossible and necessary

* The slow, specific work of separating her own body from her mother's — learning to look at herself without dread

* Religious deconstruction happening simultaneously with the body acceptance work and the mental health work — all three threads unraveling at once

* The Manhattan pants incident — eighteen months of traveling the world, unable to find a single pair of pants in her size anywhere in New York City, and the rage that became a turning point

* What Viva Voce actually is — a marketplace vetting brands for ethics, sustainability, and genuine size inclusivity

* Why she insists on carrying straight and plus sizes in the same space

* The pop-up strategy — and why she's bringing it to smaller cities on purpose

* A data project collecting real body measurements to understand how clothes could actually be made better

* Why belonging is at the center of every decision she makes — and what that looks like in practice

This episode is for paid subscribers. If you'd like access to this conversation and the full archive, you can subscribe here:

abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Find Kate and Viva Voce at vivavoce.live and on Instagram @vivavoce.live

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

Kate Zigrang is an advocate, entrepreneur, impact investor, and the founder of Viva Voce — a size-inclusive fashion marketplace and community rooted in body justice. But before we get to what she's built, we go back to where it all started.

In this first part of a two-episode conversation, Kate takes us through her personal history with her body — from watching her mom navigate the world in a larger body and absorbing the shame that surrounded her, to puberty changing her own body in ways she wasn't prepared for, to a disordered relationship with food that developed in her late teens and went unnamed for years. We also get into her OCD diagnosis at 31 — more than a decade after onset — and what it meant to finally have language for what her brain had been doing all along.

This is a conversation about the things diet culture teaches us before we're old enough to question them, and what it actually takes to unlearn them.

We talk about:

*Growing up watching her mom be treated as a problem to be fixed, and inheriting that shame before she had words for it

*How her body changed at puberty while she was already carrying that inherited weight

*The food rules in her home growing up, the restriction and binge cycle they created, and how it planted seeds for a disordered relationship with food

*Moving away from home at 21, marriage, pregnancy, and her body changing again in ways that felt out of her control

*The wellness journey — naturopathic doctors, juice cleanses, a month-long juice fast, and crying in the shower

*Getting an OCD diagnosis at 31 and finally understanding what her brain had been doing since she was a teenager

*A doctor who told her, simply, that she was healthy — and how much that cracked open

*Finding Maintenance Phase, Aubrey Gordon, and Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings, and what it meant to finally have the research match what she'd lived

Find Kate and Viva Voce at vivavoce.live and on Instagram @vivavoce.live.

Books mentioned: What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon; Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings

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Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

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Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

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Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Abbie sits down with Dana Colthart, LCSW, a therapist specializing in OCD and eating disorders, to explore one of the most under-diagnosed and misunderstood overlaps in mental health. From intrusive thoughts to diet culture to why you can’t logic your way into recovery, this conversation explores what's truly driving our fears, our coping strategies, and the compulsions holding us back.

The first part of this episode is free for everyone. Paid subscribers can hear the entire conversation. You can upgrade here: https://abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode:

* Why OCD is so much more than hand-washing and organization — and what it actually looks like

* The key difference between OCD and generalized anxiety disorder, and why misdiagnosis is so common

* How the OCD cycle works: the obsession, the compulsion, the temporary relief, and why that relief is the trap

* What reassurance-seeking is, why it counts as a compulsion, and how it shows up in relationships with food and body image

* Pure-O OCD — when the compulsions are entirely mental, and why this goes undiagnosed so often

* Taboo and shameful intrusive thoughts: why the people most disturbed by a thought are almost never the ones who’d act on it

* What ego-dystonic versus ego-syntonic means, and why that distinction matters in disentangling OCD from eating disorders

* How diet culture functions like a mass OCD delivery system — rules, rituals, fear, and relief that never quite arrives

* Why clinicians treating eating disorders are often the only voice in a client’s life saying “you don’t have to do this” — and how hard that is

* The particular cruelty of food and body-related intrusive thoughts in a world that confirms them everywhere

* How OCD and eating disorders mimic each other, overlap, and take turns — and what that seesaw can look like in recovery

* What ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) actually is and why the discomfort is the point

* Why your brain watches your actions, not your words — and what that means for recovery

* The systemic piece: how disordered behaviors get praised in some bodies and diagnosed in others

* What to do if you’re recognizing yourself in this episode but aren’t ready to call a therapist yet

About Dana: Dana Colthart, LCSW, is the clinical director of Clear Light Therapy, a boutique practice based in Englewood, New Jersey. She provides evidence based treatment for OCD, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders, blending Exposure and Response Prevention, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and integrative mind body approaches. Dana is also a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Abbie speaks with Anna Maltby — health journalist, personal trainer, and author of the How to Move newsletter — for a conversation that pulls back the curtain on the fitness industry. At the heart of this episode is: what does look like to rebuild a relationship with movement that isn’t rooted in shrinking, earning food, or “fixing” your body?

They talk about how fitness media manufactures insecurity to sell us solutions, what people are unlearning when they come to weight-neutral movement, why decoupling exercise from aesthetics can temporarily leave people unmotivated (and what to do about that), and why your squat is probably fine.

Tune in for more on:

* The “body as business card” problem in fitness and nutrition

* How magazine cover lines were engineered to exploit seasonal body insecurities

* Anna’s origin story: from Eat This Not That to anti-diet fitness journalism

* The Refinery29 moment that changed everything (shoutout to Kelsey Miller’s Anti-Diet Project column)

* What people are unlearning: trusting their bodies, eating before workouts, modifications that aren’t lesser

* Why losing aesthetic motivation can feel like losing all motivation, and how to find intrinsic intentions

* The importance of where you are in recovery before reintroducing movement

* How to experiment with movement without judging yourself on the first try

* The “you’re doing it wrong” trend and why it’s harmful even in anti-diet spaces

* Body diversity and squat mechanics (yes, really)

For more from Anna:

https://howtomove.substack.com/

https://www.instagram.com/howannamoves/

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Body image researcher and Rutgers University psychology professor Dr. Charlotte Markey is back for a second time on the podcast. She has spent nearly three decades researching body image, and has written books for tweens, teens, boys, girls, and adults.

We get into so much…including:

* Body image as relational: how environment and relationships shape how we feel in our bodies

* The father dynamic, achievement culture, and how a critical home environment affects girls

* Biohacking and wellness culture as diet culture in disguise

* What happens when food gets moralized into good and bad

* Parents disparaging their own bodies and how it lands on daughters

* Body dissatisfaction across racial, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds

* Puberty: why normalizing it matters and why the conversation needs to extend beyond adolescence

* How diet culture exploits women’s hormonal life stages

* Whether there is a critical window for body image intervention

* Social media’s impact on body shame and how to learn media literacy for critical thinking and protection

* Body diversity and why the bodies we’re sold are not achievable for most people

* The protein obsession in wellness culture and why it’s concerning in adolescents

* What to do when your daughter is already struggling

* How parents can audit their own relationship with food and body in service of their kids

Charlotte Markey, Ph.D., is a world-leading expert in body image research, having studied body image and eating behavior for nearly three decades. She is passionate about understanding what makes us feel good about our bodies and helping people to develop a healthy body image and relationship with food. Charlotte is an experienced book author, research scientist, clinician, speaker, and psychology professor at Rutgers University, Camden.Her books: https://www.thebodyimagebook.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/char_markeySubstack: https://drcharlottemarkey.substack.com/Find Full Plate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullplate.podcast/Find Abbie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbieattwoodwellness/Subscribe to the newsletter: https://abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/Listen to the first episode with Dr. Charlotte Markey

Full Plate by Abbie Attwood is a reader-supported publication. To receive special posts, bonus episodes, and support this work, consider becoming paid subscriber.

Abbie answers a listener question about one of the most complicated intersections: dating (relationships) and diet culture — especially when you're carrying a history of body shame, disordered eating, and the ongoing, nonlinear work of recovery.

Elizabeth, a listener in her early 30s, writes in about the men she keeps encountering on the apps — the gym-obsessed ones, the salad-only ones — and asks a question that cuts to the heart of it: is this my gut, or is this fear?

What you'll hear:

*Why "too sensitive" isn't a useful frame — and what to ask instead

*Safety and self-worth as the foundation of dating in recovery

*Learning to trust your intuition when diet culture has distorted it

*When to share your mental health history (and when you don't have to)

*The difference between a trigger and something to work through

*Revisiting your dating app parameters — and the biases built into them

*Abbie's own experience navigating ED recovery while dating

Then Jeb, Abbie's husband, joins for an unplanned conversation about what it was actually like when they met — both carrying things they weren't sure how to share.

*What happened when Jeb disclosed his sobriety on a rooftop, early on

*Why vulnerability can work as a filter, not just a risk

*What Jeb was looking for in a partner when he was newly out of treatment

*The moment Abbie knew he was someone she could be with through hard things

This episode is ultimately about openness — what it costs, what it protects, and what becomes possible when you find someone willing to meet you there.

This is a BONUS episode for paid subscribers on Substack. To hear it, upgrade here: https://abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

There’s a lot of noise right now around GLP-1 medications—conflicting advice, emotional stories, and a cultural shift that feels hard to name.

Abbie sits down with Virgie Tovar—author, activist, and leading voice on weight stigma—to slow things down and ask a deeper question: what is actually happening here?

They talk about how GLP-1s work, how they’re being marketed, what ethics have to do with this, and why so many people are feeling confused, overwhelmed, and even destabilized—especially those with a history of dieting or eating disorders.

As you listen, please remember: this episode zooms out and looks at the big picture and the culture around these medications. Body autonomy is not up for debate.

Tune in for more on:

What GLP-1s are—and how they drive appetite suppression and restriction

Is this really “new”? (dieting, weight loss, and long-term outcomes)

The marketing machine: confusion and co-opting body positivity

The concept of “food noise”

Virgie’s brilliant perspective on the big picture and why this feels so intense right now

Weight stigma vs. the promise of empowerment

Hunger explained: objective vs. subjective

Is there true “peace with food” through this medication?

The cultural shift: weight loss as expectation, not choice

The business behind it all: profit, scalability, and the GLP-1 “gold rush”

The core ethical question: is intentional starvation, at an industry and cultural level, ever justified?

Staying grounded: navigating conversations, protecting recovery, and finding support

This episode is available for free for everyone.

To support the show, please consider upgrading to paid on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

​Virgie Tovar is a plus-size Latina author, lecturer, and leading expert on weight-based discrimination and body image with over a decade of experience. She is the founder of Body Image Reset, an AI app for people struggling with GLP-1 ad overwhelm. Tovar is a contributor for Forbes.com where she covers the plus-size market and how to end weight discrimination at work, and she's the host of GLP-1 Truth Serum, a podcast dedicated to asking critical health questions about the current explosion in injectable weight-loss medications.

Resources mentioned:

Virgie's Substack - https://virgietovar.substack.com/

Abbie’s episode on the Minnesota Starvation Study

GLP-1 Overwhelm App - http://www.glp1overwhelm.com

The Body Positive Journal by Virgie Tovar

You Have the Right to Remain Fat by Virgie Tovar

GLP-1 Truth Serum Podcast: https://virgietovar.substack.com/podcast

Today's episode is available in full for paid subscribers. You can upgrade right here. Thank you so much for your support!

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Leslie Schilling, and we get into the harder, thornier stuff—the cultural forces that make all of this so difficult to navigate, and the clinical tools Leslie uses to help people find their way through.

We cover:

— What weight suppression actually means, and why it has nothing to do with body size

— The physical toll of even "light" under-eating, and why it can feel like it's working until it suddenly isn't

— GLP-1 medications, informed consent, and what most prescribers aren't telling their patients

— The way exercise intersects with GLP-1s and why being told to work out more while your hunger cues are suppressed is a problem

— Muscle loss, sarcopenia, and why fueling your body matters more as you age

— RED-S and why it's not just for elite athletes

— "Weaponized compassion" and the way diet culture and the medical system dress up restriction as care

— How belonging and community drive so many of our behaviors around food, movement, and medication

— Body grief and the real, valid loss that comes with a changing body

— Why lowering the bar is not giving up

This episode is available in full for paid subscribers. Upgrade here to listen to the whole thing.

Part 1 is free and available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Find Leslie: Instagram: @LeslieSchilling Website: leslieschilling.com

Find Full Plate: Instagram: @fullplate.podcast Substack: abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com

About Leslie: Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN, CSCS, CEDS-C, owns a Las Vegas-based private practice specializing in nutrition counseling for disordered eating and performance nutrition for professional athletes, performers, and military personnel. In her more than 20 years in the fields of sport nutrition, eating disorders, and strength and conditioning, Leslie has served in many settings, including as a performance nutrition consultant for Cirque du Soleil and the NBA, and as an expert contributor to U.S. News & World Report. One of her favorite things to do is support registered dietitians, coaches, and other professionals working at the intersection of eating disorders and sport through professional supervision and mentorship in the Dietitian Development Hub Mighty Network Community. Check out Leslie’s latest book, Feed Yourself, about how diet culture shows up in our safest places, which is available anywhere books are sold.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

In today’s episode, I chat with Leslie Schilling, a registered dietitian who specializes in working with athletes and disordered eating, about what it looks like when our relationship with exercise is no longer healthy.

We get into so much, including:

- what exercise dependence actually means (and why it’s often missed)

- why it’s not about quantity—but compulsion, rigidity, and fear

- the overlap between exercise dependence and eating disorders

- signs your relationship with exercise might need support

- why rest days can feel so distressing

- exercise as a coping mechanism for anxiety, stress, and discomfort

- the subtle difference between: “I want to move” vs. “I have to move”

- how body image, food rules, and weight concerns drive compulsive movement

- why most people are under-fueling (even when they don’t realize it)

- “if you fuel it, you can do it”—and what happens when you don’t

About Leslie: Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN, CSCS, CEDS-C, owns a Las Vegas-based private practice specializing in nutrition counseling for disordered eating and performance nutrition for professional athletes, performers, and military personnel. In her more than 20 years in the fields of sport nutrition, eating disorders, and strength and conditioning, Leslie has served in many settings, including as a performance nutrition consultant for Cirque du Soleil and the NBA, and as an expert contributor to U.S. News & World Report. One of her favorite things to do is support registered dietitians, coaches, and other professionals working at the intersection of eating disorders and sport through professional supervision and mentorship in the Dietitian Development Hub Mighty Network Community. Check out Leslie’s latest book, Feed Yourself, about how diet culture shows up in our safest places, which is available anywhere books are sold.

Find more on Leslie: https://www.instagram.com/leslieschillinghttps://schillingnutrition.com/https://a.co/d/0blRJV9z

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Abbie is joined by Shannon Kopp, founder of SoulPaws Recovery Project, to explore the role of the human-animal connection in recovery from eating disorders, substance use, trauma, and mental health challenges.

Shannon shares her personal experience with bulimia, depression, and loss—and how her relationships with animals became a turning point in her healing. They also talk about the science behind why animals can help regulate the nervous system and support emotional healing in ways that traditional approaches sometimes can’t.

This conversation is a deeper look at connection, safety, and what it actually takes to access healing.

Tune in for more on:

- Shannon’s recovery from bulimia and depression—and how animals became a turning point- Why shame keeps people stuck (even when they’re in therapy)- The frustrating gap between knowing what to do and being able to do it- How animals help regulate the nervous system and create a sense of safety- Why healing requires connection—not just behavior change or control- Powerful moments with Buster and Bella, and what they reveal about healing- How animals interrupt panic, dissociation, and harmful coping patterns- The neuroscience behind calm → connect → heal and why it matters- What SoulPaws Healing Circles are and how they support recovery- How the human-animal bond can build trust, connection, and access to healing- Simple ways to incorporate your own animal into grounding and recovery

About Shannon: Shannon Kopp (she/her) is the founder and Executive Director of SoulPaws® Recovery Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that unleashes the healing power of the human-animal connection to support individuals recovering from eating disorders, substance use disorders, and other regulatory challenges.

She is also the best-selling author of Pound for Pound: A Story of One Woman’s Recovery and the Shelter Dogs Who Loved Her Back to Life and a national speaker on mental health, eating disorders, and animal-assisted healing. Her work has been featured in PEOPLE, NPR, CNN, Women’s Health, and Psychology Today.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

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This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Abbie is joined by adolescent medicine specialist Dr. Lauren Hartman to talk about what it really means to care for kids in a culture obsessed with shrinking them.

They explore the rise in eating disorders among younger children, the sneaky evolution of diet culture into “wellness,” and the complicated, high-stakes reality of GLP-1 medications in adolescence. At its heart, this conversation is about protecting kids from shame — and helping parents trust their instincts.

In this episode, we discuss:

* What adolescent medicine actually is — and why ages 10–25 (and even younger) require specialized, developmentally informed care

* The moment that shifted Lauren away from weight-centric medicine

* Why disordered eating is on the rise in young kids

* How diet culture has become more insidious under the branding of “health,” “wellness,” and “longevity”

* Early red flags parents can look for

* The impact of social media on both girls and boys — from protein obsession to muscle dysmorphia

* What happens when doctors dismiss parental concerns because a child’s BMI is “normal”

* A nuanced conversation about GLP-1 medications in adolescents

* How to repair harm — whether you’re a parent, provider, or educator

This is a conversation about growth — literal and emotional. About letting kids develop in bodies that are allowed to change. And about building systems of care that prioritize safety over stigma.

Dr. Hartman's book: https://www.aspengroveayam.com/copy-of-presentations-publications

Dr. Hartman is double board certified in Adolescent Medicine and Pediatrics. She is known for her patient-centered approach, and has dedicated her career to supporting teens, young adults, and their loved ones as they navigate adolescence.  She aims to focus on the strengths in every patient and nurture a sense of hope to help support them to live their most fulfilling and healthy lives.  

She has held numerous leadership positions, including the chair of adolescent medicine at Kaiser Permanente for Northern California, the director of the pediatric eating disorder program in the East Bay, and served as the West Coast Medical Director at Equip.  She also helped create programs and held leadership positions in multidisciplinary programs for gender expansive youth and pediatric autonomic disorders.

With more than a decade of dedicated practice, she has honed her skills in the specialized field of adolescent medicine, particularly in the realm of eating disorders in the hospital, outpatient and virtual settings. 

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

 Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

How do our attachment styles shape our relationship with food, body image, and disordered eating?

In this episode, I’m joined by therapists Vanessa and Kate to explore the powerful connection between attachment theory and eating behaviors—why food can feel like safety, control, or comfort, and how early relationships influence the way we cope today.

If you’ve ever wondered why your patterns with food feel so hard to change, this conversation will help you understand them with more clarity and compassion.

In this episode, we cover:

*What attachment theory is and the four main patterns: secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized

*How attachment patterns are linked to disordered eating and body image struggles

*Looking as food behaviors through the lens of seeking safety and regulation

*The difference between comfort-seeking and numbing (and why both can show up in any eating pattern)

*How relationships and family dynamics can trigger changes in eating behaviors

*The impact of diet culture, GLP-1 medications, and social media on body image and food choices

*Why “rupture and repair” is essential for healing your relationship with food and your body

*Practical ways to build a more secure, compassionate relationship with eating

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness 

Find Kate & Vanessa on Instagram: instagram.com/calmcounselingatx/

Vanessa Scaringi is a licensed psychologist based in Austin, Texas, working with adolescents, young adults, and adults. Through individual, group, and family therapy, she helps clients build self-awareness and recognize patterns that may be getting in the way of the life they want. Her work centers on creating a safe, collaborative space to explore difficult experiences, while integrating insight-oriented and evidence-based approaches to support meaningful, lasting change.

Kathryn Garland is a licensed clinical social worker, supervisor, and certified eating disorder specialist. Her approach is collaborative and grounded in curiosity and trust, integrating psychoanalytic, relational, and mindfulness-based frameworks. She works with adolescents, adults, and couples navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, identity, disordered eating, body image concerns, and chronic illness. Her experience spans foster care, community mental health, college counseling, and eating disorder treatment, including leading an adolescent intensive outpatient program.Her work focuses on helping clients move through barriers, navigate transitions, and create meaningful, lasting change.

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Perfectionism shows up in how we see our bodies, measure our health, and define our worth. This week, I’m bringing back a listener favorite—my conversation with Dr. Lisa Folden, who is a physical therapist, anti-diet coach, and weight-inclusive movement practitioner.

At its core, this episode is about how breaking free from perfectionism allows us to reclaim joy in our bodies, relationships, work, and yes—our lives.

We get into so much, including:

* Growing up as a “role model” and shedding that identity

* What research really says about weight, joint pain, diabetes, and intentional weight-loss

* Navigating disordered eating as a Black woman and why underdiagnosis is common

* Rebuilding a joyful, intuitive relationship with movement

* Letting go of the perfectionism trap and showing up authentically

* How health providers can approach shifting from weight-centric to weight-inclusive care

If you’ve ever felt your worth is tied to your body or achievements, this conversation is full of science, compassion, and practical tools to help you move with freedom and joy.

Find Lisa on IG: https://www.instagram.com/healthyphit/

Find the show on IG: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on IG: @abbieattwoodwellness

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

In this bonus episode, Abbie is joined by her husband Jeb (nearly a decade sober) to respond to a listener question: Is healing actually worth how hard it feels?

It's a listener favorite, vulnerable conversation about the messy middle of recovery — from dieting, disordered eating, addiction, and the coping mechanisms that once kept us afloat.

Some of the topics discussed:

Why recovery often feels harder before it feels better

The short-term relief vs. long-term cost of coping mechanisms

How dieting and addiction share similar roots (shame, fear, inadequacy, belonging)

Personal examples from Abbie and Jeb and pieces of their stories

Physical vs. emotional discomfort in recovery — and how to tell the difference

The power of community (and why healing in isolation is so much harder)

Small, quiet “wins” that signal real healing

Why “dabbling” in restriction tends to snowball

Privilege, barriers to recovery, and the realities of healing in this world

Here is the question that inspired this episode:

Hi Abbie,

I’ve been recovering from decades of dieting and disordered eating. I’m completely on board with doing this work for myself, for my kids. I recognize now - many thanks to you - how much of my life has been wasted on trying to control my body.

But I’m struggling, and many days I have these thoughts of: is this harder than just continuing to diet and restrict? I’m uncomfortable, I feel stressed and anxious, and it’s hard to cope with the body changes. I just feel defeated in many ways.

I know I don’t want to go back, but at the same time, healing is feeling so hard. I am hoping you’ll have some advice for where to go from here. Your podcast has meant so much to me and my daughter. Thank you.

Alex

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

What if being “good” was never meant to protect us?

In this powerful conversation, I’m joined by the incredible Savala Nolan (back for the second time) to talk about her new book Good Woman: A Reckoning, which is a lyrical, unflinching exploration of the expectations placed on women’s bodies, voices, marriages, appetites, and lives.

We explore what happens when the bargain of goodness stops “working” and what becomes possible when we refuse it.

Tune in for more on:

* The myth that being “good” (thin, quiet, agreeable) will keep women safe

* Midlife as rupture: dieting, divorce, and the unraveling of social conditioning

* Body liberation as a daily practice — especially in the age of GLP-1s

* What it means to become “illegible” to misogynistic culture

* Raising daughters who are fluent in their bodies, not afraid of them

This is a conversation about wilderness, refusal, and the kind of freedom that feels both exciting and terrifying because of its importance and truth.

Find Savala on IG: https://www.instagram.com/savalanolan/

Order "Good Woman" here: https://savalanolan.com/

Savala's Substack: https://savala.substack.com/

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

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Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

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Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Fiber is having a moment — and like most wellness trends, the story is more layered than the headlines suggest. In this episode, we're slowing down the “fibermaxxing” conversation and coming at it through the lens of science, context, and a compassionate relationship with food.

In this episode, we discuss:

* What the fibermaxxing trend is, what the research actually says about fiber’s benefits, and where those benefits level off

* How diet culture turns neutral nutrition advice (remember protein?) into extremes and appetite-control strategies

* The difference between supporting fullness and suppressing hunger — especially in today’s GLP-1 and “nature’s Ozempic” era

* Why this messaging can be particularly tricky for those healing from disordered eating or volume-eating patterns

* How to approach fiber in a way that supports health without sacrificing nourishment, satisfaction, or trust in your body

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

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Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

How do kids learn about bodies and food before anyone even talks about it? Zoë Bisbing, psychotherapist and eating disorder specialist, joins me to unpack the invisible lessons our kids absorb—and how parents can respond to “hard body moments” without shame or overcorrection.

We talk about:

* Zoë’s journey from inpatient eating disorder treatment to prevention work—and how becoming a parent reshaped her lens.

* What kids are really learning about bodies, food, and morality.

* How to respond when a child expresses body distress.

* Why tolerating “body grief” builds resilience and reduces eating disorder risk.

* Why shutting down “I feel fat” with reassurance can accidentally close the door to connection.

* What to actually say when your child brings you a hard body moment.

* How “fix-it” energy can communicate fear—and what it looks like to tolerate discomfort instead.

* Why prevention isn’t about perfection, but about creating an emotional climate where kids aren’t alone in their pain.

* The surprisingly joyful role of simple pleasures—like toaster strudels—in fostering flexible eating.

This episode isn't just for parents. We were all children once, impacted by diet culture in our family and beyond. So this is for anyone who wants to create a home where bodies and food are safe, not shameful.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

For more from Zoë:

https://www.instagram.com/mybodypositivehome/

https://www.bodypositivehome.com/about

https://bodypositivehome.substack.com/

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Zoë Rom is a journalist, elite runner, and advocate for nuanced storytelling in sports media. Kylee Van Horn is a dietitian working directly with athletes. They join me to share their insights on how diet culture and running culture intersect. We explore nutrition myths, challenge unrealistic body ideals, and talk about what it means for athletes to foster a healthier, science-backed relationship with movement and food.

Tune in for more on:

* How diet culture shows up in running and endurance sports

* The role of media in reinforcing harmful body standards for athletes

* Why nutrition myths—especially around carbohydrates—are so persistent

* The particular brand of disordered eating in runners

* How the attention economy rewards extremes over nuance

* The pressure athletes face with appearance and body composition

* Why humor is such a powerful part of recovery and healing

* What it means to ask deeper questions about our beliefs around food, health, and performance

* The importance of representing diverse bodies in athletics

I hope you enjoy this one! It’s full of stories, science, and a little humor along the way—including why, yes, pizza really is the hero we all deserve.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Find Zoë and Kylee: https://www.yourdietsuckspodcast.com/

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Therapists Ashley Wilfore and Sarah Louer know what it's like to have dieting and body shame passed down to you like a family heirloom. We discuss what it means to experience intergenerational trauma, how disordered eating and body hatred get inherited and perpetuated through family values and behaviors, and what it's like to grow up surrounded by diet culture in your home. Ashley and Sarah and speak with honesty, compassion, and humor about their experiences letting go of the pursuit of thinness, and trying to raise their own children while being cycle-breakers.

Tune in to hear more about:

- What’s on their plates (hint: foods to eat when you're sick, and an ode to eggplant...)

- A clinical and personal definition of “intergenerational trauma”

- Being impacted by generational passing down of dieting and body shame

- How the idea that starving yourself is power has been believed by their family members who were otherwise independent-minded and strong 

- Specific moments and vivid memories from childhood that form beliefs today

- Overhearing the women they looked up to talking about their own bodies

- The moments they realized they couldn’t keep dieting and over-exercising 

- The intentional decisions they made as mothers when it comes to food and body talk

- How they handle their parents' anti-fat bias today

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness 

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

More About Ashley:

Ashley is a wife, a mom of two boys and a clinician. She has her master's in science in forensic psychology and is working on her second advanced degree in social work. She specializes in working with people with IDD and complex needs, but really enjoys talking and working with people who have experienced family trauma and supporting others to break out of social norms.

More About Sarah:

Sarah is a 54-year-old mother of four living in Vermont, working in New York. She's a licensed clinical social worker, an avid traveler, foodie, and a recovering disorder dieter. She's passionate about human rights for all, and a rectal cancer survivor. She loves Costa Rica, the ocean, and craft cocktails.

Abbie sits down with Meg Bowman, a nutritionist who works at the intersection of mental health, trauma, and nutrition, to explore how our lived experiences—especially chronic illness and trauma—shape our relationship with food and our bodies.

Meg shares her own story of being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, how it led her to a career change from PR to nutrition, and what she’s learned from working with clients who live with trauma, mental health conditions, and digestive issues. This is a conversation that unpacks the deeply human side of nourishment—why it’s not just about what we eat, but about how safe we feel while eating.

More of what you’ll hear:

* How trauma and chronic stress affect digestion and inflammation

* Why nervous system regulation is an essential (and underrated) part of nutrition

* The difference between physical and psychological restriction

* How self-blame and shame can trigger survival responses in the body (and make eating so hard!)

* The illusion of control that dieting and food rules can offer—and why it’s really about safety

* What “messages of safety” look like in real life (hint: regular, balanced meals count!)

* Why so many primary care visits are actually related to stress and trauma

* How to approach food when living with chronic illness without falling into restriction

Meg also shares her refreshing, realistic take on healing—one that doesn’t romanticize “perfect eating,” but instead honors the nervous system, lived experience, and the body’s need for both nourishment and compassion.

More about Meg and her book: https://www.megbowmannutrition.com/body-on-trauma-book

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Abbie is joined by Christyna Johnson, a registered dietitian whose work sits at the intersection of nourishment and social justice (a perfect fit for Full Plate, as you all know).

They unpack the way systems have weaponized hunger. And why that matters so much at a time where extreme thinness is being celebrated, hunger suppression is being normalized, and health is feeling more like a performance than ever.

Tune in for more on:

* Hunger as a tool of control—historically, politically, and culturally* Growing up with limited food variety, dieting, and respectability politics* Diet culture as a cult (yes, it’s fascinating)* Why appetite suppression is being framed as “health”* GLP-1 medications, food noise, and informed consent* Epigenetics, famine, dieting, and intergenerational impact* The difference between the performance of health and actual well-being* Pleasure, nourishment, and why enjoying food matters* Why younger generations give us real reasons to hope

This episode is honest, funny, gentle, and deeply unsettling in the best way. It invites us to ask bigger questions:

Who benefits when we’re disconnected from our bodies? And what becomes possible when nourishment takes up less brain space—so we can look up and care for one another?

Make sure you’re following Christyna on Instagram. And check out her book, 100 Food Affirmations, right here.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcastFind Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Abbie is joined by registered dietitian Anna Sweeney for a conversation that gently but firmly pushes back on the loudest nutrition narratives we’re seeing and hearing right now (carbs, sugar, protein hype, processed foods, “good fats” and everything in between). Together, they unpack the potential harms of the newly released dietary guidelines, the moral panic around convenience foods, and the way “real food” nutrition messaging lands on disabled folks, people with eating disorders, parents, and anyone just trying to get fed.

Tune in for more on:

Anna’s lived experience with disability and how that impacts eating

Why convenience foods are not something to fear

What is inside the new dietary guidelines (and what’s left out)

How “clickable nutrition advice” is fueling misinformation

The violence of demonizing accessible foods

Why “real food” is a misleading (and loaded) concept

Protein recommendations, cultural bias, and who gets left out

Should we be avoiding sugar?

Carbohydrates as essential (and why the fear-mongering won’t stop)

How nutrition messaging creates shame instead of support

The missing role of pleasure in conversations about health

Why individual responsibility is overemphasized—and systems are ignored

Social determinants of health and nutrition conversations

Learning to trust your body in a culture that profits from distrust

Anna Sweeney (she/her) is a chronically ill and disabled relational nutrition therapist and registered dietitian. She has dedicated her career to counseling, supervising, and consulting in the field of eating disorders. Anna is the owner of a group nutrition therapy practice dedicated to anti-oppressive, fat-positive eating disorder care. Anna has spoken nationally at numerous conferences and media outlets, is globally recognized as a resource in her field, and regularly communicates on social media as @dietitiananna.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Sharon Maxwell returns (she might hold the record!?) to talk about embracing pleasure with food and bringing fat joy into the new year. Oh and...why body liberation is not dead, they just want us to think it is.

Tune in for more on:

- Why pleasure matters in healing

- How Sharon is learning to savor food, perhaps for the first time

- Psychedelics in Sharon's recovery

- Finding “glimmers” of joy during hard seasons

- Fat joy in the new year

- How community support helps us resist diet culture

- Body liberation as an everyday practice

- Using play as an act of resistance

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Sharon Maxwell (she/they) is an educator, speaker and fat activist. With compassion as a guiding principle, Sharon is a leading force in dismantling systemic anti-fat bias. She dedicates her work to eradicating weight stigma on both a social level and within healthcare settings

Find Sharon on IG: @heysharonmaxwell

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but in need of community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Because it's the end of the year, I figured we needed this one: Yasmine Cheyenne helps us walk some of our most challenging paths: self-forgiveness, people-pleasing, unhealthy relationships, and comparison.

In this revisited episode, we explore:

How perfectionism leads to self-abandonment

Setting boundaries as protection from burnout

How early relational dynamics shape the way we show up in the world

Identifying red flags in relationships

Breaking free of what keeps us stuck in painful cycles

How we lose ourselves when we make choices out of fear

What is really happening when we compare ourselves to others

Using our past as information — not a life sentence

Yasmine Cheyenne is a self-healing educator, mental wellness advocate, author, and motivational speaker who helps people cultivate daily practices to build healthy, joyful lives. Yasmine’s app, The Sugar Jar Community®, provides meditations and healing workshops to support our mental wellness. She’s been featured on the Today show, InStyle, Forbes, and more. An Air Force veteran and native New Yorker, she now lives in Washington, DC with her family.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

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Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

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If you’re heading into this season feeling overwhelmed, under-rested, or bracing yourself for the inevitable comments about food, bodies, health, or “being good”… you’re in good company. And you deserve support.

Below are the questions I’m answering this month’s community Q&A episode (thinking we should call these Q&As our monthly Full Plate Potluck??? Anyone?!🤣).

My thoughts on the first two questions are free for everyone, and the rest are behind the paywall. Join as a paid subscriber for access to this full Q&A, all other bonus content, and my undying love and gratitude for helping to keep the lights on around here.

Question 1: Prioritizing rest while others are prioritizing diet culture

Question 2: Clothing, Consumerism, and Body Image “Fixes”

Question 3: The Temptation to Restrict with Body Comparison (to our former selves and others)

Question 4: Other People’s Opinions and Choices with Food

Question 5: Comparison and Boundaries with Close Friends and Family

I hope you enjoy this episode, and please use the Substack comments to let me know what questions you have for our next Q&A!

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

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Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

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Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

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Perimenopause often starts quietly. Maybe your sleep gets weird, maybe your cycles change, maybe you just don’t feel like yourself. And when that happens, most of us do the obvious thing: we start looking for information. We want reassurance. We want a roadmap.

And that’s where the trap springs.

Because the loudest voices don’t talk to you like a human moving through a profound hormonal transition. No—they talk to you like a problem, a project, and a body in need of tightening, shrinking, purifying, or fixing.

Cole Kazdin returns (her second time on the pod!) to talk to me about this whole mess.

We get into so much in the episode, including:

• the sneaky ways diet culture slips into menopause advice

• the reactivation of old eating disorder behaviors

• orthorexia, “eating clean,” and restriction as coping mechanisms

• the research on midlife vulnerability to dieting

• longevity and nutrition misinformation

• reclaiming exercise from wellness culture

• how we can experience more joy, autonomy, and nourishment during this transition

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

About Cole:Cole Kazdin is a four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, writer, and performer. She is the author of What’s Eating Us: Women, Food, and the Epidemic of Body Anxiety and has contributed to The Moth Presents All These Wonders. Cole has written for outlets including VICE, TIME, The New York Times, and Cosmopolitan, and produced for Good Morning America, Nightline, and Netflix. A celebrated storyteller, she’s performed on The Moth Mainstage nationwide and NPR’s The Moth Radio Hour, and currently teaches writing at UCLA Extension. She lives in Los Angeles. 

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

 Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Eating disorders have long been treated through talk therapy, nutrition support, and medication, but what happens when these approaches aren’t enough? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Marissa Raymond-Flesch, a leading researcher exploring the potential of psychedelic therapies as a treatment for anorexia.

We dive into:

The science behind psychedelic therapy and its emerging applications in mental health.

Current research on psychedelics for anorexia and what the early findings suggest.

How psychedelic therapy could complement traditional approaches to eating disorder care.

The ethical and safety considerations surrounding this innovative treatment.

Questions researchers are still asking and the future possibilities in the field.

Whether you’re a clinician, researcher, or someone with lived experience, this episode offers a thoughtful, evidence-based look at a groundbreaking frontier in eating disorder treatment.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

More on Dr. Raymond-Flesch's clinical trial: https://eatingdisorders.ucsf.edu/spanya-study

More on Dr. Raymond-Flesch: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/marissa.raymond-flesch

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

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Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Deb Benfield, RDN, returns to talk about what it really means to age unapologetically. We explore how diet culture and anti-aging messaging collide in midlife, why our bodies deserve more kindness (not more control), and how to build a relationship with food, movement, and aging that feels spacious and grounded rather than restrictive and punishing.

Deb shares practical, compassionate ways to reclaim vitality, joy, and presence in a world obsessed with youth and thinness.

We get into:

How to move from “I know diet culture is harmful” to actually living differently

Why aging can feel so emotionally charged — and how to process grief without self-criticism

Nourishment vs. optimization: fueling your body without chasing “anti-aging fixes”

Navigating ageism, visibility, and the pressure to stay youthful

What joyful, sustainable movement can look like in midlife

How to reclaim pleasure, rest, and spaciousness

The legacy we offer younger generations when we age without apology

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Living with chronic illness changes everything—energy, trust in your body, and even your relationship with food. In this episode, I answer a listener question about why chronic illness and disordered eating overlap so often.

I get personal about:

My own experiences with autoimmune flares and how they made wellness “solutions” tempting.

Pain, uncertainty, and hyper-awareness of the body.

Navigating food choices with chronic illness.

Nutrition misinformation about “inflammation” and health conditions.

Weight stigma, ableism, and moralizing health.

How disordered eating can become a coping mechanism—and ways to step out of that cycle.

If you’ve ever felt pulled into restriction, protocols, or wellness promises while living in a sick body, this episode is for you.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Shana Spence, a registered dietitian (who you might know as @thenutritiontea on social media), joins the pod to bust myths about processed foods and to discuss how family, culture, privilege, and societal influences shape our relationship with food.

This is a rerun – we recorded this conversation over a year ago, and misinformation about food and ingredients has only intensified. This episode feels important to share again right now, especially in light of recent reductions in food assistance programs.

Shana shares how her initial career path and disordered eating fueled her decision to become a dietitian, and reflects on how dietetics education perpetuates diet culture, focusing on BMI and stereotypes. She talks about her perspective shift over time, the process of moving toward an anti-diet and weight-inclusive approach, and why the social determinants of health matter more than individual food choices.

Tune in to hear more about…

The pressure of food restriction as a badge of honor

Privilege affecting food choices

The misleading fears about processed foods

The oversimplification of food into good vs. bad categories. 

How family and cultural background impact dieting

External societal pressures on our relationship with food

Diet culture and healthism

Dietitian education's role in perpetuating diet culture

Stereotyping in healthcare

Shana’s perspective shift on nutrition and dieting

Restriction as a form of validation

Black-and-white thinking in nutrition

Why we don't need to "fix" people's eating habits

Shana Spence is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist based in New York, who considers herself an “eat anything” dietitian, and counsels on a HAES (Healthy At Every Size) and an Intuitive Eating approach. She is also the author of Live Nourished - Make Peace with Food, Banish Body Shame, and Reclaim Joy. Find her website here https://www.thenutritiontea.com/  and find her on instagram at @thenutritiontea.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

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Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

I'm joined by Dr. Regina Lazarovich, a clinical psychologist, Health at Every Size (HAES)–aligned provider, and someone with lived experience of binge eating and perfectionism. Together, we unpack the lesser-discussed connection between high achievement, perfectionism, and binge eating, and how shame and restriction can keep us stuck in painful cycles with food.

Tune in as a paid subscriber for more on:

*The connection between perfectionism and binge eating — and why it’s rarely talked about.

*Why restriction (mental, emotional, and physical) often drives binge eating, not “lack of willpower.”

*Regina’s story of developing binge eating disorder amid academic and cultural pressures.

*The shame cycle: how guilt after binge eating fuels renewed restriction and perfectionistic resolve.

*Why binge eating is a protective response from the body — not a personal failure.

*The impact of immigrant identity, family expectations, and internalized achievement pressure on self-worth and body image.

*The moral hierarchy of eating disorders — and how fatphobia shapes which struggles get compassion.

*Tangible ways to interrupt the binge–restrict cycle and begin to bring compassion to our relationship with food.

*Approaching binge eating through a body-trusting, HAES-aligned lens.

This is a bonus episode for paid Substack subscribers. Paid members receive:

*Extra full-length conversations like this one

*Bonus in-depth essays on body image, food, and movement

*Access to the entire archive of paywalled episodes and newsletters

*Deeper, more personal reflections and behind-the-scenes insights

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

About Regina: Dr. Regina Lazarovich, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, trained teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion, and the founder of the private practice Compass CBT, serving clients across California, New York, and Florida. Dr. Lazarovich has dedicated her fifteen-year career to helping individuals break free from anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, disordered eating, binge eating disorder, body image struggles, people-pleasing, and perfectionism.With a wealth of expertise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Dr. Lazarovich approaches each client's mental health journey with kindness and understanding. As a Health at Every Size (HAES®) aligned therapist, she wholeheartedly believes that every body deserves care, compassion, and respect.

Oona Hanson, educator and parent coach who supports families navigating diet culture and eating disorders, joins the pod to talk about midlife body challenges as well as the pressures teens are facing around food and weight. Specifically, we get into what it's like to be navigating perimenopause while your kids are hitting puberty.

Tune in for more on:* The overlap between perimenopause and puberty, and what it means for family dynamics

* How diet culture sneaks into every corner of parenting and self-worth

* Practical ways to support teens and college students around food and body image

* Reparenting ourselves so we can show up with more patience, compassion, and curiosity

* How even small attempts to restrict or control food can become slippery slopes toward disordered eating

* Why creating a home that feels like a safe haven from diet culture is one of the most powerful gifts you can give your kids.

Oona Hanson is a nationally recognized writer, educator, and parent coach who supports families navigating diet culture and eating disorders. In addition to her private practice as a parent coach, Oona has also worked as a Family Mentor at Equip Health, where she was part of multidisciplinary care teams treating children with eating disorders.

Find Oona on Substack: https://oonahanson.substack.com/

Support the show:

Enjoying this podcast? Please consider supporting the show on Substack as a paid subscriber for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Abbie’s Group Membership:

If you've been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning, you can apply for Abbie's membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

 Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Ragen Chastain is back to continue our conversation about weight, health, and diet culture — this time answering listener questions about the GLP-1s you’ve been hearing so much about: Wegovy, Ozempic, and other weight-loss drugs.

Following up on last week’s episode, Ragen helps us separate hype from reality. We dive into how these drugs actually work — and don’t — their risks and side effects, and the broader context around the pharmaceutical industry and public discourse on weight.

In this episode, we cover:

What GLP-1s actually are and how they function in the body

The side effects and potential health risks of these drugs

How effective they really are for long-term weight management

What happens when weight loss plateaus while taking them

The impact of pharma companies, marketing, and the weight-loss industry

The shortages affecting diabetics who rely on GLP-1s for medical reasons

Tune in to get a clear, evidence-based perspective on the weight-loss drug craze, and to continue unpacking the bigger conversation about weight, health, and stigma.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

We’ve all heard it: fatness automatically equals poor health. It’s treated like an unquestionable fact, reinforced by headlines, medical guidelines, and cultural narratives. But is it really true? And what does the research actually say about weight and health outcomes?

In this episode, I’m joined by the incredible Ragen Chastain — researcher, writer, speaker, and thought leader in weight science and weight stigma. Together, we unpack one of the biggest myths upholding diet culture and anti-fat bias: “Isn’t being fat bad for your health?”

We explore the origins of the so-called “obesity epidemic,” the flaws in research connecting weight and health, and how stigma, medical education, and the weight-loss industry continue to shape public perception. Along the way, Ragen shares her personal story, her experience in dance and sports culture, and how she navigates a world obsessed with size and shape.

About Ragen Chastain:

Ragen Chastain is a speaker, writer, researcher, Board Certified Patient Advocate, multi-certified health and fitness professional, and thought leader in weight science, weight stigma, and health. She is the author of Fat: The Owner’s Manual, editor of The Politics of Size, the author of the Weight and Healthcare newsletter, and co-author of the HAES Health Sheets. She’s also a national dance champion, triathlete, marathoner, and Guinness World Record holder for Heaviest Woman to Complete a Marathon.

Ragen's Substack: https://weightandhealthcare.substack.com/

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

When we talk about eating disorder recovery, we tend to imagine two extremes: acutely ill or completely healed. You’re either in crisis or you’re “all better.”

But what about the space in between?

The messy, unglamorous, everyday middle place.

That’s where journalist and author Mallary Tenore Tarpley found herself — and it’s what her new book is about. She writes about living in that liminal space: no longer in “danger” the way she once was, but not walking around with a tidy “fully recovered” bow tied on top either.

We talk about:

- Why the “middle place” matters, and why so many people feel shame about being there.

- How grief and trauma can play into disordered eating.

- The role of perfectionism and control in shaping recovery.

- Navigating the challenges of motherhood while protecting her kids from body shame and diet culture.

- Why self-compassion and vulnerability are essential on this journey (and what the hell that actually means).

This episode challenges the binary of sick vs. recovered and makes space for a more honest, human version of recovery — one that allows for complexity, setbacks, and resilience.

"Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

 Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

 Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Mallary Tenore Tarpley is a journalism professor at The University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism and Media and McCombs School of Business, where she teaches writing and reporting courses for undergraduate and graduate students. Mallary's articles and essays have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Tampa Bay Times, Teen Vogue, Harvard University’s Nieman Storyboard and more. She also maintains a weekly newsletter, Write at the Edge, where she shares writing tips and best practices. Mallary’s debut nonfiction book, “SLIP: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery,” blends immersive reporting, emerging science and social history around eating disorders alongside Mallary’s own harrowing journey from a childhood with anorexia to her present-day reality as a mother in recovery.

Mallary's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mallarytenoretarpley/

Mallary's website: mallarytenoretarpley.com

Mallary's newsletter: mallary.substack.com

Find her book here

Sandi James — a registered psychologist and Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach — joins Abbie to talk about her lived experience with both eating disorders and substance abuse, and how her own healing has profoundly shaped her work.

Listen in for a compassionate conversation on:

- The overlap between substance use and eating disorders as coping strategies

- Sandi’s early experiences with hush-hush, shame-based treatment in Australia

- The impact of COVID, loneliness, and financial stress on relapse

- Harm in treatment: rigid meal plans, punishment, coercion, and being labeled “non-compliant”

- The contrast of supportive care that treats people like humans

- Why one-size-fits-all treatment approaches often fail

- The promise of harm reduction and meeting clients in their “window of tolerance”

- Using challenge meals over telehealth as a collaborative, supportive tool

This episode is for anyone who’s felt let down by treatment, struggled with co-occurring challenges, or wondered if there’s a gentler, more human way forward in recovery.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please consider supporting the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

 Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

About Sandi: Sandi James is a registered Psychologist and Certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach with more than 15 years working in mental health, eating disorder, and addiction treatment. She is a lived experience clinician and dedicates her career to working with clients who feel let down by current systems of care and treatment approaches. Her primary focus includes mental health and trauma recovery, with a particular emphasis on co-occurring presentations including substance use or food and compulsive exercise-related difficulties. Sandi has extensive experience working with individuals and families to heal and recover from trauma, addictions, eating disorders, and mental health conditions. She is dedicated to working with clients and families from an inclusive and person-centred approach to improve quality of life from a harm reduction perspective. She is a passionate and committed clinician, working alongside and guiding clients in the recovery process. Sandi is building a practice integrating joyful movement and somatic healing approaches to treatment as well as working towards her PhD, conducting qualitative research looking at experiences of eating disorder treatment: identifying, responding to, and addressing harm experienced throughout the treatment process.

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

MAHA, diet culture, and toxic fitness ideals...this is the second half of my conversation with Ilya Parker. We go deeper into the toxic roots of mainstream fitness culture and explore how ableism, conformity, and control are built into the system.

Ilya draws SO many incredible connections in this episode...between patriarchy, body ideals, the current political climate, and the goals of mainstream fitness culture. They ultimately challenge us to reimagine what movement can look like when it’s rooted in compassion, accessibility, and community care.

You don't want to miss this one. I promise.

About Ilya: Ilya (he/they) is a Black, non-binary, fat, movement practitioner and founder of Decolonizing Fitness. They are also a Physical Therapist Assistant and an ACE certified Medical Exercise Specialist. Ilya is deeply invested in creating more access for queer, trans and gender expansive people to engage in intentional movement. While drawing wisdom from community-led solutions that are rooted in body liberation and involve the revitalization of Black and Indigenous ancestral approaches.

Support Ilya on Patreon here.

Find Ilya’s bookshop here.

Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:

Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group

Social media:

Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcast

Find Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness

Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroy

Podcast Editing by Brian Walters

This podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.