The Keep Smiling Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In today's episode, we're joined by Renee McGregor, a  Sports Dietitian specialising in Athlete Nutrition, REDs, and Hormonal Health. 

We explore the risks of underfueling and overtraining, alongside the psychological drivers behind disordered behaviours, including comparison culture, perfectionism, and the pressure to always do more. Renee also shares practical strategies for developing a healthier, more sustainable approach to nutrition and training, helping athletes perform at their best without compromising their long-term health or wellbeing.

We also discuss the importance of body awareness, adequate recovery, and learning to listen to your body to build a more balanced relationship with food, exercise, and performance.

https://reneemcgregor.com/

@r_mcgregor

Today we are joined by Molly, a Welsh women’s health and youth voice advocate focusing on breaking shame and stigmas around our bodies, and enabling difficult conversations.

After a childhood ruled by a Brain Tumour she documents her life with illness whilst campaigning on a government level and telling the world about her experiences, from the TEDx stage to the United Nations!

She now uses her lived experience to raise awareness, challenge stigma, and encourage more open and honest conversations about our bodies and the realities of living with illness.

In this episode, she speaks openly about her journey from diagnosis to empowerment, and how her experiences have shaped her identity, her advocacy, and her outlook on life.

She also shares the often unspoken realities of living with illness — from the physical challenges to the emotional and social impact that people don’t always see. Molly reflects on how these challenges can shape your sense of self, your confidence, and how you learn to navigate the world around you.

Molly also speaks honestly about turning adversity into purpose, using her voice to raise awareness, build community, and support others navigating their own challenges. Her story is a powerful example of how difficult experiences can become a catalyst for growth, purpose, and meaningful change.

IG / Tiktok @mollfenton @loveyourperiod

Linkedin ‘Molly Fenton BCAh’

Podcast ‘The GlioBabes’

As my master's journey concludes, it feels surreal to witness the culmination of countless hours of dedication. This academic pursuit has been central to my life, shaping my routines and lifestyle, making it bittersweet to transition away from something so integral to my identity.

This journey has been both rewarding and challenging. I've learned, grown, and formed amazing relationships, realised my true capabilities and discovered areas that align with my fundamental values - potential avenues I can leverage in the future. However, my perfectionism and drive have also led to moments of self-doubt and burnout. While these traits are often seen positively, they have pushed me to the edge at times.

Beyond academics, this journey has been deeply personal. Academic theories and concepts have mirrored my own path, offering a lens through which I could see my growth and gain clarity.

Beyond academics, this journey has been personal, almost cathartic. The theories and concepts I've studied have not just been subjects to memorise for exams -  they've resonated with my own experiences and challenges. They reflect my personal journey, and offer a lens through which I could view my own growth, allowing me to gain clarity and uncover a deeper understanding of myself. 

But now, it's time for a much-needed pause. I’m allowing myself to breathe, reassess, and reconnect with myself. For too long, I've equated my worth with productivity, accomplishments, how many tasks I’ve ticked off, and how many hours of work I’ve been able to cram in. I need to redefine success and embrace balance, remembering that my value isn't tied to academic achievements.

Overall, this journey has been intense and transformative. While I've loved it, I now realise the need for distance. I'm grateful for the experiences and insights gained, and I'm ready to just be Lara, open to whatever comes next.

In such an image based society, nowadays, in the 21st century, the number of individuals feeling negatively about their bodies is a scarily quickly rising statistic.

I discuss exhausting continual comparison, unrealistic expectations and negative influences of social media. How it's vital to take control of what content we're absorbing - ensuring it provides a sense of empowerment, rather than solely encourages you to question your value and worth.

I discuss an abundance of topics and advice as to how to build a healthy, mindful and positive relationship with your body - ranging from removing the scales, rewarding your body, eliminating habitual toxic behaviour towards yourself and overall being kinder to yourself. Finding a balance with exercise - ensuring your implementing fitness into your routine to celebrate your body rather than punishing it. Focusing on your bodies abilities and practising a little gratitude towards it's functions.

And most importantly, I talk about the importance of evolving that inner dialogue - transforming it from chronic self criticism to a positive, authentic and considerate mentality.

Heidi Jane and I talk all things social media - the good, the bad and the ugly. 

We discuss exhausting pyramid schemes, brand collaborations and demonitzation. 

How authenticity has seemingly vanished, as creators focus more so on posting solely to adhere to the static algorithm - chasing numerical gratification rather than pursuing the creation of inspirational, positive and uplifting content - insecurity perhaps? 

Hopefully, this 'no filter' episode will open your eyes and enlighten you about the reality of your favourite 'influencer' and how their seemingly perfect life is quite frankly, only for the screen.

Welcome back to another solo episode! Today I'm discussing the complex and intricate process of my fitness journey. How I went from being bed bound, to running half marathons, to now strength training... and how beneficial maintaining a level of consistency within my fitness routine has been for my mental health, self confidence, social confidence and overall my sense of value and purpose. 

Embarking on this massive lifestyle transformation has allowed me to develop a far more positive and healthy relationship with my body - due to embracing my bodies abilities and strengths, and totally eliminating scales from my life. Learning to respect and celebrate my body, rather than abusing it.  

Additionally, I discuss the countless incredible opportunities which has come as a result, and why I have now decided to totally changed my degree and future career path.  

Attending the gym, keeping fit, setting goals, involving myself with like-minded, motivated individuals has been the key to not only my physical recovery and progression, but also my mental growth, sense of self, identity and has ultimately become such a valuable and healthy coping mechanism  - which I hope I am able to explain and justify within this episode.

Welcome back to another episode! Today, we're going solo. 

Just a simple, classic Q and A, where I discuss weight gain and the emotional effect of having to buy bigger clothing, adjusting my mindset to prevent myself from seeing numbers as defining digits to represent my worth, and also my advice on binge eating recovery. 

I also chat about how to transform negative life experiences to lessons and avenues for unexpected, yet beneficial growth and maturity. 

Confidence is also a key topic in this episode, discussing the importance of prioritising yourself, rather than focusing on others' judgements or perceptions.

I am joined by Josceline (@HoneyAreYouHappy), a psychology graduate who has worked with countless mental health and eating disorder charities to raise awareness, due to her previous experiences of mental health conditions, including anorexia. 

In this episode, our conversation focuses highly on the brutal and traumatic reality of living with an eating disorder, discussing the exhausting misconceptions and stigmas attached, the development of anger, frustration and anxiety triggered by the recovery process and it’s detrimental effect of familial relationships. 

We discuss the true severity and addition of the disorder. How life can become very dark, emotional, seemingly valuless and the process of losing your identity to the anorexia. 

We raise the topic of re-feeding, experiences of hospitalisation and having to face these overwhelming phobias of food. Josceline spent a prolonged period of time as an inpatient, unlike myself, therefore it was massively insightful and educational to hear about her difficult and complex time as an inpatient. 

We also talk about our ‘light bulb moments’ and Josceline opens up about her experiences with CBT and having to open up about her traumatic childhood. 

Overall, we have a very open and raw conversation about our experiences with anorexia. How our stories both relate and differ. 

Today I am joined by Millie Cvjetkovic (@milliecvj) A chemist working in the nuclear industry, ibd warrior, a previous powerlifter whom is now embarking on her bodybuilding journey. 

Millie opens up about her complex life journey - her previous experiences of trauma from a young age, disordered eating, binge eating disorder and her diagnosis her chronic illness of ibd – inflammatory bowel disease. 

Despite her countless struggles and challenges she has had to face, she has grown and flourished into an incredibly intelligent, inspirational and beautiful young lady. 

She speaks about her journey of development, progression, self acceptance and self love, and how her previous difficulties have only built her into the resilient, determined and confident Millie we know today. 

We both talk about our individual experiences of eating disorders, discussing our relatable stories – so I just want to warn due to possible triggering conversations. 

Today I am finally joined by one of my closest friends – Alex Buley (@buleyfit)

Alex is a 22 year old, Motorsport Engineering graduate from Bristol, with a massive passion for all things sports – from swimming, to his career in gymnastics to race car driving.

In this podcast, we talk about Alex’s growth and development. How he progressed throughout life despite the numerous challenges he’s faced, including low self esteem, eating disorders and a complex academic career.

We talk about celebrating weight gain, the harmful reality of diet culture, the weight loss industry and how detrimental this can be to vulnerable mindsets – especially within the 21st century with social media being so prevalent.