Afleveringen
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Financial Stress Eating: How Money Anxiety Hijacks Your Body
You're not eating because you're hungry. You're eating because your nervous system thinks you're about to starve.
This episode is about financial stress eating. Specifically, why money anxiety sends your body straight into survival mode and makes food feel completely out of control.
If you've ever noticed that a bad bank statement leads to a binge, don't worry you're not losing it and you're not out of control. Your body is doing something ancient. Something it was literally built to do. The problem is, it can't tell the difference between a famine and an overdraft.
In today's episode, I explain the biology behind why financial stress triggers overeating. I'll walk you through what's happening in your nervous system when money gets tight. I'll tell you why willpower is completely irrelevant here. And I'll give you a few real, practical tools you can use next time the urge hits after opening your banking app.
Resources and Goodies:
Everything lives here: â https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestieâ
If this episode resonated:
Come find me on Instagram â â @bingefreebestie â â and let me know.
If you loved this episode, please leave a review and hit subscribe. It genuinely helps more women find this podcast, and that's the whole point. đ
The Binge Free Bestie Podcast is hosted by Nic, registered counsellor and recovered binge eater. Content shared in this podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for individualised therapeutic support.
Chapters:
00:00 Why Money Anxiety Triggers Binge Eating
02:24 The Money Stress And Binge Eating Cycle
03:46 Why Financial Stress Hits Differently
04:42 Scarcity, Survival Mode And Food Urges
05:38 What Cortisol Does To Your Appetite
06:57 My Personal Story With Binge Eating And Debt
07:40 Secret Credit Cards, Binge Hauls And Shame
08:18 Diet Culture, Weight Loss Surgery And Financial Damage
09:28 How Financial Stress And Binges Feed Each Other
10:03 Why Your Brain Goes Offline During A Binge
11:07 Recovery Is Bigger Than Food Freedom
12:39 From Binge Eating Debt To Buying My First Home
13:56 Scarcity Mindset And Feeling Out Of Control
15:15 Why Money Worry Makes Eating Harder To Regulate
16:09 Why Willpower Is Not The Answer
17:46 The Reality Of Cost Of Living Stress
18:48 Why Food Feels Like Safety
19:26 How To Interrupt The Binge Shame Spiral
20:38 Why Restriction Makes Money Stress Eating Worse
21:29 Non-Food Ways To Signal Safety
22:18 Money Stress, Survival Mode And Self-Compassion
23:18 Outro
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You had a streak going. You felt good. Then you binged. And your brain immediately called it self-sabotage.
That word is doing you real harm. This episode is about why.
A question came in from Deborah inside the Bestie Squad asking why she feels great during a streak of no bingeing, and then it all falls apart. I'd bet most of you know exactly what that feels like. So I'm answering it properly.
This isn't a willpower thing. This isn't a self-control thing. There are specific mechanics driving that cycle, and once you can see them, you can't unsee them.
Resources and Goodies:
Everything lives here: â https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestieâ
If this episode resonated:
Come find me on Instagram â â @bingefreebestie â â and let me know.
If you loved this episode, please leave a review and hit subscribe. It genuinely helps more women find this podcast, and that's the whole point. đ
The Binge Free Bestie Podcast is hosted by Nic, registered counsellor and recovered binge eater. Content shared in this podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for individualised therapeutic support.
00:00 Introduction
02:27 Why Do I Binge After A Good Streak?
04:06 Why Youâre Not Actually Self-Sabotaging
05:11 The Binge Cycle: Restriction, Trigger, Shame, Repeat
05:50 Sneaky Food Restriction That Can Lead To Binge Eating
07:18 The âFuck Itâ Moment & All-Or-Nothing Thinking
09:43 Why Binges Arenât Always About Food
11:40 The Binge Analysis Tool: What To Ask After A Binge
13:25 Recap: What Your Binge Cycle Is Really Telling You
14:19 Reframing Self-Sabotage As A Cycle You Can Understand
15:13 Join The Bestie Squad
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Nobody warned me that hating my body and struggling with food, would also blow up my relationship.
Thatâs not what the diet books sell us. Certainly not what the wellness content I was consuming by the bucketload sold either. Nobody connected those dots for me, so Iâm to have some real gal to gal chat with you today.
This episode is about what body shame and binge eating actually do to your sex life and your intimacy. The reality isâŚYou Can't Be Fully Present in Bed When You're at War With Your Body.
Because it's not just about what you eat. When you're deep in the cycle, you check out. You hide. You let your partner touch certain parts of you and not others. You turn the lights off. You wear over sized clothing. You rush your shower or getting dressed so they donât catch a glimpse of you. And essentially, you stop letting yourself be fully seen. Over time, that really starts to cost you.
Resources and Goodies:
Everything lives here: â https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestieâ
The Food Freedom Vault: A taste of my Food Freedom Method at an accessible price point. 100+ recipes with no calorie counts, no guilt, and no foods off limits. Plus a real introduction to the five Food Freedom Groups, the framework behind everything I teach.
The Break Up: My signature 8-module programme that has helped 400+ women stop binge and emotional eating and find real food freedom. If you're ready to go all in on the healing, this is where we do the work together.
The Break Up: Inner Circle: Everything in The Break Up, plus direct access to me through private coaching sessions, a kickstart call, and priority support. For women who want the highest level of personalised support on their recovery.
Embrace Your Body Workbook: My workbook going deeper on the four biggest behavioural drivers of body dissatisfaction, with evidence-based tools for each, plus a look at the cultural forces behind body shame. The companion to the body image work we talk about in this episode.
If this episode resonated:
Come find me on Instagram â â @bingefreebestie â â and let me know.
If you loved this episode, please leave a review and hit subscribe. It genuinely helps more women find this podcast, and that's the whole point. đ
The Binge Free Bestie Podcast is hosted by Nic, registered counsellor and recovered binge eater. Content shared in this podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for individualised therapeutic support.
00:00 Introduction
03:25 Why Body Shame Feels So Lonely
04:40 How Body Shame Affects Sex & Connection
06:34 When Intimacy Starts to Feel Brittle
06:45 My Story: How Body Shame Cost My Relationship
09:20 What Changed After Healing My Relationship With Food
10:41 What I Say on a Bad Body Image Day
12:43 The Break Up: Food Freedom Support
14:12 Healing Food Struggles Can Heal Your Relationship
16:03 3 Steps to Stop Body Shame Ruining Intimacy
18:11 Why We Need to Talk About Body Shame & Sex
19:04 Support
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You've seen the reels. The before-and-afters. The influencer who says DM me to find out more, and then sends you a link to buy a peptide stack.
This episode is about Retatrutide, known as Reta, and what's actually going on behind the content you're seeing. I'm not here to lecture you or tell you what to do with your body. But I do want to make sure you have the full picture before you make any decisions. Because there are some things those reels are not telling you.
I'm a registered counsellor and recovered binge eater, and I've watched this trend hit my community hard. I've had Australian women I work with bringing it up constantly. And here in New Zealand, while access is tight right now, the content is already everywhere. This episode is for anyone who's curious, considering it, or just trying to understand what all the noise is about.
In this episode:
What Retatrutide actually is and where the science is at right now
Why anything sold online as Reta is unregulated and what that means practically
The difference between doctor-supervised GLP-1s and buying off a bio link
What you're not seeing in those influencer reels
Why I think this conversation goes deeper than just the peptide itself
What lasting food freedom actually looks like and why it doesn't require risking your health
For my NZ and Australian listeners: I looked into this specifically for us. The content is already in our feeds. This is your heads up before the wave hits harder.
Referenced in this episode:
Episodes 61 and 14 on GLP-1s and doing the mindset and behavioural work alongside them
The Break Up programme: comment BREAKUP on Instagram for details
Resources and Goodies:
Everything lives here: â https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestieâ
The Food Freedom Vault: A taste of my Food Freedom Method at an accessible price point. 100+ recipes with no calorie counts, no guilt, and no foods off limits. Plus a real introduction to the five Food Freedom Groups, the framework behind everything I teach.
The Break Up: My signature 8-module programme that has helped 400+ women stop binge and emotional eating and find real food freedom. If you're ready to go all in on the healing, this is where we do the work together.
The Break Up: Inner Circle: Everything in The Break Up, plus direct access to me through private coaching sessions, a kickstart call, and priority support. For women who want the highest level of personalised support on their recovery.
Embrace Your Body Workbook: My workbook going deeper on the four biggest behavioural drivers of body dissatisfaction, with evidence-based tools for each, plus a look at the cultural forces behind body shame. The companion to the body image work we talk about in this episode.
If this episode resonated:
Come find me on Instagram â â @bingefreebestie â â and let me know.
If you loved this episode, please leave a review and hit subscribe. It genuinely helps more women find this podcast, and that's the whole point. đ
The Binge Free Bestie Podcast is hosted by Nic, registered counsellor and recovered binge eater. Content shared in this podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for individualised therapeutic support.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
04:07 Why Peptide Weight Loss Trends Are Getting Dangerous
04:46 The âRetaâ Peptide Wave Coming For Your Feed
06:44 What Is Retatrutide
07:13 What The Research Actually Says
08:32 I Tested The Peptide Sales Funnel So You Donât Have To
10:59 GLP-1s, Body Autonomy & Doing The Mindset Work
12:47 The Real Danger Of Buying Peptides From Influencers
13:20 The Body Image Trap
16:48 Retatrutide Side Effects
19:06 Whatâs Really Driving The Desire To Risk Your Health
21:38 Talk To A Real Doctor, Not A Wellness Influencer
23:12 The Breakup: Food Freedom Without The Next Quick Fix
24:06 Final Thoughts
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Hilary Duff. Times Square. "Stronger, not smaller." I saw it and felt genuinely warm. Then I sat with it longer.
This episode is about why that campaign is a better message, and why it's still not the whole picture. We talk about the 2000s body image era millennials grew up in, thin privilege and who gets to front campaigns about body change, and why swapping "I want to be smaller" for "I want to be stronger" can quietly become the same wound with better branding.
I also get into what joyful movement actually looks like, how to want strength without it becoming another way to beat yourself up, and the client story that completely reframes why she was going to the gym.
You're allowed to want to feel strong. You're also allowed to want none of it. This episode is about making sure whatever you choose comes from care, not punishment.
Resources and Goodies:
Everything lives here: â https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestieâ
The Food Freedom Vault: A taste of my Food Freedom Method at an accessible price point. 100+ recipes with no calorie counts, no guilt, and no foods off limits. Plus a real introduction to the five Food Freedom Groups, the framework behind everything I teach.
The Break Up: My signature 8-module programme that has helped 400+ women stop binge and emotional eating and find real food freedom. If you're ready to go all in on the healing, this is where we do the work together.
The Break Up: Inner Circle: Everything in The Break Up, plus direct access to me through private coaching sessions, a kickstart call, and priority support. For women who want the highest level of personalised support on their recovery.
Embrace Your Body Workbook: My workbook going deeper on the four biggest behavioural drivers of body dissatisfaction, with evidence-based tools for each, plus a look at the cultural forces behind body shame. The companion to the body image work we talk about in this episode.
If this episode resonated:
Come find me on Instagram â â @bingefreebestie â â and let me know.
If you loved this episode, please leave a review and hit subscribe. It genuinely helps more women find this podcast, and that's the whole point. đ
The Binge Free Bestie Podcast is hosted by Nic, registered counsellor and recovered binge eater. Content shared in this podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for individualised therapeutic support.
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The women in your life weren't trying to mess you up. They genuinely thought they were helping. But some of what they said, about food, about bodies, about their own thighs , stuck. And now you're carrying it.
This episode is about breaking that chain.
I've got Dr Chelsea Arnold back on the pod. She's a clinical psych who specialises in eating and body image, and she's also a mum doing the exact work we're talking about in real time. We get into four things she'd stop doing tomorrow if she could, and how to course-correct when you slip up. Because you will. We both will.
By the end you'll know why "good food, bad food" language causes more damage than you'd think, what to say instead when your kid comments on someone else's body, and why criticising your own body out loud in front of a young person is one of the most powerful things you can change.
Resources and Goodies:
Connect With Dr Chelsea:
@drchelseaarnold
The Berite App, free on App Store and Google Play: https://www.bertieapp.io/download
Chelsea's article on modelling healthy eating and body image habits: https://theconversation.com/how-to-model-good-eating-and-body-image-habits-for-your-kids-279443
Previous episode with Chelsea on tracking and monitoring: Episode 23- Why Tracking Calories Might Be Fueling Your Binge Eating (And What to Do Instead). https://open.spotify.com/episode/5o9555d2xpHj6iRyEZOyoZ?si=7hfC9Zc2REq4zR8BnL1iGg
â
Everything Binge Free Bestie lives here: â https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestieâ
The Food Freedom Vault: A taste of my Food Freedom Method at an accessible price point. 100+ recipes with no calorie counts, no guilt, and no foods off limits. Plus a real introduction to the five Food Freedom Groups, the framework behind everything I teach.
The Break Up: My signature 8-module programme that has helped 400+ women stop binge and emotional eating and find real food freedom. If you're ready to go all in on the healing, this is where we do the work together.
The Break Up: Inner Circle: Everything in The Break Up, plus direct access to me through private coaching sessions, a kickstart call, and priority support. For women who want the highest level of personalised support on their recovery.
Embrace Your Body Workbook: My workbook going deeper on the four biggest behavioural drivers of body dissatisfaction, with evidence-based tools for each, plus a look at the cultural forces behind body shame. The companion to the body image work we talk about in this episode.
If this episode resonated:
Come find me on Instagram â â @bingefreebestie â â and let me know.
If you loved this episode, please leave a review and hit subscribe. It genuinely helps more women find this podcast, and that's the whole point. đ
The Binge Free Bestie Podcast is hosted by Nic, registered counsellor and recovered binge eater. Content shared in this podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for individualised therapeutic support.
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Dopamine Did It. Not You.
Short episode. Big shift.
If you've spent years thinking you have no willpower around food, this episode is going to reframe everything. I break down what dopamine actually does in the brain, why certain foods and situations create automatic urges you didn't choose, and why every diet you've tried has been working against your neurology, not with it.
You'll walk away with one strategy. The pattern interrupt. It's simple, it's backed by science, and it works with how your brain is actually wired.
This isn't about eating less. It's about understanding why you eat the way you do, and what you can actually do about it.
Resources and Goodies:
Everything lives here: https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie
The Food Freedom Vault: A taste of my Food Freedom Method at an accessible price point. 100+ recipes with no calorie counts, no guilt, and no foods off limits. Plus a real introduction to the five Food Freedom Groups, the framework behind everything I teach.
The Break Up: My signature 8-module programme that has helped 400+ women stop binge and emotional eating and find real food freedom. If you're ready to go all in on the healing, this is where we do the work together.
The Break Up: Inner Circle: Everything in The Break Up, plus direct access to me through private coaching sessions, a kickstart call, and priority support. For women who want the highest level of personalised support on their recovery.
Embrace Your Body Workbook: My workbook going deeper on the four biggest behavioural drivers of body dissatisfaction, with evidence-based tools for each, plus a look at the cultural forces behind body shame. The companion to the body image work we talk about in this episode.
If this episode resonated:
Come find me on Instagram â @bingefreebestie â and let me know.
If you loved this episode, please leave a review and hit subscribe. It genuinely helps more women find this podcast, and that's the whole point. đ
The Binge Free Bestie Podcast is hosted by Nic, registered counsellor and recovered binge eater. Content shared in this podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for individualised therapeutic support.
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Nobody told me that healing would feel like loss.
That one day you'd be doing all the right things, no bingeing, eating well, feeling calmer around food than you ever had, and still feeling this quiet grief about the body you've been chasing for years.
That's what this episode is about.
Body grief is real. It's the part of recovery that nobody puts on the sales page because it's not pretty or inspiring. But if you're in it right now, it has a name. And it makes complete sense.
In this episode I'm covering:
Why wanting to lose weight and wanting food freedom aren't mutually exclusive, and what I actually ask you to do insteadThe link between body dissatisfaction and the binge-restrict cycle, and why you can't fully heal one without addressing the otherWhat Health at Every Size actually says (and what it doesn't)The honest truth about weight loss after binge eating recoveryGrace's story: four months in The Break Up, no binges, and naturally losing weight without a single dietI also answer the question I get asked more than almost any other: "Can I still lose weight doing this work?" No fluff. No wellness-speak. Just the honest answer.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
The Food Freedom VaultA taste of my Food Freedom Method at an accessible price point. 100+ recipes with no calorie counts, no guilt, and no foods off limits. Plus a real introduction to the five Food Freedom Groups, the framework behind everything I teach.đ Get the Food Freedom Vault
The Break UpMy signature 8-module programme that has helped 400+ women stop binge and emotional eating and find real food freedom. If you're ready to go all in on the healing, this is where we do the work together.đ Learn more about The Break Up
The Break Up: Inner CircleEverything in The Break Up, plus direct access to me through private coaching sessions, a kickstart call, and priority support. For women who want the highest level of personalised support on their recovery.đ Learn more about the Inner Circle
Embrace Your Body WorkbookMy workbook going deeper on the four biggest behavioural drivers of body dissatisfaction, with evidence-based tools for each, plus a look at the cultural forces behind body shame. The companion to the body image work we talk about in this episode.đ Get the Embrace Your Body Workbook
If this episode resonated:
Come find me on Instagram @bingefreebestie and let me know.
If you loved this episode, please leave a review and hit subscribe. It genuinely helps more women find this podcast, and that's the whole point. đ
The Binge Free Bestie Podcast is hosted by Nic, registered counsellor and recovered binge eater. Content shared in this podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for individualised therapeutic support.
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You're not "bad at stopping", you're just following a rule you learned as a kid that's keeping you stuck in the binge cycle. Ever finish your plate even when you're full?
That's the Clean Plate Club at work. And it's one of the sneakiest drivers of binge eating and overeating.
In this episode:
- Why you keep eating past fullness (hint: it's not about willpower)
- Where the Clean Plate Club belief comes from and how it fuels the binge-restrict cycle
- How to start leaving food on your plate without guilt
-Why "avoiding waste" by overeating is still wasteful, just to your body instead of the bin
- The one permission statement that changes everything
This is the kind of deep rewiring work we do in The Break Up. If you're ready to dismantle the food rules keeping you stuck, check the links below.
Links and Resources:
đ The Break Up: https://thebreakup.bingefreebestie.com/home-882186
đ¸ Instagram: @bingefreebestie
đ Other freebies, masterclasses and helpful resources: https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie
Did you know that subscribing to our channel is free? It's the simplest way to support the show and help us grow. Hit subscribe below, thank you! đ
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:39 What Is the Clean Plate Club?
03:12 The Food Rule You Learned as a Kid
06:09 Childhood Guilt Around Wasting Food
07:17 How You Learned to Ignore Fullness Cues
08:08 Dieting, Restriction & Food Scarcity
09:33 Why Itâs Not a Willpower Problem
12:18 How Clean Plate Club Fuels Binge Eating
14:40 Losing Trust in Your Body
16:22 Overeating, Shame & the Binge Cycle
17:17 All-or-Nothing Food Thinking
19:08 How to Break the Clean Plate Pattern
20:16 Practice Leaving Food on Your Plate
22:18 Why Your Nervous System Matters
26:21 Work With Me
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Raise your hand if you've ever ordered the salad when you actually wanted the burger. In this episode, we're diving into something nobody talks about: the double life so many of us live with food.
We perform "good eating" in front of others: ordering salads, making comments about being "healthy," projecting an image of control. Then we binge in private, when no one's watching.
⨠Performative eating is exhausting, and it's keeping you stuck in the binge-restrict cycle
⨠People in bigger bodies face amplified pressure to virtue signal with food choices
⨠The split between your public and private eating isn't sustainable
⨠Shame is the fuel that keeps the cycle running, and secrecy feeds shame
⨠Food freedom means eating the same way whether people are watching or not
Here's something you can try this week. I'm calling it The Performance Audit.
Think about the last few times you ate around other people. Ask yourself:
Did I eat what I actually wanted, or did I perform 'good eating'?Did I make comments about 'being good' or 'being bad' with my food choices?Did I restrict in public and then binge later in private?Did I post about a workout I didn't actually do, or talk about healthy habits I'm not actually practicing?This isn't about judgment. It's about awareness. Because once you see the pattern, you can start to shift it.
Resources and Links:
đŻ The Break Up Program: My signature 8-module roadmap to binge-free life. 12 months access to the Binge Free Besties community, monthly live calls with me, nervous system tools, and the full library including a body acceptance module.đ www.bingefreebestie.com/thebreakup
đ Join the Bestie Squad: My FREE Close Friends group on Instagram. Behind-the-scenes of my life in food freedom, weekly Ask Me Anything (every Wednesday), first dibs on Inner Circle spots and events.đ DM me SQUAD on Instagram @bingefreebestie
đ¸ Follow me on Instagram: Daily content, real talk, and communityđ @bingefreebestie
All Other Resources ( freebies, masterclasses, podcast) : https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie
If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you!
Send me a DM on Instagram @bingefreebestie and tell me: Which moment from this episode hit you hardest?
And if you found this helpful, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it helps more people find the show and break free from binge eating.
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What to Do the Morning After a Binge (The Anti-Diet Recovery Protocol)
You wake up and it hits you before you're even fully conscious, the dread, the memories, the wrappers, the promises to "start fresh Monday." If you've ever lived through a binge hangover, this episode is for you.
In this deeply honest conversation, Nic walks you through exactly what to do the morning after a binge, not how to detox, restrict, or punish your way back to "good." This is the gentle, science-backed recovery protocol that actually breaks the binge-restrict cycle for good.
In this episode:
Why your instinct to "fix it" is the exact thing keeping you stuckWhat's really happening in your nervous system the morning afterThe 3-layer recovery framework: Body, Mind, and DayWhy eating breakfast is the single most important thing you can do (yes, really)How to interrupt the shame spiral before it triggers the next bingeThe 5 things to do today, and the one thing you must NOT doWhy a single binge is not the problem (and what actually is)Nic shares from her own recovery, binge-free since 2019, and offers the unsexy, revolutionary truth: healing is built in moments of gentleness, not punishment.
If you've been waking up trapped in the guilt-restrict-binge loop, this is your permission slip and your roadmap out.
Links and Resources:
https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie
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Can I be really honest with you today?
This episode is personal. Like, properly personal. I'm taking you through the actual chapters of my life â the eleven-year-old me at the kitchen table, the bullied teenager with the (truly catastrophic) bowl cut, the uni student eating chips alone in her room, and the woman who had bariatric surgery and was still binge eating within months.
But here's why I'm sharing it: because I know this isn't just my story. If you grew up in the nineties and early two thousands watching Princess Diaries glow-ups, Fat Monica punchlines, and Kate Moss staring back at you from every magazine cover â you were being taught something about what your body was worth. And most of us absorbed that lesson without even realising it.
In this episode I'm sharing the five things I wish someone had told me before the damage was done:
Why your relationship with food probably didn't start with food at allThe movies and magazines that quietly built your beliefs about bodies and worthWhat trauma actually does to your eating â and why it makes complete senseThe truth about weight loss surgery that nobody told me beforehandWhy you are not broken â and what healing actually looks likeWhether you're deep in the cycle right now or you've been in recovery for years and still carry some of this â I think this one's going to land for you.
Resources and Links:
https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:52 The 11-Year-Old Girl Who Learned Thin = Worthy
03:55 Lesson 1: Thinness Was Taught As Worth
08:53 Lesson 2: Bullying Didnât Mean You Needed to Change
13:59 Lesson 3: Trauma Changed My Relationship With Food
19:30 Lesson 4: Weight Loss Didnât Stop The Binges
23:24 Lesson 5: You Are Not Broken
25:29 How I Actually Became Binge-Free
26:40 The Truth I Want You To Hear
27:55 What You Can Do Next
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Is your mum's diet culture still living in your head? Here's how to make sure it doesn't reach your kids.
Most of us grew up in homes where dieting was just... normal. Mum was always on something. The body comments were constant.
Food was either good or bad, clean or naughty, and we absorbed every single bit of it.
Now we're beginning to raise kids of our own or have young people in our lives. And we want to do it differently. But how?
In this episode of the Binge Free Bestie Podcast, I'm getting personal, sharing the comments my own family made about my body when I was at my heaviest, and why, despite their good intentions, it made everything so much worse. And I'm breaking down exactly what to do if you're navigating this with your own children right now.
Whether you've got little ones, a teenager who's gone full gym bro, a child being bullied about their weight, or you're just terrified of saying the wrong thing while you're still figuring out your own relationship with food, this one is for you.
What we cover:
â How diet culture gets inherited and why it's not your mum's fault (but it is yours to stop)
â The almond mum era and what growing up in an 80s/90s diet household actually did to us
â Real word-for-word scripts for the conversations most parents dread
â What to do when your teenager's "healthy eating" starts to look like something more worrying
â How to raise an intuitive eater who trusts their body, even if you're still learning to trust yours
â Why you don't have to be healed to be a brilliant parent around food
The cycle stops with you đ
Resources / Freebies / Work With Me:
https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie
00:00 Intro
02:00 How family comments shaped my relationship with food
05:30 The generational cycle of diet culture
07:30 Real struggles parents are facing right now
11:30 The #1 mindset shift
13:00 Principle 1: Stop labeling food âgoodâ or âbadâ
14:00 Principle 2: Kids copy what you do (not what you say)
15:30 Scenario 1: âAm I fat?â
16:30 Scenario 2: Teen obsessed with dieting/macros
18:30 Scenario 3: Restrictive eating or underweight child
19:40 Scenario 4: Child being bullied for their body
21:40 Scenario 5: You say something negative about yourself
23:30 You donât have to be healed to help
24:30 Where to start (even if youâre struggling)
binge eating recovery, emotional eating, food freedom, intuitive eating, diet culture, raising intuitive eaters, generational trauma, food trauma, body image, disordered eating recovery -
The food noise goes quiet on GLP-1s and peptides, and that relief is real. But what happens when the injection stops? In this episode, Nic shares her own experience with bariatric surgery and why the binge came back anyway, breaks down what the research actually says about GLP-1s , peptides and eating behaviour, and uses the story of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Layla Taylor as a cultural mirror for what happens when we try to sidestep the deeper work.
This isn't a takedown of weight loss medication. It's an honest, compassionate conversation about what these drugs can and can't do, and what's waiting for you on the other side of actually healing your relationship with food.
If you're on the fence about doing the mindset work, exhausted from trying, or wondering whether the jab might just be easier, this episode is for you.
Work with Me, Resources and Freebies: https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:00 What GLP-1 medications actually do
02:30 Why âfood noise disappearingâ feels life-changing
05:00 The 3 root causes of binge eating
07:00 What happens when you stop the medication
10:00 What GLP-1s canât teach you
12:00 My personal story: surgery didnât fix it
15:30 The deeper issue: your âoperating systemâ
19:30 Why we choose the âquick fixâ
21:00 If youâre using GLP-1s or peptides right now (what to do)
22:30 The best-case scenario: using the âquiet windowâ
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Do you have a food that lives on a weird pedestal in your brain?
One you either avoid completely⌠or eat the entire thing in one sitting?
In today's episode, Nic shares the psychology behind why certain foods, especially childhood favourites, can end up carrying a disproportionate emotional charge. Spoiler: it's not about the food.
In this episode, Nic covers:
Why your brain links specific foods to emotional memories (and what that actually means for your eating patterns)The neuroscience of sensory anchors , how taste, smell, and texture get stored alongside emotional experiencesHow chronic stress and nervous system overload drive your brain back toward "comfort" foods from childhoodWhy banning a food from your house doesn't solve the problem, and often makes it worseWhat actually changes when you remove the emotional charge from food (hint: it's not discipline)Nic's own story of eating chips alone in her car during nursing placements, and what was really going onYou'll leave this episode understanding:Why your eating isn't random, and what your nervous system is actually asking for when the urge to eat hits out of nowhere.
Resources mentioned:
The Break Up: Nic's flagship food freedom program The Break Up: Inner Circle, for women who want more private support Free Guide Emotional Eaters FixFind Everything Here: https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=701bf119-79a6-4128-a6ca-92306ffd7ed9
DM Nic the word DONE on Instagram to find out more about working togetherConnect with Nic:Instagram: @bingefreebestieWebsite: www.bingefreebestie.com
Binge Free Bestie Podcast is hosted by Nic Gaviria- registered counsellor (Master of Counselling), food freedom coach, and founder of Binge Free Bestie. New episodes drop weekly.
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If you're driven, capable, and holding everything together, and you're also quietly struggling with food, this episode is for you.
Today we're talking about the link between high performance stress and secret food rituals. Not just for corporate women climbing ladders, but for the mum managing the household like a project manager, the partner carrying the invisible mental load, the woman who is everyone's emotional anchor.
Because the woman who eats in the car before she walks in the door? She can also look like she has it all together.
This isn't a personal defect. It's a coping mechanism. And coping mechanisms can be replaced, not shamed away.
Ready to go deeper?
Resources, Freebies and How to Work With Me:
https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie
Joint the community on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bingefreebestie/
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The Diet Culture Survival Guide: How to Handle Diet Culture Chat
Diet culture hasn't disappeared.It has rebranded.In 2026 it sounds like wellness, optimisation, hormone balance, metabolic health, fasting windows, protein targets and âdiscipline challenges.âAnd while you might be doing real work healing your relationship with food, navigating these conversations in everyday life can still feel⌠uncomfortable.Because diet talk isnât just about food.Itâs often how women bond.In this episode, Iâm sharing The Diet Talk Survival Guide- how to stay grounded when conversations about calories, carbs, weight loss, fasting, Ozempic, macros, or âbeing goodâ pop up around you at work, with friends, or at family dinners.Weâll unpack whatâs really happening in those moments and how to navigate them without abandoning yourself or getting pulled back into old patterns.In this episode we cover:đ Why diet culture has evolved and become harder to spotđ How body criticism and dieting often function as a bonding ritualđ Why these conversations can trigger comparison or self-doubtđ The internal âwobbleâ many women feel in those momentsđ Practical ways to respond to diet talk without arguing, explaining or shrinking yourselfđ How to stay steady before, during and after these situationsYou donât have to control every room you walk into.But you can learn how to stay anchored in yourself when diet culture shows up.đ§ Listen now and share this episode with a friend who needs the Diet Talk Survival Guide.
Work With Nic ( Freebies, My Signature Program, Community):
https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=50fb6f83-e8f9-4afe-89c3-563644246738
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Kelly Osbourne, Diet Culture & Why âConcernâ Is Still Body Surveillance
The internet has a lot to say about womenâs bodies right now.
In this episode, I'm diving into the public discourse around Kelly Osbourne and the intense speculation about womenâs changing bodies- from Ozempic rumors to âconcernâ about health.
Kelly Osbourne was relentlessly fat-shamed as a teenager. Now, years later, sheâs being scrutinised for being âtoo thin.â
Different narrative. Same body surveillance.
I'm unpacking why commenting on womenâs bodies- even when itâs framed as concern- reinforces diet culture, comparison, and the same systems that keep women competing with each other.
This episode also explores why these conversations can be particularly activating if you struggle with binge eating, restriction, or body image, and how to protect your nervous system when social media starts spiralling.
Most importantly, itâs an invitation to opt out of body commentary culture and focus back on your own healing.
Resources & Links Free resources, programs, and ways to work with Nic:
đ https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie
Letâs Stay Connected
If this episode resonated, please follow or subscribe and share it with a friend.
Your support helps this message reach more women who are healing their relationship with food and their bodies đ
Chapters:
00:00 - Why everyone is talking about Kelly Osbourne
00:55 - The return of thinner body ideals
01:56 - Why this conversation matters
03:25 - Kellyâs long history of public body scrutiny
05:01 - The latest photos and the brutal reaction
06:47 - Grief, vulnerability and public shame
09:57 - When âconcernâ becomes body surveillance
12:05 - How these conversations affect your body image
14:09 - Why comment sections can dysregulate you
15:23 - What to do if this is triggering you
17:05 - Why women are conditioned to turn on each other
18:31 - Solidarity over speculation
20:06 - Redirect the energy back to your own healing
21:27 - Protect your peace and share this with a friend
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Body image conversations are LOUD right now.
Between the ANTM documentary resurfacing millennial trauma⌠and the viral New York Times interview where former body positivity influencer Gabriella Lascano stepped away from the movementâŚPeople are feeling hurt. Confused. Betrayed. Defensive.
And if thatâs you- this episode will steady you.As a therapist who specialises in binge eating, emotional eating and body image, and as a millennial woman who recovered from body dysmorphia and an eating disorder, Iâm unpacking:
⨠Why body positivity feels different now
⨠Why people feel betrayed when influencers change their bodies
⨠The autonomy piece no one is talking about
⨠How body positivity shifted from radical roots to social media aesthetic
⨠Why I teach body neutrality instead of âlove your bodyâ
⨠The Body Image Continuum (a tool my clients LOVE)
⨠Body checking, body avoidance & appearance-altering behaviours
⨠The shame â restriction â binge cycle
⨠How reducing body obsession actually reduces binge eating urges
If youâve felt activated by Lizzoâs weight loss⌠confused about the cultural pendulum swing⌠or stuck in a body shame loop that fuels emotional eatingâŚThis episode is for you bestie.
You donât need to pick a side in an internet war to heal your relationship with your body.
You need tools.
đ If This Helped You:
- Follow for weekly therapist-led conversations on binge eating & body image
- Share this with a millennial bestie
- Comment: Where do you sit on the body image continuum right now
- Work With Me: https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie
- Grab My Free Guide on Binge and Emotional Eating: https://checkout.bingefreebestie.com/opt-in-page
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Bestie! This week weâre unpacking the new Americaâs Next Top Model documentary- and the impact shows like this had on millennial womenâs relationships with their bodies.
ANTM didnât just entertain us.
It normalised:
public body critique
comparison between women
shrinking yourself to be chosen
and managing food to manage your appearance
Contestants were weighed on camera, told to lose weight publicly, pressured to change parts of their appearance, and had deeply personal experiences aired as storyline- all framed as âmentorshipâ or âopportunity.â
In this episode we talk about:
⢠the harm experienced by contestants
⢠the accountability conversation around Tyra Banks
⢠how comparison became automatic
⢠and how this kind of conditioning can link to restriction, binge eating, and emotional eating later in lifeNot because a TV show caused your struggles- but because culture shapes how we relate to hunger, worth, and our bodies.
đ Want to start healing your relationship with food and body?
https://linktr.ee/bingefreebestie
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