236. You Can Do Hard, Beautiful Things in the Body You Have Right Now With Dr. Megan Banker

"I think I had to give myself internal permission to say, ‘You don't have to change your body to do this thing. You can just do the thing. You can do the hike, you can do the climb, and you don't have to lose weight or gain a certain ability to be able to do it.’"We’ve been taught to believe that movement has to be about changing our bodies and pushing ourselves to the limit, but what happens when you strip away the blame and rebuild a relationship with exercise that actually honors your body?In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Megan Banker to unpack her journey of unlearning diet culture, healing from well-intentioned but harmful messages, and the pivotal hike that shifted how she spoke to herself. We dive into the emotional layers that make movement feel hard, and why your body size isn’t the problem.This conversation offers a compassionate lens and practical tools to help you reconnect with movement in a way that truly supports and respects you.✅ What You’ll Learn:Why movement can feel so emotional and how to process those feelings without blaming your bodyPractical ways to approach exercise that support your strength and mobilityHow to reframe negative self-talk and start speaking to yourself with kindness and respectWhy it’s possible (and powerful) to do hard, meaningful things in the body you have right nowThe impact of family and societal conditioning on our relationship with movement, and how to heal from itSteps to build a deeper trust in your ability to take care of yourself with movement and nutrition✨ Connect with Megan:InstagramTikTok🔗 Struggling to know when to eat or when to stop isn’t a failure... it could be a byproduct of following diet rules instead of your body's cues. The free Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide helps you ditch the noise and tune back into the cues your body is sending to build trust with your body and food. Get it at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale.Come back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

"We want to change our expectation that we will never, ever think of food as numbers or calories ever again... because that's pretty unrealistic for most people."Ever notice how the same food questions keep popping up no matter where you are in your healing journey? In this episode, I’m answering three of the most common ones I hear - how to move away from seeing food as numbers, why some foods feel harder to trust yourself around, and what it was really like for me to stop weighing myself. I’m sharing insight from both my work as a dietitian and my own recovery to help you understand what’s actually happening beneath these struggles, set more realistic expectations for your intuitive eating journey, and walk away with a few practical steps you can try today.✅ What You'll Learn:Why letting go of calorie counting takes time, and how to stop seeing food as numbersWhat makes certain binge foods harder to make peace with (and what to do about it)How fear plays a role when you consider stopping weighing yourselfThe big-picture mindset shift that helps you loosen the grip of old diet rulesHow to build more trust with your body as you move toward a peaceful, sustainable relationship with foodWhy these challenges are normal on an intuitive eating journey, and how to set realistic expectations for yourself🔗 Resources:For more help with using the Hunger and Fullness Scale, grab my free download at dietculturerebel.com/hungerfullnessscaleIf you’ve ever thought, “Why is it so hard to stop eating when I’m full?” – you’re not alone. And spoiler alert: it’s not about willpower or control. It goes so much deeper than that. Grab the free Honoring Fullness Checklist right now at DietCultureRebel.com/Checklist to start building a more positive relationship with food.Episode 230, The Hunger and Fullness Scale: What It Is and How to Use ItEpisode 227, Overeating, Indecision with Food Choices, and "Too Many" Calories as an Intuitive Eater (Q&A)Come back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

”You can have all the self-love in the world, and that does not protect you from systemic harm.”Body positivity is everywhere online, but is it really helping us heal? In this episode, Chrissy King joins me to explore why the mainstream body positivity message often leaves people feeling excluded or even more frustrated. We dig into shifting perspectives, the limits of focusing on individual confidence, and the systemic forces that shape our experiences in our bodies. Chrissy brings her lived experience and expertise to show why true body healing requires looking beyond “just love your body” and embracing a more inclusive, collective path.✅ What You'll Learn:How the body positivity movement began, how it's been co-opted, and why it often falls shortWhy mainstream body positivity focuses too much on individual confidence and not enough on systemic challengesThe importance of thinking collectively: healing goes beyond just ourselves and requires considering how everyone gets to exist in the worldWays intersectionality shapes our experience, and why focusing only on individual body image is incompleteHow diet culture and fatphobia are rooted in racism and white supremacy, and why dismantling these systems of oppression benefits all of usChrissy's take on Serena Williams' partnership with a GLP-1 companyWhy ongoing unlearning, compassion, and slow growth are essential to real body liberation work🔗 Resources:Chrissy's InstagramChrissy's TikTokChrissy's SubstackThe Body Liberation Project by Chrissy KingThe Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee TaylorFearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings✨ If you’ve ever thought, “Why is it so hard to stop eating when I’m full?”...

"It helps ground me when I remind myself that what people say about food or bodies reveals their own relationship with food, not mine."Family gatherings can stir up heavy feelings when old patterns of food and body talk resurface, especially when you’re working hard to heal your relationship with food. In this episode, I’m sharing my own experiences with triggering family comments about food and body image, why they stay with us, and how to navigate them without losing your progress. We talk about why these moments can feel especially heavy when you're working on healing your relationship with food, and I offer practical ways to protect your emotional well-being, set boundaries, and stay grounded even when loved ones are stuck in diet culture.✅ What You’ll Learn:Why comments about food and bodies can feel so activating when you’re healing your relationship with foodHow to respond (or not respond) in ways that protect your mental, physical, and emotional well-beingActionable language to set boundaries with loved ones, and how to communicate your needs without confrontationHow to reframe the expectations you put on yourself and others in these momentsSimple self-check-ins, affirmations, and coping strategies for groundedness before, during, and after difficult conversationsThe importance of focusing on what’s in your control and letting go of what isn’t when diet culture talk surfaces🔗 If you’ve ever thought, “Why is it so hard to stop eating when I’m full?” – you’re not alone. And spoiler alert: it’s not about willpower or control. It goes so much deeper than that. Grab the free Honoring Fullness Checklist right now at DietCultureRebel.com/Checklist to start building a more positive relationship with food.💛 Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.🎧 Come back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.

”Telling someone to lose weight is a really quick way to get through that eight minute visit, and not ask about what people actually eat before you say ‘eat less'."Walking into a doctor’s office shouldn’t leave anyone feeling ashamed, dismissed, or anxious about their body size. In this episode, Dr. Vicky Borgia breaks down how weight stigma actually shows up in medical care and what you can do about it. She shares an inside look at the biases and systemic pressures driving weight-centered decisions, along with her own experiences navigating diet culture as both a provider and person recovering from an eating disorder. You’ll hear what weight stigma really is, how it affects the care patients receive, and simple strategies to advocate for yourself and build a more weight-inclusive healthcare team.✅ What You’ll Learn:Why weight stigma in healthcare is NOT “just in your head” (and how it actually shows up in real appointments)How physician bias, billing pressures, and convenience often drive weight-centered care, not evidence-based medicinePractical strategies to advocate for yourself at the doctor’s office, even if it means declining to be weighedHow to start building a weight-inclusive care team (or set boundaries with the team you already have)What happens when medical advice differs wildly based on body size🔗 Resources:Connect with Dr. Vicky BorgiaDon’t Weigh Me CardsRagen Chastain on SubstackASDAH Health at Every Size® Healthcare Provider ListingM.S.S.I: Size Inclusive HealthcareAubrey GordonWhat We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey GordonIf you’ve ever thought, “Why is it so hard to stop eating when I’m full?” – you’re not alone. And spoiler alert: it’s not about willpower or control. It goes so much deeper than that. Grab the free Honoring Fullness Checklist right now at DietCultureRebel.com/Checklist to start building a more positive relationship with food. 💛Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

 “You are allowed to enjoy your life. Satisfaction counts, rest is part of health, and your worth was never meant to be measured by a to-do list, a tracker, or a plate.”Are you tired of feeling like your worth is tied to how productive, disciplined, or “perfect” you are? In this conversation with Dr. Paula Freedman-Diamond, we explore how hustle culture, diet culture, and wellness culture overlap to fuel food struggles, anxiety, perfectionism, and toxic striving - and how you can begin letting go of unrealistic expectations so you can reconnect with your body, values, and joy. This episode will inspire you to slow down, question the standards you’re chasing, and start living in a way that actually feels good for you ✨✅ What You’ll LearnHow hustle culture, diet culture, and wellness culture overlap to create toxic striving & perfectionismWhy food struggles and anxiety are connected to chasing external validationWhat it looks like to step out of “do more, be more, control more” mode and build self-trustPractical ways to set boundaries that protect your time, energy & self-worthHow to move toward body trust, rest, satisfaction & values-aligned livingWhy your humanity matters more than any productivity hack or diet plan🔗 Connect with Dr. Paula Freedman-DiamondToxic Striving: Why Hustle and Wellness Culture Are Leaving Us Anxious, Stressed, and Burned Out―and How to Break FreeHumanKind Psych (Therapy for overthinkers)If you’ve ever thought, “Why is it so hard to stop eating when I’m full?” - you’re not alone. And spoiler alert: it’s not about willpower or control. It goes so much deeper than that. Grab the free Honoring Fullness Checklist right now at DietCultureRebel.com/Checklist to start building a more positive relationship with food. 💛Come back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

"When we get more in touch with our hunger cues and honor them more consistently, then as a byproduct, we are able to more easily honor our fullness cues."Learning to trust your body after years of dieting and food rules can feel confusing and overwhelming. In this episode, I’m breaking down the Hunger and Fullness Scale, the mindful eating tool that can help untangle the confusion and guide you back to your own internal cues. Inspired by a flood of questions from my Rebel community, we dig into how you can use the scale to make eating less stressful and more enjoyable, and how it can be a practical step toward building lasting body trust.I share how honoring both hunger and fullness, rather than fixating on just one side, can help you move out of your head and into your body, shifting away from diet culture’s restrictive rules. And as always, I’m giving you honest guidance, practical tips, and important reminders that this journey is about progress, not perfection. Whether you’re starting to let go of calorie counting, or simply want to feel more at peace with your eating, today’s episode gives you the gentle push to try something new and the encouragement to trust yourself. What You’ll Learn:How the Hunger and Fullness Scale works and why it’s not just another external ruleWays to use the scale to create more pleasant and mindful eating experiencesWhy tuning into hunger matters just as much as fullnessPractical tips for building body trust with food after years of dietingHow interoceptive awareness can help you connect with your body’s signalsRed flags and reasons the Hunger and Fullness Scale may not be right for everyoneIf you’re ready to make eating easier, more satisfying, and kinder to your body, this episode will give you the tools to start rebuilding trust - one meal, one snack, and one check-in at a time. For more help with using the Hunger and Fullness Scale, grab my free download at dietculturerebel.com/hungerfullnessscale. If you’ve ever thought, “Why is it so hard to stop eating when I’m full?” - you’re not alone. And spoiler alert: it’s not about willpower or control. It goes so much deeper than that. Grab the free Honoring Fullness Checklist right now at DietCultureRebel.com/Checklist to start building a more positive relationship with food.Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.Come back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.

“Once food noise quiets down, it doesn’t just change the way we eat. It changes the way we live.”Food struggles don't always show up as we may expect. They can sneak up on us, disguised as discipline, willpower, or our latest attempt at “being good.” But in reality, those all-consuming thoughts about what, when, and how much we eat are draining. They're like an app running in the background, sapping our energy and joy each day. In this episode, I sit down with Kim, a past client who spent decades tangled in food noise, emotional eating, and hidden food rules she didn’t realize existed.Kim opens up about the reality of secret eating, binge cycles, and the mental toll of battling cravings. Her story is vulnerable, honest, and incredibly relatable. Kim shares what it was like to numb out around food, the shift from excitement to guilt after eating, and how food secretly dictated her self-care, identity, and social life. But things changed, and Kim’s journey will show you how healing your relationship with food is not only possible, but transformative.Together, we explore how intuitive eating moved Kim away from relying on willpower and food rules, toward genuine self-compassion, body reconnection, and emotional growth. Whether you’re used to white knuckling through cravings or hiding evidence of what you ate, Kim’s personal wins, tips, and breakthroughs will give you a clearer lens for spotting sneaky food rules and freeing up mental space so that you can enjoy food on your terms.What You’ll Learn:How to spot sneaky food rules and food noise draining your mental energyPractical ways to honor fullness without relying on willpowerWhy emotional eating isn’t about discipline—and how dieting makes it harderThe power of self-compassion and how it decreases shame and food guiltA simple plan for coping with emotions that doesn’t hinge on food rulesHow healing your relationship with food can expand self-care, compassion, and everyday joyKim’s story is full of hope, real-life strategies, and a reminder that change is possible - even after years of struggle. I’m so grateful to Kim for sharing her journey, and I know her insights will help you quiet your own food noise and build a peaceful relationship with food.If you’ve ever thought, “Why is it so hard to stop eating when I’m full?” - you’re not alone. And spoiler alert: it’s not about willpower or control. It goes so much deeper than that. Grab the free Honoring Fullness Checklist right now at DietCultureRebel.com/Checklist to start building a more positive relationship with food.Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.Come back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.

"I hear from people every single day about how they've been harmed physically and emotionally by things that influencers and content creators online have sold to them."You’ve probably noticed diet trends come and go, from raw vegan frugivore diets to the current protein obsession, but what’s less obvious is how healing your relationship with food changes more than just how you eat. It shifts how you feel, how you relate to others, and even how you view your past. In my conversation with Registered Dietitian and content creator, Abbey Sharp, we dig deep into the messy middle of food healing: from the anger and blame many of us experience at the start, to the compassion and empathy that grows with time.We look back on diet trends that might make you say, “Wait, did we really do that?” - like viral fruit-only diets and food combining rules. Abbey shares her journey combating misinformation online, the harm caused by extreme influencers, and how relentless trends keep fueling confusion and frustration. Together, we talk about the power of not rushing healing and why allowing yourself to feel and reflect can eventually make empathy come easily and naturally.From what it’s like to be on the receiving end of body comments, to how embracing a balanced, non-extreme way of eating is truly health-promoting, this episode reminds us that while diet culture is loud, you are not alone in your healing. Whether you’re in the thick of it or starting to feel things shift, there is hope for a more peaceful, intuitive relationship with food.What You’ll Learn:What it looks like to move from anger and resentment to compassion and empathy in your food healing journeyHow diet culture trends from the early 2010s to today’s “SkinnyTok” cause real harm, especially onlineWhy quick fixes and extreme approaches are not sustainable, and what truly promotes lasting healthHow Abbey handled body comments during a challenging season, and her advice for setting boundariesWhat “fake it till you make it” means when it comes to practicing food freedom and body neutralityThe biggest nutrition myths still floating around online (and which one Abbey would love to erase forever!)Whether you feel stuck or frustrated in your journey, I promise you are not alone in questioning diet culture. I’m so grateful Abbey shared the science, her sass, and her vulnerable real-life stories on the show.Abbey's Resources:TikTokInstagramYouTubePodcast: Bite Back with Abbey SharpGrab the free Honoring Fullness Checklist at DietCultureRebel.com/Checklist to start building a more positive relationship with food.Come back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at&nbsp;@diet.culture.rebelStruggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to <a href="https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

"Intuitive eating is not about perfectly staying within a calorie number or a maintenance threshold. It is about developing trust with your body and using each eating experience as feedback, not a test of whether you pass or fail."Have you ever felt like you just can’t stop eating certain foods, even when you’re full? Or maybe you find yourself second-guessing every food choice, worried you’re eating too much as you try to follow intuitive eating? These everyday struggles can leave you feeling stuck in guilt, confusion, and chaos around food.In this solo episode, I’m answering real and vulnerable questions Rebels sent me on Instagram. These are questions I hear all the time as a Registered Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. From why we overeat “delicious” food, to how to handle food indecision and what it means to “eat too many calories” as an intuitive eater, I’m breaking down myths, normalizing the messiness, and offering practical, compassion-filled tools to help you trust your body again.You’ll also hear a relatable story from fellow Rebel, Jaimie, who went from tracking every calorie and overeating while on vacation to truly enjoying food and stopping when full. Together, we’ll look at the patterns that keep so many of us stuck, the real reasons eating can feel chaotic, and why permission, structure, and kindness are game-changers on your intuitive eating journey.What You’ll Learn:Why honoring fullness isn’t about willpower and what’s really behind that “can’t stop eating” feelingHow food rules and restriction actually make overeating more likely, and what to do about itPractical tools for navigating indecision and food guilt so eating can feel less chaoticThe mindset shifts that help you move away from perfectionism with food and listen to your body’s unique needsWhy occasional overeating is normal (even for intuitive eaters) and how every eating experience is an opportunity to learnHow to zoom out and look at the big picture of health, beyond any single meal or calorie countRemember, Rebels - this work isn’t about getting every food choice perfect. It’s about showing up with curiosity, compassion, and a willingness to trust your body one step at a time. Thank you for being part of this community and letting me support you in finding more peace with food.&nbsp;Come back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at&nbsp;@diet.culture.rebel.Resources:Grab the free Honoring Fullness Checklist at DietCultureRebel.com/Checklist to start building a more positive relationship with food.View the 5 Social Determinants of HealthStruggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.