273. How to Set Realistic Expectations When Healing Your Relationship with Food with Dr. Rachel Millner

“As human beings, we’re complex. There’s lots of nuance in all of this. Healing takes time, it’s not linear.”In this replay episode, I’m joined by Dr. Rachel Millner to talk about setting realistic expectations about what healing your relationship with food and your body can really look like. As a psychotherapist and fat activist helping others recover from chronic dieting, disordered eating, and eating disorders, she explains why healing often isn’t linear, and why letting go of food rules can feel so uncomfortable. She also shares what to look for when choosing a therapist, and the three things that were most helpful in her own recovery from food struggles. It’s a realistic but encouraging conversation that will help you see what’s possible when food no longer takes up so much mental space!✅ What You'll Learn:Why healing your relationship with food is not a linear processHow letting go of food rules can feel uncomfortable, even when it’s helping you healWhat realistic expectations for healing your relationship with food and your body can look likeWhat to look for when choosing a therapist or dietitianThe three things that were most helpful in Dr. Rachel’s own recoveryWhat becomes possible when food no longer takes up so much mental space🔗 Resources:Connect with Dr. Rachel Millner at rachelmillnertherapy.com or on IG @drrachelmillnerGrab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and foodConnect with me over on Instagram at @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 https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

“The goal is not to never think about food. Food is a part of life, we have to think about food sometimes. The goal instead is for food thoughts to take up an appropriate amount of space in your brain, instead of feeling constant, urgent, critical, or all-consuming.”In this Q&A episode, I’m answering three questions that come up often when people are trying to break free from diet culture: Can you reduce food noise without medication? How do you let go of weighing, measuring, and tracking your food? And how can you navigate anxiety and overeating when you’re eating around other people? I’m breaking down how restriction and food rules can contribute to constant thoughts about food, why stepping away from tracking can feel so uncomfortable, and how to begin rebuilding trust in your hunger and fullness cues. I also share practical strategies for social situations, including how to get curious about what’s driving overeating and challenge the beliefs that keep you stuck in the cycle.✅ What You'll Learn:Why food noise can be connected to restriction, inconsistent nourishment, and deeply ingrained food rulesHow to distinguish normal thoughts about food from food noise that feels constant, critical, or all-consumingPractical steps for gradually moving away from weighing, measuring, and tracking food while rebuilding trust with your bodyHow hunger and fullness check-ins can help you develop the skills needed for more intuitive eatingWhy you might overeat or experience food anxiety in social situations, and how to identify what is driving itMindset shifts and practical strategies for eating around other people with more confidence and less pressure to control your food🔗 Resources:Grab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and foodConnect with me over on Instagram at @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 https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

“That safety to talk to your parent about anything, including bodies and appearances, it’s an essential ingredient to then being able to have body confidence.”I’m joined by Zoë Bisbing, a certified family-based treatment practitioner and founder of Body Positive Therapy NYC, to talk about how we can navigate difficult body image conversations with our kids. We discuss what to say when a child says they feel ugly or fat, why immediately reassuring them may not be the most helpful response, and how curiosity and connection can keep the conversation open. Zoë also shares how to teach kids that their bodies are not the problem when someone makes a hurtful comment, how to talk about body size and differences without reinforcing diet culture, and how these challenging moments can actually help build body image resilience.✅ What You'll Learn:Why reassurance isn’t always the most helpful first responseHow to stay curious and create space for your child to share what’s really going onWays to teach kids that their bodies are not the problem when others make hurtful commentsHow to navigate conversations about body size, shape, and differences without reinforcing diet cultureHow these difficult moments can become opportunities to build body image resilience and recognize potential red flags for disordered eating🔗 Resources:Connect with Zoe on IG @mybodypositivehomeGrab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and foodConnect with me over on Instagram at @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 https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

“When we approach nutrition from a place of addition rather than restriction, I think it can become so much more approachable, doable, and honestly, fun.”In this episode, I’m sharing a different approach to nutrition: focusing on what you can add rather than what you should cut out. I walk through three of my favorite ways to add nutrition while emphasizing that eating enough comes before focusing on variety or optimization. I also talk about how healing your relationship with food can give you more freedom to consider nutrition alongside taste and satisfaction, rather than letting calories or diet culture make every decision. The goal is to make nutrition feel enjoyable, flexible, and supportive, not restrictive or rigid.✅ What You'll Learn:Why eating enough is the foundation of nutrition before focusing on variety and micronutrientsSimple ways to add plant-based micronutrients to various dishesHow to add more fiber in ways that feel enjoyable and approachable, using every day foodsHow smoothies can be an easy and fun way to combine a variety of foods, flavors, and nutrientsWhy healing your relationship with food allows you to consider nutrition alongside taste, satisfaction, convenience, preferences, and your body's needsHow to approach nutrition without turning it into another rigid set of rules, tracking system, or source of food guilt and anxiety🔗 Resources:My smoothie guide: dietculturerebel.com/smoothieSunfiber supplement: https://amzn.to/3X0dtcxGrab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and foodConnect with me over on Instagram at @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 https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

"I really tried to pay attention to the messages my body was giving me in terms of my foot’s recovery, and honor every stage of recovery I was at."After breaking my foot and needing to take an unexpected break from exercise, I realized how much my relationship with food and movement had changed over the years. In this episode, I share five mindset shifts that helped me navigate rest without guilt or spiraling, including understanding my metabolism, finding the positives in slowing down, and listening to my body’s signals. I also talk about how building a healthier relationship with food and exercise has helped me adapt when life changes what my body needs, and why true progress is being able to navigate those unexpected seasons without falling back into old diet culture patterns.✅ What You'll Learn:Why understanding metabolism can help us feel more comfortable fueling our bodies when our activity levels changeHow finding the positives in rest can shift our perspective when we’re unable to exerciseWhat body attunement can teach us about when to slow down, ease back into movement, and respond to our bodies’ signalsHow building our capacity to tolerate difficult emotions can help us cope without relying on restrictive or disconnected eating behaviorsWhy trusting our hunger, fullness, and how food makes us feel can create more confidence around eatingHow a healthy relationship with food and exercise can help us navigate unexpected changes without returning to old diet culture patterns🔗 Resources:Grab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and foodEpisode 218: What Decades of Overexercising Taught Me About RestConnect with me over on Instagram at @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 https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

“Okay, if these people believe in me, then I need to maybe learn to believe in myself, even just a little bit, or at least have hope that things can change.”In this episode, I'm joined by registered associate nutritionist and author Joshua Hills for a heartfelt conversation about how his mom's decades-long battle with anorexia shaped their family, and how recovery has transformed their lives. Together, we explore the far-reaching impact of food struggles, the role diet culture plays in fueling shame and disordered eating, and why healing is about so much more than food. Joshua shares powerful lessons about compassion, open conversations, and hope, reminding us that no matter where we fall on the spectrum of food struggles, recovery can lead to greater freedom, deeper connection, and a life filled with joy instead of fear.✅ What You'll Learn:Why food struggles affect far more than just what we eatHow opening up about food struggles can create connection, reduce shame, and become a powerful step toward healingWhat recovery can make possible, from enjoying family meals and social events to rediscovering excitement for life and foodHow to approach difficult conversations with loved ones about food using compassion, empathy, and healthy boundariesThe role diet culture plays in reinforcing food guilt, body judgment, and the belief that food must be earned🔗 Resources:Connect with Joshua @joshuhillsnutritionRead Joshua’s book You Can Eat ThatGrab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and foodConnect with me over on Instagram at @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 https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

“We need food to survive. We become more food-seeking when our access to food is limited.”What if some of the things you believe about food, metabolism, and your body aren't facts at all, but messages you've absorbed from diet culture? In this episode, I unpack five nutrition truths that challenge common misconceptions about metabolism, calorie needs, hunger, and body diversity. You'll learn why eating enough supports your metabolism, why restrictive dieting often backfires, and how recognizing diet culture beliefs can help you build a more trusting, peaceful relationship with food.✅ What You'll Learn:Why your metabolism is working around the clock, and what that means for your body's energy needsHow eating enough and eating consistently supports a healthy metabolismWhy the popular 1,200-calorie diet is not enough for most adult women and how diet culture has normalized undereatingWhat really happens when you go too long without eating, including why intense hunger, food cravings, and rebound eating are normal biological responsesWhy eating and exercising exactly like someone else will never guarantee the same body, and how embracing body diversity can help you build trust with yourself🔗 Resources:Grab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and foodConnect with me over on Instagram at @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 https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

“Food neutrality does not mean every food is nutritionally identical. It simply means your worth as a person does not change based on whether you ate bread, broccoli, brownies, or whatever else.”Food guilt can steal the joy from eating and leave you second-guessing every meal. But the good news is that you have the power to change it. In this episode, I explain why food guilt isn't actually about the food itself, how diet culture and food rules can fuel those guilty feelings, and three practical strategies to help you reconnect with your body's cues, challenge unhelpful beliefs, and approach eating with more confidence and peace.✅ What You'll Learn:Why food guilt has more to do with internalized food rules than the food itselfHow to separate feelings of guilt from your body's actual hunger, fullness, and satisfaction cuesWhy checking in with your body's experience can help you make more confident, grounded food decisionsHow to identify and challenge the diet culture messages that fuel food guiltWhat food neutrality is and how it can help you enjoy food without labeling it as "good" or "bad"Practical strategies to build trust with your body and create a more peaceful, guilt-free relationship with food🔗 Resources:Grab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and foodConnect with me over on Instagram at @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 https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

When body image feels harder than ever in today's culture, it can be easy to believe your body is the problem. This episode revisits a powerful conversation with motivational speaker Kenzie Brenna about overcoming diet culture, navigating difficult body image days, and building resilience instead of chasing perfection. Kenzie explains why body image healing isn't about reaching a place where you love your body every day. It's about building resilience so that difficult body image moments no longer define your life.✅ What You'll Learn:Why positive body image doesn't mean loving your body every day, and what real healing actually looks likeHow dieting can damage your relationship with food, your body, and your sense of self, even when it seems "healthy"Practical ways to navigate difficult body image days, including curating your social media feed and building a supportive communityHow to cope with the fear of weight gain and stop letting your body size determine your worth or hold you back from living your lifeMindset shifts that can help you become more resilient to diet culture, body criticism, and unrealistic beauty standards🔗 Resources:Connect with Kenzie on IG @kenziebrennaGrab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and foodConnect with me over on Instagram at @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 https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.

"Creating a more positive relationship with food often requires us to challenge the things diet culture has taught us to normalize."Diet culture leaves us with so many questions, especially when we're trying to heal our relationship with food and our bodies. In this Q&A episode, I'm answering three questions from Rebels in our community about balancing "healthy" and "junk" foods, my experience with hypothalamic amenorrhea, and how to stop letting the number on the scale control your thoughts and food choices. You'll hear practical mindset shifts that can help you build more trust with your body and challenge the beliefs diet culture has taught us to accept as normal!✅ What You'll Learn:How to find balance between eating foods diet culture labels as "junk" and foods that support your healthWhy food neutrality can help you build a more peaceful relationship with eatingMy personal experience with losing my period and what it taught me about underfuelingHow to recognize when the scale is affecting your mood, food choices, or self-worthQuestions to ask yourself to decide whether weighing yourself is helping or hurting your healingOne small action step you can take today to build more trust with your body🔗 Resources:Cadbury eggs Instagram reelEpisode 242: Is Your Cycle Trying to Tell You Something? Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and the Impact of Disrupted Periods with Dr. Nicola SkyesGrab the Hunger & Fullness Scale Guide at DietCultureRebel.com/hungerfullnessscale and take your next step toward building trust with your body and food.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.