Cake, Chaos & Coming Home to Yourself - Q&A

Body Love Binge Q&A Episode - Mental Restriction, Emotions & Recovery NavigationIn this Q&A episode recorded from our wellness suite (complete with my gorgeous dog joining me!), I answer real questions from my Body Love Binge group coaching Queens. We dive deep into mental restriction, emotional regulation, navigating weight gain around family, and so much more.Key Quotes from the Episode:💬 "Restriction isn't an action, it's a state of mind. Freedom isn't an action either - it's a state of mind."💬 "You can't be your emotion if you can witness it. You're the experiencer, not the emotion itself."💬 "The world mirrors back to you what your beliefs are. Everything shows you who you are, depending on how you respond."💬 "People will see you through their own lens of conditioning and beliefs. What you think they'll think is just what you think about yourself."💬 "There's no right way to recover. You are the expert of your own experience."What I Cover in This Episode:✨ Understanding cognitive/mental restriction - Why allowing food physically isn't enough if you're judging yourself for eating it✨ Impending restriction explained - The subtle ways we plan future restriction without realising it✨ Why exercise as compensation is still purging - Even if it prevents other purging behaviours, it's keeping the ED alive✨ Resting as the bravest choice in recovery - How sitting with uncomfortable feelings builds true freedom✨ Emotional regulation demystified - What it actually means and how to practise it without collapsing into your feelings✨ Vagus nerve and polyvagal theory made simple - Practical techniques to bring yourself out of fight/flight/freeze✨ The mirror concept explained - How the world reflects your beliefs and conditioning back to you✨ Navigating seeing people after weight gain - Practical strategies for facing family when you're multiple dress sizes bigger✨ ADHD and recovery - Why labels don't change your recovery journey and there's nothing wrong with you✨ Shame around fainting in public - Getting to the root of what feels unsafe about being seen vulnerableThis episode is perfect for anyone who's physically allowing food but still struggling mentally, or navigating the relational aspects of recovery in a bigger body.💙 Join my FREE support group: https://victoriakleinsman.com/free-support-group/ 💙 Free trial group coaching: https://victoriakleinsman.com/coaching/ 💙 Work with me 1:1: https://victoriakleinsman.com/1-1-coaching/ 💙 Follow me on Instagram @victoriakleinsmanofficial 💙 Become a coach: https://victoriakleinsman.com/become-a-coach/

Body Love Binge Group Coaching Call - Living with Someone Who RestrictsIn this powerful coaching session, I work with Kitty, a woman who recovered from 40 years of bulimia and is now training to be a coach herself. She's navigating the challenge of living with a partner who naturally restricts and controls his eating during cycling season - and how it's bringing up her own insecurities about her recovered body.Key Quotes from the Session:"You can only take someone as far as you've gone yourself.""Where are you on the acceptance spectrum? From 'this is my body' 🤷🏼‍♀️ to 'I'm fucking having to accept it because it is what it is' 😡?""If you were thinner, would your partners' restrictive behaviours still affect you? If not, then it's about your relationship to your body, not him.""Everyone's a mirror. They're reflecting back what's ready to be healed within you.""Coaching others is deeper healing for yourself. You realise where you're really at when you start coaching."What I Cover in This Session:💬 Working through triggers when your partner restricts and controls their eating - Why it's so hard to witness and what it's really showing you about your own healing💬 The difference between acceptance and preference - Understanding where you are on the acceptance spectrum and why that matters💬 Getting underneath guilt to the core emotion - Using the Russian dolls analogy to find what's really driving the discomfort💬 The part of you that's not caught up yet - Working with the part that's confused and questioning your recovery choices💬 Why your partner's behaviours trigger you - Uncovering what you think you're missing by being in a bigger body💬 Fashion, family judgment, and fear - Addressing the real concerns underneath body image struggles in recovery💬 The grieving process for your old body - Why writing a letter to your past body can support deeper healing💬 Somatic practices for body acceptance - How to use touch, breath, and presence to create safety with your body💬 The power of coaching others in your own recovery - How teaching what you've learnt deepens your healing💬 Letting them do their thing - Why other people's choices about their bodies don't need to affect your recoveryThis session demonstrates the nuanced work of later-stage recovery - moving beyond physical rehabilitation into the deeper emotional and relational aspects of true food and body freedom.💙 Join my FREE support group: https://victoriakleinsman.com/free-support-group/ 💙 Free trial group coaching: https://victoriakleinsman.com/coaching/ 💙 Work with me 1:1: https://victoriakleinsman.com/1-1-coaching/ 💙 Follow me on Instagram @victoriakleinsmanofficial 💙 Become a coach: https://victoriakleinsman.com/become-a-coach/

In this candid Q&A episode, I answer real questions from my Body Love Binge group coaching members. I tackle the tough topics around eating disorder recovery with my signature no-BS compassion and practical wisdom - recorded spontaneously while my husband took our baby out to test the new pushchair!Key Quotes from the Episode:"Going all in isn't a behaviour you can measure. Going all in is how you show up internally - and it's all about what is manageable for YOU.""Restriction isn't an action, it's a state of mind. If you have a restrictive mind, anything will be turned into a diet.""Recovery is the foundation of the rest of your life. It's not the finish line.""The only difference between a dream and a goal is a plan and the belief that it's gonna happen.""When you're fully recovered, other people's behaviors around food and exercise won't affect you anymore. You'll be completely free."What I Cover in This Episode:• Managing panic zone vs stretch zone - How to take recovery actions without re-traumatising yourself and why staying in your comfort zone won't work• Intuitive eating vs intuition eating - Why I don't use traditional intuitive eating guidelines and my approach to eating for pure pleasure• Breaking free from food habits and rules - How to stop turning hunger/fullness into another diet and why eating the same foods can be perfectly fine• Making room for cake - Permission to eat less nutritious food to save space for treats you're excited about• Signs of true recovery - Physical, mental, and emotional markers that show you've reached full freedom (plus what to do with your life after recovery)• Dealing with ED voice arguing back - Why the eating disorder might get louder deeper in recovery and how to handle the internal negotiations• Making regular eating non-negotiable - Practical strategies for consistent eating when you're full, emotional, or overwhelmed by meal prep• Body image in recovery - Moving from body hate to neutrality to unconditional love, and why you don't have to like how you look to be free• Living with a fitness-obsessed partner - How to protect your recovery when your partner's exercise and food behaviours are triggering• Recovery isn't linear - Understanding that setbacks and challenges are part of the process, not signs of failureMy approach combines trauma-informed recovery principles with practical, real-world strategies that honour where each person is in their unique journey toward food and body freedom.💙 Join my FREE support group: https://victoriakleinsman.com/free-support-group/ 💙 Free trial group coaching: https://victoriakleinsman.com/coaching/ 💙 Work with me 1:1: https://victoriakleinsman.com/1-1-coaching/ 💙 Follow me on Instagram @victoriakleinsmanofficial 💙 Become a coach: https://victoriakleinsman.com/become-a-coach/

Habits Aren’t The Enemy: Why Safety Heals What Willpower Can’t.This episode is a little different, Queens — it came to me in the middle of the night while lying in bed with baby Koa. I had no plan to record, but the download was strong, so here it is: raw, real, and straight from my heart.I’m talking about habits — what they actually are, why they form, and how to truly shift them in recovery (without fighting yourself).So many of my clients worry that bingeing, emotional eating, or dessert-after-dinner will become “bad habits.” But here’s the truth: when you heal the root cause, habits fall away naturally. They stop being needed.In this episode I share:✨ The difference between habits and routines (and why it matters in recovery)✨ How your brain wires habits — and how to rewire them with choice✨ Why forcing yourself out of ED habits never works long-term✨ The “swap, don’t stop” principle that makes change easier✨ Why allowance and self-trust create freedom💬 Powerful quotes from the episode:💬 “You are not your brain. You have a brain — and you can retrain it.”💬 “Habits aren’t good or bad — they’re just your brain making life easier.”💬 “When you no longer need the habit, it’s simple to change it.”💬 “Allowance creates space for choice. Restriction only creates rebellion.”💬 “Freedom isn’t about having no habits — it’s about choosing the ones that serve you.”If you’ve ever worried about getting “stuck” in bad habits, this episode will help you see them in a whole new light — and show you how healing the root makes change effortless.Resources & Links:💙 Join my FREE support group: https://victoriakleinsman.com/free-support-group/💙 Work with me: https://victoriakleinsman.com/💙 Follow me on Instagram @victoriakleinsmanofficial💙 Become a coach: https://victoriakleinsman.com/become-a-coach/

Julia and I are back with another juicy Q&A episode, answering your most heartfelt and real questions about recovery. From brain chemistry to perfectionism, family dynamics to weight gain fears — nothing is off the table.We go deep into what it really takes to move beyond quasi recovery, why blood tests can’t tell the full story, how to navigate edema, and why being a highly sensitive person is actually a gift in recovery.This one is raw, emotional, funny (as always), and packed with truth bombs to keep you moving forward.Powerful quotes from the episode 💬💬 “Everyone can fully recover — the only barrier is the stories you tell yourself.”💬 “Your brain cares about survival, not about your happiness.”💬 “You can’t heal from an eating disorder while still acting like someone with one.”💬 “A feeling just wants to be felt, and then it can move on.”💬 “Being highly sensitive isn’t a weakness — it’s a gift you get to use for your freedom.”What you’ll hear in this episode: • Can we tell if someone will fully recover or stay in quasi? • Why eating more/resting can trigger waves of depression or suicidal thoughts • Perfectionism around food and how to break the cycle of indecision • Rebuilding trust and respect with your family after years of struggle • Edema: why it happens, how long it lasts, and how to cope • Orthorexia, “healthy” vs. “unhealthy” food, and weight gain fears • Why blood tests aren’t proof that you’re “fine” • Breaking the restrict → eat → panic → restrict cycle • Highly Sensitive People (HSP) & recovery: curse or gift?Resources & Links💙 Join my FREE support group: https://victoriakleinsman.com/free-support-group/💙 Work with me: https://victoriakleinsman.com/💙 Follow me on Instagram: @victoriakleinsmanofficial💙 Become a coach: https://victoriakleinsman.com/become-a-coach/

How To Love Yourself Beyond Body Image with Cait WhytockThis episode is such a special one for me because I’m joined by Cait Whytock: @cait_whytock — someone who was actually a huge catalyst in my own recovery journey. 🌟Cait is pure love embodied. She helps people realise they don’t have to live the “normal way” — through self-love, body acceptance and choosing to live differently. In this conversation, we dive deep into eating disorder recovery, body image, somatic healing, trauma, and what it really means to live in love rather than fear.We cover:💙 Cait’s journey from orthorexia and over-exercising to deep healing.💙 How yoga, meditation, and breathwork brought her back into her body.💙 Why weight gain was the wake-up call she needed (and how she navigated it).💙 The power of surrender, letting go, and “just doing it” anyway.💙 Healing the inner child, trauma, and breaking free from external validation.This one is packed with wisdom, honesty, and practical tools you can use on your own path to body love and self-acceptance.💬 Powerful quotes from the episode💬 “My body is a part of me, but it’s not the most interesting or important thing about me.”💬 “When you let go of how you think things should be, that’s when what’s truly meant for you arrives.”💬 “Nothing changes if nothing changes. Sometimes you just have to do it before you’re ready.”💬 “The eating disorder isn’t the problem — it’s the symptom. The root always goes deeper.”💬 “Healing is love. Acceptance is love. Love is without judgment.”Resources & Links💙 Join my FREE support group: https://victoriakleinsman.com/free-support-group/💙 Work with me: https://victoriakleinsman.com/💙 Follow me on Instagram: @victoriakleinsmanofficial💙 Become a coach: https://victoriakleinsman.com/become-a-coach/

Hot Seat Coaching: Breaking Free From “Better, But Not Free”In this month’s Hot Seat Coaching session, I had the honour of supporting one of our queens, Kerry, as she bravely shared where she feels stuck in her recovery journey.She’s weight-restored, she’s come so far, and life is so much better than it was — yet she still feels held back by fear of further weight gain, family conditioning, and old stories from childhood. Sound familiar?This conversation is such a powerful reminder that:✨ “Better” is not the same as free✨ Our fears are often inherited, not our truth✨ It’s possible to love your parents AND break free from their beliefs✨ Inner child work is key to moving forward✨ You don’t have to settle for “good enough” — you get to have true freedom💬 Powerful quotes from the episode:💬 “Weight-restored isn’t the same as being free — freedom is an inside job.”💬 “What would you say to your 12-year-old self if she asked: how can I be happy?”💬 “We’re all children in adult bodies until we do the deeper healing work.”💬 “You can’t wait for the world to fall in love with itself — you get to choose to be the inspiration now.”💬 “Don’t stop at better. Keep going until you’re free.”This coaching session will resonate with anyone who feels like they’re in limbo: no longer in the depths of an eating disorder, but not fully free either. If you’ve ever thought, “I’m scared to take the next step forward,” this one’s for you.Resources & Links:💙 Join my FREE support group: https://victoriakleinsman.com/free-support-group/💙 Work with me: https://victoriakleinsman.com/💙 Follow me on Instagram @victoriakleinsmanofficial💙 Become a coach: https://victoriakleinsman.com/become-a-coach/

This episode is a little different, queens — I recorded it while out walking with my dog Hiro and baby Koa. It’s raw, unedited, and full of truth. The message was burning in my soul, and I knew I had to get it out to you right now.I’m talking about surrender — what it really means, why it’s essential in eating disorder recovery (and in life), and how you can begin to embody it.So often we fight reality, fight our bodies, fight our feelings… and that constant battle is exhausting. True freedom begins when you drop the rope, let go of control, and learn to trust.In this episode I share:✨ Why acceptance comes before surrender✨ How control is an illusion (and what it’s really costing you)✨ Practical metaphors that make surrender more tangible✨ The difference between “giving up” and “letting go”✨ How grief and trust play a huge role in true recovery💬 Powerful quotes from the episode:💬 “Acceptance is giving up the fight with reality — surrender is embodying that acceptance.”💬 “If you’re clinging on to control like the edge of a cliff, the only way to freedom is to let go.”💬 “Control is an illusion — the cost is always greater than the gain.”💬 “Surrender isn’t weakness, it’s the wisest and most self-loving thing you can do.”💬 “When you surrender, you lean into trust and faith — even when you can’t yet see the net that will catch you.”If you’ve ever wondered how to actually surrender — in recovery, in your body, and in life — this episode will give you both the wisdom and the practical tools to start.Resources & Links:🖤 Join my FREE support group: https://victoriakleinsman.com/free-support-group/🖤 Work with me: https://victoriakleinsman.com/🖤 Follow me on Instagram @victoriakleinsmanofficial

This month’s Q&A episode is a deep dive into the real, messy, beautiful work of recovery.I’m answering powerful, personal questions from women in my group coaching programme (shared anonymously) – and I know you’ll see yourself in so many of them.We cover:Feeling threatened by GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, especially when loved ones are taking themProtecting your recovery when diet culture feels louder than everSetting boundaries around triggering conversations and environmentsHow to get back on track after slipping into delayed eating patternsNavigating mental hunger without fear of “repeating the past”Daily and in-the-moment nervous system regulation tools for ED recoveryFacing an osteoporosis diagnosis and fears about stopping exerciseLetting go of the “good listener, easy one with no needs” identityUnderstanding self-abandonment and building more balanced relationshipsHow to actually use “What would love do?” as a recovery toolIf you’ve ever felt like the world is pushing you back into weight loss obsession… if you’ve been scared of gaining weight and “still being disordered”… or if you’ve struggled to meet your own needs in relationships – this conversation will meet you where you are and help you take the next step forward.🌹 Want your question answered in next month’s episode?Join my group coaching programme – you can try it for a month and, if you decide to stay for the year, you’ll get that month refunded.Resources & Links🖤 Join my FREE support group: https://victoriakleinsman.com/free-support-group/🖤 Work with me: https://victoriakleinsman.com/🖤 Follow me on Instagram: @victoriakleinsmanofficial

In this powerful conversation with Courtney from Boston College, I go deep into my personal journey with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and – most importantly – the role shame played in all of it.I open up about:💬 My first experiences with food restriction at age 9 – and how it was modelled to me at home.💬 Why I believe so many binge eating diagnoses are actually misdiagnosed bulimia.💬 How perfectionism, overachieving, and people-pleasing kept me trapped for decades.💬 The difference between the suppressed self and the soul self – and how to know which one you’re feeding.💬 The rock-bottom moment on my kitchen floor that changed everything.💬 Why shame thrives in secrecy and can only truly be healed in relationship with others.💬 The deep connection between childhood needs not being met, shame around simply being human, and developing an eating disorder.💬 How I learned to face my fears, stop being a victim to myself, and choose recovery every day.💬 Why body image work was the missing piece in my healing – and how I used social media to normalise my bigger body.This is a raw, unfiltered, and deeply human conversation. If you’ve ever felt “too much” or “not enough,” if you’ve struggled to love yourself in your body, or if you’ve wondered why recovery feels so damn hard – this one is for you.💬 Favourite quotes from this episode:💬 “Every single thing we do or don’t do is either an act of love or a cry for love.”💬 “Shame keeps us stuck, silent, and separate – the only way it heals is in the light.”💬 “Allowance always creates space for choice.”💬 “Whatever you nourish will flourish – your suppressed self or your soul self.”💬 “Recovery is guaranteed if you’re willing to face your fears.”Resources & Links:🖤 Join my FREE support group: https://victoriakleinsman.com/free-support-group/🖤 Work with me: https://victoriakleinsman.com/🖤 Follow me on Instagram: @victoriakleinsmanofficial