Today I’m speaking with Stephanie Dodier, a non-diet nutritionist, certified Intuitive Eating counselor, and cognitive behavior coach. Our conversation covers a lot of ground, but constantly circles this question:
What happens when you understand all of this diet culture stuff intellectually…but it still doesn’t quite feel true for you and your body?
We get into:
* The difference between eating something because you genuinely enjoy it and eating it because diet culture told you to
* Why satisfaction and pleasure matter in having a calm, compassionate relationship with food
* How gender, body size, and other identities affect who is “allowed” pleasure with food
* Why Intuitive Eating can feel like it “isn’t sticking”
* The connection between food, body control, self-worth, and belonging
* How patriarchy and cultural conditioning shape our beliefs about our bodies
* Why understanding diet culture intellectually is different from embodying new beliefs
* Why body image work can feel less straightforward than healing our relationship with food
* What embodiment can actually look like in everyday life
* Stephanie’s experience learning to wear short sleeves after years of hiding her arms
* How community helps us grow stronger roots outside of diet culture
* A practical exercise for separating facts from the thoughts and beliefs we’ve attached to them
Stephanie's work is focused on behavioral science, human psychology and body image. Her podcast is called It's Beyond the Food, and you can find her on Instagram at @stephdodier.
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