Ep 350 - How To Free Yourself From Body Shaming & Equating Appearance with Value with Sarah Stites

Are you interested in sustainable weight loss?  Have you been worried about your mental struggles around weight?  In this episode we dive shaking off the shame around your body and wellness journey. Today, I talk with Sarah Stites. She is the co-founder and CEO of Wavelength, a modern program for healthy eating that combines personalized nutrition with mental health tools. She joins us today to share her personal journey around weight loss, she was diagnosed with PCOS and prediabetes as a teen, gaining 100lbs in a year. While diet programs relied on guilt and body shame, her mom — a PhD with a master’s degree in nutrition science — helped her take a more compassionate approach. That’s what she brings to us today. She is a fierce advocate for “more science, less blame,” and pleasure as an important part of health. We discuss body shaming, healthy weight loss, the mental struggle with body image and so much more. She shares the fact that shame keeps us from meeting our health goals, and the fact that willpower alone will literally never be enough to sustain weight loss. Enjoy!

Questions I asked:

• Where were you before getting weight loss surgery?
• Why did you get surgery?
• How did regaining weight after a weight loss surgery change your behavior?
• What was revealed about you when you were thin, and then when you were overweight?
• How can we help people feel better about themselves?
• What are the steps we can take to reduce shame?
• What have you learned about acceptance since you have gone on this journey?
• How does shame keep us from reaching our health goals?
• How did you take your value away from the number on the scale?
• Why did weight loss become a dirty word?
• Why is it that our willpower alone isn’t enough for sustained weight loss?
• What are your thoughts on intuitive eating and the anti-dieting trend?
• How can we hope to improve our health and navigate the confusing advice?
• What do you value in a person?
• What would you like to tell listeners about their value today?
• What would you like to say to anyone dealing with body shame?
• Where can people find you online?

Topics Discussed:

• Learning to love your body.
• Health at any size.
• Reducing shame around body size.
• Dealing with trauma.
• Diet mentality.
• Peer pressure.
• Shame cycles.
• Eating disorders.

Quotes from the show:

• “There was this feeling of shame that I couldn’t do what everyone was telling me to do – just go on a diet.” Sarah Stites @SisterhoodSweat
• “So much of my value has nothing to do with what I look like.” Sarah Stites @SisterhoodSweat
• “I had gained back almost all the weight I lost with surgery in one year.” Sarah Stites @SisterhoodSweat
• “I was still the same person that I was before I lost the weight.” Sarah Stites @SisterhoodSweat
• “If you fix one problem, you find another one. I had to change how I was relating to my body.” Sarah Stites @SisterhoodSweat
• “My shame was so intense, I needed some steps before I got to letting go of it.” Sarah Stites @SisterhoodSweat

How you can stay in touch with Sarah:

• Website
• Instagram
• Linkedin
• Facebook

How you can stay in touch with Linda:

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube
• SoundCloud

 

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