Brain over Binge Podcast Ep. 191: Bodybuilding and Bingeing: Natasha’s Story of Recovery and Reclaiming a Healthy Relationship with Eating and Training (with Natasha Kostalas)
Oct 4, 2025
Natasha Kostalas, a fitness competitor and author of *Beyond the Barbell*, shares her profound journey from binge eating to reclaiming a healthier relationship with food. She discusses the intense physical and psychological toll of bodybuilding prep and how it fueled her struggles with food obsession. Natasha highlights the secrecy and shame prevalent in the fitness community, as well as practical recovery strategies she employed, such as focusing on nourishment and shifting to powerlifting for a healthier perspective on competition.
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From Weight Training To Bodybuilding Prep
- Natasha started weight training to heal her mental health and unexpectedly found competition appealing.
- Her past binge eating returned worse after she entered bodybuilding prep and extreme restriction.
Prep Requires Military-Level Food Control
- Bodybuilding prep uses meticulous, military-like food control that becomes mentally consuming over months.
- The slow calorie drops preserve muscle but increase obsession and eventual hunger-driven distress.
Looks Can Mask Severe Hormonal Damage
- Extreme leanness disrupted Natasha's hormones, causing amenorrhea, constant hunger, and severe fatigue.
- Her outward appearance masked deep physiological and cognitive impairments during prep.
