
Eat the Rules with Summer Innanen
Eat the Rules is dedicated to empowering you to break free of societal standards, body shame and live life beyond the scale. Summer interviews the leading experts in body image, the anti-diet movement, self-help and intersectional feminism, covering a range of topics that include: body positivity, size acceptance, fat positivity, self-worth, self-esteem, intuitive eating and eating disorder recovery, health at every size and positive psychology. Summer also gives practical advice and shares personal experiences to help you accept your body and break free of diet culture. Summer Innanen is a professionally trained coach specializing in body image, self-worth and confidence and is the best-selling author of Body Image Remix.
Latest episodes

Apr 2, 2024 • 32min
#294: Perimenopause and Body Image (Body Image Series)
Explore the complexities of body image during perimenopause, including research findings, influences on body image, and strategies for resilience. Learn about the link between fad diets, self-perception, and challenges faced during perimenopause. Understand the onset of perimenopause, menopause symptoms, and navigating body image changes. Discover the importance of resilience, self-compassion, and challenging beliefs around aging for a positive body image.

Mar 19, 2024 • 34min
#293: Drinking and diet culture with Lael Atkinson
I’m joined by Lael Atkinson, a certified professional recovery coach who works at the intersection of drinking and dieting. They are talking about the similarities between drinking culture and diet culture and how they have both set us up to steal our time, energy and money. They also talk about how dieting fuels drinking, why we should not compare food addiction to alcohol addiction, and signs that you should visit your relationship with alcohol. Show notes: summerinnanen.com/293 In this episode, we talk about: - The similarities in how dieting and drinking are marketed to us, - That society encourages us to both drink and diet, - How their drinking was intertwined with their body image and their queerness, - The stats on the co-occurrence between eating disorders and substance abuse, - Ways that drinking and dieting are the same, - Advice to someone starting to visit their relationship to alcohol, - Plus so much more! Get the shownotes: summerinnanen.com/293 Get the free 10-Day Body Confidence Makeover with 10 steps to feel better in your body at summerinnanen.com/freebies If you're a professional who has clients or students that struggle with body image, get the Body Image Coaching Roadmap for professionals at summerinnanen.com/roadmap

Mar 5, 2024 • 29min
#292: AITA Diet and Body Edition Part 2 - with Vinny Welsby
Best buddy Vinny and host discuss 'Am I The Asshole' posts on Reddit about weight and diet issues. They analyze cognitive dissonance, anti-fat attitudes, and self-esteem influences. Topics include inclusive seating choices, pressuring spouses to conform, societal biases in relationships, and taboo conversations on body acceptance.

Feb 20, 2024 • 31min
#291: AITA Diet and Body Edition Part 1 - with Vinny Welsby
Cohost Vinny Welsby and best buddy of the host discuss AITA posts on weight and diets from Reddit. They explore societal biases, storytelling exaggerations, fat shaming experiences in childhood, and incorrect assumptions about size and ability. Differing from popular opinions, they give their verdict on various scenarios.

Feb 6, 2024 • 36min
#290: How Core Beliefs Influence Our Body Image with Nia Patterson
I’m joined by Nia Patterson, author of the newly released “What’s The Story” A Guided Walkthrough of the Stories You Tell Yourself About Your Body. Nia shares their story of recovering from an eating disorder, what helped them in recovery, what body neutrality means when your body isn’t neutral in our culture, how core beliefs influence our body image, the importance of self-affirmation, and why eradicating anti-fat bias helps everyone. Show notes: summerinnanen.com/290 In this episode, we talk about: - Their relationship with their body growing up, - How the way we perceive our bodies as kids is so different, - The hardest parts of being in recovery, - What helped them the most in recovery, - That there’s no one way to define body neutrality, - How if you work to benefit marginalized people, it benefits everyone, - Plus so much more! Get the shownotes: summerinnanen.com/290 Get the free 10-Day Body Confidence Makeover with 10 steps to feel better in your body at summerinnanen.com/freebies If you're a professional who has clients or students that struggle with body image, get the Body Image Coaching Roadmap for professionals at summerinnanen.com/roadmap

Jan 23, 2024 • 36min
#289: Beyond Body Neutrality with Tiffany Ima
I’m joined by Tiffany Ima, who is also a body image coach. She shares her story of how she developed exercise bulimia and bulimia and what helped her to overcome that. We also talk about why body neutrality isn’t enough for her, how she’s learned to celebrate and embrace her body, and the importance of using self-expression to heal. Show notes: summerinnanen.com/289 In this episode, we talk about: - Her relationship with her body growing up and when her body image took a turn for the worse, - How the diet culture mentality remained even after she was recovered from her eating disorder, - What she called her “personal recovery phase,” - The comment that led her to shift her mindset and find her current path, - How body neutrality helped her initially and why she no longer feels it’s enough, - Why she worked to expand her idea of beauty and define her own beauty standard, - Plus so much more! Get the shownotes: summerinnanen.com/289 Get the free 10-Day Body Confidence Makeover with 10 steps to feel better in your body at summerinnanen.com/freebies If you're a professional who has clients or students that struggle with body image, get the Body Image Coaching Roadmap for professionals at summerinnanen.com/roadmap

Jan 9, 2024 • 37min
#288: Oprah & What to Do if Your Client Wants to Lose Weight with Danni “Amapoundcake” Adams
I’m joined by Amapoundcake - we are talking about some of the recent headlines in the news around anti-fatness including the photos of Emily Ratajkowski in the extra large jeans and Oprah’s announcement that she’s been using weight loss drugs. We segue into talking about what to do if you still want to lose weight or if you work with clients who still want to lose weight. Finally, we talk about the re-launch of our Body Image Coach Certification program, including our newest offering the Body Image Coaching Foundations course. Show notes: summerinnanen.com/288 In this episode, we talk about: - Why we think people are wanting to lose weight, - Why we can’t criticize people for wanting to lose weight, - The importance of owning your privileged and the power dynamic when working with clients, - What it means to be “stuck on your privileged” and how it can get in the way, - The importance of grace and empathy, - Who our new offering is for and how it differs, - Plus so much more! Get the shownotes: summerinnanen.com/288 Get the free 10-Day Body Confidence Makeover with 10 steps to feel better in your body at summerinnanen.com/freebies If you're a professional who has clients or students that struggle with body image, get the Body Image Coaching Roadmap for professionals at summerinnanen.com/roadmap

Jan 2, 2024 • 28min
#287: Body Acceptance After Weight Loss Surgery (Janine’s Story / YOF Spotlight)
I’m joined by Janine, who was one of the incredible women who worked with me during the You, On Fire program. She talks about how she struggled with her weight for over 4 decades and even went through two weight loss surgeries to find herself still feeling hatred and shame about her body. She talks about how she had had enough of being in that cycle of weight loss and gain and how she was able to move to a place of acceptance with her body. You’ll find all the links mentioned in this podcast at summerinnanen.com/287. You, On Fire is the online group coaching program that gives you a step-by-step way of building up self-worth beyond your jean size with personalized coaching from me and lifetime access to the program—so you can break out of the diet culture cage, get free from body shame and live your fiery, free, untamed life. Go here to get all the details and get on the waitlist for the upcoming cycle: summerinnanen.com/youonfirewaitlist Get the shownotes: summerinnanen.com/287 Get the free 10-Day Body Confidence Makeover with 10 steps to feel better in your body at summerinnanen.com/freebies If you're a professional who has clients or students that struggle with body image, get the Body Image Coaching Roadmap for professionals at summerinnanen.com/roadmap

Dec 19, 2023 • 27min
#286: Letting go of external validation (Samantha’s Story / YOF Spotlight)
I’m joined by Samantha, who was one of the incredible women who worked with me during the You, On Fire program. She talks about how aging had brought up some old body image concerns and had made her more concerned about what other people are thinking of her. Through our work together she was able to let go of that external validation and be unapologetically herself. You’ll find all the links mentioned in this podcast at summerinnanen.com/286. You, On Fire is the online group coaching program that gives you a step-by-step way of building up self-worth beyond your jean size with personalized coaching from me and lifetime access to the program—so you can break out of the diet culture cage, get free from body shame and live your fiery, free, untamed life. Go here to get all the details and get on the waitlist for the upcoming cycle: summerinnanen.com/youonfirewaitlist Get the shownotes: summerinnanen.com/286 Get the free 10-Day Body Confidence Makeover with 10 steps to feel better in your body at summerinnanen.com/freebies If you're a professional who has clients or students that struggle with body image, get the Body Image Coaching Roadmap for professionals at summerinnanen.com/roadmap

Dec 12, 2023 • 18min
#285: Help! I have a friend who “watches their weight” (Body Image Series)
I’m talking about what to do if you feel triggered by someone in your life who is “watching their weight,” and five things to consider when this happens. Plus, how the weight loss industry is designed to make us question ourselves, as part of the Body Image Series. Show notes: summerinnanen.com/285 In this episode, I talk about: - Why my rage is directed at society, not the other person, - That it’s important to remind yourself how dieting worked out for you in the long run before, - Why weight loss doesn’t actually increase self-worth, - How calling out your assumptions can help put things into perspective, - That dieting is usually not in alignment with our values, - The importance of finding community, - Plus so much more! Get the shownotes: summerinnanen.com/285 Get the free 10-Day Body Confidence Makeover with 10 steps to feel better in your body at summerinnanen.com/freebies If you're a professional who has clients or students that struggle with body image, get the Body Image Coaching Roadmap for professionals at summerinnanen.com/roadmap