The Full Plate Podcast with Abbie Attwood, MS

If you’ve been intrigued by all the benefits that intermittent fasting claims to offer, you are not alone, and this week’s podcast episode is for you. I’m joined by a special — and beloved (so you’ve told me) returning guest — my husband, Jeb!Jeb gives his own thoughts on the research behind intermittent fasting, his personal experience with addiction and how it reflects some of the same behaviors, and provides the comic relief, as he likes to say. Though I am clearly the funnier of the two of us. I also talk about how fasting showed up in my own disordered relationship with food, even though I never intentionally followed a time-restricted diet.Some of the things we discuss include...* The origins of intermittent fasting* Different types of fasting protocols* Why intermittent fasting proponents claim it’s “not a diet”* Intermittent fasting’s connection to Silicon Valley, body optimization, and biohacking* What the research says about intermittent fasting’s claims to better health, increased productivity, mastering glucose levels, mental clarity, and more* Whether IF has any long-term health benefits* The emotional and mental impact of intermittent fasting, including on your relationship with food* Physical health implications of fasting* Intermittent fasting’s connection with disordered eating behaviors* Where do we go from here if we’re still intrigued?Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribeFind the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcastFind Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellnessLooking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coachingAlready been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership, which meets every other week: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-groupPodcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroyPodcast Editing by Brian Walters This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.comWhat happens when a body goes quiet in its own defense? What systems shut down when we’re under-eating? (yes, even when we’re under-eating by “just a little bit”)Maybe you’ve experienced a missing period yourself.Maybe you’re deep in the perimenopause transition.Maybe you’re worried that your past dieting and intense exercise habits are showing up in ways you’re only now beginning to understand.Or maybe you simply want to better understand how our bodies speak to us through absence.Today, we’re talking about the impact of an energy deficit on our hormonal health — from hypothalamic amenorrhea (a condition often misunderstood, oversimplified, or reduced to a fertility concern), to digestive function, to long-term bone health, and everything in-between. But like most things in the body, this story is layered. It’s about hunger and rest, yes — but also about control, identity, grief, and the impossible standards so many of us have been taught to meet at the expense of our own health.Full Plate by Abbie Attwood is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.My guest today is Dr. Nicola Sykes (formerly Nicola Rinaldi), who quite literally wrote the book on how restriction and over-exercise impact our body’s endocrine system. Together, we look beyond the surface — past the “just eat more and rest more” advice — into the deeper questions of how we heal when we’ve been praised for our restriction, and what it means to rebuild trust with a body that had to shut down in order to survive.I personally went through this myself a long time ago. I was told for so long that it was normal as an athlete, but that misinformation led to a serious health complications for me down the road. Looking into the future, especially with increased use of GLP-1s for weight-loss, I really want us to be talking about what happens to the body in a state of malnutrition and malnourishment. And I believe this conversation is an important starting point.Behind the paywall, we get into:* Why Nicola changed her mind about the connection between weight and health* What under-eating does to our digestive system* How to navigate misinformation about hormone health* Understanding extreme hunger in recovery* What the stress of over-exercise does to our body* How to re-nourish yourself after a prolonged period of restrictive eating* Overcoming the cycle of restriction and bingeing* How under-fueling plays a role in fertility* Eating enough in pregnancy and postpartum* Longer term implications of under-eating on our health* How to trust your body through the process of eating more* How to infuse our healing with more self-compassion and understandingTo hear the full conversation, upgrade to paid right here on Substack. By joining as a paid subscriber, you are helping to not only to keep this show going, but to make as much content free for others as possible. I truly hope you find support and compassion in this episode. It’s infused with depth, science, and hope — and I know we all need more of that right now.When you give it a listen, I’d love to hear what you think.

Eating disorders can show up in a multitude of ways in athletes. From how a body “should” look if we play a certain sport, to how we “should” eat for performance, to the inevitable comparison trap of teammates and competitors.I'm joined by Lex, a client I've worked with for many years now. She is incredibly special to me. We began working together when she was in high school struggling with an eating disorder and unable to participate in the sport she loves, and she recently graduated college.Lex also opens up about her family dynamics, the treatment that didn’t work, and how she learned to advocate for the care she actually needed. Her story is a reminder that recovery is not a linear path — it’s a winding one, full of self-discovery, hard conversations, and quiet moments of courage.In this episode, you’ll hear:*Why Lex developed an eating disorder in high school*The unique vulnerability of runners to disordered eating*What helped her actually move the needle in recovery*How romantic partners and friendships can either support or sabotage healing*Why comments from coaches about food and weight are so damaging*Overcoming food fears (hello, carbs!)*What it really means to heal your body image*What it took to return to running with a new mindset*Her advice for other athletes who are struggling — and the next frontier of her recovery journeySupport the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group Social media:Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcastFind Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroyPodcast Editing by Brian WaltersThis podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.comIn this week’s episode (a much-requested topic, by the way!) I sit down with fat-positive sex therapist Noelle Benach to explore the deeply complex terrain of sex, intimacy, body image, and pleasure. The first part of the episode is free for all listeners, and the full episode is available for paid subscribers on Substack. Upgrade to paid right here.Topics We Discuss:How childhood experiences with food and body shape our understanding of intimacyThe impact of diet culture on desire, sexuality, and self-worthPleasure as a form of resistance and reclamationThe nuanced experience of living with diabetes and navigating intimacyHow societal expectations around desire affect women and marginalized bodiesBehind The Paywall...Expanding the definition of intimacy beyond sexWhat to do when partners have differing levels of sexual desireWhy talking about intimacy can feel intimidating—and why it matters anywayThe power of consent, sensory needs, and honoring what feels goodHow body shame interferes with connection and pleasureThe radical importance of self-pleasure and solo intimacyCreating safe spaces for vulnerability and honest communicationThe therapeutic process of reconnecting with desire on your own termsAbout Noelle: Noelle Benach, LCPC, CST (She/Her) is a Baltimore based Psychotherapist and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. Noelle works with adult individuals, couples and those in non-monogamous relationships to address concerns such as sexuality and desire, body liberation, LGBTQIA+ issues, chronic illness concerns, neurodivergence, anxiety, fertility issues, and parenting stress.Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group Social media:Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcastFind Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroyPodcast Editing by Brian WaltersThis podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

Desiree Adaway joins the pod to help us through hard conversations in politics, body liberation, and beyond.She shares her insights on nourishment, the (white) male gaze, workplace equity, community, and why conflict is actually required in personal and societal transformation.* Desiree’s upbringing and why it lacked diet culture* Breakfast as an act of reconnection with self* Why she doesn’t give a s**t about the male gaze* What Toni Morrison taught her about bodies* The role of imagination in liberation* Why change can’t happen without rest* How we can set boundaries through conflict* What accountability really means* Centering love in difficult conversations* Understanding what we want out of conflict* How disagreement leads to right relationships* The interconnectedness of personal experiences and systemic issues* Why conflict is a necessary catalyst for change* Desiree’s call for more community care* Finding hope in the midst of hopelessnessDesiree Adaway is a seasoned nonprofit consultant and facilitator building resilient, equitable, and inclusive organizations. She holds a vision for people’s lives, workplaces and communities until they can hold it for themselves. She is the founder and principal of the Adaway Group, one of the nation’s preeminent DEI consultant-facilitators with over 25 years of experience creating, leading, and managing international multicultural teams in 40 countries through major organizational change.As Senior Director of Mobilization for Habitat for Humanity, she was responsible for the overall strategy and DEI plan for 1600 U.S. affiliates and over one million volunteers worldwide.Known as an open facilitator, Desiree educates with straightforward, thought-provoking content that allows participants to confront their own biases and seek new paths forward. She is not afraid of addressing anything that gets in the way of the work. Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribeApply for Abbie’s Group Membership:Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group Social media:Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcastFind Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellnessPodcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroyPodcast Editing by Brian WaltersThis podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.comAnti-Diet Dietitian Leah Kern joins the pod to discuss her experience with all the ways that the “crunchy granola identity” can create a funnel into disordered eating, body image struggles, and overall suffering. She and Abbie share their experiences with anxiety, the intersection of spirituality and environmentalism, and how the personal responsibility narrative can become harmful with food choices.Listen to hear more on:- Leah’s experience with disordered eating- Her path to becoming a dietitian- How she found healing through intuitive eating- Orthorexia and being "the healthy one"- How "clean eating" intersects with spirituality- The complex relationship between anxiety and eating disorders- Choosing medication for anxiety- When environmental awareness contributes to restrictive eating- Whether cannabis use can coexist with intuitive eating- The importance of social connection in a fulfilling life- The themes of authenticity and self-identity with food choices- How societal pressures and diet culture can distort one's sense of self- The emotional aspects of eatingAbout Leah: Leah Kern is an Anti-Diet Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who helps people make peace with food and body using the Health At Every Size (HAES) and Intuitive Eating frameworks. Upon graduating from UVM and earning her RDN, Leah built a thriving private practice, doing the exact work she feels she was put on this earth to do. Leah believes that the work involved with unraveling years of conditioning in diet culture and learning to come home to one’s body is deeply spiritual work and she treats it as such. She currently lives in Northern California with her partner and their two kitties. Leah’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shoulders-down/id1616910063Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe Apply for Abbie’s Group Membership:Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group Social media:Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcastFind Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness Transcripts: If you’re looking for transcripts, you can find those on Abbie's website, www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/podcast Podcast Cover Photography by Anya McInroyPodcast Editing by Brian WaltersThis podcast is ad-free and support comes from your support on Substack. Subscribe HERE.

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by author Paulette Stout, who opens up about her own healing journey — one that moved her from self-judgement and secrecy to self-compassion and rebellion.Her act of radical defiance this year? Buying clothes that fit now. Not in May. Not “once she shrinks.” But in the body she has today. That shift alone says: I deserve to take up space. Right here, right now.Paulette’s new novel centers a character healing from an eating disorder, but it’s not just about the food — it’s about rejoining life.In our conversation, we talk about the deep loneliness that often accompanies body shame and disordered eating — the eating in the dark, the secrecy, the fear of being “found out.” We also talk about the sacred power of story: how fiction can be a mirror, a soft place to land, and a spark for change.Tune in to hear more about:- Paulette's journey with body image and dieting- How diet culture creates a constant pressure to conform to societal standards- Food as a source of joy, not shame- Writing as a powerful tool for advocacy and change- How cultural backgrounds shape perceptions of food and body image- Isolation that accompanies disordered eating- How to stand up against diet culture in everyday life- Her saying: “It's a them problem, not a me problem.”- Navigating social situations while recovering from an eating disorder- Whether to “educate” others about anti-fat bias- Self-acceptance as a journey- Setting boundaries after healing from diet culture- Using literature and story telling to challenge cultural norms- Why Paulette wrote this book and this storyAbout Paulette Stout:Read in 43 countries, Paulette Stout is the 17-time award-winning author of fast paced contemporary women’s fiction that tackles social issues often ignored. Fans call her work “Brave”, “Spicy”, and a “Mesmerizing tapestry of realism.” Her stories feature brave characters finding their voices and transforming into their best selves, while finding love along the way. Paulette is also the co-host of The Best of Book Marketing Podcast and works by day as the Director of Brand & Content Strategy at a global software company. Her fourth novel, What We Give Away, released in February.Support the show: Enjoying this podcast? Please support the show on Substack for bonus episodes, community engagement, and access to "Ask Abbie" at abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribeGroup program:Looking for more support and concrete steps to take to heal your relationship with food and your body? Apply for Abbie's next 10-week group program: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/group-coachingGroup membership:Already been at this anti-diet culture thing for a while, but want community and continued learning? Apply for Abbie's monthly membership: https://www.abbieattwoodwellness.com/circle-monthly-group Social media:Find the show on Instagram: @fullplate.podcastFind Abbie on Instagram: @abbieattwoodwellness This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.comThe first part of this episode is free, the second part is for paid subscribers. Upgrade to paid on Substack right hereCan we ever get enough support with our body image? Probably not. So, Abbie welcomes Deb Schachter, an incredible therapist who specializes in body image, for a deeper dive into the messy, multi-dimensional nature of body image. This conversation touches on analogies and helpful reframes that we haven't yet talked about on the pod -- full of lightbulb moments -- so it's an episode you won't want to miss.In the episode, we explore:-How societal pressures shape how we feel in our bodies-The role of humor and vulnerability in body image work-How to move through painful comparison-Whether self-acceptance can make our relationships safer-What it really means to “improve” your body image (hint: it’s not what we’ve been sold)Plus, behind the paywall on Substack, we get even more personal and talk about:-How sex and intimacy are impacted by body image-Why body image is so difficult in perimenopause-How to navigate the fear that your partner isn’t attracted to you-Some truly tangible ways to cope in bad body image momentsIf you’ve ever wished for a body image conversation that held more depth, more truth, more permission to be human — this is the one. I hope you enjoy it!Upgrade to paid on Substack right here to listen to the full episode.Deb Schachter is nationally recognized as a leading clinician in the areas of body image and eating disorder recovery. She has dedicated her 30-year career to helping people unpack their body’s story and the wisdom it has to offer. She brings authenticity, curiosity and compassion to her work and emphasizes the profound power that connection has in the healing process. She integrates playfulness and mindfulness into her workshops, individual and group work and is inspired by how unique the growth process is for each of us. She believes wholeheartedly that we all have the ability to find our inner alignment and has seen how her confidence in her clients translates into change. Blending together her East Coast sensibility and her West Coast spirit, Deb has developed a language and an approach that is accessible to all. Deb is the co-author of Body Image Inside Out: A Revolutionary Approach to Body Image Healing which was published in October, 2024 and she and her co-author, Whitney Otto, offer workshops for both clients and clinicians to become more skillful and connected to their body image work.

Is anti-diet anti-health? Anti-nutrition? Anti-weight loss? What is this all actually about, and is it getting "extreme"?If you’ve been wondering if giving yourself permission to eat freely means giving up on your health and experiencing a “free-for-all” with food, this one is for you. It’s also for you if you’re struggling to articulate a definition of diet culture to friends and family members, or are feeling conflicted about your own desire for weight loss. In this episode, Abbie explores the myths surrounding the anti-diet movement, addressing misconceptions about how the approach handles health, nutrition, weight, and body image. Tune in for more on…A definition of diet cultureWhy myths about anti-diet persistHow anti-diet approaches healthHow anti-diet approaches nutrition scienceHow anti-diet approaches weight-lossHow anti-diet approaches weight-gainWhether this just a “free-for-all” with foodThe critique that this is just a trendWhy Abbie emphasizes a compassionate approach to healthSupport the show by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. Your support means everything, and helps to keep the lights on around here! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit abbieattwoodwellness.substack.comRegistered dietitian and diabetes care specialist Janice Dada joins the show this week to explore diabetes management from a non-diet, weight-inclusive lens.Tune in to unpack the myths that dominate diabetes care — from the demonization of rice and bread, to fears about processed foods, to the idea that weight loss is a solution, to the panic that surro…