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Episode 53. Today I have the pleasure of talking with Stefanie Michele. We are coming in hot in 2022. Seriously. If you missed last week’s episode with Dr. Alexis Conason, please go back and check it out. This week’s one is also incredible, and frankly so is next week’s.
If you know me, you know I am not a social media fan. Perhaps because I am quite bad at it. Strong emotional writing isn’t necessarily my strength. In fact, I have an incredible intern who is now officially a Psychology of Wellness team member who writes a lot of copy for me. I can write, but I have this tendency to focus on data and facts in a way that isn’t always compelling.
Well, I said it at the end of this interview and I’ll say it here now, Stefanie Michele has a gift. She is able to break down concepts related to the experience of binge eating and the binge restrict cycle in a way that is unique and speaks to the very human and real experience of this shame filled cycle.
It also struck me, somewhat while talking to her, that she is such a cool example of what I often talk about. That is, we need more women to get out of the ineffective dieting cycle asap so that they can show up in their lives in a courageous and connected way. Share their unique gifts with the world so we can start solving some of the world’s very real and pressing problems.
Stefanie has 25K+ followers on IG at the time of recording and you can find her at @Iamstefaniemichele. She offers great free insights into binge eating recovery on there. Think of the domino effect of one person getting out of the cycle, and how many more people that one person can impact.
Interview Highlights and What to Expect
- Stefanie’s journey of being in the binge-restrict cycle for 25 years, and how a moment in her kitchen helped her turn the corner towards true recovery
- Why years of treatment for an eating disorder didn’t work for her
- The 5 questions to ask yourself if you can relate to this statement, “I’m allowing all foods but I’m still bingeing, is this right?”
- What it means to “stay with your body” and how it can help you
- How a creative outlet may help accelerate your recovery
Who is Stefanie Michele?
Stefanie is a coach and a writer, a wife and a friend and a mother, a reader, a thinker, a runner, and a chocolate-chip mint ice cream lover.
But a little history: My disordered eating began when I was 15 years old dealing with adolescent strife and hormonal shifts. For the rest of my teens, 20’s, and well into my 30’s, I struggled with bulimia, binge-eating disorder, and orthorexia. The binge-restrict cycle was THE focus of my life for over 20 years and something from which I never, ever thought I would recover.
I thought I was broken.
Somehow during that time, I got married, had 3 girls, and led a pretty normal looking life. There were times I even felt normal — when I was with my friends, snuggling with my babies, or engrossed in a book. But most of the time, I felt ashamed, angry, and completely out of control. I hated my body and lived in fear of gaining weight.
Just before my 40th birthday, I made the decision to challenge diet culture and enlisted the support of a coach to work through my body image, which went hand in hand with food recovery. I did the work, and the work worked.
When I tell you that I’m excited to help you, I freaking mean it. I have laid in bed for days, canceled plans, avoided mirrors, and detached from my authentic self just like you have, and I know there is a different way. You can change your life, and start changing the way women in this world are valued and seen.
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Are You New Here?
Welcome! I’m so glad to have you. You might be wondering what this blog and podcast are all about.
We relate everything in this podcast back to motivation, but not the hustle and grind kind. Truly sustainable motivation that keeps you feeling energetic and engaged in your life for the long haul. We talk about why “I’m just not motivated” is a myth, and why the TYPE of motivation you have is so important to fully understand. If you are ready to learn about motivation and respecting your body in an effective way so that you can live a life you truly love, you are in the right place.
Check out the Foundational Episodes of the Motivation Made Easy Podcast here!
- Introduction: What is this podcast all about?
- Episode 1: Want to Get & Stay Motivated? A Crash Course on Motivation, Weight Loss, and Health
- Episode 2: How Dieting Steals Our Motivation
- Episode 3: How To Get Motivated To Improve Your Health (Motivation 101)
- Episode 4: How to Transform Health Fears Into Forward Progress
Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?
I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.
- I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to “be healthy”
- The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroom
- Social events and vacations immediately prompted the thought “they will notice I gained weight” or “I need to lose weight by then”
- Deep down I knew I wasn’t living life the way I wanted to, but I didn’t know how to pull myself out of it.
If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn’t too late.
Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work.
If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Create Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to create motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis.
You can write it on your bathroom mirror, put on the background of your phone, or just read it and repeat it in your mind.
Look, I know how much it hurts to live a life worrying you are missing out, not stepping into the person you were truly meant to be, vibrant, passionate, curious, vulnerable, and brave.
You can listen to the podcast all day, but taking that first step, putting pen the paper (or typing on your phone) is required for true lasing change. It’s time to start living my friend.
It’s 100% free, so what are you waiting for? Grab your free copy of the guide today at DrHondorp.com/Motivate
Support Independent Bookstores Near You!
Did you know that that if nothing slows their momentum, Amazon will have almost 80% of the book market by the end of 2025?
Look, I love the convenience of Amazon, but I’ve got a super cool way that you can support local bookstores and my blog and podcast simply by buying books like you already do! You can choose any bookstore on the list in the US and Canada (they plan to expand to other counties in the future) OR you can just let the donation get split between all stores. As of this recording, they have raised 15 million dollars for local bookstores. On my bookshop, you will see my absolute favorite books related to health and wellness, courage and vulnerability, and even my favorite fiction and kids books!
My recent favorite related to improving the quality of our lives was Digital Minimalism. Our family actually has decided to do an optional screen free August to re-evaluate the role of screen time in our lives.
So if you believe in supporting local businesses, please consider buying your books through Bookshop from now on!
The Psychology of Wellness Bookshop Link.
Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider patient relationship.
Disclosure: Using the Bookshop.org links in this post means that I would get an affiliate fee if you purchase from the online bookshop (this supports my business, and local bookstores too!).