EPISODE 40: Master Your Thanksgiving Meal Using These Simple Strategies

·35 min·3 clips

A former nutritionist reveals how she helped 2,500 women stop compulsive eating without dieting.

Leslie Hooper, a former personal trainer and nutritionist turned emotional eating coach, introduces the episode by sharing her own journey from compulsive eating to helping over 2,500 women. She frames the discussion around tackling Thanksgiving by addressing common fears sourced from Reddit. The hosts, Leslie and Steph, begin with a Reddit post suggesting skipping breakfast and lunch to save calories for Thanksgiving dinner, which they criticize as setting up a binge mentality and creating a 'slingshot effect' of overcompensation. Next, they examine a post from someone 'petrified' of gaining weight over three days, linking this fear to an unhealthy attachment to the scale and hyper-restriction fostered by the diet industry. The third Reddit post involves an 18-year-old frustrated by a relative telling her to 'live a little,' prompting a discussion on food pushers and the emotional needs behind such comments, such as seeking validation or shared experience. The final post concerns managing leftovers, where Steph argues that foods are not inherently 'fattening' and that scarcity mindset leads to overeating, advocating for a neutral view of food to maintain control. Throughout, the hosts emphasize shifting focus from food to connection and presence during holidays, referencing their free 'Ultimate Toolkit to Stop Holiday Overeating' for practical steps. The episode concludes with a challenge to listeners to embody a confident, in-control version of themselves for Thanksgiving.

As heard by us

A candid Thanksgiving discussion about food pressure, dieting rules, and keeping control of what goes on your plate.

Thanksgiving becomes a stress test for dieting rules, cravings, and the familiar pressure to prove you can "live a little" by eating more. Leslie Hooper and Steph start from Reddit questions before settling into a sharp case: an 18-year-old who has lost 50 pounds while dealing…

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Why you'd press play

You want Thanksgiving to feel like your decision again, even when someone at the table keeps telling you to "live a little."

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