What It Actually Costs to Keep Shrinking: The Emotional Price of Dieting and Restriction
This episode is for the woman caught between two worlds of wanting freedom with food, yet terrified of what might happen to her body if she lets go of control. I’m not giving you a five-step plan today, I’m naming the thing we don’t always say out loud. We’re not bypassing the grief, instead we’re sitting in it, and deciding that we want peace more than control. Let’s talk about what it means to grieve the body you thought you were supposed to have and what healing actually looks like.In this episode, you will hear:• 02:12 - How restriction gives us a sense of identity (even when it’s making us miserable)• 03:45 - Three things that make recovery harder and how they sneak up on you• 05:31 - The restrict-rebound cycle: why it’s happening and why shame makes it worse• 08:03 - The honest truth no one wants to say out loud• 09:09 - Why your environment matters• 12:14 - Parenting, pregnancy, and finding a new relationship with my body• 15:29 - 3 tools for when meals get hardIf this episode revealed a glimpse of what is possible for you, I'd love to hear from you on Instagram. Please also come join me for the free Break the Binge masterclass. It’s where I teach you how to break the restrict-binge cycle without obsessing over food, weight, or control. You only have one body to love!One Body to Love 10-Week Intuitive Eating Programhttps://meredithmackenzie.ca/intuitive-eating-programWebsite - www.meredithmackenzie.caInstagram - @Dr.MeredithMackenzieFacebook - Meredith MacKenzie Coaching Pinterest - pinterest.com/parallelwellnessYoutube - @Dr.MeredithMackenzie
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20:11
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20:11
One Body to Love Starts Where Control Ends
In today’s episode, we’re going to unpack the fear of weight gain, where it comes from, what it’s costing you and how to begin releasing it without giving up on your wellbeing. Because when you’re constantly monitoring your body, you’re also shrinking your joy, your confidence and your ability to be fully present in your life. I’m here to walk beside you as you navigate that space, with practical tools, emotional truth, and the reminder that your body is not the problem.In this episode, you will hear:• 01:45 - Why fear of weight gain can feel just as painful as dieting itself• 04:15 - The truth about mental restriction and why it sabotages your ability to trust your body• 06:37 - This fear isn’t just yours, it’s cultural, and it's been handed down• 08:53 - How to protect your headspace through digital and social boundaries• 12:48 - Client story: How movement helped one woman reconnect with pride and strength• 15:55 - What it really means to grow, take up space, and stop shrinkingYou’re allowed to care for yourself without controlling yourself. You’re allowed to nourish your body without fear. And most of all, you’re allowed to take up space, in your body, in your choices, and in your life. If you’re ready to explore what healing could look like with support, join me inside One Body to Love. And until next time, be gentle with yourself!Mentioned: Jamee's Story - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2467978/episodes/17294272Website - www.meredithmackenzie.caInstagram - @Dr.MeredithMackenzieFacebook - Meredith MacKenzie Coaching Pinterest - pinterest.com/parallelwellnessYoutube - @Dr.MeredithMackenzie
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34:34
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34:34
Cravings, Exhaustion & Relief: What Your Body's Trying to Say
In today’s episode, I’m unpacking why food feels overwhelming, chaotic, or hard to manage, even when you're trying to do everything “right”. Whether it's undereating, mental restriction, emotional burnout, or “taste hunger,” I’ll help you identify what’s really going on underneath your eating patterns and what your body is asking for.Together, we’ll explore the four most common reasons women feel stuck in the cycle of overeating or cravings, and why these patterns are never about willpower. By the end, you’ll see that food isn’t the problem, your body is simply asking to be cared for in a different way. In this episode, you will hear:01:25 – Chronic under-eating and why “eating light” backfires02:48 – The food rules you didn’t know you were following04:12 – How exhaustion drives cravings07:37 - Four reasons food feels hard, and the compassionate truth behind them8:06 - A gentle strategy to interrupt the binge-restrict cycleIf this episode spoke to you, I’d love to hear what resonated, send me a message on Instagram! And if you’re ready for deeper support, save your seat for my free masterclass, Break the Binge. Together we’ll explore how to calm food fixation without tracking, rules, or guilt. Until then, be gentle with yourself. You deserve peace with food and your body!One Body to Love 10-Week Intuitive Eating Programhttps://meredithmackenzie.ca/intuitive-eating-programWebsite - www.meredithmackenzie.caInstagram - @Dr.MeredithMackenzieFacebook - Meredith MacKenzie Coaching Pinterest - pinterest.com/parallelwellnessYoutube - @Dr.MeredithMackenzie
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9:38
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9:38
From Restriction to Rhythm: Ditching the Weekly “Monday Reset”
It starts every Monday: new groceries, new goals, and new promises to “stick to the plan.” But by Friday, you're burnt out, craving relief, and blaming yourself for falling off track. In this week’s episode, I’m breaking down the truth about the weekly “reset” cycle and why the real problem isn’t your willpower, it’s the system that’s never been built to last.This episode will help you see what’s really happening underneath the behavior. We’ll unpack how perfectionism, shame, and unrealistic expectations feed the cycle and how you can begin breaking free with more compassion and not more control.In this episode, you will hear:02:15 - Why white-knuckling your way through cravings never works04:27 - How fresh starts often hide rigid rules and unrealistic expectations05:55 - How childhood diet culture shaped our beliefs about failure and food08:51 - Redefining success without the shame 11:16 -How to take your next step toward healingIf you’re tired of beginning again every Monday, I created Food Freedom Rewind just for you. It's a private podcast that walks you back to the origin of your food story, so you can finally press stop on the cycle and start moving forward. When you sign up, you’ll also unlock a special bonus: my self-paced program Food Freedom in a Weekend, designed to help you build lasting rhythms around food that don’t rely on guilt, willpower, or restriction.If today’s episode resonated, I’d be so grateful if you left a quick review or shared it on Instagram. Your words help more women find this space and feel less alone. You deserve a life that feels steady, nourishing, and enough. Let’s begin, today!One Body to Love 10-Week Intuitive Eating Programhttps://meredithmackenzie.ca/intuitive-eating-programWebsite - www.meredithmackenzie.caInstagram - @Dr.MeredithMackenzieFacebook - Meredith MacKenzie Coaching Pinterest - pinterest.com/parallelwellnessYoutube - @Dr.MeredithMackenzie
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12:12
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12:12
The Beliefs We Inherited About Food, Our Bodies, and Control
Have you ever wondered where your relationship with food really started? In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on my own personal journey and introducing you to my new private podcast series - ‘Food Freedom Rewind’. I share the story of how food and body obsession began for me in eighth grade and how cultural messages around control and appearance shaped my coping strategies. I’ll dive into why so many of us struggle with food because of things we've inherited over time. In this episode, you will hear:01:15 - The toxic media landscape of the early 2000s03:55 - How food gave comfort, control, and rebellion04:21 - What’s coming inside Food Freedom Rewind podcast series 06:38 - When food becomes both a coping tool and a source of guilt07:33 -What you’ve really been needing: care, permission, and consistency08:02 - How to access the full Food Freedom Rewind series for freeAfter this episode, I want you to know that you’re not alone and you were never the problem. Whether you grew up counting calories, skipping meals in secret, or believing you had to change your body to be worthy, there is another way forward. I’d love to hear what you thought of this episode, come say hi on Instagram and share what resonated! And if you’re ready for more, we can begin untangling the roots of food and body struggles through my Food Freedom Rewind. Until next time, be gentle with yourself!Website - www.meredithmackenzie.caInstagram - @Dr.MeredithMackenzieFacebook - Meredith MacKenzie Coaching Pinterest - pinterest.com/parallelwellnessYoutube - @Dr.MeredithMackenzie
About One Body to Love with Dr. Meredith MacKenzie
One Body to Love with Dr. Meredith MacKenzie is a space for honest, unfiltered conversations about food relationships, body image, and the emotional journey to self-acceptance. Hosted by binge eating therapist and intuitive eating coach Dr. Meredith MacKenzie, this podcast dives deep into what it really takes to break free from the cycles of bingeing, restricting and food guilt, in order to finally feel at home in your body. With warmth, insight, and lived experience, this show offers connection and guided support for women who are tired of chasing perfection and ready to reconnect with themselves in a more meaningful way, free from outside pressures.Each week through solo episodes, guest interviews, and real-life coaching conversations, listeners are invited into real, grounded conversations. Ranging from topics of intuitive eating and binge eating recovery, to reclaiming your body, joyful movement, and navigating life in a culture obsessed with size. If you’ve ever whispered, “I don’t know what else to try,” One Body to Love will offer a new perspective, one rooted in compassion, curiosity, and sustainable change. Whether you’re in the thick of it or slowly finding your way forward, this is your reminder that healing is possible and you don’t have to do it alone.
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