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Diet Culture Rebel Podcast

Bonnie Roney
Diet Culture Rebel Podcast
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  • 224. How Ditching Alcohol Helped Sumner Brooks Live Life Fully and Parent With Presence
    “I really felt like alcohol was the one thing that was keeping me from being the person that I wanted to be."If you’ve ever wondered how alcohol might be impacting your ability to show up fully in your life, or if you’re just curious about making any change that feels a little scary, this episode is for you. I sat down with Sumner Brooks, a registered dietitian, mom, and author of How to Raise an Intuitive Eater, who bravely shares her story of quitting alcohol and how it changed everything from her mental health to her parenting and beyond.While we usually focus on food and body image on Diet Culture Rebel, today we zoom out to explore what it means to get curious about anything that might be getting in the way of living your fullest, most connected life. Sumner opens up about what finally made sobriety "stick” for her after years of trying, how vulnerability paved the way for real change, and the actual joy and presence she discovered in sobriety.We also talk about how ingrained alcohol is in our daily lives and our culture, what it looks like to navigate those familiar “Why aren’t you drinking?” comments, and where food and alcohol are similar (and importantly, different) when it comes to compulsion, habituation, and addiction. Sumner’s story is a powerful reminder that even if everything looks fine on the outside, you’re allowed to want more peace and presence on the inside.No matter what you’re working on - food, alcohol, or something entirely different - I invite you to go into this episode with curiosity and self-compassion. Sometimes, you don’t even know when you need to hear something until you do.What You’ll Learn:How Sumner realized alcohol was keeping her from showing up in the life she worked so hard to buildThe role of vulnerability and community storytelling in making big life changesWhy “mommy wine culture” is so normalized, and how that intersects with diet culture’s mixed messages about food and alcoholHow reading other women’s stories helped Sumner finally quit drinking for goodHow sobriety changed Sumner’s relationship with herself, her parenting, and her ability to be fully presentThe real differences between intuitive eating and “intuitive drinking”, and why abstinence from alcohol is not the same as cutting out foodsThank you so much to Sumner for sharing her truth so openly and authentically. If this episode sparked anything for you about drinking, food, parenting, or just wanting more presence in your life, hold onto that curiosity and let it guide your next step, even if it’s small.Check out Sumner's book, How to Raise an Intuitive Eater: Raising the Next Generation with Food and Body Confidence.Come back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel.Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.
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  • 223. Have You Watched Fit for TV? Here Are My Honest Reflections on The Biggest Loser Documentary
     “It makes me wonder, what things happening today will we look back on years from now with similar eyes and say, 'I can’t believe we let this happen?'”If you ever watched The Biggest Loser and found yourself rooting for the contestants (and maybe even feeling inspired), this episode will prompt you to look at it all through a very different lens. Today’s conversation is not just about a reality TV show, but about exposing the extreme and unsafe practices it normalized, the harmful beliefs it perpetuated about health and body size, and how so many of those beliefs are still shaping our lives today.I'm breaking down the new Netflix documentary, Fit for TV, and sharing my reflections as a former viewer, a registered dietitian, and someone who now sees just how toxic shows like The Biggest Loser have been for our collective understanding of health. From unrealistic exercise routines to extreme calorie restriction, public humiliation, and the perpetuation of weight stigma, these harmful narratives stuck with me for years.We dig into the consequences contestants faced, including metabolic slowdown, weight regain, and lifelong shame, and we shine a light on why the system set us all up to fail. My hope is that after listening, you’ll deepen your understanding of why dieting fails us, how weight stigma sneaks into everyday life, and what it really looks like to pursue health with compassion instead of shame.Most importantly, we talk about what you can do to unlearn these narratives and break the cycle for yourself and for those around you. Whether you watched The Biggest Loser or not, this episode will help you see diet culture with a more critical, informed, and compassionate lens.What You’ll Learn:Why the practices on The Biggest Loser were incredibly unsafe, and why they were normalized for entertainmentThe reality of metabolic adaptation, weight regain, and the toll of weight cycling on our healthThe importance of challenging harmful narratives and stepping away from self-blame when diets don’t “work”How weight stigma shows up in sneaky waysWhat it looks like to move forward with a healthier, more compassionate view of all bodies (including yours!)You are not failing if a diet hasn’t worked for you. The system is flawed, not you. Thank you for listening and for being willing to look a little more deeply and compassionately at what we’ve been taught about health. If this episode resonated, I’d love for you to leave a rating and review, or share it with someone who might need to hear it too!Resources:What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat, by Aubrey Gordon"You Just Need to Lose Weight" and 19 Other Myths About Fat People, by Aubrey GordonCome back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebelStruggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.
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  • 222. Raising Kids in a Weight-Obsessed World (and the Truth About Growth Charts) with Dr. Erin Knopf
    ”The last thing we ever want to do to a child’s body is shrink it. If we make a child’s body a lower weight, it completely derails their development, their internal signaling, interrupts their physical and cognitive growth - all of it.”If you’re a parent or if you ever were a kid in a world obsessed with BMI and weight, this episode is a must-listen. I sat down with Dr. Erin Knopf, who is not only a board-certified pediatrician and psychiatrist, but also an eating disorder specialist who’s boldly calling out the harmful ways our medical system talks about weight, especially when it comes to kids. If you’ve ever left a pediatrician’s office feeling uneasy about body or food advice or if you’re working on healing your own inner child, there is so much wisdom for you here.We dig deep into the real dangers of focusing on weight in childhood, why trying to shrink a child’s body does more harm than good, and how growth charts and BMI are often misused and misunderstood. Dr. Knopf shares heartbreaking examples, and evidence-based reasons why praise for things like wedding-dress size decades later is not only unhelpful, but actively harmful. She brings science, context, and genuine compassion to this conversation.Even if you don’t have kids, this one’s for you. We were all once children shaped by these messages, and many of us are still unpacking them. Whether you’re worried about passing these beliefs on or realizing you internalized them long ago, let this episode be an invitation to unlearn and start fresh, for yourself and the next generation. What You’ll Learn: Why shrinking a child’s body is never the answer, and what the real developmental risks are How weight stigma shows up both physically and psychologicallyThe truth about growth charts and BMI - what most parents (and many doctors!) don’t know Why “health” can’t be measured by weight alone for kids, teens, or adults How to talk about food and bodies at home to break the cycle and foster genuine well-being What to do if you’re realizing you’ve accidentally passed on unhelpful messages to your childrenIf this episode brought up feelings for you, know that’s okay, and that awareness is a gift. You are not a bad parent or a bad person for having learned these ideas, and you’re absolutely capable of creating positive change, starting today. By healing your own relationship with food and your body, you’re also helping build a compassionate foundation for those you love.Was today's episode helpful for you? If so, I know you'll also love my past conversation with Dr. Maggie Landes, where we dive even deeper into weight stigma in the healthcare system.Connect with Dr. Erin Knopf:Instagram: @virtual.eating.recovery4uInstagram: @drerinknopfLinkedInYouTubeVery HealthCome back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebelStruggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing
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  • 221. Are Seed Oils Really the Enemy? Here’s What the Research Says
    "I believe the fear around Seed Oils feeds into the idea that we have complete control over our health outcomes and that eating perfectly will guarantee better health. This is far from the truth..."Are Seed Oils really the enemy or is this another story from diet culture? In this episode, we're diving into the truth about seed oils. We're covering what they are, what the research actually says, and why the fear around them is often rooted in diet culture, privilege, not health.I'm excited to share the facts with you on this episode so you can feel calmer and more confident in your food choices. This episode isn't about giving you rules or telling you to track what kind of oils are in every single thing that you eat. It is about equipping you with knowledge so that you can challenge misinformation that might otherwise leave you feeling anxious, guilty, or obsessing over food.If learning about nutrition still feels overwhelming or distressing, that's okay. You don't have to force yourself through this episode if it's not what you need right now. Take care of yourself and come back when it feels approachable. When you are ready, I'd much rather you learn about seed oils here in a space that prioritizes your relationship with food rather than from a diet culture source that doesn't.What You’ll Learn:What Seed Oils are and why they are used so widelyThe main arguments behind the anti-Seed Oil movementWhy it's often NOT a good idea to focus on eliminating Seed Oils What to focus on besides eliminating Seed Oils, especially if you want to prioritize your relationship with foodHow to challenge nutrition misinformation onlineWhy the fear around Seed Oils is often rooted in classism and wellness elitism, not health Thanks for being here! I'd love to hear what you think about Seed Oils after listening to this episode. Does avoiding Seed Oils make sense to your overall health, budget, or relationship with food? Let me know over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebelStruggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.
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  • 220. How Tracking Macros Turned Toxic for Jaimie (and the Food Freedom She Finally Found!)
    "I would cry almost every day because of how hungry I was, but I didn't have enough macros to eat what I needed."If you've been tracking macros, calories, or points, and you are starting to feel like it's taking over your life, this episode is for you. And even if you don't track, but find yourself thinking about food constantly or that you're failing when you're not following a food plan perfectly, this conversation will resonate.In this episode we get to hear from Jaimie, a fellow Rebel, who has experienced a 180 in her relationship with food after years of obsessing over numbers. Jaimie shares how food feels less loud now and how she's back to doing things she loves and food no longer dictates her mood, her day, or her self worth.My conversation with Jaimie paints a clear picture of how something that seems harmless like tracking macros can slowly chip away at your joy, your body trust, and your relationship with food. BUT Jaimie's story also shows what food freedom looks like on the other side!What You’ll Learn:How Diet Culture conditions us to ignore our body cues and dismiss our feelings of dieting overwhelmWhy we keep dieting even when we know it isn't healthyHow to shift away from food guilt and move away from trackingWhat Jaimie has done to stay grounded and not return to her old habitsWhat the journey to food freedom has looked like for Jaimie (and why it's possible for you too!)If you are tired of thinking about food all the time, Jaimie's story will give you hope that a more peaceful and intuitive relationship with food is possible.Thank you to Jaimie for sharing so vulnerably so others may be able to break away from tracking and experience food freedom like she has.Struggling with food, but not sure where to start?You don’t have to feel 100% ready to get support. If you're tired of obsessing over food or feeling stuck in the diet cycle, my team of Registered Dietitians is here to help. We offer one-on-one nutrition counseling—and we accept insurance! Spots are limited, so head to https://dietculturerebel.com/insurance to see if we’re covered in your state and learn how to get started.Come back next week for another episode and connect with me over on Instagram at @diet.culture.rebel
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About Diet Culture Rebel Podcast

Ready to eat without guilt, support your actual health, and start giving diet culture the middle finger? You’re in the right place. The Diet Culture Rebel podcast is your trusted space for breaking free from food rules, healing your relationship with your body, and learning how to eat without shame, stress, or obsession - while honoring your health in a way that actually feels good. Hosted by Registered Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor Bonnie Roney, each episode delivers straightforward, no-BS guidance to help you ditch diets for good. Through expert interviews and solo deep dives, Bonnie brings you health-promoting, mindset-shifting insights that leave you feeling empowered - not overwhelmed. “I’ve learned what’s happening inside my brain and body, and [Bonnie] gives incredible suggestions and insights on how to start the process of healing my relationship with food.” - Diet Culture Rebel listener With over 200 episodes and thousands of weekly listeners, this podcast is your permission slip to trust your body, reject diet culture, and take your power back - one episode at a time. Subscribe now and listen every Wednesday. 👉 Connect with Bonnie on Instagram @DietCultureRebel 👉 Learn more about working with the DCR team at DietCultureRebel.com
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