Shoulders Down

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with Martha Munroe, author of Attuned Exercise, to explore what it means to build a healthier relationship with movement. Drawing from over two decades in the fitness industry and her background in positive psychology and embodiment, Martha shares a compassionate alternative to the shame, guilt, and perfectionism that so often define exercise routines.

Martha shares how her perspecti...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with licensed psychotherapist Paula D. Atkinson to explore the intersection of body image, eating disorders, social justice, and body liberation.

Paula shares her personal journey from growing up as a fat child, developing anorexia as a teenager, and eventually becoming a therapist, educator, and advocate for body justice. Together, Leah and Paula discuss the history of fatphobia, th...

Being in touch with your body’s cues is one of the central pieces of intuitive eating. But what if, when asking your body “what are you craving?” you hear crickets… 

In this episode, Leah helps you think through how to actually figure out what you’re craving. 

She covers several practical tips you can implement immediately to help guide you towards what you’re body is asking for.

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with Chelsea Levy, MS, RDN, a weight-inclusive dietitian specializing in eating disorders, PCOS, diabetes, and endocrine-related conditions.

Chelsea shares her personal journey from chronic dieting and weight cycling to discovering intuitive eating while studying to become a dietitian. Together, Leah and Chelsea explore the realities of living in a weight-centric world, the impact of...

In this solo episode, Leah talks about why it can feel so hard to figure out what to eat when you’re coming from a history of dieting.

She outlines some of the main obstacles she sees clients running into, and then offers a solution for how to transition into intuitive eating without feeling like you’re free falling.

She gets into:

• Why figuring out what to eat is likely a muscle you haven’t strengthen
• How loosing ...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with Ragen Chastain, speaker, researcher, board-certified patient advocate, and leading voice in the fields of weight science, weight stigma, and healthcare.

Ragen shares her personal journey from years of chronic dieting and an eating disorder to becoming a weight-inclusive health advocate. She explains what happened when she conducted an extensive review of the weight loss literatu...

In this episode, I respond to and unpack some of the most common comments I received after the viral Jillian Michaels vs. Body Positivity debate video was published.

I’ll be honest: it took me a long time to record this episode. Reading through hostile and misinformed comments is unpleasant. But I ultimately decided this conversation was worth having, because the comments reveal deep misunderstandings about weight, health, and...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah reconnects with former client Lizzie Marks for a conversation about what intuitive eating looks like five years later — and how healing your relationship with food can ripple into every area of life.

Lizzie shares how her early intuitive eating journey began with swinging fully away from rigid food rules and exercise habits, and how she eventually found her way toward a more nuanced midd...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with Brittany Modell to explore the nuanced relationship between ADHD, body image, and eating behaviors — and how neurodivergence can shape our experience with food in ways that are often misunderstood.

Brittany shares her personal story growing up immersed in diet culture, from early Weight Watchers meetings to navigating a lifelong sense of feeling “out of control&rdquo...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with Karly Borden, founder of The Public Run Club, to explore what it really looks like to rebuild a relationship with running after disordered eating.

Karly shares her personal story of navigating eating disorder recovery and the often-overlooked challenge of returning to exercise in a way that feels safe, grounded, and self-trust-driven. Together, they unpack the tension between di...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with certified eating disorder specialist Sydney Greene, to explore the overlap between disordered eating and substance use.

Sydney shares her personal story of growing up around addiction, developing orthorexia, and later navigating sobriety — only to find her compulsive behaviors shifting toward exercise, clean eating, and wellness. Leah and Sydney unpack how addiction and di...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with plus-size style expert and reality TV producer Marcy Guevara-Prete to reflect on their experience participating in a viral Jubilee debate with fitness personality Jillian Michaels.

Leah and Marcy unpack what it was like to engage in a highly charged, public conversation about body positivity, health, and weight — and how lived experience, media framing, and personal values...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with therapist Edie Stark, LCSW, to discuss their thoughts on the final edit of the Jillian Michaels x Body Positivity debate. 

Leah and Edie reflect on what they thought of the edit, how it felt to watch the video back (after experiencing it in real time a few months ago), and what frustrated them about the final video.

Mentioned in this episode:

• First episode reflecting with...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah sits down with therapist Edie Stark, LCSW, to unpack their experience participating in a debate with fitness personality Jillian Michaels on the popular YouTube channel Jubilee.

Leah and Edie reflect on what it was like to step into a highly produced debate environment discussing body positivity, weight stigma, and health claims — and how the format of viral media can shape the conversat...

Is the backlash against ultra-processed foods really about health… or is it about control? In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah and Laura Thomas, PhD, explore the growing moral panic around ultra-processed foods — and what’s really driving the conversation.

Laura explains why much of the research linking ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to poor health outcomes is observational, and how these headlines often oversim...

In this episode of Shoulders Down, Leah talks with Jamie (returning guest and close friend) about navigating wedding planning as a plus-size bride — without pursuing weight loss.

Rather than changing her body for her wedding day, Jamie shares how she made intentional accommodations to support comfort, confidence, and presence. Together, Leah and Jamie explore wedding culture pressures, how to prioritize feeling like yourself, ...

In this episode of Shoulders Down Podcast, Leah takes a deep dive into Orthorexia Nervosa — a form of disordered eating that often hides behind “clean eating,” wellness, and the pursuit of health.

Leah shares her personal experience with Orthorexia, explains how healthy eating can cross the line into rigidity and anxiety, and breaks down the symptoms, risk factors, and potential health consequences of an having an ...

In this episode of Shoulders Down Podcast, Leah talks with Dr. Lauren Hartman, a double board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, about why dieting and weight-focused care can be especially harmful for children and teens — and what she’s seeing on the front lines of adolescent eating disorder treatment.

Drawing from nearly 20 years of experience across hospital systems, outpatient care, and nationa...

In this episode of Shoulders Down Podcast, Leah talks with therapist and certified intuitive eating counselor, Libby Supan, about her 15 years in Overeaters Anonymous (OA) — and why she ultimately believes the program worsened her eating disorder rather than healed it.

Libby shares how OA’s abstinence-based model, the idea of food and sugar addiction, and rigid sponsorship dynamics fueled binge eating, shame, and...