Fearless Rebelle Radio With Summer Innanen - Body Image, Body Positivity, Self-help, Feminism

I’m talking about why body positivity and intentional attempts at weight loss cannot co-exist and answering common questions associated with this debate. In this episode, I talk about: What do we mean when we talk about weight loss in the context of body positivity. What body positivity really is and why it is different than “loving your body." Why the statement “You can love your body and still want to change it” is perhaps true, yet not body positive. Why the promotion and labeling of weight loss as “body positivity” is destructive and harmful to fat acceptance. How I respond to common pushback and questions around weight and body positivity. What to do if you need to lose weight “for health reasons." What kind of discussions belong in body positive spaces. Why I don’t make the rules on any of this crap and who to follow for more advice. Plus, so much more! 

I am interviewing Anita Johnston, author of Eating in the Light of the Moon. She talks about the neuroscience and psychology behind our body image and relationship with food, how to get back in touch with who you are and the art of feeling feelings. In this episode, we chat about: How we lose the capacity to be intuitive and express who we are as children and why this influences our relationship with food and our bodies. The masculine systems that contribute to the suppression of our emotions and intuition and their influence on the way we feel about ourselves. The neuroscience of why we feel bad about ourselves and how to change it. The contract between belonging and fitting in and why the desire to fit in creates a disconnect from who we are. Three questions to ask yourself to get in touch with who you are and what you desire. Why loneliness is really about a disconnection from ourselves versus a disconnection from others. The art of feeling feelings and why it’s necessary. Plus, so much more! 

I’m chatting with Krystal Thompson – Professional Yoga Therapist and Intersectional Body Positivity Activist. She talks about how the body positive movement can be more inclusive, what it means to practice body positive yoga, how it can help you heal your body image and details on our upcoming virtual workshop – The Self-Care Shakedown. We also talk about: The moment she decided she was done with dieting and diet culture and how yoga helped her to heal her relationship with her body. How the body positive movement can be more inclusive and expand representation in an effort to uphold the belief that all bodies are worthy of love and respect. Why “all bodies are good bodies” is an exclusionary statement. Blowing up the BS around statements like “as long as she’s happy and healthy”. The co-opting of body positivity in yoga culture and all of the different reasons this is problematic. The various systems of oppression that benefit from you feeling bad about yourself and how to fight back. Everything you need to

I’m chatting with Dianne Bondy – Yoga Teacher, Social Justice Activist & leading voice of the Yoga For All movement. She talks about the intersection of racism and diet and yoga culture, why diet culture and yoga cannot co-exist and the white-washing of the yoga industry. What she noticed about yoga culture and how this prompted her to become a social justice activist. Dianne’s experience with discrimination and racism and the influence of this on her body image and self-worth. How the media’s portrayal of people of colour creates stereotypes, perpetuates racism and impacts the self-worth of women of colour. The “white-washing” of yoga culture and how this is counter to the roots of yoga and yoga philosophy. The co-opting of body positivity in yoga culture and all of the different reasons this is problematic. How to study your privilege and viewpoints to be a better ally. How diet culture permeates into yoga culture and why it’s counter to fundamental principles of yoga. Plus, so much more! 

I’m chatting with Mallorie Dunn – creator of SmartGlamour. She gives us a behind the scenes perspective on the fashion industry as it relates to body positivity, including how misleading sizing charts are and how clothing can help you with body acceptance. In this episode, we chat about: What SmartGlamour is all about, why it’s accessible for ALL bodies and why it’s blazing the trail for body positive clothing retailers. The importance of diverse representation in the fashion industry and why the majority of retailers are falling short with their attempts at “body positivity”. How we can support body positivity with our dollars and not just attitudes. How sizing charts are really created, why they are misleading and why you shouldn’t care. Why we need to reclaim the word “flattering” back to its true definition and how it’s current use is demoralizing. How to enjoy the shopping experience and explore new styles. What to look for when shopping if you have a changing body and how clothing can support your body

I’m chatting with Melissa Toler – writer, speaker and coach - about the intersection of racism and diet culture, why dieting is violence and how it strips us of our humanity and so much more. Melissa’s experience growing up as a Black woman and how this influenced her body image. The intersection of diet culture and racism and how this influences women of colour. The “Whiteness” of the wellness industry, how this has bled into body positivity and how its messaging is inaccessible to marginalized groups. What women of privilege need to know to do better and help liberate all bodies. Why dieting is violence against ourselves and how it robs us of our humanity. Why the pursuit of weight loss is not a personal choice, even though you may think it is. What to do to reclaim your humanity and autonomy amongst the pressures of diet culture. Plus, so much more! 

It's a special episode because I’m speaking to 4 incredible women, who are just like you. These are 4 of my clients who recently went through the Rock Your Body program and they are here to show you that it is possible to go from hopping to diet to diet and being frustrated with your body, to no longer fretting about your reflection and having so much more confidence in who you are outside of how you look. Rock Your Body is the 12-week online program that gives you a step-by-step way of building up self-worth beyond your jean size with personalized coaching from me and lifetime access to the program—so you wake up in the morning feeling comfortable in your skin and live an amazing life beyond the number on the scale. RockYourBodyNow.com

I’m chatting with fat feminist mother, activist, writer and artist, Amy Pence-Brown, about ageism and body positivity, how misogyny permeates our beliefs and influences behavior that is harmful towards other women. We chat about: Amy’s progression towards feminist to body positive activist and the google search that led her to the fat acceptance movement. What prompted Amy to do her Stand For Self-Love social experiment that went viral. What she learned from the experiment and the experience of the video being seen around the world. The relationship between misogyny and competition and violence amongst women. How to recognize the misogynistic behaviors that women engage in that have become normalized in our culture. How ageism impacts our self-worth and what we can do to fight against harmful narratives on aging. Specific things we can do to embrace aging and age positivity. The added pressures of being a mom trying to raise intersectional feminist children and what most moms are not talking about. Plus so mu

I’m giving you an epic guide to why diets don’t work, the physical and emotional ramifications of dieting and how to heal to have a good relationship with food. I talk about: What the diet cycle looks like. How it starts and sets us up for failure. How it contributes to worsening self-worth or esteem. What it means to have a diet mentality and the symptoms of this. What it means to eat normally. The side effects and negative ramifications of dieting. Weight regulation, set-point theory and how dieting messes this up. The factors that influence our weight. Myths about health and weight. How to end the restrict-binge cycle. The most important pieces of the puzzle that need to be addressed when learning to eat normally. Plus so much more!  

I chat Bethany Webster - writer, transformational coach, international speaker - we dive deep into the intricacies of our relationship with of our mothers and the way we feel about ourselves, including how you can heal “the mother wound” in order to cultivate self-worth. We chat about: Bethany’s relationship with her mother growing up and how that shaped her body image and self-worth. How she had to heal her mother wound in order to embrace who she is. The beliefs, patterns and dynamics that form our mother wound and the influence of these on our self-worth. The role of the patriarchy in creating the mother wound and how this differs across cultures and generations. The source of the guilt that we have around setting boundaries and breaking co-dependency with our moms. The key questions to ask yourself to overcome this guilt. The steps to take to heal your mother wound, including journal prompts to explore. Plus so much more!

I chat Rachel Cole – certified life coach and women’s empowerment expert - on how to balance being a sensitive individual with autonomy and authenticity, the subtle ways we give our power away and how to reclaim body sovereignty. In this episode, we chat about: Rachel’s history with an eating disorder and how she reclaimed a deep sense of trust with her body. The deep hungers that create our tumultuous relationship with food and the important questions to ask ourselves to break free. Why so many of us are walking around disconnected and untrusting of our bodies. What it means to be a HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), including the gifts, challenges and unique self-care requirements. How to balance being a sensitive individual, while demanding autonomy and being authentic. What to do if we’re ashamed of our sensitivity and feel guilt for advocating for our needs. The difference between body submission and body sovereignty and the sneak ways we give our power away. How to reclaim your body sovereignty. Plus so muc

I chat with Rebecca Scritchfield – Registered Dietician and author of Body Kindness – about how to tend to your health without triggering the dieting mindset, what the process of diet recovery looks like and so much more. In this episode, we chat about: • The inspiration behind the book Body Kindness – what it’s about and who it’s for • What the process of diet recovery looks like and why it’s a not a one-size-fits-all approach • How to leave dieting rules behind without feeling like you are completely out of control • Why intuitive eating can become a diet and how to overcome that in order to be a “normal” eater • Why Oprah’s collaboration with Weight Watchers is oppressive to women • Why restrictive diets that go under the guise of “health” are damaging to your relationship with food and completely unnecessary • How to overcome the good/bad paradigm as it relates to thinking about food • How to incorporate more healthful things into your life without triggering the dieting mentality • Plus so much more!

I give you an epic guide to body image and body positivity with tons of theory on the most important concepts, including the societal and psychological factors that construct our body image, the importance of looking at self-worth, a description of the popular terminology and what the body positivity movement is all about. In this episode, I talk about: • What is your body image and what are symptoms of a poor body image • The relationship between beauty standards and body image. • The social and psychological factors that contribute to the way we feel about our bodies • What it means to have a positive body image and busting some common myths • The different stages we go through in order get to a place where we feel comfortable in our skin • An abbreviated summary of popular terminology in the body positive /anti-diet community, including, diet culture, health at every size (HAES), thin privilege and fatphobia • Body positivity 101 – what the movement is all about and why it’s so much more than half-naked se

I chat with Krista Niles – Therapist and Body-Positive Dating Coach – on how to navigate dating at any size, the best ways to meet new potential partners and why you don’t need to wait until you “love yourself first.” {IMAGE GOES HERE} In this episode, we chat about: • What prompted Krista to create the Curvy Cupid Course and help women with their dating and relationships • Where to even begin with dating if you’re inexperienced or have been out of the dating scene for a while • How dating norms have changed over the years • What to do if body insecurity gets in the way of you putting yourself out there and meeting new potential partners • How to initiate meaningful discussion to get to know new people • Krista’s recommended sites to use for online dating and why she recommends them • Alternative ways to meet people outside of online dating • How to filter out jerks, fat haters and people with weird fetishes • Why you don’t need to “love yourself first” • Can you teach someone about body positivity and is it

I chat with Virgie Tovar – Author, Speaker and Activist – on the roots of diet culture, the relationship between weight-loss culture and social oppressions, the role of internalized sexism as it relates to self-worth and so much more. In this episode, we chat about: • How Virgie got into fat activism and feminism and how it saved her life • The experiences and women who inspired her to write the book Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love and Fashion and create Babecamp • The history of diet culture and it’s relationship to sexuality and morality • The relationship between weight-loss culture and social oppressions, such as sexism, racism and classism • What the normalization of dieting behavior looks like in our society • Dieting as a language and the symbolism of and what it means to people • Diet culture in the workplace and how to deal with co-workers who are invested in it • How feelings of inferiority are often at the root of our dieting and weight-focused behaviours • The relationship between

I chat with Michelle Elman – Board Certified Life Coach and creator of the Scarred Not Scared campaign – on her story of having gone through 15 surgeries before the age of 20, the problem with “healthy is the new skinny” and why health is not always a choice. In this episode, we chat about: • Michelle’s relationship to her body over the years having gone through various surgeries that left scars and how she learned to embrace her scars • How her experience with survivor’s guilt created shame and how sharing her story helped her heal • The importance of speaking about our stories to relieve shame • How to get comfortable and accept a changing body • Why body positivity is not necessarily what the mainstream makes it out to be • Why health is not always a choice and the problem with promoting “healthy as the new skinny” • What beautiful means and how Michelle’s perception of this has evolved over the years • How we can make the body positive movement more inclusive • Plus so much more!

In this episode of Fearless Rebelle Radio, I run solo and talk about setting intentions, giving you 7 questions to ask yourself when you’re craving change. As well as, what to expect from season 3. In this episode, I chat about: • Why I put FRR on hiatus and what to expect from season 3 • Why I don’t like resolutions and cringe at the word “goals” • How I set intentions for myself when I’m craving change • 7 questions to ask yourself to set a powerful intention • Why this is the year of the Nasty woman for me

I chat with Ivy Felicia – Certified Holistic Wellness Coach and Body Image Expert – on how to feel more comfortable in a bigger body and navigating “body love” through chronic illness and weight change. In this episode, we chat about: • Ivy’s story of growing up in a larger body and suffering from PCOS • What is PCOS and how it impacted Ivy’s relationship with her body • Why she looks at “body love” as a relationship, like a marriage • How to choose peace with your body, even when there is frustration and resentment • How to navigate weight gain and be more comfortable in a bigger body • What Ivy suggests for women who have gained weight and are feeling physically and emotionally uncomfortable in their larger body • How to appreciate and accept your body if you are suffering from a chronic illness • How to make nutritional changes to support a health condition without triggering the diet mentality • Plus so much more!

In this episode of Fearless Rebelle Radio, I chat with Kaila Prints – motivational speaker, coach, dance teacher and drag queen trapped in a cis-woman’s body - on what it means to be “recovered enough,” the damaging messages of health culture and how to choose discovery. In this episode, we chat about: • Kaila’s story of recovering from an eating disorder to becoming a burlesque dancer • How burlesque dancing helped her discover who she really is • What it means to be “recovered enough” and why it’s important to recognize when you’re stuck here • What discovery is all about and why it’s so darn scary • Why body positivity is not all that glamorous in real life • All the details on Kaila’s new Discovery Not Recovery program • Plus so much more!

You know when you hear someone’s story and it inspires you to have hope that the same things are possible for you? In this episode of Fearless Rebelle Radio, I run solo and am catching up with some very special women in my life that I know are going to inspire you. This is part 2 of the Rock Your Body Spotlight Series. Here you’ll meet 5 different women who I had the honor of getting to know over the past few months as they did the Rock Your Body coaching program with me in March 2016. They have very different stories, with one thing in common – they hated their bodies and held a lot of anger and resentment towards themselves because of their self-image. I’m sharing their stories today because if anyone can inspire you to know that change is possible, it’s these women. They are just like you and today they stand here with an entirely new appreciation for themselves and outlook on life. Today, we meet Chloe, Courtney, Erin, Cate and Emillea