Reclaiming Food, Freedom & The Last 10

In this episode of 8 Self‑Care Practices for Times of Injustice and Rising Fascism — we dive into self‑compassion, and how it can support you when old coping habits like emotional eating, numbing, late‑night eating, or eating for comfort show up. I unpack the nervous‑system science for how self‑criticism triggers stress responses and how (on the flipside) self‑compassion literally calms your body and nervous system, helping you think clearly and respond intentionally rather than reactively . I share real examples from my own journey and how noticing without judgment and asking "What do I actually need?" changes everything. This isn't self‑care fluff. It's much needed support and medicine. Press play. xo Brenda ps. Explore the different ways to work with me — my signature coaching program TL10, 30-day course She Creates Freedom or Private Coaching: The Last 10 (TL10) → www.brendalomeli.com/the-last-10 She Creates Freedom (SCF) →  www.brendalomeli.com/she-creates-freedom Private Coaching → www.brendalomeli.com/private-coaching

In this episode of the series 8 Self‑Care Practices for Times of Injustice and Rising Fascism— I dive into ancestral resilience — the deep strength, wisdom, and instincts passed down through generations that can support us as we navigate through these moments. I share real examples from my own life — my dad's example of dignity and power, the medicine of cacao, and the legacy of my Purépecha ancestors defending their sovereignty — to show how Ancestral Resilience and Generational Power can be tapped into as a real, living source of strength and resilience in times of hardship or injustice. *And if you're not wanting to reach for the sweets/snacks when your life or the world are feeling overwhelming, I want you to know it's essential to diversify our sources of comfort and strength. We get to claim and walk in the wisdom, resilience, and power already coursing through our veins. This isn't self‑care fluff. It's needed support and medicine. Press play. xo Brenda ps. Explore the different ways to work with me this year — my signature coaching program TL10, 30-day course She Creates Freedom or Private Coaching: The Last 10 (TL10) → www.brendalomeli.com/the-last-10 She Creates Freedom (SCF) →  www.brendalomeli.com/she-creates-freedom Private Coaching → www.brendalomeli.com/private-coaching

As we step into 2026, I want you to know — healing your body‑food relationship, habits, nervous system, weight journey — isn't something you have to do alone. I'm here to walk with you. Sending you so much love as this new year unfolds, xo Brenda ps. Explore different ways to work with me this year — through my signature coaching program TL10, She Creates Freedom or Private Coaching— all designed to help you heal at the core without replicating harmful systems: The Last 10 (TL10) → www.brendalomeli.com/the-last-10 She Creates Freedom (SCF) →  www.brendalomeli.com/she-creates-freedom Private Coaching → www.brendalomeli.com/private-coaching  

In this episode of the series, I talk about why and HOW sacred rest is essential — especially in times of ongoing stress, grief, and political anxiety. Sacred Rest isn't just sleep or taking a break. It's also giving your nervous system real permission to be off-guard, deciding it's safe to slow down, and to rest not just physically but also at a deeper level. I share 3 personal examples of what Sacred Rest has looked like for me this past year — from the way my body literally asked for months of extra sleep after a medical procedure, to enjoying presence and play with family during winter break, to intentionally taking space from creating. This episode invites you to define (and reclaim) Sacred Rest for yourself as a loving act of self care — not luxury, but necessity — and to notice how your body, heart, and nervous system respond when you let yourself truly rest. This isn't self‑care fluff. It's much needed support and medicine. Press play. xo Brenda PS. GRAB THE HOLIDAY PLAYLIST  For Holiday Season support, we've curated a list of my best holiday and end-of-year episodes — all in one place. You can find it at: www.brendalomeli.com/holidayplaylist  

Part 4: Pleasure, Joy + Comfort as important acts of self-care. In this episode of the series, I walk you through how pleasure, joy, and comfort are not luxuries — they are essential acts of self care. I share real, personal examples of joy and comfort from my own life — from dancing at a Bad Bunny concert, to savoring comforting foods and cozy clothes, to planning a family Holiday moment that lit up my heart. Pleasure, JOY and comfort matters deeply, activating the brain's reward and connection systems. Humans across history, across cultures —have used dance, art, and music as survival tools in times of oppression. This episode invites you to reclaim joy and comfort as essential parts of your self‑care and resilience. This is not self‑care fluff. It's much needed support and medicine. Press play. Brenda PS. GRAB THE HOLIDAY PLAYLIST  For Holiday Season support, we've curated a list of my best holiday and end-of-year episodes — all in one place. You can find it at: www.brendalomeli.com/holidayplaylist Part 4: Pleasure, Joy + Comfort as important acts of self-care. In this episode of the series, I walk you through how pleasure, joy, and comfort are not luxuries — they are essential acts of self care. I share real, personal examples of joy and comfort from my own life — from dancing at a Bad Bunny concert, to savoring comforting foods and cozy clothes, to planning a family Holiday moment that lit up my heart. Pleasure, JOY and comfort matters deeply, activating the brain's reward and connection systems. Humans across history, across cultures —have used dance, art, and music as survival tools in times of oppression. This episode invites you to reclaim joy and comfort as essential parts of your self‑care and resilience. This is not self‑care fluff. It's much needed support and medicine. Press play. Brenda PS. GRAB THE HOLIDAY PLAYLIST  For Holiday Season support, we've curated a list of my best holiday and end-of-year episodes — all in one place. You can find it at: www.brendalomeli.com/holidayplaylist  

Part 3: Nervous System Self‑Care In this episode of the series, I talk about WHY nervous system care matters right now. When we witness threatening events, our nervous system naturally activates — it's literally it's job to protect us. But when that state of activation sticks around — prolonged stress, fear, or hyper-vigilance — we stay stuck in fight‑or‑flight instead of coming back into rest, calm, and emotional safety. I share real, personal examples of what nervous system self‑care has looked like for me in the thick of it — not as a luxury, but as a necessity. Listen in and walk away with: A crystal clear understanding for how and why your nervous system responds. Real examples of what nervous system self‑care can look like in practice — the choices that help you feel regulated, instead of staying 'on edge' or overdrive. 3 simple nervous system regulation tools you can use anytime — breathwork, self-holding, and grounding — to calm your system and create emotional safety. Nervous system care matters more than ever because it gives your body rest and supports emotional safety. This is not self‑care fluff. It's medicine for your nervous system and human experience. LISTEN NOW Brenda PS. GRAB THE HOLIDAY PLAYLIST  For Holiday Season support, we've curated a list of my best holiday and end-of-year episodes — all in one place. You can find it at: www.brendalomeli.com/holidayplaylist  

Part 2: Emotional Self‑Care & Processing In this episode, I get personal. I share real moments of grief, anger, overwhelm, and what I did instead of turning to food. This episode shows: processing emotions isn't 'weakness', It's a POWERFUL act of self care. What you walk away with: Permission to feel — grief, rage, fear, overwhelm — without shame or guilt. A reminder that our emotions are important. Suppressing them often only buries OUR POWER. A simple (but effective) emotional self-care process that starts with naming what you feel. A model for emotional self‑care that honors your experience, your body and your self care as sacred. This is not self‑care fluff. It's much needed support and medicine. Press play. Brenda PS. GRAB THE HOLIDAY PLAYLIST  For Holiday Season support, we've curated a list of my best holiday and end-of-year episodes — all in one place. You can find it at: www.brendalomeli.com/holidayplaylist

Part 1: Be Kind to Yourself When the world keeps showing us injustice, violence and oppression —  caring for yourself (your body, your emotions, your nervous system) becomes necessary. In the first episode of this powerful series, I share: HOW I've been deepening my self‑care over the past year — not because I necessarily wanted to, but because life has required it. I walk you through my real personal examples of what it's looked like to deepen my self-care, instead of sabotaging. HOW: after decades of coping with emotional eating, stress eating and self‑sabotage — I am now able to chose something different. Practices that actually support me. WHY being kind to yourself (self‑kindness) matters so much right now: because our nervous systems are already on high alert. Harsh self‑criticism only activates more stress, while compassion and kindness stabilize, soothe, and create emotional safety.   Listen In and Walk Away With: A deeper understanding for exactly how deeper self‑care isn't a luxury, it's essential — especially when there's more that you're processing, navigating and holding. Permission to BE KIND to yourself — and to stop treating yourself like a machine, especially when life is demanding so much. A model for compassionate coping that doesn't rely on food, numbing, or self‑sabotage — but on intentional practices and deeper care. Emotional safety: knowing that you're not alone, that fear and grief are valid — and you deserve care, kindness, and real support as you navigate this time.   This isn't self-care fluff. It's much needed medicine. Press play. Give yourself the care and support you deserve. xo Brenda PS. GRAB THE HOLIDAY PLAYLIST  For Holiday Season support, we've curated a list of my best holiday and end-of-year episodes — all in one place. You can find it at: www.brendalomeli.com/holidayplaylist  

In this grounding holiday episode, I give you a simple, powerful 5-step toolkit to help you stay connected with yourself instead of slipping into holiday overeating, emotional spirals, or reactive decisions with food. These steps will help you name what you're feeling, regulate your nervous system, breathe with your cravings (and emotions) instead of fighting them, and shift back into intention, connection, and presence. If your cravings feel louder today, there's a real reason for that — and I walk you through exactly what to do. This episode is both a grounding practice and a powerful reminder that you can stay with yourself, even through uncomfortable emotions, cravings, and the complexity of the holiday season. Plus — after 10 years of podcasting about the holidays, I share how to access a curated list of my best holiday episodes, and I introduce a new end-of-year series: Self-Care During Fascism. If you need clear, actionable steps for cravings or BIG emotions this holiday season to, these 5 steps will meet you exactly where you are. LISTEN NOW. xo Brenda PS. Let's work together! 3 ways to work with me: The Last 10 (TL10) → www.brendalomeli.com/the-last-10 She Creates Freedom (SCF) →  www.brendalomeli.com/she-creates-freedom Private Coaching → www.brendalomeli.com/private-coaching PS. GRAB THE HOLIDAY PLAYLIST  For more Holiday Season support, we've curated a list of my best holiday and end-of-year episodes — all in one place. You can find it at: www.brendalomeli.com/holidayplaylist PPS. Let's work together! 3 ways to work with me: The Last 10 (TL10) → www.brendalomeli.com/the-last-10 She Creates Freedom (SCF) →  www.brendalomeli.com/she-creates-freedom Private Coaching → www.brendalomeli.com/private-coaching  

When life feels full, the old "try harder" and "be more disciplined" strategies stop working. If you've felt stretched thin trying to take care of everyone and everything, this episode is for you. In this episode, you'll learn how to shift into a gentler, wiser way of supporting yourself through chaos. I walk you through 3 grounding questions that will help you interrupt emotional eating patterns or sabotage cycles, and stay connected to what you truly need—without burnout or shame. These questions will help you regulate, reconnect with your goals, and take strategic actions that support YOU— instead of slipping into old survival patterns. This episode is rooted in compassion, decolonized self-care, and designed to support you as a FULL human, especially when life has felt like a lot.

Your relationship with your body runs the show—every decision, every result. In this episode, I break down the concept of "body dates," sacred moments of connection that transform how you feel, think, and make choices about food, movement, and yourself. We're re-airing this replay because just last week, I recommended it to three of my clients— it's THAT powerful. And if it's game-changing for my clients, I know it'll be for you too. Listen in as I share REAL stories and examples from my own journey that became moments of healing, radical change, and lasting transformation. Don't forget to schedule your own date with your body, stat. xo Brenda ps. Let's work together: The Last 10 (TL10) → www.brendalomeli.com/the-last-10 She Creates Freedom (SCF) →  www.brendalomeli.com/she-creates-freedom Private Coaching → www.brendalomeli.com/private-coaching  

In this special REPLAY, you'll meetDr. Minta— a full-time pediatrician, wife, and new mom who felt exhausted, disconnected from her body, and unsure if she'd ever feel confident in her body. Inside The Last 10, she not only lost 50 pounds — she learned how to rebuild a relationship with her body rooted in love and trust. ** grabbing my tissues ** This conversation with my client Minta is about more than weight loss. It's about coming home to yourself — even when life feels full and overwhelming. Listen in to hear how Minta went from self-doubt and endless 'diet' attempts to deep self-love, becoming best friends with her body. Finally experiencing loving, lasting results. If you've been feeling the heaviness of "trying everything," this story will remind you: It's never too late to experience something better — and you don't have to do it alone. ENJOY. xo Brenda ps. Let's work together: The Last 10 (TL10) → www.brendalomeli.com/the-last-10 She Creates Freedom (SCF) →  www.brendalomeli.com/she-creates-freedom Private Coaching → www.brendalomeli.com/private-coaching

In today's conversation, I talk about weight loss heartbreak and the "silent struggle" — the quiet, unseen heaviness of trying to hold it all together while feeling alone in your relationship with your body, your eating, and your weight. I also unpack how to approach your weight journey when life and the world feel overwhelming — so your goals don't become just one more thing to DO or manage (because you're already carrying so much). Join me on this episode to discover what it really means to stop carrying this alone — and finally feel supported. xo Brenda  This is the kind of support you'll have inside TL10: Join by November 1 → https://brendalomeli.com/the-last-10

This episode is the full audio replay of my #ThisIsMyFreedom Workshop — a powerful, 90(ish)-minute experience that's already sparked transformation for women worldwide. Inside, you'll learn why "knowing what to do" isn't enough, how to rebuild trust with yourself and your body after years of dieting, self-criticism, sabotage habits — and how to create lasting (and loving) weight loss results and food freedom from personal growth, safety, and alignment — not pressure or perfection. You'll hear me guide participants through breakthroughs and walk them through releasing their most challenging habit by anchoring deeply into their individual needs and core values. This isn't another temporary diet. It's a new pathway to results, true food freedom AND healing. xo Brenda Watch #ThisIsMyFreedom Workshop VIDEO REPLAY here:http://www.brendalomeli.com/thisismyfreedom-replay Join the #ThisIsMyFreedom Movement (and take the quiz) here: www.brendalomeli.com/thisismyfreedom Join TL10 Coaching Community here: www.brendalomeli.com/the-last-10

If you've ever tried to "control" your eating only to end up frustrated, burned out, or back in the same patterns — this episode is for you. In this episode,  I share personal examples from my recent trip to Tulum about the REAL key to lasting transformation with food and your body: peace and body connection. I also walk you through HOW releasing food worry and learning to feel safe in your body creates not just lasting change, but loving results. This is the secret to ending sabotage, emotional eating, and the constant cycle of "getting back on track". No more guilt. No more pressure. Just peace, trust, and more freedom — not less. This is the heart of #ThisIsMyFreedom. Your PEACE is the strategy. Your FREEDOM is the result. Join the movement + the LIVE workshop: www.brendalomeli.com/thisismyfreedom

In this episode, I'm joined by Béatriz Albina, author of Emotional Outsourcing™, to explore how we hand over our emotional safety—to food, to others, to old patterns— and how to reclaim it through somatics, nervous system practices, and bodywork. We unpack how to create a loving, trusting, and safe relationship with your body so decisions come from grounded safety, not survival strategies, fear, or struggle. You're gonna love this powerful conversation. Press play and come home to true food freedom. xo Brenda Ps. We've kicked off the #ThisIsMyFreedom movement. Did you join yet?! Get started here: www.brendalomeli.com/thisismyfreedom

Freedom (from the weight struggle) isn't a dream—it's a movement, and this is your invitation. This episode isn't just about listening—it's about stepping in and breaking FREE. Today I'm sharing how to join the #ThisIsMyFreedom movement: Take the quiz, sign up for the live workshop, and claim your own path to freedom from the weight struggle. Join the movement here: https://brendalomeli.com/thisismyfreedom

After a summer pause, I'm back — and this isn't just a 'continuation', it's a LEVELING UP. The podcast has a new name, a new look, and an even deeper mission:Reclaiming Food, Freedom & The Last 10. For the past 10 years and 420+ episodes, I've been teaching you how to lose the weight you've been struggling with. And that's still true. But here's the thing—this work has always been about so much MORE. Because this isn't just about weight loss. It's about self-liberation.  It's about reclaiming your relationship with food—one filled with trust and peace.  It's about living in a body that feels like home (instead of constantly feeling at war with it). In this episode, I'm sharing why this shift matters—and why I know it's going to set you free. I'm also introducing you to the movement: #ThisIsMyFreedom. This isn't just a hashtag. It's a declaration. A way for us to claim our power in this area of our lives and celebrate our freedom—with food, in our bodies, and in our lives. Next week, I'll share where you can officially join the movement, take The Quiz, and sign up for my new LIVE workshop happening on October 21st. Here's what you can do right now: Go look at the new cover art. Screenshot it. Tag me on IG with the hashtag #ThisIsMyFreedom and tell me what freedom means to you. xo Brenda  

This episode wraps up our Empowered Weight Loss series—and let me tell you, it's been nothing short of REVOLUTIONARY. We've dismantled diet culture, named oppressive systems, reclaimed our power, and redefined what weight loss can really mean for women. But this is not the end. But this isn't the end. It's the start of your NEXT chapter. I'm taking a summer podcast break until Labor Day (don't worry—we've put together a Summer Podcast Guide to keep you nourished!). And if you're ready to keep this momentum going, come join me inside The Last 10 (TL10)—where we take everything we've explored in this series and bring it to life with real-time support and deep transformation. Access your TL10 Summer Podcast Guide: https://brendalomeli.com/podcastguide Join TL10 and work with me directly this year: https://brendalomeli.com/the-last-10

In the final episode of the Empowered Weight Loss series, I unpack the REAL impact of colonization on our bodies and our relationship with food. If you've ever felt like you had to erase ANY part of yourself to "be healthy," this episode will blow your mind—and open your heart. Added note: if you don't think colonization has impacted your relationship with your body/food. Come get the stats. 85% of the world has been directly touched by the effects of colonization. Let's reclaim what was stolen.  Having a decolonized approach for your personal goals is key to finding PEACE, freedom, and wholeness (for EVERYONE). Come for the truth. Stay for the healing. Leave with your power. LISTEN NOW PS. If you want to lose weight this summer AND heal your relationship with food—join us inside The Last 10.  This summer, you can lose weight AND break free from: OLD habits and sabotaging patterns   Emotional Eating Patterns and Stress Eating   Weight that doesn't feel good on YOUR body   Outdated beliefs about who you're allowed to be, and what you're allowed to experience (FREEDOM!) Step into FREEDOM in this area of your life. JOIN TL10 here and get started TODAY: www.brendalomeli.com/the-last-10