Food Shrinks

In this episode, Molly C, Molly P, and Clarissa dive deep into the feeling of being "othered"—that sense of not quite fitting in, even among close friends or trusted spaces. We explore: ✅ The fear of being too different—what happens when our thoughts, experiences, or intuition don't align with those around us ✅ The connection between feeling othered and food behaviors—how discomfort leads to numbing or binging ✅ The armor we put up when we feel excluded—why we protect ourselves instead of reaching out ✅ The power of naming our feelings—and how vulnerability in friendships can heal deep-seated fears ✨ Big Takeaways from This Episode: • Feeling "othered" often comes from historical wounds rather than present reality. • Our shame thrives in secrecy, but when shared, it loses power. • Authentic friendships are a space to practice saying, "I feel left out," instead of shutting down. • We all have parts of ourselves that we fear are "too much"—but often, those are the parts people love most. • Belonging doesn't come from sameness, it comes from being fully seen and accepted. 💡 Listener Reflection: • Have you ever felt like you didn't belong, even in a group where you "should" feel connected? • What "armor" do you put on when you feel that way? • How do you soothe yourself when those feelings come up? 💬 Final Thought: We all want to be seen. And today, we saw each other. ❤️ Take Care of Yourself After This Episode: This one was deep, friends. If it resonated, be gentle with yourself. Maybe take a walk, journal, or check in with a friend who makes you feel truly seen. 📩 Got a Question or Topic for the Shrinks? Send it to [email protected]—we'd love to hear from you! 🎧 Subscribe and leave a review!  If you found this episode helpful, share it with someone who might need it.  📢 Follow Us:  📱 Instagram: @FoodShrinks  📧 Email: [email protected]  🌐 Website: foodshrinks.com  The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.

We end as we lived: real, funny, and unfiltered. In our finale, we model how to end something good in a healthy way. We talk about capacity, courage, and why saying "yes" to the next season sometimes means lovingly saying "no" to the current one. We reflect on what this show grew in each of us, share what's next (retreats, Liberation Modules, new podcasts, and programs), and leave you with resources to keep going. We're not disappearing; we're just changing the container. Big Ideas & Takeaways Healthy endings are a skill. Quitting isn't failure; it's a values-based boundary. Endings deserve clarity, care, and gratitude. Capacity is real. Every "yes" is also a "no." You can do many things, just not all of them well at once. Truth beats polish. Dropping the expert mask and telling the messy truth deepened our practice and connection. Recovery lives in seasons. A single year can hold relapse, repair, loss, joy, and growth. Self-compassion keeps us in the game. Community regulates. Being seen and accompanied is nervous-system medicine. Don't white-knuckle alone. Follow the energy. Passion projects can be bridges to the next right thing. Notice what lights up your body, and go there. Leave with a bow. End before resentment. Miss it a little. That's how you know you honored it. Notable Quotes  "You can do it all… you just can't do it all well." "This isn't a breakup; it's a season shift." "Truth over PowerPoint." "We're ending it while we love it." "Take off the expert mask; keep the human." What's Next & Where to Find Us Clarissa & Molly P. — Sweet Sobriety https://www.sweetsobriety.ca IG: @sweet_sobriety  Facebook Group: Sweet Sobriety Disordered Eating & Food Addiction Support Community You'll still hear us on the Food Junkies Podcast, including Clinician's Corner (monthly with Clarissa & Molly P.).  Molly Carmel The Daily Ascent: weekday micro-episodes on mindset/spiritual practice (on all platforms + YouTube). Stop Starting Over System: 12-week open-enrollment program, opening Dec 8. IG: @mollycarmel • Site: MollyCarmel.com Resources Mentioned Food Junkies Holiday Series (podcasts + 3 hours of YouTube bonus Q&A) Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year triggers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe2h7Cn9kzo&t=1s  

This week, the Food Shrinks are just plain tired—and they're talking about it. Not the kind of tired that a nap or a sleep hygiene checklist can fix, but the deeper exhaustion that comes from constantly giving, performing, and being "on." Together, Molly, Clarissa, and Molly explore: • The tug-of-war between push harder and please rest • Why rest can feel unsafe or "lazy" to a dysregulated nervous system • How hormones, overwork, and emotional load contribute to burnout • The link between fatigue, food patterns, and self-worth • Learning to rest without guilt—and without fearing you'll never get back up again • Finding micro-moments of rest and joy that don't derail recovery They share real stories about boundaries, people-pleasing, and those days when your body just says, "It's over, girl." This episode is a gentle permission slip to stop, breathe, and let rest be restorative rather than shame-inducing. ________________________________________ What You'll Hear: 🧠 How nervous system states (sympathetic vs. parasympathetic) affect fatigue 🌧️ The hidden costs of overdoing, overgiving, and emotional labor 💤 Why "doing nothing" can feel threatening—and how to reframe it 🥗 How exhaustion can influence food use, cravings, and control 💛 Micro-rest, intentional recovery, and letting go of guilt ________________________________________ Takeaways: • Rest isn't laziness—it's nervous system repair. • Doing the thing tired can sometimes help you thaw from freeze. • Emotional fatigue needs compassion, not productivity hacks. • Permission to rest is permission to recover. ________________________________________ 🎧 Listen, share, and join the conversation. If this episode resonated, email your questions or topic requests to [email protected] and hit subscribe to support the show and this growing recovery community. The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.

In this soulful and vulnerable episode of Food Shrinks, Molly C and Molly P sit down for a heartfelt conversation about spirituality, what it means, how it manifests in recovery, and why it has become the cornerstone of their healing. With Clarissa off on vacation (an Alaska cruise, anyone?), the Mollys dive deep into how spirituality is not about finding answers, but about the willingness to see life differently. They share personal stories, therapeutic insights, and unexpected turning points, from early resistance to mindset shifts, to dreamcatchers in correctional facilities, to how trauma, addiction, and spiritual transformation are intricately linked. Whether you're just starting your journey or questioning the next step, this episode invites you to gently open the door to something greater than pain. and maybe even greater than you. In this episode, we discuss: 🩷Why spirituality in recovery isn't about religion (and how it often starts with pain) 🩷The "evil filter," cognitive distortions, and how therapy and neurofeedback helped Molly P shift her lens 🩷What it means to wear different "glasses" and let life in fully—ugly, beautiful, and everything in between 🩷The connection between trauma, control, addiction, and our resistance to trust 🩷Spirituality as both armor and surrender 🩷Why belief is just a thought you keep thinking—and how we can learn to tell a new story Listener takeaways: 🩷You don't need to have it all figured out to begin a spiritual path 🩷Resistance doesn't mean you're broken—it might just mean you need a new way in 🩷You are allowed to believe something new about yourself and your life 🩷There are infinite ways to reconnect with something bigger than your wound Quotes we love: 🩷"Pain is usually the only way we get to a spiritual life—because it's the moment we realize this isn't working anymore." 🩷"Spirituality has become a kind of armor between me and life on life's terms—it helps me reframe the story." 🩷"The voice of trauma and addiction comes in the same ringtone—it takes time to know which part of you is speaking." 💌 Questions? Comments? Want more episodes like this? Write us at [email protected] 🎧 Listen, Subscribe, and Share: If this episode resonated with you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who might need a spiritual reframe today. Every comment, like, and share helps us reach others in recovery. The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.

In this deeply honest and layered conversation, The Food Shrinks—Clarissa Kennedy, Molly Carmel, and Molly Painschab— dive into one of the most misunderstood and rarely talked-about experiences in food addiction recovery: volume of whole foods in food addiction recovery. What begins as a casual check-in quickly becomes a masterclass on the biological, psychological, and emotional roots of overeating. 🔍 What you'll learn: 🌸Volume addiction might be harder to heal from than sugar and flour because it's not just about what you eat, but how much and why. 🌸For many, volume eating is a trauma response—a way to regulate a dysregulated nervous system, not just a habit or lack of willpower. 🌸Physiological shifts like stretch-blunted stomachs, serotonin imbalances, and leptin resistance play a massive role in satiety and fullness signals. 🌸There's no one-size-fits-all solution: healing involves patience, interoceptive awareness, nervous system work, and sometimes nutritional supplementation. 🌸And above all? It's about slowing down, getting curious, and giving ourselves the grace to find our unique path to peace. Whether you identify with volume struggles or you're just learning about this facet of food addiction, this episode offers deep validation, practical insights, and hope. 🔗 Mentioned: 🌸 Sweet Sobriety Foundations Program  https://sweetsobriety.newzenler.com/courses/sweet-sobriety-foundations 🌸 Breaking Up with Sugar https://mollycarmel.com/buws/ 🌸 Sacred Immersion Retreat (June 20–22 in Stamford, CT) email [email protected] 📢 Follow Us: 📱 Instagram: @FoodShrinks 📧 Email: [email protected] 🌐 Website: foodshrinks.com The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.