The Food Shrinks are back with a spicy, heartfelt conversation about one of the most polarizing tools in the recovery world right now—GLP-1 medications (like Ozempic and Wegovy). In this episode, they tackle the growing buzz (and backlash) around these drugs in eating disorder and food addiction spaces. Are GLP-1s a betrayal of “real” recovery, or can they be a supportive tool for healing?

The hosts spill some behind-the-scenes tea, share their personal and clinical experiences, and ask hard questions: Who gets to decide what recovery looks like? Why is there so much shame around using medication? And what if we stopped gatekeeping tools that might help?

If you're curious about how GLP-1s fit into a trauma-informed, shame-free approach to food addiction recovery, this episode is for you.

In This Episode:
• Why the GLP-1 debate is heating up in the recovery world
• The team’s take on healing vs. weight loss goals
• The difference between fear-based gatekeeping and client-centered care
• What should recovery support look like when trying a new tool
• The power of expanding your window of tolerance
• Why we need to make room for nuance, autonomy, and compassion

Key Quote:
"If a medication helps someone quiet the noise long enough to heal—why wouldn’t we support that?"

Resources & Support:
💻 Check out Sweet Sobriety to learn more about group programs and 1:1 coaching with Molly and Clarissa.
💻 Book a free Consultation with Molly Carmel
📧 Thinking about GLP-1s or bariatric surgery? Schedule a consultation with a coach who gets it.

If this episode resonated with you:
✔️ Subscribe
⭐ Rate & Review
📤 Share it with a friend who's curious about GLP-1s or exploring recovery options

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 compelling episode, the Food Shrinks team tackles one of the most used—and deeply harmful—labels in recovery spaces: “chronic relapser.” With both fire and tenderness, the Shrinks dismantle this shame-based term and offer a new way to understand recurrence through the lens of chronic ambivalence, self-compassion, and trauma-informed care.

You’ll hear why language matters, how shame can block healing, and why we must stop reducing people to their most painful patterns. Instead, the team explores what it means to stay curious, build emotional safety, and make your recovery as big as your disease. Whether you’ve struggled with “starting over” or have judged yourself harshly for returning to food, this episode will offer relief, insight, and a powerful reframe.

🔑 Topics We Cover:

• Why “chronic relapser” is a harmful, moralizing label
• The power of reframing: from chronic relapse to chronic ambivalence
• Understanding recurrence as part of a chronic condition
• The trap of perfectionism and diet culture in recovery
• How confirmation bias reinforces addiction
• When you’ve “tried everything” but nothing sticks
• Recovery as practice—not performance
• Why your recovery must be as big as your disorder
• Meeting recurrence with curiosity, not shame

💬 Quotes Worth Sharing:

“Please don’t say that about my friend.”
“Chronic ambivalence is a sign of your complexity—not your failure.”
“Your addiction doesn’t get a seat at the table if you want to build traction in recovery.”
“One bad moment doesn’t define your recovery. It’s just a single patch in the quilt.”
“You haven’t failed. You’re still practicing. You’re still learning.”

🛎️ Call to Action:

Love what we’re doing on Food Shrinks? Do us a big favor:
📱 Subscribe
⭐ Leave a rating
💬 Drop a comment
🧡 Share with someone who needs to hear this!

Your support helps us grow—and helps others find compassionate, shame-free recovery conversations.

📢 Follow Us:

📽 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoodShrinks

📱 Instagram: @FoodShrinks

📧 Email: AskTheShrinks@foodshrinks.com

🌐 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.

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 molly@mollycarmel.com

📢 Follow Us:
📱 Instagram: @FoodShrinks
📧 Email: AskTheShrinks@foodshrinks.com
🌐 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.

In this vulnerable and fiery episode, the Shrinks crack open a raw conversation about what happens when you dare to speak your truth in a world that’s not always ready to hear it. Molly C. shares the emotional fallout of going viral on TikTok — and getting slammed for it. What started as a conversation about food boundaries quickly turned into a deep dive on childhood bullying, impostor syndrome, clinical appeasement, and the gut-punch of online criticism.

The shrinks hold space for one another while exploring big themes:

• Why it’s so hard not to dim your light when people don’t agree with you
• The survival response of people-pleasing and self-abandonment
• The spiritual test of standing in your truth, even when it’s unpopular
• How neglect and injustice can activate rage that feels bigger than the moment
• How to protect your nervous system (and your purpose) in a noisy, opinionated world

If you’ve ever questioned your right to speak up, struggled with self-doubt after rejection, or felt the inner war between being palatable and being powerful — this one’s for you.

Oh, and there’s also dating drama, a story about unmatching on Hinge, and a rallying cry to all the kids who once felt like they didn’t belong. (Spoiler: You do.)

💬 Favorite Quote:
"There is no rage so great as a neglected child."

📌 Topics Include:

• TikTok trauma and the curse of virality
• Emotional flashbacks and old wounds in new comments
• Clinical appeasement vs. embodied truth
• When you want to fight but freeze instead
• Navigating food boundaries at the dinner table and online
• Spiritual downloads, sunscreen for the soul, and showing up anyway

🧠 Bonus Takeaway:
You don’t need to be palatable to be worthy. You’re allowed to take up space as you are — imperfect, passionate, and powerful.

📣 Call to Action:
If you loved this conversation, please subscribe, rate, and review us!
And if you’ve got thoughts, feedback, or want to send us a love letter (we won’t say no), drop us a line at AskTheShrinks@FoodShrinks.com.

📢 Follow Us:

📱 Instagram: @FoodShrinks

📧 Email: AskTheShrinks@foodshrinks.com

🌐 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.

Feeling like you're slogging through sludge in your recovery? You're not alone. In this vulnerable and validating episode, the Shrinks get real about what to do when the motivation to stay on track just… isn’t there. From functional freeze to emotional flatness, we unpack what it means when everything feels like too much—even when you know what to do.

We explore:

• Why recovery can feel like pushing through quicksand
• What “motivation collapse” and “functional freeze” look like in real life
• The grief that comes with ongoing transformation
• Why nervous system fatigue and willpower overload matter
• How values, compassion, and community help us recalibrate
• Why it’s OK to tread water as long as you don’t burn it all down

We also talk about being highly sensitive in a world on fire, navigating recovery in times of collective distress, and how commitment—not motivation—is what keeps the engine running when your beetle bug (aka your recovery) just won’t start.

📩 Keep in Touch:

Have a question for the Shrinks? Want to tell us how this episode landed for you?
Email us at asktheshrinks@foodshrinks.com — we love hearing from you.

📢 Follow Us:

📱 Instagram: @FoodShrinks

📧 Email: AskTheShrinks@foodshrinks.com

🌐 Website: foodshrinks.com

♥️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoodShrinks

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 episode, the Food Shrinks crew explores a powerful, overlooked concept: fragilization. From personal stories to real recovery insights, the team explores how treating ourselves—or others—as too delicate can actually stall growth, deepen shame, and keep us stuck.

Whether it’s in addiction recovery, mental health, or just day-to-day life, fragilization can quietly shape how we show up, ask for help, and relate to our own resilience. We talk about how fragilizing ourselves in depression or post-relapse moments can reinforce powerlessness, and how others fragilizing us—even with good intentions—can feel invalidating. You’ll hear raw reflections, lots of laughs, and a serious reframe: you are not broken, and you are not fragile.

💡 Topics We Explore:

• What fragilization is—and how it shows up in recovery, families, and friendships
• The line between vulnerability and self-erasure
• Why over-helping or shielding others can disempower them
• Self-awareness beyond just self-criticism
• How diet culture and the patriarchy reinforce fragility myths
• Reclaiming your resilience and giving others space to rise

🛠️ Tools & Takeaways:

• Ask yourself: Am I being honest, or am I being a chameleon?
• Give people the chance to say no—and trust them to say yes
• Self-awareness means noticing your wins, not just your wounds
• You don’t need to break to grow
• Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is stop managing others’ feelings

📬 We want to hear from you!
Have a question, a win, or a hot take? Email us at asktheshrinks@foodshrinks.com and be part of the next episode.

🌟 Don’t forget:
Subscribe ⭐ Rate ⭐ Review ⭐ Share ⭐

Love you, mean it.

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.

Welcome to the Food Shrinks podcast! In this heartfelt and honest episode, the Food Shrinks team dives into a powerful listener-submitted question: What happens when the people, places, and things that once brought us comfort no longer fit in our healing and recovery journey?

This week, we explore the grief and growth that come with outgrowing relationships, hobbies, environments, and identities that once felt like home.

You’ll hear reflections on:
• Why things that once felt safe can suddenly feel unbearable
• How identity shifts in recovery can affect our social lives
• Why it’s normal to feel guilt, grief, or even judgment about these changes
• The importance of compassionate self-awareness and honoring intuition
• How to navigate change without shame—or setting everything on fire 🔥
• The difference between cutting ties to protect yourself vs. fleeing out of overwhelm
• Why kindness doesn’t mean self-betrayal
• And how to hold space for your metamorphosis with curiosity, not self-criticism

Whether you’re frustrated by your changing preferences or unsure how to handle friends who no longer “get you,” this episode will remind you: You’re not going crazy—you’re just growing. 💗

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
• How to tell if you're in a true identity shift
• How grief shows up in unexpected ways in recovery
• Tools to slow down and make intentional choices
• The importance of trusting yourself as you evolve
• Why it’s okay (and often necessary) to set boundaries or walk away

Ways You Can Support the Show:
1. Subscribe to Food Shrinks on your favorite podcast platform.
2. Rate & Review—Five stars if you're feeling generous!
3. Share this episode with a friend who’s going through their own transformation.

Got a question for the Shrinks? Email us at AskTheShrinks@FoodShrinks.com or drop your comments on our YouTube channel!

🌱 Remember: healing doesn’t always feel good—but it’s always worth it. We love you, and we’re so glad you’re here.
________________________________________
New episodes drop weekly. Until next time, breathe, stay curious, and keep growing. 🌀

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 powerful episode, we tackle a question that resonates deeply for so many in recovery: "Why can’t I stay off sugar, even after a life-threatening diagnosis?"

We received a heartfelt listener question from someone who has been struggling with sugar addiction for years—even after a cancer diagnosis. This sparked a deep, honest conversation about the nature of addiction, why even fear or facts aren't always enough to inspire change, and how recovery takes more than just motivation—it takes connection, community, repetition, and reframing.

💬 In this episode, we cover:

🌱Why fear, force, and facts aren’t sustainable motivators for change

🌱How addiction hijacks the brain and overrides even our strongest survival instincts

🌱Why relapse is not a moral failing, but a symptom of a powerful brain-based disorder

🌱What to do when willpower alone isn’t cutting it

🌱How to expand your recovery toolkit to match the severity of the problem

🌱The importance of community and compassionate self-care in recovery

🌱What “ICU-level care” for food addiction might look like

✨ We explore the truth that addiction is not your fault, but recovery is your responsibility—and you don’t have to do it alone. Whether you’re binging every day or white-knuckling your way through abstinence, there is hope, and there are practical tools to help you build a sustainable, supported recovery.

📩 We want to hear from YOU!
Got a question for the Food Shrinks? Email us at asktheshrinks@foodshrinks.com

🙏 Support the Podcast:
We LOVE making this podcast for you—but creating free content isn’t free. Here’s how you can help us keep the mic on:

🌱Subscribe to the show

🌱Rate & Review—we love a 5-star, but you do you, boo

🌱Share this episode with friends, recovery groups, or anyone who needs to know they’re not alone

Big hugs. Big whoosh. You’ve got this—and we’re with you every step of the way.

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.