Part 2: Michelle Petties on Body Trust, Emotional Healing, and Life After Diet Culture

In Part 2, Michelle Petties returns with G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to talk about body trust, self-care, fear-based eating, and what it really means to live after diet culture. This conversation is honest, practical, and full of reminders that healing does not require perfection — it requires support, awareness, and the courage to keep getting back up. Awards & Downloads Line Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health), 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), 2026 Podcast Tonight Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), and 2026 NYC Podcast Award Audience Choice Winner (Best Hosts), with over 4.5 million downloads and listened to in over 160 countries. Feedback Link Line We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave us written or voice feedback here:https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a Mental Health Quote “Once you learn how to trust your body, your voice, and your choices, you do not have to crawl back into the old story.” — Inspired by Michelle Petties Episode Description In Part 2 of this two-part episode, Michelle Petties takes the conversation deeper into body trust, emotional healing, self-care, and life after diet culture. G-Rex opens up about her type 2 diabetes diagnosis, the fear that came with it, and the changes she made to support her health. Dirty Skittles shares something many people silently carry: the fear of gaining weight back and losing the version of yourself you worked so hard to become. Michelle meets that fear with compassion, lived experience, and no-nonsense wisdom. She explains why transformation is not about white-knuckling your way through cravings. It is about belief, writing, visualization, affirmations, community, and learning to listen when your body says, “This does not work for me anymore.” The conversation also delves into grocery-store triggers, food packaging, advertising, social pressure, and why self-care is not selfish. Michelle reminds us that people are not failing because they are weak. They are often trying to heal in a world that keeps pushing them back toward old habits. She also shares powerful lessons about falling down, getting back up, and learning to trust yourself the way a child trusts that walking is possible. It is not about never messing up again. It is about knowing you can recover, reset, and keep choosing the life and body you want to live in. Keywords: Michelle Petties, body trust, emotional healing, diet culture recovery, food addiction recovery, emotional eating, self-care, food freedom, weight regain anxiety, body image healing, mindful eating, self-compassion, mental health recovery, trauma healing, personal transformation Meet Our Guest — Michelle Petties Michelle Petties is a TEDx speaker, author, Food Story coach, and experiential eating expert whose work helps people answer the question, “What are you really hungry for?” Through speaking, coaching, writing, and her online community, Michelle supports people in moving away from shame-based dieting and toward sustainable, compassionate transformation. Website: https://LeavingLarge.comWebsite: https://MichellePetties.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambrandnewnow/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IambrandnewnowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iambrandnewnowX: https://x.com/iambrandnewnowEmail: michelle@michellepetties.comMedia/Booking Email: iambrandnewnow@gmail.com Key Takeaways Self-care is not selfish. Ignoring your own health can cost you and the people who love you. Fear of gaining weight back is real, but it does not have to control your choices. Writing, affirmations, visualization, and community can help reinforce a new identity. Grocery stores, packaging, and advertising are designed to trigger impulse decisions. Falling down does not make you a failure. It means you are learning a new way to live. Body trust grows when we stop confusing emotion, desire, and actual hunger. Actionable Items