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Full But Not Finished

Full But Not Finished

By: Stefanie Michele
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About this listen

 Full But Not Finished is for anyone who's tried to "just stop eating when you're full" and realized it's never that simple. Hosted by Somatic and Intuitive Eating counselor and coach Stefanie Michele, this podcast dives into the ongoing work of recovery -- where fullness doesn't always mean satisfaction, and where food, body image, and nervous system work is never finished. Each episode unpacks the psychology, nervous system patterns, and cultural conditioning that shape eating behaviors, showing why willpower alone doesn't work and what real regulation looks like. If you've lived the binge–restrict cycle, felt trapped in body image spirals, or wondered why "normal eating" feels out of reach, this is where we make sense of it — not with rules, but with integration, somatic tools, and a more human way forward.2025 Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • 21. Intuitive Eating Q&A: Saying No, Brunch Planning, and "Food Isn't Exciting Anymore"

    21. Intuitive Eating Q&A: Saying No, Brunch Planning, and "Food Isn't Exciting Anymore"
    Mar 4 2026
    In this Intuitive Eating Q&A episode, we're unpacking three nuanced questions that often come up in recovery and food freedom work: ✨ How to say no to food without slipping back into restriction ✨ Whether eating lighter before a brunch or event can still be intuitive ✨ Why food can feel less exciting after recovery — and what that means Many people assume food freedom is only about permission and saying yes to previously restricted foods. But true intuitive eating also includes choice, discernment, and self-trust — including the ability to say "no thanks" when it genuinely comes from your body and not from diet mentality. We also talk about practical eating, nervous system safety around food decisions, and the confusing overlap between restriction and choice (because externally, they can look identical). And finally, we explore the experience some people have after binge eating recovery, when food loses its thrill or dopamine rush, and how to understand that shift without assuming something is wrong. If you've ever wondered: Can I say no and still be intuitive? Is planning ahead for food events okay? Why does food feel less special now? This episode is for you. Visit iamstefaniemichele.com for more information about how to work together. Also on Substack ‪@iamstefaniemichele‬

    RESOURCES:

    Binge Eating to Intuitive Eating Self-Study Course

    Read my Substack essays

    Read my short-form content on Instagram
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
  • 20. Are Ultra-Processed Foods Bad? A Non-Diet, Intuitive Eating Perspective

    20. Are Ultra-Processed Foods Bad? A Non-Diet, Intuitive Eating Perspective
    Feb 25 2026

    Processed foods are having a cultural moment, and the way they're discussed online is so extreme that it's hard to know what to trust without feeling stressed or guilty.

    In this episode, I'm talking about why the fear-based language around ultra-processed foods is such a red flag, and why I don't trust conversations that rely on absolutist claims meant to scare you into compliance (or sell you something).

    I also get into what's missing from most of the discourse: systems. Time, money, energy, access, chronic illness, and the realities of modern life matter, yet wellness culture keeps collapsing this into "personal responsibility," as if everyone has the capacity to live like it's their full-time job.

    I share how ultra-processed foods fit into my own all-in recovery and why I stand by that choice, while still being willing to talk about nutrition without turning food into morality.

    And I spend a big chunk of this episode on the psychology piece—because even when people are arguing about physiology, the psychological impact of restriction, scarcity, and moralizing food often creates the exact chaos they claim they're trying to prevent, especially when these foods are everywhere (and especially with kids).

    If you've been feeling spun up by UPF headlines or wellness content, this is meant to bring you back to a grounded, common-sense view that includes both physiology and psychology. Subscribe for more on binge/restrict recovery, body image, food anxiety, and nervous-system-informed approaches to eating.

    RESOURCES:

    Binge Eating to Intuitive Eating Self-Study Course

    Read my Substack essays

    Read my short-form content on Instagram
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • 19. I Need Help! Five Things I Needed to Help Me Recover from Decades of Food Noise and Body Image Anxiety

    19. I Need Help! Five Things I Needed to Help Me Recover from Decades of Food Noise and Body Image Anxiety
    Feb 11 2026

    If you're in recovery and you keep hitting the same walls, you might need more help than you want to admit.

    In this episode, I'm talking about what it looked like for me to recruit support during my all-in recovery from years of binge eating + restriction, and why it can feel so loaded to say, "I can't do this by myself right now."

    Here's what we get into:

    • Why needing help can feel like a character flaw when you're used to being capable
    • The specific kind of overwhelm that makes "self-help" tools bounce right off
    • How having a small "buffer" can change what you're able to tolerate in recovery
    • What it means when support creates stability so the actual healing work can happen
    • The guilt math of asking for more help when you already feel like you ask for too much
    • Why "accepting help" doesn't work if you're still punishing yourself for needing it
    • What specialized support can do that love and reassurance can't (even when someone means well)
    • The relief of making a clear decision in a hard season so you're not renegotiating everything daily
    • A practical way to handle the inner critic: "not right now — we'll revisit later"
    • How letting your body be part of the process can become a form of support, even if you're skeptical at first

    If you're in a season where recovery is asking more of you than you expected, this episode will make that feel a lot more normal.

    RESOURCES:

    Binge Eating to Intuitive Eating Self-Study Course

    Read my Substack essays

    Read my short-form content on Instagram
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
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