Whenever I talk about intuitive eating, women tell me the same thing: "I love the idea, but I don't trust myself around food." And when I talk to dietitians who help people shift from a weight-centric to weight-neutral or inclusive practice, they find it hard to communicate the idea of self-trust. If you can relate to either of these, this conversation is exactly what you need!

This week I'm joined by Fiona Sutherland, an accredited practicing dietitian, author, and mentor from Melbourne, and one of the most thoughtful and experienced voices in the world of nutrition. Together we explore why self-trust feels so hard in midlife, especially when your body, hunger, and energy seem to be changing overnight.

Fiona and I unpack how years of dieting can chip away at your confidence, why outsourcing your food decisions to a plan feels safer (and what it costs you), and what gently rebuilding trust actually looks like, starting with curiosity instead of control. We also talk about why reaching for support is a sign of courage, and the surprising ingredient Fiona believes most of us are missing in midlife.

If you've ever wondered whether you can trust yourself again, I think you'll leave this one feeling a little more hopeful. Listen now.

Connect with Fiona: Website: https://www.themindfuldietitian.com.au/ Instagram: @the.mindfuldietitian

If this episode resonated with you, come join us inside The Midlife Feast Community. It's where women in midlife come for evidence-based menopause nutrition, intuitive eating support, live coaching, and a community that understands what this season of life is really like. I'd love to welcome you there.
Learn more: The Midlife Feast Community: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/themidlifefeastcommunity

Related Episodes:

#197 Menopause and Body Image: How to Accept Your Changing Body with Alli Spotts-De-Lazzer, LMFT, CEDS-C

#147 How to Stop the Cycle of "Starting Over" Every Monday

#154 How to Appreciate Your Changing Menopause Body with Dr. Charlotte Ord

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/links

Is it perimenopause, or are you just finally fed up with the world? Honestly, it might be both.

In this listener Q&A, I'm answering the questions so many of you have been sending me, and they're the kind that probably sound familiar. We start with mood, because so many of us feel more irritable, less patient, and a lot less willing to tolerate things we used to put up with. I'll walk you through what's happening with your hormones and neurotransmitters, and why your reasons for feeling done are still valid even when biology is part of the picture.

From there, I tackle the big one: the belief that decades of dieting have "broken" your metabolism. I talk about what's really driving the lose-it-gain-it cycle, why intermittent fasting leaves so many women feeling awful, and the food guilt that shows up over something as ordinary as two slices of bread.

I also answer a question that pulled at my heart, from a parent who overheard their daughter say she needed to "walk off" her dessert. If you've ever heard your own voice come out of someone you love, this one is for you.

If any of this lands, I'd love to keep the conversation going. You'll find a link in the show notes to send me your questions for the next Q&A, and if you're ready for support:

Book a call

Become a Feaster

Send me your question for a future Q&A episode!

Related episodes you'll love:

• #132: Why You Need to Put Capacity, Self-Compassion & Self-Care on the Menu
• #147: Why You Keep Starting Over Every Monday
• #136: Health vs. Weight: Debunking the Biggest Wellness Myth with Val Schonberg, RD

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/links

What is acceptance is the requirement for growht? What would life look like if you just stopped trying to fix yourself?

That's the question at the heart of this conversation with returning guest Alli Spotts-De Lazzer, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist who has spent nearly 20 years working with people around eating, body image, and the experience of living in a body.

We dig into why self-esteem is a shaky foundation in midlife, when opinions of ourselves rise and fall with every hormonal shift and identity change. Alli's working definition of self-acceptance cuts deeper: choosing to stay with yourself even when shame, judgment, ego, or fear try to pull you away. It's knowing yourself, plus self-compassion, plus the willingness to face reality.

The biggest misunderstanding we tackle: acceptance is not resignation. Resignation says "it is what it is, there's nothing I can do." Acceptance says "it is what it is. What's next?" One keeps you stuck. The other creates the conditions for growth.

We also do a live, unscripted experiment using my own belly and body image history, which turned into one of the most unexpectedly moving moments I've had on this podcast.

Alli also shares news about her new book, My Child Has an Eating Disorder: An Essential Guide for Parents of Kids, Teens, and Adults (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026).

Connect with Alli: Website: allispottsdelazzer.com Instagram: @allispottsdelazzer

Related episodes:

• #57 - Story Session: What this therapist wants you to know about making midlife meaningFULL with Alli Spotts-De Lazzer
• #141 - Trusting Your Body: Finding Peace Through Grief with Nina Manolson
• #92 - From Body Grief to Body Acceptance: The Way Forward with Amanda Mittman, RD
• #109 - The Body Acceptance Mistake That's Keeping You Stuck in the Suck

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/links