Body Shame to Body Neutrality: My Story Of Diet Cycling

In this episode, Melanie shares her personal journey towards body neutrality and fat acceptance, exploring the negative impact which dieting had on her physical, emotional and mental health from a young age. She reflects on her childhood, and the struggles of being a teen and trying to fit in and conform to certain stereotypes. She discusses the challenges she experienced when starting a business, making weight loss her career because it was the only constant in her life, and how her life of dieting impacted her success. You’ll hear how Melanie started to question different areas of her life, what led to her quitting diets all together and what she’s working towards now. Chapters00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflections07:35 Content Warning For This Episode08:59 Childhood Experiences with Diet Culture17:56 CW: hiding food, binge eating19:33 90s Diet Culture, Teens & Conforming to Feminine Ideals25:22 Married Life & The Pursuit of Thinness29:43 Experiencing Body Privilege32:42 Pregnancy & Body Image38:08 Personal Development & Weight Stigma43:15 Reflecting on a Decade of Change49:32 Reminder That Our Thoughts Can Change, Just Like Our BodiesThank you for listening to The Culture Of It All! this podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive early posts, bonus material and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber on Substack. Come say 'hello' on social media! You'll find episode content on Instagram stories. Looking for more conversations around the politics of fashion? Join me on TikTok Until next time, pals — keep showing up, speaking up, and taking up space.