What happens when three podcasters get together to talk about the intersection of professional success and disordered eating? Pure gold.

In this candid conversation with fellow podcasters Kelly Lewis and Jenna Kaitbenski we dive deep into why smart, successful women get trapped by stupid food rules and how corporate culture creates the perfect storm for disordered eating.

This raw, unfiltered discussion covers:

Why 73% of women in corporate environments engage in disordered eating behaviors
How the same traits that make you successful at work make you vulnerable to eating disorders
The shocking truth: only 6% of people with eating disorders are actually underweight
Why exercise addiction is the "acceptable" eating disorder
How your body becomes a project to optimize rather than a life to live
The mortality reality: eating disorders have the highest death rate of any mental illness
Breaking the "not sick enough" myth that keeps women trapped

For the smart woman who knows her food rules are stupid but can't stop following them.

THE CORPORATE-EATING DISORDER CONNECTION

The stereotype: Young, white ballerinas or models

The reality: Lawyers, doctors, corporate women, founders—high-performing women crushing it in their careers

Why high achievers are vulnerable:

Perfectionism, discipline, control, high standards
Ability to push through discomfort
"Results over rest" mentality
Everything becomes a metric to optimize

73% of women in corporate environments engage in at least one disordered eating behavior—restriction, excessive exercise, binge eating, or other control mechanisms.

THE OPTIMIZATION TRAP

"When everything becomes a metric you have to optimize, your body becomes a project. And projects can be controlled, manipulated, and perfected."

The progression:

Tracking steps, calories, macros
Quantifying your entire existence
Body becomes another business problem to solve
Rest becomes something to earn, not something you need
Productivity equals your value or worth

The cruel reality: The eating disorder voice will never say "enough." It will always demand more optimization, more control, more perfection.

THE "NOT SICK ENOUGH" LIE

SHOCKING STATISTIC: Only 6% of people with eating disorders are actually underweight.

That means 94% are at regular weight or overweight and still struggling with disordered behaviors.

What this creates: "In order to be considered sick enough, I have to prove it by losing weight"—which becomes another way the disorder tricks you into getting sicker.

The truth: Your next-door neighbor could be purging after dinner for 20 years at an average weight, and you'd never know.

THE HIDDEN COSTS

Beyond the physical damage (bone density, heart issues, GI problems, fertility):

Relationships suffer—you're not present, always obsessing
Time stolen—years of life consumed by food and body thoughts
Energy depleted—surviving on coffee and accolades instead of nourishment
Cognitive function—brain fog from inadequate fuel
Professional impact—who can perform at their best while malnourished?

Most devastating: "I missed my mom's funeral because I was trying to find a gym to work out"—the disorder makes you miss life itself.

THE IDENTITY SHIFT

Separating your voices:

Your best self (Lindsey)—operates with excellence, nourishes, rests
The eating disorder voice (Gina)—demands control, optimization, never enough

"Gina, sit down. Shut up. Not today. Lindsey is driving the bus."

Reframing your body:

From optimization project → to "her" deserving respect
From earning rest → to rest as requirement
From food rules → to body wisdom
From external metrics → to internal trust

THE CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

On exercise compulsion: "Rest is bad. Rest is lazy. You mean you need to rest? It's this productivity that equals your worth."

On the never enough cycle: "At my thinnest, I hated parts of my body. It will never be enough."

On breaking free: "I now know when life gets stressful, my default is to not eat. But nourishment is non-negotiable if I want to be a peak performer."

On hope: "If you are alive and breathing, you can get out of this. There is another side. You are not stuck."

KEY QUOTES

💛 "Smart, successful women get trapped by stupid food rules."

💛 "When everything becomes a metric, your body becomes a project."

💛 "73% of women in corporate environments engage in disordered eating behaviors."

💛 "Only 6% of people with eating disorders are actually underweight."

💛 "Rest is a requirement, not something to earn."

💛 "Your body has done so much for you—it's time to respect her."

💛 "The eating disorder voice will never want you to recover."

💛 "It's so nice on the other side. You have a life waiting for you."

READY TO ESCAPE THE OPTIMIZAT...