In this episode, Jessica and Marcia explore the journey of body acceptance and the importance of redefining movement. They discuss the toxic aspects of fitness culture, the need to understand health beyond just exercise, and how movement can be viewed as a form of play rather than punishment. The conversation emphasizes listening to one's body and recognizing the societal pressures that shape our beliefs about fitness and health.

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Meet Our Guest, Marcia

Dr Marcia Dernie (she/they) is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, accessible yoga teacher, child of Haitian immigrants, dancer, and chronically ill strength athlete. Their book Movement for Every Body serves as an inclusive roadmap for folks of all abilities, shades, and sizes to enjoy movement. She also provides free and affordable online resources to help folks move better through her platform @MoveWithMarcia.

* https://www.doctormarcia.com/links

* https://www.instagram.com/MoveWithMarcia

Watch The Conversation: Making Movement Neutral, Nourishing and Playful

In this episode, Jessica and Deb explore the complex relationship between aging, body image, and societal expectations. They discuss the impact of diet culture and ageism on women’s perceptions of their bodies, the influence of celebrities on body image, and the importance of body autonomy. The conversation also touches on the fear of mortality, the privilege of aging, and the challenges of navigating menopause.

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

Meet Our Guest, Deb

Deb Benfield, M.Ed., RDN, LDN, RYT is a registered dietitian/nutrition therapist, eating disorder specialist, and author of the book Unapologetic Aging: How to Mend and Nourish Your Relationship with Your Body. With over 40 years of experience, Deb helps women in midlife and beyond untangle from diet culture, resist internalized ageism, and cultivate body liberation.

Her work blends evidence-based nutrition, embodiment practices, and deep compassion to support women in building a peaceful and respectful relationship with food, movement, and their changing bodies. Deb is also the founder of Body in Mind Nutrition, a group practice dedicated to eating disorder prevention and recovery.

She’s been featured on podcasts including Burnt Toast, The Midlife Feast, and The Full Plate, where she speaks about how diet culture infiltrates menopause and longevity spaces, the hidden risks of ageism, and why women in midlife are uniquely vulnerable to eating disorders.

Passionate about helping women feel at home in themselves, Deb’s mission is to empower others to approach aging not with fear, but with vitality, freedom, and body respect.

* https://www.debrabenfield.com

* https://www.instagram.com/agingbodyliberation/

* https://substack.com/@debbenfield1

Watch The Conversation: A Chat on Neutral Aging

In this episode, Jessica and Virgie explore the complexities of body neutrality, the impact of fat phobia, and the rise of GLP-1s as a weight loss solution. They discuss the historical context of diet culture, the allure of quick fixes, and the importance of body autonomy. Tovar emphasizes the need for empathy in discussions about weight loss while advocating for a long-term perspective on body positivity and activism. The conversation highlights the challenges of navigating societal pressures and the importance of informed choices regarding body image and health.

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

Meet Our Guest, Virgie

Virgie Tovar is a plus-size Latina author, lecturer, and leading expert on weight-based discrimination and body positivity with over a decade of experience. She is a contributor for Forbes.com where she covers the plus-size market and how to end weight discrimination at work.

In 2011, Tovar completed a Master’s degree focused on the study of how weight-based discrimination impacted lifelong gender trajectories in women of color. In 2012, she edited the anthology Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love and Fashion (Seal Press). In 2013 she started the hashtag campaign #LoseHateNotWeight, and in 2018 Tovar gave a TedX talk on the origins of the campaign.

She’s the author of You Have the Right to Remain Fat (Feminist Press, 2018), which was placed on the American Library Association’s Amelia Bloomer List, The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color (New Harbinger, 2020), and an interactive book, The Body Positive Journal (Chronicle Books, 2022).

Tovar was named one of the 50 most influential feminists by B***h Magazine in 2018. She has received the Inspire Award from Project HEAL as well as Yale’s Poynter Fellowship in Journalism. Virgie has been featured by the New York Times, Tech Insider, BBC, MTV, NPR, and Yahoo Health. She lives in San Francisco. Please include all the links you want included in our shownotes.

* virgietovar.substack.com

* instagram.com/virgietovar

Watch The Conversation: Body Neutrality in a World Obsessed With GLP-1s

In this episode, Jessica and Aaron get into the complexities of body image from a male perspective. They explore the journey of body acceptance, the impact of diet culture, and the societal pressures that shape our views on masculinity and body image. Aaron shares his personal experiences and insights on navigating these challenges, emphasizing the importance of self-compassion, emotional expression, and community support in the healing journey, along with some practical strategies for other men to start healing too.

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

Meet Our Guest, Aaron

Aaron Flores is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a private practice in Calabasas, CA. He uses a weight-inclusive approach in his work to help individuals learn how to make peace with food and their bodies. He is a Certified Body Trust® provider, the host of the Men Unscripted podcast, and writes the Substack, The Unscripted Journey

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronfloresrdn/

* Website: aaronfloresrdn.com

* Substack: aaronfloresrdn.substack.com

Watch The Conversation: Men, Body Image and Healing

In this episode, Jessica and Katherine give you a strategy-packed episode to help navigate the holiday season as you’re healing your relationship with food and your body. They get into self-compassion, planning ahead, body image support tactics, and RAIN - an acronym you’ll want to know and remember.

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Meet Our Guest, Katherine

Katherine Metzelaar, MS, RDN, CD, is the founder of Bravespace Nutrition and a dietitian who helps women break free from dieting, body shame, and disordered eating. Since 2017, she has guided hundreds of people to rebuild body trust and discover joy beyond diet and wellness culture. Katherine exposes the hidden ways diet & wellness culture steal self-worth and offers a liberating perspective that leaves listeners feeling seen, validated, and empowered.

She is the creator of You’re Not Broken: A Beginner’s Body Image Healing Course For Women to help them transform their relationship to their body and Fearless Intimacy: a mini-course that empowers women to approach dating and intimate relationships with confidence, courage, and self-trust.

* https://www.instagram.com/katherinemetzelaar/

* https://www.youtube.com/katherinemetzelaar

* https://www.tiktok.com/@katherinemetzelaar

* www.bravespacenutrition.com

* https://www.bravespacenutrition.com/body-image-group

Watch The Conversation: The Body Neutrality Holiday Survival Guide

In this episode, Jessica and Leslie discuss the journey toward body acceptance and neutrality through community and how this can support in overcoming societal pressures and systemic oppression. They explore how shared values and interests can foster connections that promote healing and liberation, the need for a supportive environment where individuals can thrive without the burden of unrealistic standards, and more.

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

Meet Our Guest, Leslie

Leslie Jordan Garcia, MBA, MPH, CERDS, CPT (she/her) is a wellness strategist, certified Eating Disorder Recovery Coach, and social justice consultant dedicated to healing and liberation. With dual master’s degrees in Business and Public Health and over a decade of experience across military, public health, and nonprofit sectors, Leslie brings depth and heart to her work. Through her practice, Liberati Wellness, she offers HAES®-aligned ED recovery coaching and inclusive movement support, while partnering with organizations like Austin Health Commons and the Hogg Foundation to embed equity and justice into health systems and helping professions, and currently as the Treatment Access Program Manager at Project HEAL.

* https://www.instagram.com/liberatiwellness/

Watch The Conversation: Radical Body Neutrality Through Community

In this episode, Jessica and Oona discuss the importance of body neutrality in parenting and how to create a supportive environment for children to develop a neutral relationship with their bodies. They explore the impact of societal messages on body image, the role of parents in modeling body acceptance, and practical strategies for navigating body-related conversations with children. Above all, Oona emphasizes the need for awareness, open dialogue, and the importance of fostering a body-neutral household.

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

Meet Our Guest, Oona

Oona Hanson is a nationally recognized parent coach who supports families navigating diet culture and eating disorders. She is passionate about helping parents raise kids who have a healthy relationship with food and their body. A regular contributor to CNN, Oona has been featured widely, including on Good Morning America, The Washington Post, USA Today, US News & World Report, People, and Parents Magazine. Oona holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology and a Master’s Degree in English. She writes the Parenting Without Diet Culture newsletter and will publish her first book in 2026 with Cambridge University Press. She is a mother of two and lives in Los Angeles.

* www.oonahanson.com

* https://www.instagram.com/oona_hanson

Watch The Conversation: Raising Body Neutral Kids

In this episode, Jessica and Christyna explore food noise, GLP-1 medications, and hunger signals. Christyna shares the potential dangers of malnutrition, as a result of trying to mitigate that “food noise” with GLP-1s, along with strategies to check in with yourself and connect with your hunger and fullness cues.

* Connect with Nope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicathiefels/

* Connect with your host, Jessica, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nopethatsnotnormal/

Subscribe on Substack to get all of our podcast episodes plus more fresh content each week! https://nopethatsnotnormal.substack.com/

Meet Our Guest, Christyna

Christyna Johnson is a registered dietitian based in Dallas, Texas. Using social media, Christyna has taught thousands how to feel peace and enjoyment around food. She has made it her mission as a dietitian to teach her clients how to have fun with food again. She specializes in eating disorders, disordered eating, and intuitive eating. When she’s not being a dietitian, she can be found with a good book, tending to her vegetable garden, or exploring nature.

* https://www.instagram.com/encouragingdietitian

* https://encouragingdietitian.com

Watch The Conversation: Food Noise is Neutral… If You’re Feeding Yourself