This week, the Food Shrinks are just plain tired—and they're talking about it. Not the kind of tired that a nap or a sleep hygiene checklist can fix, but the deeper exhaustion that comes from constantly giving, performing, and being "on."

Together, Molly, Clarissa, and Molly explore:
• The tug-of-war between push harder and please rest
• Why rest can feel unsafe or "lazy" to a dysregulated nervous system
• How hormones, overwork, and emotional load contribute to burnout
• The link between fatigue, food patterns, and self-worth
• Learning to rest without guilt—and without fearing you'll never get back up again
• Finding micro-moments of rest and joy that don't derail recovery
They share real stories about boundaries, people-pleasing, and those days when your body just says, "It's over, girl." This episode is a gentle permission slip to stop, breathe, and let rest be restorative rather than shame-inducing.
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What You'll Hear:
🧠 How nervous system states (sympathetic vs. parasympathetic) affect fatigue
🌧️ The hidden costs of overdoing, overgiving, and emotional labor
💤 Why "doing nothing" can feel threatening—and how to reframe it
🥗 How exhaustion can influence food use, cravings, and control
💛 Micro-rest, intentional recovery, and letting go of guilt
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Takeaways:
• Rest isn't laziness—it's nervous system repair.
• Doing the thing tired can sometimes help you thaw from freeze.
• Emotional fatigue needs compassion, not productivity hacks.
• Permission to rest is permission to recover.
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🎧 Listen, share, and join the conversation.
If this episode resonated, email your questions or topic requests to asktheshrinks@foodshrinks.com and hit subscribe to support the show and this growing recovery community.

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.

Today, we answer a listener who writes: "I'm grieving the foods I don't eat anymore—social stuff and celebrations are hard." The Food Shrinks open that door wider: grief in recovery isn't just about food—it's also the lost years, missed moments, and identities we're shedding. With humor and honesty, they explore how to honor grief without letting it become the story that drags you back.

What We Talk About
• Food grief vs. life grief: missing certain foods and mourning lost time, health, self-trust, and presence
• "Not enough / too much" feelings and how dysregulation, ADHD/RSD, and early messages amplify them
• Belonging cues & tradition: why cravings spike at holidays, patios, and summer rituals
• From shame to compassion: grief as a normal (and healthy) part of change
• Living amends: shifting focus to the life you're building now
• Feelings ≠ stories: noticing a longing without turning it into a relapse script
• Biopsychosocial-spiritual lens: why this isn't a 21-day habit swap

Key Takeaways
• Grief is allowed. Unacknowledged grief is riskier than naming it.
• Struggling ≠ failing. You're learning a new way to live.
• Let feelings pass. Don't let a moment of longing become a narrative.
• Rituals matter. Re-create connection and celebration without the substance.
• Progress over perfection. If you slip, the world doesn't end—stand back up kindly.

Quotes to Remember
• "Don't let a feeling become a story."
• "Just because you're struggling doesn't mean you're failing."
• "Unacknowledged grief keeps us stuck; acknowledged grief moves with us."

Keep in Touch
💌 Questions or topic ideas? asktheshrinks@foodshrinks.com
If this episode helped, please subscribe and leave a quick review—it helps others find recovery and hope.

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.

In this deeply relatable episode, the Food Shrinks— tackle one of recovery's most persistent companions: the belief that we are not enough… or sometimes too much. From early childhood conditioning to nervous system dysregulation, the trio explores how these painful stories take root, how they drive people-pleasing and perfectionism, and why they so often lead us to use food for comfort or control.

With honesty and compassion, they unpack their own journeys through shame, codependency, and recovery — offering tools to recognize when the "not enough" voice shows up, how to regulate through it, and how to begin standing in the truth of our inherent worth.

What We Talk About
• The "not enough / too much" paradox — and how both can exist at once
• Why dysregulation and shame keep these stories alive
• The role of ADHD, rejection sensitivity, and trauma in feeling unworthy
• Early family messages that shaped how we seek validation
• The long game of recovery: time, patience, and radical self-focus
• How to practice compassion and curiosity instead of judgment

Key Takeaways
• Feeling not enough or too much isn't a personal flaw — it's often a trauma echo.
• Awareness is the first step: notice when and where the story appears.
• Shame is not fact; it's a state — and it softens through compassion.
• You are not alone. Every person in recovery wrestles with these feelings.
• Standing in your truth means choosing yourself again and again — with time, patience, and love.

If today's conversation resonated with you, we'd love to hear from you.
💌 Email your questions to asktheshrinks@foodshrinks.com.

And if you found this episode supportive, please hit subscribe and leave a quick review — it helps others find their way to recovery and hope.

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.

The crew normalizes why sugar becomes the go-to "tool" for anxiety, boredom, and stress—and offers harm-reduction pathways that build capacity without shame. You'll hear personal recovery pivots (like treating your recovery as seriously as your addiction), crowd-out strategies, micro-delays for cravings, and how to use community even if you don't feel like it. This is practical hope: tiny, doable steps that add up.

What We Cover
• You're not hopeless—you're human: Brains repeat what works for relief. That's learning, not moral failure.
• Add before you subtract: "Crowd out" by adding protein, fiber, and structure before trying to remove sugar.
• Environment tweaks (not ultimatums): Out of sight storage, partner hides, garage stashes, plating treats at the table vs. eating from the bag.
• Micro-delays for cravings: 10–20–60 seconds → a few minutes → an hour. Build the "wait" muscle.
• Choose your hard, but choose support: We rarely recover alone; groups, meetings, lives, or any community can be anchors.
• Treat recovery like it's as big as the addiction: Boundaries around meal times, bedtime eating, social plans, and high-risk settings.
• Compassionate curiosity: If you do eat it, slow down, plate it, and notice what it's solving—then find other ways to meet that need.
Practical Try-This List
• Protein + Produce First: Keep easy protein (rotisserie chicken, eggs, edamame) and a "default veg" ready three ways this week.
• Plate & Pause: If you're having the thing, put it on a plate, sit at the table, and take 3 slow breaths first.
• 10-Second Ladder: Delay 10s → 30s → 2m. Text a friend while you wait.
• Out-of-Sight Ops: Ask a partner/roomie to store trigger foods out of view (garage, trunk, top shelf bin).
• One Boundary This Week: Pick a single non-negotiable (e.g., "no eating after 7pm" or "no eating in the car").
• One Connection Anchor: Pick one community touchpoint (a meeting, live, or accountability check-in) and show up.

Host Insights
• Molly C.: "My recovery only started working when I treated it like the serious condition it was—my recovery had to be as big as my addiction."
• Clarissa: "I didn't have the skills yet, so I built a 'home treatment' season—invited people over when I didn't want to, because it kept me safe."
• Molly P.: "Years of tool-building mattered. Curiosity over shame lets you add supports first and make removal feel possible later."

Key Takeaways
1. Hope is a skill you practice, not a feeling you wait for.
2. Add supportive structure before subtracting the substance.
3. Micro-wins compound. Ten seconds today can become an hour next month.
4. Community is medicine. You don't have to like it to benefit from it.

Share your question or topic

Email: AskTheShrinks@FoodShrinks.com

If this episode helped, please follow, rate, and review—it helps others find the show and keeps these conversations going. 💜

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.

In this episode of Food Shrinks, Molly Carmel, Clarissa Kennedy, and Molly Painschab sit down to unpack what it really takes to live—and thrive—in recovery while on the move. From European conferences to beach vacations, cross-country trips, and jam-packed social calendars, the Shrinks share how they balance life on the road with staying grounded in their recovery.

What We Talk About
• Recovery on the road: Why prioritizing recovery has to come first when routines and environments shift.
• Yellow light behaviors: How subtle slips (like bites, licks, and tastes) can creep in while traveling—and what to do about it.
• Food flexibility: The challenges of different food cultures, time zones, and access, and how to adapt without abandoning your plan.
• Practical tools: From stocking Airbnbs with groceries, packing Tupperware, and bringing along a fan for sleep, to scheduling meetings and workouts strategically.
• Emotional honesty: Jet lag, depression, comparison, and the courage it takes to honor vulnerability instead of pushing through.
• Takeaways: Why self-care, boundaries, and compassion matter as much as meal planning and meetings.

Key Insights
• Recovery is the priority—if it slips, everything else does too.
• Flexibility grows with time: What feels unsafe in early recovery may become manageable years later.
• Comparison kills: Everyone's recovery looks different—what matters is meeting your own needs, not matching someone else's.
• Future-you needs present-you's support: From meal prep to scheduling downtime, small acts of foresight pay off big.

Travel can be a gift of recovery—but only if you protect it. Tune in for candid stories, practical hacks, and heartfelt reflections on making recovery work wherever life takes you.

👉 Got a question or topic idea for the Shrinks? Email us at AskTheShrinks@FoodShrinks.com

If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe, leave a rating, and drop a review—it helps others find the show and supports our growing community.

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.
Transcript

In this candid Food Shrinks conversation, Molly Carmel, Clarissa Kennedy, and Molly Painschab explore why being in community—whether recovery groups, professional networks, or even family—can sometimes feel activating instead of supportive. From comparing recoveries to feeling others' pain too deeply, the shrinks share personal stories and professional insights on how envy, shame, and frustration show up in groups.

They talk about:
• Why community can trigger old wounds and trauma responses
• How to hold onto your energy without shutting down
• Seeing comparison and envy as growth opportunities
• The importance of role modeling and contributing instead of withdrawing
• Building tolerance for discomfort as part of recovery
With humor, honesty, and a lot of real talk, this episode reminds us that community is often where the hardest work—and the deepest healing—happens.

Key Takeaways
• Keep the focus on yourself. Triggers often point to what still needs healing within.
• Envy can guide growth. It shows us what we want and where we're being called to expand.
• Your energy matters. What you bring to community is just as important as what you take from it.
• Discomfort is not danger. Learning to stay present with uncomfortable feelings is part of recovery.

Call to Action
Have a question, concern, or topic you want us to dive into? Email us at asktheshrinks@foodtrinks.com.

If you enjoyed today's show, help us grow by subscribing, leaving a rating, and sharing this episode with a friend.

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.

In this episode of Food Shrinks, Molly Carmel, Clarissa Kennedy, and Molly Painschab unpack the obsession with "Day One" in recovery. Why do so many of us cling to Mondays, fresh starts, and counting days—only to feel devastated when we "slip"? The shrinks share their personal stories, professional perspectives, and hard-won insights on why chasing Day One can become its own addictive cycle.

They explore:
• Why we get stuck in "starting over" mode
• The hidden comfort (and dopamine hit) of planning a restart
• How perfectionism and diet culture feed the Day One trap
• Finding motivation beyond counting days
• Shifting from dogma to data: measuring recovery in more meaningful ways

Through humor, honesty, and real talk, this conversation reframes relapse, accountability, and motivation in a way that frees you from shame and helps you keep moving forward.

Key Takeaways
• Counting days isn't the only measure of recovery. Progress can also be found in mood, clarity, relationships, and consistency.
• Day One can become addictive. Starting over offers a false sense of safety and dopamine, but it doesn't build lasting self-esteem.
• Recovery is messy. Perfection isn't the goal—showing up and continuing forward is.
• Dogma vs. data. Instead of rigid rules, ask: What's working for me? What does my lived experience show?

Call to Action
Do you have a question you'd like the Shrinks to tackle? Email us at asktheshrinks@foodshrinks.com.

If you loved today's episode, help us grow: subscribe, leave a review, and share this conversation with a friend.

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.

In this episode of Food Shrinks, Molly Carmel, Clarissa Kennedy, and Molly Painschab tackle two heartfelt listener emails about food, weight, and grandchildren. The questions: How do I navigate my fear that my grandkids will inherit my struggles with food addiction? And how do I talk to my grandkids about food without shaming or harming them?

💬 Topics we cover:
• Why "hands off the body" is one of the most powerful family rules
• The difference between offering food with love versus testing or shaming kids
• How weight stigma—not weight itself—can harm children's confidence and eating patterns
• Bliss point, ultra-processed foods, and what early exposure really means
• Why codependency, fear, and our own unresolved wounds often shape how we parent and grandparent
• Practical tools: keeping the focus on yourself, checking your nervous system, and modeling healthy boundaries

✨ Takeaways:
• Love is complicated, and fear often shows up as overprotection or control.
• Children need to be loved and accepted—not monitored or managed around every bite.
• Your relationship with your own body and food is the most powerful influence you bring to the table.
• Noticing when your concern is really about your own history can help you heal and protect the next generation.
If you've ever worried about your children or grandchildren's relationship with food—or struggled to know when to step in and when to let go—this episode offers compassionate, honest insight from three therapists who have been there.

📩 Got a question for us? Email asktheshrinks@foodshrinks.com.

⭐ Love the show? Subscribe, leave us a five-star rating, and share this episode with a friend who cares about breaking cycles in their family.

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.