Nourished & Free: The Podcast

Michelle Yates, MS, RD, LMNT
  • 4.9 (77)
  • NUTRITION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Nobody likes talking about their relationship with food... so let's talk about it.  Welcome to Nourished & Free®: The Podcast, where mental health meets physical health, food guilt gets ghosted, and toxic wellness advice gets roasted. 🔥 Hosted by Michelle Yates, MS, RD, LMNT, a Registered Dietitian with a master’s in Health Psychology and Certified Health Mindset Coach. Here, science finds self-compassion. Michelle breaks down the why behind food struggles, from binge eating and emotional eating to body image, perfectionism, and “food noise” that won’t quit. Expect honest conversations, expert insights, and mindset shifts that go far beyond meal plans and macros.  Because true food freedom isn’t found in another detox plan, it’s built from the inside out.  ⚠️ Fair warning: logical, realistic, reasonable, and evidence-based methods ahead. 

  1. JAN 20

    An episode for when the weight comes back... AGAIN.

    If you’ve lost weight before, but it came back... this episode is for you. Let's break down why weight loss often becomes the common denominator behind dieting burnout, binge–restrict cycles, and feeling out of control around food. Not because weight loss is bad, but because making it the main focus quietly changes how your brain and body respond to food. I'll talk through how obsessing over the outcome (the scale) clouds judgment, increases pressure, and actually makes consistency harder. You’ll learn why the scale is delayed, ambiguous feedback, and why using it as a daily pass/fail test often backfires and has the opposite effect you're wanting. This episode walks you through what changes when weight loss stops being the driver, how food decisions get quieter, and why rebuilding trust and safety with food leads to more ease, self-control, and long-term change (with or without weight loss). If you hate that you say, "It worked, I got the weight off... but then it came back", then this episode offers a mindset shift that could change everything. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Nourished & Free® Group Coaching Program - learn more/apply here JUMP TO: 00:00 Why weight loss keeps turning into a losing–regaining cycle 01:39 How the scale quietly starts running your life 04:01 The pressure that makes food feel loud and exhausting 06:24 The credit score analogy that explains why this feels so hard 09:25 Why the scale is terrible daily feedback (and messes with your head) 10:40 When weight starts feeling like a measure of your worth 13:38 What changes when weight loss isn’t the main focus anymore 15:37 “But i still want to lose weight…” let’s talk about that 17:05 The foundation that actually quiets food noise 19:16 What it feels like when food stops being the main character 20:54 The question that changes how you move forwardSend an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! Support the show LEARN MORE 🔥 My Signature 4-Month Program, Nourished & Free® 📲 Follow me on Instagram (you'll get to know me pretty quickly!) 📖 Check out my Blog for tons of helpful articles SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5 star rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition 💰 Support the Show

    23 min

  2. JAN 6

    "I Stopped a GLP-1 and the Food Noise Came Back. Now What?" (Client Confessional with Heather)

    What happens after you stop a GLP-1? If you're like Heather, you might see 30 of the 45lbs you lost come back, food noise return, and ask yourself repeatedly "Why can't I just eat like a NORMAL person?" This episode is for anyone who: Lost weight on a GLP-1Came off it hoping to “maintain naturally”And then watched the food noise, binge urges, and weight creep back inHeather joins me to share her story of: Life before GLP-1sHow she felt on the medicationAnd the emotional whiplash that happened when she stoppedPlus... what she did to stop food noise without going back on the GLP-1.We talk about the part no one prepares you for:  👉 GLP-1s can change appetite, but they don’t teach you how to eat, trust yourself, or break all-or-nothing patterns. BECOME MY NEXT SUCCESS STORY: Nourished & Free® TOPICS COVERED: Heather’s relationship with food before GLP-1sWhat it felt like when food noise disappeared on the medicationWhy the weight and urges came back after stoppingThe emotional toll of regain (and the shame no one talks about)Perfectionism, all-or-nothing thinking, and binge cyclesWhy “just eat normally” isn’t actually helpful adviceHow alcohol quietly fueled binge eatingWhat finally helped Heather feel calm around food againThe difference between willpower and effortless self-controlWhy this work isn’t about another plan, diet, or rule setJUMP TO: 00:00 She stopped a GLP-1… and the food noise came back 02:50 How dieting, work, and motherhood shaped her relationship with food 05:40 What GLP-1s fixed and what they didn’t 08:29 Off the medication: “why can’t I just eat normally?” 11:45 The moment she realized another diet wouldn’t help 13:55 The real issue wasn’t food 16:00 Weight regain, shame, and the emotional fallout 17:12 Perfectionism, all-or-nothing thinking, and binge cycles 18:30 Facing holidays and trigger foods without spiraling 22:48 Uncovering the beliefs driving food noise 23:19 Alcohol and late-night binges 29:05 What eating like a “normal person” looks like now 30:12 What she’d say to anyone coming off a GLP-1 for fixing food noise naturally and learning how to eat normally Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! Support the show LEARN MORE 🔥 My Signature 4-Month Program, Nourished & Free® 📲 Follow me on Instagram (you'll get to know me pretty quickly!) 📖 Check out my Blog for tons of helpful articles SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5 star rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition 💰 Support the Show

    34 min

  3. 12/23/2025

    PCOS Nutrition Without the All-or-Nothing Spiral (Book Review of "PCOS Is My Power" with Cory Ruth, MS, RD)

    SHE'S BACK!!! Cory Ruth (aka The Women’s Dietitian) is here to talk about her brand new book, PCOS Is My Power, and why she’s determined to make PCOS feel less like a life sentence and more like a gift. You’ll also hear a very real conversation about how restrictive PCOS advice (hello, “just do keto”) can backfire, especially if you already struggle with food noise, binge eating, or an all-or-nothing mindset. Bottom line: PCOS can be managed, your body isn’t broken, and you don’t have to eliminate your favorite foods to start feeling better (yes, you can eat pasta with PCOS… and dessert… and cheese). RESOURCES MENTIONED:  PCOS Is My Power - Order NowFollow Cory on Instagram - @thewomensdietitianCory's website - thewomensdietitian.comCory's 1st visit to the Nourished & Free® podcast - "Help, I have PCOS!"TOPICS COVERED: What PCOS is (and what it isn’t) in plain EnglishThe 3 diagnostic criteria and how diagnosis actually works (need 2 out of 3)Common symptoms: irregular cycles, acne, hair changes, weight gain, and moreWhy “no carbs/no dairy/no gluten” advice can fuel food obsession + binge cyclesThe “your body is your barometer” reframe: symptoms as feedback, not failureHow managing PCOS supports long-term health (blood sugar, heart health, diabetes risk)What Cory hopes readers gain from the bookJUMP TO: 00:00 PCOS can be managed (and might be your superpower) 01:38 Meet Cory Ruth + PCOS Is My Power 10:54 PCOS explained: symptoms, diagnosis, and what’s actually going on 16:14 Why restrictive PCOS diet advice backfires 23:51 Your body is your barometer (listening to symptoms) 29:24 What Cory hopes every reader takes away Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! Support the show LEARN MORE 🔥 My Signature 4-Month Program, Nourished & Free® 📲 Follow me on Instagram (you'll get to know me pretty quickly!) 📖 Check out my Blog for tons of helpful articles SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5 star rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition 💰 Support the Show

    36 min

  4. 12/09/2025

    How to Quiet Food Noise Naturally (Without Ozempic)

    If food feels like the background noise of your entire life, this episode is for you.  GLP-1 meds like Ozempic and Wegovy can quiet food noise dramatically. Unfortunately, this only lasts while you're actively taking the medication. For many, they can't stay on them forever or don't want to start them at all. Even still, there are some currently on a GLP-1 but the food noise has come back. What then? If you need a plan to reduce food noise more with or without being on a GLP-1, this episode is for you. TOPICS COVERED: 00:00 What “food noise” really means01:11 Understanding Food Noise: Definition and Experience06:24 The Biological Basis of Food Noise09:34 Why GLP-1s seem to “turn off” food thoughts16:08 How to quiet food noise without medication (this can also help if you ARE on a GLP-1 but the food noise has come back)25:31 Next stepsThe one truth most people miss? You’re not supposed to eliminate food thoughts entirely. The goal isn’t silence. The goal is peace. Food should take up 5% of your brain, not 95%. Start listening to learn how to make that happen. SUPPORTING LITERATURE: My blog article on this topic Related research articles can be found at PMID: 38004203, 32846152, 19336238, 35482137, 40507553 Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! Support the show LEARN MORE 🔥 My Signature 4-Month Program, Nourished & Free® 📲 Follow me on Instagram (you'll get to know me pretty quickly!) 📖 Check out my Blog for tons of helpful articles SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5 star rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition 💰 Support the Show

    29 min

  5. 11/25/2025

    Fixing 50+ Years of Food Obsession. Here's What We Did That a GLP-1 & Weight Loss Surgery Failed To | Client Confessional with Heidi

    What happens when you’ve spent your whole life thinking about food and your weight from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed… and suddenly your mind feels calm for the first time ever? In today’s Client Confessional, Heidi (now in her mid-60s) opens up about a lifetime of struggling with her weight, binge eating, food noise, and the constant mental chatter that dictated her every day. From Weight Watchers at 14, to lap-band surgery, to Overeaters Anonymous, to GLP-1 medications… she tried everything hoping something would finally “fix” her. But nothing touched the emotional and psychological roots keeping her stuck. And after decades of failures, she genuinely believed she was “too far gone” to change. Inside this episode, Heidi shares: What it’s like to live a double life with food for over half a centuryThe moment she realized weight loss strategies weren’t the issue—the emotional patterns wereWhy she joined Nourished & Free even though she was convinced it wouldn’t workThe mindset shift that finally stopped her daily convenience-store bingesHow a GLP-1 helped her, and where it fell short.What healing looks like in your 60s, and why it’s never too late to rewrite your storyIf your life revolves around food, if you feel stuck in cycles you can’t break, or if you’re scared that you’ve “tried everything,” this episode is the reminder you need: peace is possible at any age, you might just need to dig into your head a little more. Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! Support the show LEARN MORE 🔥 My Signature 4-Month Program, Nourished & Free® 📲 Follow me on Instagram (you'll get to know me pretty quickly!) 📖 Check out my Blog for tons of helpful articles SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5 star rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition 💰 Support the Show

    39 min

  6. 11/11/2025

    Biblical Truths for a Healthy Relationship with Food and Body: 4 Things Every Christian Should Hear

    What does the Bible really say about health, food, and body image?  You asked, I'm delivering! Due to popular demand, here's another episode on the topic of faith & food freedom or being a Christian woman while navigating a healthy relationship with food. I've boiled my thoughts down to 4 biblical truths I think every Christian woman (or man, really) needs to hear about honoring God with her body.... without making health an idol. Learn how faith and science work together, why “your body is a temple” is often misunderstood, and how to find peace in biblical stewardship, not obsession. TOPICS COVERED 00:00 — What happens when you mix theology with health advice?00:59 — Can faith and health coexist?02:21 — Made in the image of God… Not the image of Instagram07:03 — When “healthy” becomes an idol12:42 — Who’s really in control of your body?15:00 — Stewardship without obsession17:10 — Science: The part of God’s plan we keep ignoring17:47 — Control, trust, and letting God be God21:47 — How the appeal to nature fallacy confuses Christians26:04 — Living nourished, not obsessed RESOURCES MENTIONED Systematic review on body fat % and all cause mortality Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! Support the show LEARN MORE 🔥 My Signature 4-Month Program, Nourished & Free® 📲 Follow me on Instagram (you'll get to know me pretty quickly!) 📖 Check out my Blog for tons of helpful articles SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5 star rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition 💰 Support the Show

    28 min

  7. 10/28/2025

    "I can control everything… except food." An Episode for the Perfectionist

    You can crush it in your career, manage a family, and hit every goal on your vision board… But your secret stash of food says otherwise 👀 In this episode, I’m breaking down why perfectionists (the high-functioning, Type A, “I’ve got this” women) are the ones MOST likely to binge in secret. We’ll talk control, shame, biology, and the sneaky psychological loops that keep even the most “together” woman stuck in food chaos. TL;DR Bingeing isn’t a failure. It’s your body and brain begging for a break WHAT WE'LL COVER: 00:00 — The Hidden Link Between Perfectionism and Binge Eating: Why the women who “have it all together” are often the ones secretly struggling with food.02:39 — Inside the Type A Mind: When Discipline Turns Into Food Control: How high achievers use structure as safety—and why it backfires.05:02 — The Restrict–Binge Cycle No One Talks About: What really happens when “being good” with food flips into “I blew it.”07:11 — The Psychology of Losing Control Around Food: How stress, shame, and emotional suppression feed the binge-perfectionism loop.10:07 — Is It Willpower or Biology? The Hunger Signals You’re Ignoring: Why your body isn’t betraying you—it’s trying to protect you.12:44 — The Secret Shame That Keeps Binge Eating Hidden: Why Type A women binge in private and how secrecy fuels the cycle.17:14 — Mindset Shifts to Break Free From Perfectionism and Food Guilt: How to move from “all-or-nothing” to self-compassion and progress.20:17 — Practical Strategies to Stop the Perfection-Binge Loop: Real-life tools to create structure without obsession.23:00 — Redefining What ‘Healthy’ Looks Like for a Perfectionist: Letting go of the rules and creating your version of balance.24:50 — When to Get Support (and What Real Recovery Looks Like): How to know when it’s time to reach out and what help actually helps.RESOURCES MENTIONED: Browse my ebooks Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! Support the show LEARN MORE 🔥 My Signature 4-Month Program, Nourished & Free® 📲 Follow me on Instagram (you'll get to know me pretty quickly!) 📖 Check out my Blog for tons of helpful articles SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5 star rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition 💰 Support the Show

    30 min

  8. 10/14/2025

    If "Brain Over Binge" Didn't Work For You, Here's Why (Dietitian Reacts | Book Review)

    You read Brain Over Binge. You tried to “just stop binging.” You waited for your “animal brain” to quiet down… but somehow you still ended up knee-deep in granola at 11 p.m. You’re not broken. The book just left out a few key chapters. 🤣 In this episode, I'll review Brain Over Binge through the lens of an evidence-based dietitian who works with women struggling with binge eating. I'm breaking down what’s actually helpful, what’s missing, and why you can’t "animal brain" your way out of every binge urge. If you’ve ever felt like you “failed” the book everyone swears by, this episode will help make sense of why + give you a better roadmap forward. JUMP TO: 00:00 Brain Over Binge: The Book Everyone’s Talking About (But Few Understand) 01:45 Meet the Woman Who Says She Beat Binge Eating Cold Turkey 03:54 When Lived Experience is Helpful vs Harmful 06:22 What Brain Over Binge Does Get Right 08:25 Where Things Start to Get Sketchy 15:37 Helpful, Harmful… Maybe Both? 16:59 What's Missing Pieces: What Brain Over Binge Leaves Out RESOURCES MENTIONED: Peek inside our method (for free) Read the article Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! Support the show LEARN MORE 🔥 My Signature 4-Month Program, Nourished & Free® 📲 Follow me on Instagram (you'll get to know me pretty quickly!) 📖 Check out my Blog for tons of helpful articles SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a 5 star rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition 💰 Support the Show

    20 min
See All (98)

4.9
out of 5
77 Ratings

About

Nobody likes talking about their relationship with food... so let's talk about it.  Welcome to Nourished & Free®: The Podcast, where mental health meets physical health, food guilt gets ghosted, and toxic wellness advice gets roasted. 🔥 Hosted by Michelle Yates, MS, RD, LMNT, a Registered Dietitian with a master’s in Health Psychology and Certified Health Mindset Coach. Here, science finds self-compassion. Michelle breaks down the why behind food struggles, from binge eating and emotional eating to body image, perfectionism, and “food noise” that won’t quit. Expect honest conversations, expert insights, and mindset shifts that go far beyond meal plans and macros.  Because true food freedom isn’t found in another detox plan, it’s built from the inside out.  ⚠️ Fair warning: logical, realistic, reasonable, and evidence-based methods ahead. 

Information

  • Creator
    Michelle Yates, MS, RD, LMNT
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    98
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Yates Nutrition
  • Show Website
    Nourished & Free: The Podcast

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