Nourished & Free: The Podcast

Michelle Yates, MS, RD, LMNT
  • 4.8 (83)
  • 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. 3d ago

    Tracking food might be the reason behind your binges.

    You've done the math a hundred times: log breakfast, log the snack, subtract lunch, figure out what's "left" for dinner. And somehow you still end up going over. Every. Single. Time. The thing I've noticed over my 6+ years of working with women struggling with their relationship with food is that the more you try to control food with numbers, the more out of control you actually feel around it. In this episode, I'm breaking down: -What's happening psychologically when you turn eating into a math equation. -Why you start wanting the foods you "can't" have. -Why constant tracking stress messes with your ability to think clearly. -Why it's always that "one more thing" on top of everything else that sends it all sideways. I also get real about my own MyFitnessPal addiction (yes, the barcode-scanning, pre-portioning, know-it-before-I-eat-it kind), and I walk you through a simple body-awareness practice you can try right now—plus three questions to ask yourself the next time you open a tracking app out of habit instead of hunger. Your calorie tracking app is NOT going to be happy you listened to this 🤣 JUMP TO: [00:00] The calorie math spiral [01:48] When food becomes a budget instead of just... food [03:15] The stress-food connection [06:22] Why "one more thing" is always what breaks the system [12:59] A simple practice to reconnect with your body, starting today [14:10] My MyFitnessPal confession [15:12] The 3 questions to ask before you open that app again Ready for support that actually gets you off the numbers for good? Nourished & Free, my group coaching program, is building our waitlist for the fall cohort now — and spots are already filling up. Details are linked below. Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! LEARN MORE 🔥 Work with me in Nourished & Free® 👀 Stalk me on Instagram 💻 Watch my FREE training, "Why Can't I Stop Thinking About Food?" SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition

  2. Sep 1

    What people don't tell you about reaching your goal weight

    You've lost the same 20 pounds more times than you can count. You get there, you feel the thrill... and then it's gone. And you're already onto the next thing you want to fix about yourself. In this episode, I'm asking a question most of us never let ourselves sit with: why did you actually WANT to lose weight in the first place? Not the surface answer — the real one. I'm sharing a story about a client whose secret binge eating had nothing to do with willpower, and everything to do with something she believed about herself that she'd never said out loud. And I'm making a case for why losing weight might not even be the right vehicle for what you're actually after. If you've ever gotten to a smaller body and wondered why it didn't fix the thing you thought it would, this one's going to hit different. JUMP TO: (3:57) Rewind to the first time you ever lost weight (7:32) What we conveniently forget once we're "successful" (10:30) The client story that shows how binge eating has very little to do with the food (12:13) A question that can start to peel back your deeper layers (12:39) Evidence your brain needs to believe body peace is possible (15:47) Where body acceptance actually starts More resources: Get on the Nourished & Free waitlist! Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! LEARN MORE 🔥 Work with me in Nourished & Free® 👀 Stalk me on Instagram 💻 Watch my FREE training, "Why Can't I Stop Thinking About Food?" SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition

  3. Aug 25

    Why do sweets call to you so loudly from the other room?

    The cookies call to you from the pantry every. freaking. day. You told yourself you'd stick to one cookie. Then the whole day felt "ruined" anyway. So why not just keep going? Sound familiar? That's the all-or-nothing loop... and we're going to talk about it. In this episode, I'm breaking down why cookies (or chips, or cake, or whatever your "off-limits" food is) ends up feeling so much more powerful than it actually is. I'm walking through the three real reasons we hand certain foods that kind of power: fear-based diet messaging, emotional weight we've quietly attached to them, and a psychological need for autonomy that backfires the second we feel restricted. If sweets have a way of taking over the second you let yourself have one, this episode is for you. JUMP TO: [00:00] The cake spiral [04:34] Reason #1: What we were taught [07:09] Reason #2: What food is doing for us [08:50] Reason #3: The psychology of being told what you can't have [12:46] The environment that built your food fears [15:11] How to actually start changing the pattern More resources: Episode with Dan: Debunking insulin spikes leading to fat storage Curious about the Mute Button, the AI tool I built to help you practice thinking differently around food? Check it out here Get on the Nourished & Free waitlist! Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! LEARN MORE 🔥 Work with me in Nourished & Free® 👀 Stalk me on Instagram 💻 Watch my FREE training, "Why Can't I Stop Thinking About Food?" SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition

  4. Aug 18

    Why meal plans backfire 🔥

    What if the meal plan is making things worse? I get it… you ask yourself, “Why is eating an ice cream just... eating an ice cream for some people?” No spiral. No math. No mental war. For you, it’s a whole event. And that’s exhausting.  That’s why you feel like you NEED someone to tell you exactly what to eat, right? A meal plan. A calorie limit. A macro split. But do you? This week I'm breaking down the real reason food feels so loud in your head, and how these “plans” actually make things 1,000x worse. I'm digging into why every diet, every points system, every macro plan you've ever tried keeps pulling you back in, even when you know it's not working. Btw, your willpower and discipline have nothing to do with it. If you've ever hidden a wrapper, weighed your worth by what the scale said that morning, or felt totally fine eating "on plan" in front of people but fallen apart the second you were alone, this episode is for you. JUMP TO: [00:00] The question you've probably never said out loud [01:42] The Weight Watchers vacation problem (and why it never feels the same after) [03:17] How every diet quietly erodes your trust in yourself [05:00] The autonomy trap — why being told what to eat backfires [06:15] Good day, bad day: how the scale becomes a pass/fail test [07:45] Why you white-knuckle it in public and unravel alone [08:38] The two types of people who'll teach you how to eat [09:16] The 30-year litmus test for any plan you're considering [09:59] The uncomfortable truth about why diets are built to keep you coming back [11:48] What it actually looks like to coach yourself instead of needing a coach [14:16] If this hit home, here's your next step with Nourished & Free If you're ready to stop needing a plan to tell you what to eat and start trusting yourself again, Nourished & Free might be exactly what you're looking for. I'm building my fall waitlist right now. Click the link below to check it out and save your spot! Join the waitlist to work with me! Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! LEARN MORE 🔥 Work with me in Nourished & Free® 👀 Stalk me on Instagram 💻 Watch my FREE training, "Why Can't I Stop Thinking About Food?" SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition

  5. Aug 11

    FASTer Way to Fat Loss Dietitian Review

    You've seen the ads. Maybe a friend of yours already posted her before-and-after. Maybe you're wondering if this is the one that finally works. I'm talking about FASTer Way to Fat Loss: the 21-day program built on intermittent fasting, carb cycling, macro tracking, and daily workouts, all wrapped in "clinically proven" marketing. I'm pulling apart the research behind each piece, digging into who's actually coaching people through hormone and GLP-1 protocols, and asking the question that matters most to me: is this going to help your relationship with food, or wreck it? If you've ever wondered whether the "science-backed" claims on a diet program actually hold up or you've done a program like this and ended up more exhausted and food-obsessed than when you started, this episode is for you. JUMP TO: [00:00] What is FASTer Way to Fat Loss? [03:56] The truth about intermittent fasting and the "fat-burning mode" myth [08:08] What the research actually says about carb cycling (spoiler: not much) [12:08] The problem with macro tracking when nobody qualified is behind the numbers [15:18] The workout split (and I'm not totally against it) [17:12] The coaching certifications that raised every red flag for me [21:07] Breaking down the "clinically proven" and "works with your hormones" claims [25:26] Who this program could genuinely hurt [34:14] What actually works instead of the flashy formula If this episode brought up a lot of feelings about your own history with programs like this, Nourished & Free is where I help women build a relationship with food that doesn't depend on a fasting clock or a color-coded macro plan. The waitlist for the fall cohort is open now. Join the waitlist to work with me! Link to episode where I discuss 21 day fix Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! LEARN MORE 🔥 Work with me in Nourished & Free® 👀 Stalk me on Instagram 💻 Watch my FREE training, "Why Can't I Stop Thinking About Food?" SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition

  6. Aug 4

    Electrolyte Drinks Dietitian Review

    Grandma's chicken soup might do more for your electrolytes than that powder packet. A lot of us are drinking a "fix" our bodies never actually needed just because everyone else seemed to be doing it too. In this episode, I break down the electrolyte drink and powder craze that's taken over grocery store shelves and Instagram feeds. I cover what electrolytes actually do in the body, who genuinely benefits from products like LMNT, Liquid IV, Nuun, and Pique, and why most people reaching for these drinks don't actually need them. I walk through the science of hydration, the specific medical and athletic scenarios where electrolyte supplementation makes sense, and how to evaluate whether a product fits your actual needs instead of just its marketing. If you've ever wondered whether you should be adding electrolyte packets to your water bottle "just in case," or felt confused about which brand is right for your lifestyle, this episode will help you cut through the noise. JUMP TO: 00:00 – Why everyone's chugging electrolytes 02:40 – The science: what electrolytes actually do in your body 6:58 – Who actually needs these drinks (and who's just along for the marketing ride) 12:24 – The sneaky sugar, sodium, and vitamin overload hiding in your bottle 14:44 – When electrolytes go from marketing gimmick to genuine lifeline 28:10 – Signs your body might actually be asking for more electrolytes 28:53 – My brand-by-brand breakdown: LMNT, Liquid IV, Nuun, Gatorade, Peak, and Ultima 31:01 – The bottom line on side effects, water, and choosing what's right for you Want the full brand-by-brand comparison, DIY electrolyte recipes, and all the sources behind this episode? Check out the blog post below! And if this episode helped clear things up, come find more myth-busting, food-guilt-free conversations over at Nourished & Free. RESOURCES MENTIONED: Full blog post Pique: Calming Electrolyte blend (affiliate link saves + supports!) Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! LEARN MORE 🔥 Work with me in Nourished & Free® 👀 Stalk me on Instagram 💻 Watch my FREE training, "Why Can't I Stop Thinking About Food?" SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition

  7. Jul 28

    The Surprising Health Benefits of Social Connection (with Ben Rein, Ph.D.)

    You keep going back to the food. Not because it's convenient, but because it works. It quiets and soothes... until the guilt kicks in. But what if the thing you're actually craving isn't food at all? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ben Rein, award-winning neuroscientist, Stanford lecturer, and author of Why Brains Need Friends.  We talk about:  Why social connection is a hardwired need just like food and sleep, Why our brains have gotten so bad at predicting how good interaction will feel Why isolation is wrecking your body and mind. The neuroscience of dopamineWhy texting will never satisfy you the way in-person connection doesWhy the thing you're  chasing when you reach for food might actually be social connection in disguise.If you've ever wondered why comfort food feels like the only thing that works OR why socializing sounds exhausting even though you know it'll help, this episode will help you understand what your brain is actually asking for. JUMP TO:  00:00 Meet Dr. Ben Rein and why social connection is a basic human need  02:47 The case for why we crave human interaction  05:59 How COVID rewired our predictions about socializing  09:43 The study showing we're wrong about rejection  12:44 What isolation does to your cortisol, inflammation, and mortality risk  15:56 Building a "social diet" (yes, just like a food diet)  18:26 Why dopamine is a learning chemical, not a feel-good one  21:13 Oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine: the connection trifecta  26:03 The staircase of interaction: text vs. call vs. video vs. in person  29:22 Why it's easier to be cruel online (the virtual disengagement hypothesis)  34:33 How screen time may be shaping an entire generation  40:22 Why married couples survive cancer better than some chemo patients  44:03 Conflict, connection, and why avoiding hard conversations costs you  47:39 Ben on fatherhood and the perspective shift he didn't expect RESOURCES MENTIONED: Ben's website Why Brains Need Friends book Follow Ben Rein, Ph.D. on Instagram Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! LEARN MORE 🔥 Work with me in Nourished & Free® 👀 Stalk me on Instagram 💻 Watch my FREE training, "Why Can't I Stop Thinking About Food?" SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition

  8. Mar 3

    Why Binge Eating Can Return After Weight Loss Surgery (Client Confessional with Kim)

    You did the thing that was supposed to fix it. The surgery, the weight watchers, the fresh starts. And for a while, it worked... Until it didn't. The food noise came back. The urges crept in. The sense of being out of control around food returned… and with it, confusion and shame. In this episode, I sit down with Kim, a client who underwent weight loss surgery and later found herself struggling with binge eating again. We talk honestly about why this can happen, what surgery changes (and what it doesn’t), and why binge eating is never just about the size of your stomach. If you’ve ever wondered, “Why didn’t this fix it?” OR "Is that my last resort?", this episode will help you understand what’s really going on and what’s actually required to create lasting peace with food without going under the knife. JUMP TO: 00:00 Why weight loss surgery didn’t fix the binge eating 03:12 Successful on the outside, secretly struggling with binge eating 07:20 The decision to have bariatric surgery 10:47 When binge eating and food noise came back 16:39 The shame and comfort cycle behind binge eating 21:31 Why bariatric surgery can’t heal your relationship with food 26:43 How Kim stopped binge eating after surgery 29:29 What to know if you’re considering Nourished & Free Send an anonymous love note, or suggest a future episode! LEARN MORE 🔥 Work with me in Nourished & Free® 👀 Stalk me on Instagram 💻 Watch my FREE training, "Why Can't I Stop Thinking About Food?" SHOW SOME LOVE ⭐️ Loved this episode? Leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify (thank you!) 🏷️ Show me you're listening by tagging me on socials! @yatesnutrition

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4.8
out of 5
83 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
    107
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Yates Nutrition
  • Show Website
    Nourished & Free: The Podcast

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