Reclaiming Your Body & Self-Worth: Midlife Body Image, Diet Culture & Radical Self-Acceptance with Alyssa Booth

📌 Episode Summary: In this powerful and candid episode of the No Expiration Date podcast, we sit down with Alyssa Booth, licensed therapist and empowerment coach, to unpack the deep-seated pressures women face around body image, diet culture, and self-worth — especially in midlife.

We explore how menopause, hormonal shifts, social media, and toxic diet culture impact the way women see themselves, and how to reconnect with your body through curiosity, compassion, and presence — instead of judgment. If you’ve ever struggled with self-criticism or body dissatisfaction, this is your permission slip to break free and redefine beauty on your terms.

🕒 Episode Breakdown & Timestamps: 00:00 - Welcome & Introduction to the Episode 01:05 - Meet Alyssa Booth: Therapist, Empowerment Coach & Body Image Advocate 03:00 - Alyssa's personal journey into eating disorder recovery & coaching women 05:40 - The deeper roots of body shame: Perfectionism, trauma & people-pleasing 06:56 - Why midlife is a critical time for body acceptance 08:10 - Unrealistic beauty standards: The Kardashian Effect & Pamela Anderson’s natural aging choice 10:40 - The most common body image struggles for women 40+ 13:30 - Social media’s impact on self-perception and body checking 18:00 - Eating disorders in midlife: How prevalent is disordered eating after 50? 19:40 - Eating disorders vs. disordered eating: What’s the difference? 22:55 - Hormonal changes, perimenopause, and body shifts 25:04 - Personal stories of fitness competition, body yo-yoing, and body comparison 26:56 - How Alyssa coaches women: Listening to your body, reconnecting with self-worth 29:28 - Building self-trust & value beyond appearance 30:41 - Overcoming decades of dieting: How to start breaking the cycle 31:50 - Shifting from self-criticism to curiosity and compassion 33:37 - Body checking: Scales, mirrors, and external validation 37:38 - Journaling prompts for body acceptance & self-reflection 39:19 - Approaching nutrition through intuitive eating & mindful practices 43:33 - Myths about exercise for women over 40: Cardio, weights, and movement you love 47:12 - Success stories: Breaking free from lifelong body image struggles 50:26 - Golden advice: What’s one step to start healing your body relationship today? 52:20 - What Alyssa would tell her younger self 53:20 - The #1 takeaway: “Bodies change, worth does not.” 54:26 - Where to find Alyssa Booth & connect for coaching 55:48 - Closing thoughts and reflections

💡 Notable Quotes:

• "Bodies change, but worth does not."

• "Move from self-criticism to curiosity — without judgment."

• "You're more than your body. Don’t tie your value to how you look."

🛠️ Tools & Resources Mentioned:

• Intuitive Eating: A 10-principle approach to heal your relationship with food

• Mindful Eating Practices: Checking in with hunger and fullness cues before, during, and after meals

• Journal Prompt: “If I reduce myself to how my body looks, what am I missing out on in life?”

👩‍💻 Connect with Alyssa Booth:

• Instagram: @alyssabooth_lpc

• Website: heyalyssabooth.com

📣 Connect with Us:

• Instagram: @noexpirationdatepodcast

• Website: noexpirationdatepodcast.com

✨ If you enjoyed this episode:

• Subscribe to No Expiration Date wherever you listen

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• Share this episode with a friend who’s ready to embrace self-acceptance and shake off diet culture once and for all