This week on Thrive Beyond Size, Michelle shares a powerful story of envisioning her future self—a vibrant, joyful, fat elder woman—and the unexpected emotional release that followed. But what started as a profound moment of body acceptance was quickly disrupted by a trip to TikTok that served up a harsh reminder of the world we’re still living in.

What Michelle saw was a spectrum of extremes:
🔹 Reel after reel celebrating weight loss, scale numbers, and GLP-1 injections
🔹 Defiant “What I Eat in a Day” videos where rebellion replaced nourishment
🔹 Performances of control vs. performances of resistance—with little true peace in sight

In this deeply personal and reflective episode, Michelle explores:

• Why both extremes on social media—weight loss obsession and anti-diet overcorrection—can be harmful
• The emotional toll this content can take, especially if you're in the messy middle of healing
• How the diet mentality sneaks back in through your feed, even when you’ve done the work
• Why real healing is quiet, nuanced, and doesn’t make for viral content
• How intuitive eating invites you to stop performing and start listening inward

You'll also learn practical, compassionate strategies for protecting your healing while navigating social media:
✨ How to curate your feed like your mental health depends on it
✨ Ways to recognize when you’ve been triggered—and how to respond
✨ Tools for reconnecting with your body and creating boundaries with content
✨ A reminder that you are not alone in the messy middle

“The most radical thing you can do in a world obsessed with food and body performance… is to eat, live, and exist without needing to prove a damn thing.”

Join the conversation: Have you ever felt derailed by social media content while doing healing work? Michelle would love to hear your story—reach out and share your experience.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a friend who’s also trying to find peace beyond the extremes.

This week on Thrive Beyond Size, we’re lightening things up with a more personal, vulnerable episode. Michelle shares how her intuitive eating journey unexpectedly led her into the world of tarot cards, moon rituals, crystals, and meditation—and why she now embraces practices she once would’ve rolled her eyes at.

Far from being flighty or irrational, these “woo woo” practices helped her anchor into her body, slow down, and reconnect with a part of herself that had been buried beneath the hustle of medicine, productivity, and diet culture.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The surprising story of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer tarot deck that started it all
• Why slowing down was the most powerful shift in Michelle’s healing
• How intuitive eating helped her reclaim a sense of spirituality and play
• The feedback loop between spiritual connection and body trust
• Specific practices Michelle uses to stay grounded in her body (yes, including Reiki for her dog!)

Whether you’re curious about spiritual practices or simply want a fresh perspective on what healing can look like, this episode invites you to explore what might be waiting in the space you create when you slow down.

Reflection prompts at the end to help you connect with your own intuition
Join the conversation: What’s your version of “woo woo that works”? Let me know! Email Michelle at michelle@wayzahealth.com

Check out Dr Tubman's signature course, Nourish Yourself: Body+Mind: https://wayzahealth.com/nourish-yourself-body-mind/

In this follow-up to last week’s conversation about trauma and weight, Dr. Michelle Tubman explores a crucial truth that doesn’t get talked about enough: you can’t listen to a body you don’t feel safe in.

While intuitive eating is often positioned as the antidote to food struggles, it’s not always the right starting point—especially for those navigating trauma, chronic stress, or deep disconnection from their bodies. If you've ever tried intuitive eating and felt like it just didn’t work for you, this episode will help you understand why that might be—and why it’s not your fault.

Dr. Michelle shares:

• Why trauma makes it difficult to “drop into” your body
• What it actually feels like to be unsafe in your body (hint: it might show up as numbness, dissociation, or shutdown)
• The difference between chaotic eating and restricting patterns—and how both can emerge from trauma
• Why trying intuitive eating too soon can feel overwhelming or even backfire
• How “scheduled eating” can be a gentle stepping stone—not a diet, but a bridge to body trust
• What healing the nervous system looks like, and why that work may need to come before food work

She also shares her own story of struggling with intuitive eating in the early days of her healing, and why she’s now training to offer gentle trauma release sessions—a new offering coming this fall, designed to help clients who feel disconnected or unsafe in their bodies begin to rebuild trust and safety from the inside out.

If this episode resonates with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear that it’s not their fault. And if you’re ready to explore body reconnection and trauma healing, stay tuned for more about upcoming trauma release sessions—or reach out to learn more.

Learn more about Dr Tubman at wayzahealth.com.

This week on Thrive Beyond Size, Michelle dives into a growing narrative in the trauma-informed wellness world: that if you heal your trauma, you’ll lose weight.

While well-meaning, this belief is not only overly simplistic—it’s harmful.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why trauma can influence weight—but doesn’t always
• What the ACEs study really tells us about trauma and health outcomes
• How intergenerational trauma may shape body size
• Why assuming fatness is always trauma-based reinforces stigma, not healing
• The truth about emotional eating (hint: we all do it!)
• How simply living in a larger body in a fatphobic world can itself be traumatic
• Why searching for trauma to “explain” your body can backfire and deepen shame

And most importantly: you can be deeply healed and still live in a larger body

Michelle reminds us:

“Your body is not your failure. It’s not your fault. And it’s not unfinished business.”

If this episode gave you something to think about—or a little relief—please share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Want to continue the conversation? Email Michelle at michelle@wayzahealth.com

Follow along:
🌐 Website: www.wayzahealth.com
📬 Substack: Rebellious Nourishment

In this urgent and deeply moving episode, Michelle sits down with Emma Cloney and Diana Dimmock—two powerful advocates from Lipedema Canada—to talk about the medical condition most clinicians have never even heard of, despite its potential to affect 1 in 9 women.

Together, they dive into:

• What lipedema actually is—and how it differs from lymphedema and obesity
• Why lipedema is painful, progressive, and devastating when left untreated
• The staggering lack of awareness in Canadian medical schools and healthcare systems
• How fatphobia, gender bias, and medical gaslighting keep patients in the dark
• The emotional and financial toll of living with an unrecognized condition
• Practical resources for patients and clinicians
• What needs to change—and how we can all be part of that change

This episode is more than just a discussion—it’s a rallying cry for justice, compassion, and recognition.

Whether you're a clinician, patient, or simply someone who cares about women's health, you don’t want to miss this conversation.

Lipedema Canada – For patient info, clinician resources, advocacy tools & support

Lipedema.org (US-based) – Diagnostic tools and educational materials

Follow @LipedemaCanada on social media for shareable awareness content

Emma Cloney

Emma Cloney is a Women’s Health Nurse and the Vice President and co-founder of Lipedema Canada / Lipœdème Canada, the national nonprofit association for lipedema dedicated to raising awareness, improving access to care, and advancing research for people living with lipedema—a chronic and often misdiagnosed fat disorder that primarily affects women.

Emma brings over ten years of clinical experience and a deeply personal connection to this work. Diagnosed with lipedema in 2021, she became the first Canadian to receive multiple mobility-preserving surgeries for the condition funded through provincial healthcare—after successfully advocating for policy change in Manitoba. Her experience highlighted the serious gaps in diagnosis, treatment, and public awareness across Canada.

In response, Emma co-founded Lipedema Canada in 2023 alongside a group of passionate patients from across the country. Today, she leads the organization’s clinical outreach and education efforts, working to empower patients and healthcare providers alike. Whether she’s speaking to policymakers, clinicians, or fellow patients, Emma is committed to changing the narrative around lipedema and ensuring that no one faces this condition alone.

Lipedema Canada

Diana Dimmock

Diana Dimmock is the founder of Accessibility 4 Every Body Consulting, a size-inclusive consulting firm based in Sherwood Park, Alberta. As an advocate, educator, and speaker, Diana is passionate about promoting accessibility and inclusivity for people of all body sizes and abilities. Through her work, she challenges the marginalization of larger bodies and assists organizations in creating more welcoming, inclusive environments. Through her business, Diana offers valuable insights into the intersection of size, ability, and access, making her a powerful voice in the push for equity and inclusion.

Recently diagnosed with lipo-lymphedema, Diana has identified this condition as a long-standing aspect of her health since adolescence. While struggling to seek appropriate medical care and experiencing discrimination based on her body size, Diana became dedicated to ensuring that all individuals receive equitable healthcare. She is deeply committed to self-advocacy and raising awareness with the public and with healthcare professionals about lipedema in Canada. Diana is dedicated to supporting efforts in advocating for improved diagnosis and management strategies for this condition with Lipedema Canada.

https://linktr.ee/accessibility4everybody

Find Diana on LinkedIn here.

What happens when you ask your husband for his unfiltered opinions on diet culture, fitness myths, and wellness fads? You get Hot Takes with Rob—a lighthearted, totally unscripted episode where Rob and I riff on everything from gym selfies and cheat days to dad bods, fat jokes in movies, and whether "no pain, no gain" still has a place in our lives.

Expect laughter, surprising insights, and some real talk about body image, food rules, and why the number on the scale doesn’t tell the full story. We definitely didn’t agree on everything—but that’s the point.

In this episode, we cover:

• Are gym selfies empowering or cringey?
• Why cheat days felt self-destructive to Rob
• How going vegetarian (ish) works in our marriage
• The double standard of the dad bod
• Fat jokes in media—and why they still matter
• Emotional eating (yep, men do it too)
• Buying bigger clothes: defeat or self-care?
• The real reason we ditched our bathroom scale
• Why Rob says "life is better without the scorecard"

Whether you’re in a relationship or just love seeing how these everyday conversations play out in real life, this episode offers a refreshing, funny, and relatable take on what it means to live beyond the rules of diet culture.

🎧 Listen now, and let us know—what’s your hot take?

What happens when you want to move your body more—but it always feels like a “should”? In this episode, I’m sharing a personal story from a recent camping trip with my husband, Rob, that sparked a meaningful conversation about movement, motivation, and mindset.

Together, we unpacked what’s really getting in the way of consistent, joyful movement—even when we know it’s good for us. Spoiler: it’s not laziness. It’s the pressure, the language, and the unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves.

You’ll learn:

• Why “working out” might be the problem—and what to say instead
• How to recognize the movement you're already doing
• Why “meeting yourself where you’re at” is the secret to sustainability
• What joyful movement actually looks like (hint: it’s not punishment)
• The role of compassion and curiosity in rebuilding a relationship with movement

If you’re craving a kinder, more sustainable way to move your body—this episode is for you.

Mentioned in the episode:

• Fly Fitness dance workouts (https://www.flydancefitness.com/classes)
• Camping, walking, and redefining movement beyond the gym

I’d love to hear from you: What does joyful movement look like for you this summer? Email me at michelle@wayzahealth.com and share your story.

What if your eating habits could teach you more about how you move through the world than you ever imagined?

In this deeply personal episode, I share insights sparked by a recent labyrinth walk—one that cracked open an uncomfortable (but necessary) realization about how I navigate discomfort in all areas of life, not just around food.

You’ll hear:

• Why I’ve been rushing through everything—and how that mirrors my relationship with food
• How overwhelm transformed into a subtler discomfort I’ve been calling “boredom”
• The real reason I’ve been wandering into the kitchen lately—and what I’ve started doing instead
• A surprising confession about my coaching business (and what’s next for me)
• How movement, mindfulness, and even a shower can reveal what you're really avoiding

If you’ve ever used food to dodge uncomfortable thoughts, or felt stuck at the edge of your own growth, this one’s for you.

💌 I’d love to hear from you:
Where are you being pushed to your edge right now?
Send me a note: michelle@wayzahealth.com

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen

The HALT Tool (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired)