She Lost It
Welcome to She Lost It, the podcast for anyone ready to let go of what’s been weighing them down and step into a life they truly love. I’m Stefani—an accidental health coach, entrepreneur, mom, and someone who knows what it’s like to lose it all, start over, and come out stronger.
In this first episode, I’m sharing my story—the raw, real, and sometimes messy truth about how I went from drowning in anxiety, debt, food addiction, and people-pleasing to finally taking control of my life. But this podcast isn’t just about my journey—it’s about yours.
Each episode, I’ll share practical tips to help you break free from the patterns holding you back, whether it’s your mindset, your habits, or the stories you’ve been telling yourself. We’ll talk about what it takes to build grit, find your voice, and create a life that feels truly authentic.
Think of this as a conversation between friends—the kind where you leave feeling lighter, inspired, and ready to take action. So if you’re ready to lose what’s been keeping you stuck and gain a whole new perspective, hit play. Let’s do this together.
She Lost It
Food Addiction: The Drug We Don't Talk About
Ever wondered why you can't stop at just one bite, even when you promised yourself you would? The answer might be more complex than lacking willpower.
Food addiction is the socially acceptable dependency no one wants to acknowledge. Ultra-processed foods trigger the same dopamine pathways as addictive substances, creating powerful neurological responses that feel impossible to resist. For those with ADHD, anxiety disorders, or trauma histories, these effects are even more pronounced—our brains are literally wired differently, setting us up for struggles that diet culture simplifies as "just eat less."
After years trapped in the exhausting binge-restrict cycle—emotional trigger, mindless eating, crushing shame, extreme restriction, repeat—I discovered that breaking free required healing, not dieting. By addressing the underlying neurological and emotional drivers, finding alternative dopamine sources, and confronting the shame that perpetuated my cycles, I finally found a sustainable path forward.
The most challenging aspect of food addiction? Unlike other substances, we can't simply abstain. We must learn to coexist with our "drug of choice" while society continues pushing it on us at every turn. Those well-meaning "food pushers" who insist "just one won't hurt" don't realize they're essentially telling a recovering addict to "just have one hit." Setting boundaries around food isn't about deprivation—it's about protecting your healing.
If any of this resonates with you, please know you're not broken. Your brain is responding exactly as it was designed to, especially if you're navigating ADHD, anxiety, or past trauma. Freedom is possible when you approach recovery with curiosity instead of judgment, find healthier dopamine sources, and reach out for support. Subscribe to continue this conversation—because talking about the hard things is how we heal.
Welcome to the she Lost it podcast. I'm Stefani, and this it's your space to lose what's been holding you back. Talk about real growth, find your courage and step into the life you were meant for. So welcome back to she Lost it. Today we're talking about something real. Back to she Lost it.
Stefani :Today we're talking about something real, something I know a lot of people struggle with, including myself, but don't always have the words for Food addiction, emotional eating, binging, whatever you want to call it. I'm here to tell you it's real, it's powerful and for so many of us, it's the drug of choice. We didn't even realize we were hooked on. And this isn't just about having more willpower or self-control. This is about actual science. It's about how our brains, our past and our wiring literally set us up to struggle with food. And as someone with ADHD, anxiety and trauma in my story, I now see how it all connects. So today I want to pull back the curtain and talk about it. I want to talk about the link between ADHD, anxiety, trauma and food addiction, how food hijacks the brain just like drugs do, why no one really talks about it and how the world feeds this type of addiction. What finally helped me break free and a little PSA on food pushers, because seriously, don't be one. This is going to be raw, real, maybe a little uncomfortable, but if you've ever felt out of control around food or stuck in a cycle of shame control around food or stuck in a cycle of shame or like, no matter what you do, you keep ending up in that same place I need you to hear this today. So let's get into it. Let's talk about the science first, why food addiction is real.
Stefani :People don't like to call food an addiction because we have to eat to survive, but the truth is the way processed food is designed today. It's made to keep you hooked, which is mind-blowing. So here's what happens in the brain Ultra-processed foods like sugars, refined carbs, high-fat combos they actually trigger a dopamine response, just like drugs or alcohol. And if you have ADHD, your dopamine system is already dysregulated, meaning you're more prone to seeking out those quick dopamine hits. Hello, sugar cravings.
Stefani :If you have anxiety disorder, food becomes a coping mechanism, the temporary comfort that calms your nervous system until the guilt and the shame kick in. And if you have drama, especially from childhood, food can become a way to self-soothe. Binging is a response to feeling emotionally unsafe, so it numbs and distracts from the deeper pain. So when people say, just have more discipline, they don't realize that for some of us food is literally wired into our survival instincts. Now food addiction is really the only socially acceptable addiction no one talks about.
Stefani :And here's the thing. If I had been addicted to alcohol, drugs or gambling or something else, people would have noticed, they would have stepped in. There are rehab centers, interventions, entire support systems built for those struggles. But food it's everywhere. It's how we celebrate, it's how we cope and it's pushed on us constantly At work, at parties. It's how we cope and it's pushed on us constantly at work, at parties, even our own homes. And the worst part, no one questions it. If I had gone back for my third or fourth plate at some buffet, no one would have said a word. But if I poured my fourth glass of wine in the middle of the day, totally different reaction. And for those of us who struggle, the hardest part is that you can't just quit food, you have to learn to live with it.
Stefani :So for years I was stuck in this cycle. Maybe it sounds familiar to you. Something would happen and an emotional response for me would be stress, shame, boredom. So I would binge, binge, meaning I would eat mindlessly, in secret, past the point of fullness, almost in a comatose-type trance. Then there would be regret, I would feel guilty, disgusted, mad at myself and I would promise to do better tomorrow. So the next day I would restrict and I would try to fix what I had just done the day before by cutting back and going extreme and not eating at all. Then the cycle would repeat. Another emotional response happened which triggered another binge, another regret, another restriction, another repeat. And let me tell you this is not a lack of willpower, this is a cycle of addiction.
Stefani :It wasn't until I started healing not dieting, but healing that things changed. So here's what helped me Really understanding my brain. Having ADHD meant I needed a better dopamine source. That wasn't food, so swapping out that hit for exercise structure routine, real nutrition that helped stabilize me, journaling, taking hot baths and taking a lot of walks. Recognizing what triggered my emotional responses so anxiety and stress were one of my biggest binge triggers I had to find new coping mechanisms, new strategies, the movement, the journaling and the actually feeling my emotions instead of numbing them. I did not want to feel those emotions. I did not want to be alone with my thoughts, and binging just quieted the noise. I had to ditch the shame, so the more I beat myself up, the deeper I would spiral. I had to let go of perfection and just focus on progress. I had to let go of the all or nothing mindset, and then I had to learn how to eat properly less processed food, fewer cravings. I stopped relying on willpower and I started focusing on foods that actually stabilized my blood sugar.
Stefani :Okay, so let's talk about food pushers. This might be a part of this episode that might make some people feel uncomfortable, but it's got to be said. Food pushers are a thing, and if you are one, please stop. We all know them, the people who say, oh, come on, just have one bite, or you're not fun anymore since you started eating healthy, or you don't need to lose weight, just enjoy yourself, or the worst. But I made this just for you.
Stefani :First of all, why do people feel so personally offended when someone is trying to make a better choice for themselves? You know why? Because it holds up a mirror to them that they don't want to see. Second, let's call it what it is Food pushing is just another form of peer pressure and, honestly, it's kind of an a-hole move. If someone says no, respect it. You would not pressure a recovering alcoholic to just have one drink. You wouldn't shame someone for skipping cigarettes or drugs. So why is it okay to push food on someone who is actively trying to heal their relationship with it? If you are someone who does this, just ask yourself what's behind it. Are you uncomfortable with your own choices? Do you feel guilty and want someone to indulge with you? Because, at the end of the day, when someone declines food, it actually has nothing to do with you. And if you are someone who deals with food pushers, this is your permission to stand your ground. You don't owe anyone an explanation, a simple no, thank you. Or I feel better when I don't eat that, or I'm good, but thank you. No guilt, no shame, just boundaries, which will be another episode.
Stefani :Here's what I want you to take from this. If any of this resonated with you, I want you to hear me loud and clear. You are not weak, you are not broken, you are not alone. Food addiction is real. It's not just about discipline. It's about rewiring your brain, healing old wounds and finding a way to work with your body instead of against it. And if you're in the middle of it right now, this is what I want you to do.
Stefani :Number one get curious, not judgmental. Pay attention to your patterns, but do it without shame. Number two find better ways to feed your brain, whether it's movement connection or a hobby, just give your dopamine system something else to rely on, that's not food. Number three, and this is the most important one reach out to someone. You do not have to do this alone, whether it's a coach, a friend or a therapist. Talk to someone who gets it. Therapist, talk to someone who gets it. I've been there. I know how hard it is, but I also know that freedom is possible, and if I can do it, so can you. So if this episode hits home for you, let me know, send me a message, share this with a friend who needs to hear it and if you haven't yet, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. Let's keep talking about the hard things, because that's how we heal. I love y'all. I'll see you next time, and if no one has told you today, I believe in you.
