Wayza Health

Time to own up…

How many of you keep reading a boring book just because you’ve already invested so much time in it? 📚

I used to do this all the time—pushing through a book I wasn’t enjoying simply because I didn’t want those hours to go to waste.

But then it hit me: life’s too short to stick with something that isn’t serving you.
And the same goes for diet culture.

Imagine waking up tomorrow without the stress of dieting or the constant worry about your body size…

What if you could listen to your body’s cravings, move because it feels good, and embrace yourself—completely judgment-free?

In the latest episode of Thrive Beyond Size, we dive into how to make that leap.
Inspired by Simone Biles’ courageous choice to step back from the Tokyo Olympics to prioritize her mental health, we explore how you, too, can make the powerful decision to prioritize your wellbeing over the pressures of diet culture.

It’s time to let go of outdated norms and embrace a healthier, more fulfilling life.

🎧 Listen now wherever you stream your podcasts!

Have you ever felt like you’re constantly shrinking yourself to fit into the world’s expectations? Whether it’s through dieting, trying to meet impossible beauty standards, or simply feeling like you’re never enough, it’s exhausting to keep trying to fit into a mold that wasn’t made for you.

But what if you could stop shrinking and start living large? 🌿

I’m Dr. Michelle Tubman, and I want to invite you to a special FREE live class, 3 Keys to Living Large in a World Determined to Make You Small. In this class, I’ll show you how to break free from the constraints of diet culture and start living a life that feels true to who you are.

Here’s what we’ll explore together:

Recognizing Diet Culture’s Grip: Diet culture is so ingrained in our society that it’s often hard to see its influence. We’ll break down how it keeps you feeling small and what you can do to resist its pull.

Healing the Relationship with Food: It’s time to stop viewing food as the enemy. We’ll discuss how to move beyond the guilt and shame often associated with eating and start nourishing your body in a way that’s joyful and sustainable.

Embracing Your True Self: The world wants to make you small, but you have the power to live large. We’ll talk about how to align your life with your true self and take concrete steps to live unapologetically.

This class isn’t about dieting or trying to change who you are. It’s about reclaiming your space, your power, and your life.

If you’re ready to stop shrinking and start thriving, I’d love for you to join me. Click the link below to sign up for this free class—spaces are limited, so don’t wait!

👉 Sign Up Here

https://wayzahealthcoaching.lpages.co/living-large/

Let’s take this journey together and start living large in a world that tries to make us small. I look forward to seeing you there!

Friends!

I’m hosting a free class on September 12, 7pm mountain time (on Zoom) and I’d love for you to be there. It’s so much easier teaching with some friendly faces in the room. 🙂

It’s called “3 Keys to Living Large In A World Determined to Make You Small”.

I’ll be talking about our relationship with food and body, finding our power in a world that wants to keep us small (and I mean that literally and figuratively), and the importance of women gathering together in community.

This class will be interactive, empowering, and fun.

And it’s free!

If you want in, I’ll send you the link. Let me know below or send me a DM.

For those of us in larger bodies, fat bias isn’t a rare occurrence—it affects us multiple times a day.

So how can we push past the shame we often feel about our bodies to speak up for what we truly deserve as a human being in this world?

Because we don’t deserve to be crammed against the wall on a tiny bench just to have a routine PAP smear…

Or to sit in a chair with armrests that’s so small it causes bruises and soft tissue damage…

Or to struggle with a hospital gown that leaves you feeling exposed and uncomfortable.

To just exist as a fat person in this world, you have to advocate for yourself.

And it all comes down to us valuing ourselves enough to speak up about something that is affecting us.

In this week’s episode of Thrive Beyond Size, I sit down with Diana Dimmock, an incredible advocate for better accessibility and self-advocacy who understands this struggle deeply. She’s lived it, and she’s fought for change every step of the way.

Yes, advocating for yourself can be uncomfortable, but the impact is enormous—not just for your own confidence and well-being, but for everyone who faces similar challenges.

Tune in to to hear:

✨ Our personal encounters with fat bias and weight discrimination
✨ How to advocate for yourself, even when you’re afraid of being shamed
✨ A powerful story about how a business changed its policies to accommodate larger bodies, thanks to Diana’s advocacy

As Diana powerfully reminds us, “Our bodies are not a problem to be fixed.”

Listen now wherever you stream your podcasts! 🎧

Getting started with Intuitive Eating can feel terrifying, with more questions than answers.

It can feel like a whole new way of life....and it is. One of the biggest myths about intuitive eating is that it's all about the food. It isn't. It's also about understanding the role diet culture plays in your life, learning what brings you joy and pleasure in life, finding different ways to manage all those big emotions, bringing movement back into your life.

And, of course, the food stuff is hard too. Learning what hunger feels like. Discerning the difference between "satisfied" and "full". Giving yourself unconditional permission to eat what your body is asking for.

It can feel daunting, especially when you're first starting out.

I can help. I have a brand new program launching next month, and it can be exactly why you need to get started and thrive with intuitive eating.

Interested? Comment below or send me a DM and I'll make sure you're on the list when it goes live!

I remember learning a long time ago that our weaknesses can become our greatest strengths. This has certainly been true for me. Embracing the parts of myself that I don't necessarily like has made me a better coach...also a better friend, a better doctor, a better colleague.

So what about you? How can your "unlikable" traits be used for good?

"If you feel like you're never enough, then instead of questioning what more you need to do, it's worthwhile to question the standards you have for yourself."

In our pursuit of health and fitness, it's easy to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others.

We often think that if we just had their discipline, their body, or their lifestyle, we'd finally be happy.

But what if those very habits we envy are the same ones that lead to burnout?

In this week's episode of Thrive Beyond Size, special guest Allison Yamamoto () opens up about her own journey of overtraining and under-fueling in the name of health.

On the outside, she had it all—a super fit body, a "healthy" diet, and an active lifestyle. But behind the scenes, she struggled with a missing period, constant exhaustion, and an overwhelming need to control every aspect of her life.

Allison's story is a powerful reminder that the standards we set for ourselves can sometimes be the very things that hold us back. She shares how she learned to let go of rigid expectations and found true health and happiness by embracing balance, rather than discipline at all costs.

If you’ve ever felt burnt out, stressed, or never enough—if you struggle with guilt or anxiety around food and exercise—this episode is for you.

Tune in now to learn how to reclaim your well-being and live a life that's truly fulfilling.

It’s hard to believe, but Fall (aka the season where the kids go back to school and we can finally think about ourself again) is right around the corner.

If you’ve managed to take care of yourself and your needs and wants with the kids home, GO YOU!

For me, even as someone with no kids, I find that I get into the summer holiday frame of mind and just don’t get as much done.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE IT.

But I also like to get back into my usual health-based and self-care routines before Fall comes.

So if that’s you, here are some things you might want to slowly start thinking about this month so the Fall doesn’t hit you like a bus.

➡️ What still needs to be done to get the kids ready for school? What needs to come out of storage, be dusted off, or put into place to be ready for the change of pace that comes with Fall? What can you start doing now so it doesn’t feel last minute and rushed once September rolls around? How can you prepare yourself so you feel relaxed and ready, rather than rushed and stressed?

➡️ What did you learn about yourself this summer? Did you discover new interests or activities that bring you joy? How can you bring some of that into Fall? How did you feel about your food and movement choices? What do you want to keep doing, and what do you want to focus on improving?

➡️ What are some relationships or goals that you kinda dropped the ball on when summer hit, and what’s one thing you can do right now to bring energy back to that relationship or goal?

➡️ What kind of quality rest or joy did you have this summer that you want to continue in the Fall when life gets a little crazier?

Give yourself some time to ponder these questions before things start to feel busy again.

Any other question you want to add to this list?

What do you ACTUALLY want from your relationship with food, your body, or your health? If you feel comfortable, drop it below ⬇️

Habits no one talks about that helps heal your relationship with food:

➡️ Getting enough good quality sleep on a regular basis

➡️ Spending time in nature whenever you can

➡️ Going to therapy or working with a coach

➡️ Spending time with people who lift you up

➡️ Engaging in hobbies that make your soul shine

➡️ Allowing down time when you need it (without guilt)

Just a reminder that spending time doing things that enhance the joy in your life is the first step in healing your relationship with food.

What would you add to this list? ⬇️

Healing your relationship with your body is definitely a journey...not a destination.

It starts with small, intentional actions you take every day...
..focusing on appreciation, respect, and trust.

Need help? Comment below or send me a DM. I am here to help.

Hey there friends,

I am hosting a free live event on September 12, 7pm MST and I’d love for you to be there.

It’s called 3 Keys To Living Large in a World Determined to Make You Small.

And I am super excited about it because as women, we often get the message that we need to be small in every way possible…

…be thin

…be quiet

…take up as little space as possible

But it’s time we choose a different path.

Living large means embracing who you are at the core. Recognizing your unique gifts. Trusting yourself and your body to do what you need to live a healthy, joyful and confident life.

Living large also means saying goodbye to diet culture…because it’s complicit in keeping you small, while ironically making your body bigger. Which then makes you feel even smaller. See how this works?

So in this event, you’ll learn how to break free from diet culture, heal your relationship with food and body, ignite some radical self-love, and finally step into your power.

So please, join me on Sept 12, and we can do it together.

If you want in, comment below or send me a DM and I’ll get you on the list!

Is it just me…or do you LOVE summer?

It’s my favorite time of the year.

The sunshine…camping…time in the water…having fun with my family…enjoying all the fresh fruit.

It makes me happy. 😊

What about you? Are you all about summer or do you prefer the colder months?

It's actually not a bad thing to binge eat. Here’s why...

During my medical residency, I often endured 30+ hour shifts with little to no breaks. At the time, I hired a dietician to help me with weight loss, but despite following her advice, my body didn't change.

The reason? I was binging a couple of times a week, every week, without telling her.

I know I’m not alone in this. Many people see dieticians for weight loss while secretly struggling with compulsive eating and shame-driven behaviors around food.

But a big part of my healing came when someone told me that it's not bad to binge.

Binge eating is simply a tool to calm our nervous system, just like meditating or journaling.

Holding space to unpack the shame and normalize binge eating is a crucial part of recovery.

And my guest on this week’s episode of Thrive Beyond Size is someone who truly understands the need to flip the script on binge eating.

Erin Murnane () is a dietician specializing in binge eating disorders, who helps people move past the shame and build healing relationships with food using a non-diet and intuitive eating approach.

Join us for a candid conversation on how embracing this mindset can lead to a more compassionate and healing relationship with food.

Listen now wherever you stream your podcasts.

Intuitive eating is not a lifestyle program, or a food plan, or anything with checklists and trackers that you need to get "right".

And anyone can do it, even if you don't think you're "intuitive" enough. So you don't have to be "woo woo" or buy a deck of Tarot cards.

When we use the word "intuitive" in this case, what we mean is learning more about your body and what it needs, and honoring those needs with the decisions you make around food, movement, your emotional life, and your relationships.

It's a skill anyone can learn. My best tip for learning intuitive eating is to reach out to an intuitive eating professional counselor. They are well trained experts able to guide you through the intuitive eating journey.

And luck for you, I happen to be one! If you're interesting in learning more about what it's like to work with me, comment below or reach me in the DMs.

🗣️ “My daughter is really hard on herself. I want to help her with her body confidence.”

🗣️ “I'm worried my negative body talk is affecting my child.”

🗣️ “My child is starting to pull away. How can I get them to open up?”

🗣️ “The teenage years are coming and I have no idea what I’m doing.”

🗣️ “I don't know how to talk to my child anymore. They're changing.”

If any of these resonate with you, you're not alone.

Although I'm not a parent myself, I hear these concerns frequently from clients and friends with children approaching the teenage years.

Balancing space and connection with your pre-teen while setting a positive example can be challenging.

But the way we speak to our children shapes their self-view and trust in us.

🎙️ Join me for this week’s episode of Thrive Beyond Size for insights from communication expert Marcus Aurelius Higgs!

Marcus, a Communication Coach for Parents of Preteens, offers practical advice on connecting with your child and navigating these pivotal years.

In this episode, you’ll discover:
🔹 How to communicate with confidence when your tween has big emotions.
🔹 Strategies to stay connected even when they start to withdraw.
🔹 Ways to support their self-belief and resilience.

Don’t miss this chance to bridge the gap with your pre-teen. Tune in and start fostering a stronger relationship today!

Listen now wherever you stream your podcasts.

Friends,

I have created a brand new mini course that guides you how to confidently advocate for respectful, weight-inclusive care at the doctor's office.

And I want you to be the first to have it!

“Weight, Don’t Tell Me” offers practical strategies to communicate your preferences, challenge weight bias, and ensure your concerns are addressed without focusing on weight.

Learn about the harms of anti-fat bias, explore a patient-focused approach without bringing up your weight, and use new tools like advocacy letters to share with your doctors.

This 45-minute course will show you how to build a compassionate and supportive therapeutic relationship with your doctors for a more positive healthcare experience overall.

Best news? It’s only $9.

Link in the comments!

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but trauma isn’t just about severe abuse or major childhood events.

Many of us dismiss our own experiences as “too minor” to be trauma.

We think, “Others have it worse, there must be something wrong with me.”

But the sneakiest trauma is the gradual erosion of our sense of self—like not getting enough validation, care, or empathy. This can show up in subtle ways that impact our growth, leaving us anxious, on edge, with racing minds, unable to relax, or feeling numb.

How you see your worth affects everything—especially how you treat yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Gentle Trauma Release Practitioner Ramona Kossowan () transformed her life from unfulfillment and self-sabotage to strength and confidence, and I’m excited to share my conversation with her on the podcast this week.

Tune in as we explore how to heal feelings of unworthiness and live the vibrant life you deserve.

Listen now wherever you stream your podcasts!

I want to share with you the difference between intuitive eating and “eating whatever you want”.

I’m away on a mountain holiday, and we stopped into town for lunch. I was super hungry.

I looked at the menu and saw all the appetizers first. Most were deep fried and looked delicious. I *wanted* about 6 of them. It was my hunger speaking (and maybe my love for cheese).

But *wanting* is not the same as intuition.

I looked at each of the appetizers and thought about how it would taste, how it would feel to eat on this very hot day, how it would feel in my stomach, and how it would feel a bit later as we do our afternoon activities (also in the heat).

I instantly knew they weren’t the right choice for me. All too heavy for me on this hot day. And also, I discovered I don’t really want that deep fried taste.

I looked at the salads next. The vegetables appealed, but the salads themselves just didn’t.

I settled on a small, thin crust, wood burned pizza full of extra veggies. That felt just right. The taste appealed. It suited my hunger. I knew it wouldn’t sit too heavy so I wouldn’t feel sluggish afterwards.

I stopped when I was full. I packed up the rest.

This is intuitive eating.

holidaylife

The summer heat has me on fire!!

I've got some amazing episodes coming up on the Thrive Beyond Size podcast.
..And...

I've created THREE new resources for you. Why? Because I keep hearing the same questions over and over, and I thought it was time I answered them.

So here's what I've got for you:

Available RIGHT NOW is my all new FREE resource guide for GLP-1 medications for weight loss. Now, y'all know weight loss isn't my jam, but I also respect everyone's decision to do what's right for their body. And there is soooo much misinformation out there about these meds. So in this whopping 29-page guide, I lay it all out for you. Any question you've every had about GLP-1s is in this guide, including how to make the right decision for you.

And available in two weeks is my all new mini-course for understanding the basics of Intuitive Eating. Believe it or not, it's NOT about eating whatever you want, whenever you want and getting as fat and happy as possible. Well, it will make you as happy as possible! Seriously though, this mini course will teach you what it is, address your most common questions, and show you how to get started. And the best part...it's only $9!

And finally, next month your next FREE offer will drop - 7 Tools For Healing Emotional Eating. If you feel out of control around food, or if you binge, this guide is for you. These are practical, easy-to-follow tools you can start practicing right now to heal your relationship with food.

Download your GLP-1 guide at the link below, and I'll let you know when the others are ready for you!

Love, love, loved this book. Part social commentary, part memoir, I found it so relatable. And funny.

Funny because I love her writing - I find her hilarious. But funny also how my reading preferences have changed.

Because I spend time helping others explore their relationship with food, and (finally) truly cherishing my own relationship with food, I end up reading about food A LOT.

This book reminded me why food is so important. Yes, of course it nourishes us and and keeps us alive.

But also, food forms so many memories. As I read about this author’s first food memory, or how Red Lobster informed her childhood, or her grandfather-in-law’s yearning for a 1940s pie no one has ever heard of, I was reminded that food is sooooo much more than the nutrition it provides.

And I am a little bit shocked just how horrible the “fine dining” industry is. You think Hollywood is bad…think again. Wow!

I particularly liked her essay “Hanger Management” - a commentary on how women aren’t allowed to express anger (and fat women, or Black women, or especially fat Black women can definitely NEVER express anger…or be president, apparently). But she also explored her own relationship with anger, and with food. As she sought help, she learned her hanger was important to her…as an emotional release, but also a reminder that she wasn’t eating “too much”, and her absolute fear of following her dietitian’s advice…when you’re hungry, eat! As a woman whose body has been constantly criticized as a popular food writer, and having a job that revolves around food and cooking…she learned that her relationship with food was more complicated than she thought.

This book was thoughtful, witty, and honest. I highly recommend giving it a read!

Healthy is a choice (granted, it’s not one you have to choose for yourself, if you don’t want to).

But if it is something you want to work on, you don’t need a bunch of cash to make it happen.

In fact, it’s often the simple, super accessible stuff that makes the biggest difference.

And, starting small is always more sustainable.

What’s one small, no-cost thing that would make a huge difference to your health and wellbeing today?

I get it, it's terrifying thinking about leaving diet culture behind. After all, it does everything possible to remind us that without it, nothing will hold us accountable, and we will suffer the worst possible outcome...
..be fat, ugly, unattractive, unworthy, unhealthy, unemployed, alone...

That's because it needs you to make its billions year after year.

But the truth is, you don't need it. In fact, it's false promises do the OPPOSITE of what you hope...it keeps you trapped in cycles of shame, guilt and unhealthy behaviors so that you keep on coming back, giving more of your money (and your soul) to the industry to fix what's broken.

News flash - you aren't broken. Diet culture is.

It takes a leap of faith to divest yourself from diet culture. But it's worth it. Because all those things you've been dreaming of for you life, your health, your body...they live on the other side.

And you don't have to do it alone. I'm here for you every step of the way. Reach out to learn how I can help.

Think intuitive eating might not be for you because it just doesn't fit your personality? Think again!

There's something inside the intuitive eating paradigm for literally everyone.

Do you think your personality would make it a challenge? Let me know below and I will help you through it.

4 things happening right now that most people wouldn’t share….

Can you relate to any of these? 👇🏼

1️⃣ Life has been kicking my butt these past few weeks. I haven’t been on socials. Mostly because I’m too tired to be sociable. I was sick for a bit, then a small medical scare, and menopause stuff is making it harder to get back on track. So I’ve been allowing all the rest I need these days.

I know I’m always preaching guilt-free rest and I’ve been grappling with that. I wanted to launch my Nourish Yourself program last month, but I didn’t want you to have to wait any longer! I feel better knowing that you’ll get an even better experience when it does come out.

So I’m resting and working on the guilt part. ☺️

2️⃣ I’m celebrating 6 months no alcohol. Why? Because my intuitive eating journey has taught me that my body hates alcohol. I don’t like the way I feel. I don’t like how it affects my sleep. I get a bit of a stomach ache. I get flushed. It was easy to stop drinking, but it was super hard dealing with the peer pressure, especially from hubby who likes to share a bottle of wine. So maybe the bigger win here is learning how to say no. What a beautiful way to honor my body.

3️⃣ I’m flirting with the idea of creating a documentary. I had an inspirational idea of showcasing patients’ experience with weight discrimination in healthcare. And also those rare birds who are getting it right. Referring back to point #1, it’s on the backburner for now. But it’s still on a burner!

4️⃣ I’ve been re-living movies from my younger years. It’s been all about Flatliners and The Lost Boys lately. So cheesy but oh so good. Drink holy water death breath!

Help me feel less like a weirdo and more like a regular human by sharing something about your life these days below!

Did you need to hear this too?

“I realized how much the messaging from the fitness industry actually destroys our motivation for movement, how toxic and body-centric it all is, and that actually keeps us from the real benefits of movement. It was in that wake-up call that I went, ‘Holy cow, there is a need for a different approach to movement.’”

I couldn’t agree more with size-inclusive fitness specialist Kim Hagle.

There is still a part of me now that sees exercise as something I “must do” to pay for the food that I'm eating.

But when we’re constantly told to “lose this” or “sculpt that” by the fitness industry, it’s no wonder so many women are left feeling inadequate about their bodies and struggling with the motivation to move.

The truth is, exercise doesn’t have to be the negative chore it might feel like.

Kim is a firm believer that all bodies are good bodies, and that movement should be about CARING for your body, not trying to change it.

So if you’re struggling (like me) with an “all or nothing” attitude to exercise, are tired of constantly starting and stopping, or feel like exercise is something you “should do” to lose weight, this week’s episode of Thrive Beyond Size is just for you.

Tune in to my amazing conversation with Kim, where we both share our personal journeys with movement and discuss how joyful movement can help you feel your best IN and ABOUT your body.



Listen now wherever you stream your podcasts.

Comment YES below if this helped clear things up.

Guess what?

You get to live your life on your own timeline...
..And it's never too late to start ANYTHING.

Including working on the most important relationship ever - the one you have with yourself.

Share one thing you might have done "late" that changed your life for the better. I can't wait to hear it!