The fear of weight gain is one of the most paralysing and misunderstood parts of eating disorder recovery. And in this episode of Fly to Freedom, I’m not sugar-coating it. I’m answering the question I get asked more than any other: Can I actually stop being afraid of gaining weight?

The truth is, yes—you can. But not in the way your brain probably hopes. Recovery isn’t about waiting for the fear to go before you take action. It’s about taking action even while the fear is loud. In this episode, I unpack what’s really behind the fear of weight gain—beyond body image—and why so many people stay stuck even after their weight is restored.

We’ll explore:

• Why gaining weight doesn’t magically remove the fear

• The deep childhood beliefs and emotional wiring that feed body shame

• Why this fear is part of the eating disorder itself—not a neutral preference

• The real reason people still struggle after physical recovery

• How to meet the younger part of you who internalised the belief that thinness meant safety

• What it takes to move through fear with self-compassion instead of perfectionism

You’ll walk away with powerful insights and practical mindset shifts to help you stop letting fear make your decisions, and start choosing recovery with your whole heart—even when it’s hard.

💛 If this episode speaks to you, the Overcoming the Fear of Weight Gain course is now available as a standalone offering outside of The Eating Disorder Recovery Circle—for a limited time only. This is the course that’s helped so many people begin their freedom journey from this exact fear.

Go HERE to find out more.

And if you want a loving, supportive space to be held while you walk this path, come and join us inside The Eating Disorder Recovery Circle.

You don’t need to be fearless. You just need to stop letting fear decide your future.

Julia Trehane is a specialist anorexia recovery coach supporting people to rebuild their lives and bodies with compassion, honesty, and unshakeable belief in full recovery.

#edrecovery #eatingdisorderrecovery #anorexiarecovery #recoveryispossible #recoveryisworthit #mentalhealth #selflove #edawareness #bodyimage #endthestigma #anorexiarecovery #anorexia #bulimia

You’re Not Broken – The System Is: A Raw Conversation About Healing with Lucy Aphramor

This episode of Fly to Freedom is not just a conversation about recovery. It’s a deep reckoning with the systems that have shaped how we think about food, health, and bodies — and how we can begin to reclaim our truth.

Julia is joined by Lucy Aphramor (they/them), a radical dietitian, poet, and justice-centred educator whose Well Now approach reimagines nutrition through the lens of compassion, lived experience, and social change. Together, they unpack the myths of weight management, the fallacy of 'healthy eating' guidelines, and the oppressive roots of mainstream public health narratives.

Lucy shares powerful insights about:

• Why public health nutrition is an equity issue

• How traditional health education often reinforces oppression

• The myth of evidence-based weight loss

• Why eating disorder recovery is inseparable from social justice

• What it means to centre community, compassion, and care in healing

• How body shame is socially shaped, and why self-compassion is essential for unlearning

• A poetic lens on health, worth, and resistance

This episode is a must-listen if you've ever felt confused by health advice, struggled with body image, or questioned the deeper systems influencing eating disorders. Whether you’re in recovery or supporting someone who is, Lucy’s wisdom offers a radical shift in how we can approach healing — not just as individuals, but as a community.

📝 Mentioned in this episode:

• World Critical Dietetics: https://www.criticaldietetics.org

• Lucy’s courses and open-access work are available on their website (linked in the show notes)

✨ Don’t miss Lucy’s closing poem — a powerful reminder that “warmth and regard and community are nutrients too.”

Hosted by Julia Trehane, an anorexia recovery coach and founder of the Eating Disorder Recovery Circle, this podcast is dedicated to helping people find full freedom from eating disorders through compassion, connection, and truth.

Get Coached 1:1 by Julia

https://juliatrehane.com

🌀 Explore The Eating Disorder Recovery Circle: https://www.edrecoverycircle.com/join
💖 Try the Feelings Navigator: https://www.edrecoverycircle.com/how-are-you-feeling

• Mann, T., Tomiyama, A. J., Westling, E., Lew, A. M., Samuels, B., & Chatman, J. (2007). Medicare's Search for Effective Obesity Treatments: Diets Are Not the Answer. American Psychologist, 62(3), 220–233. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.62.3.220

• Howard, B. V., Manson, J. E., Stefanick, M. L., et al. (2006). Low-fat dietary pattern and weight change over 7 years: the Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial. JAMA, 295(1), 39–49. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.295.1.39

• Marmot, M. G. (2006). Status syndrome: a challenge to medicine. JAMA, 295(11), 1304–1307. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.295.11.1304

📚 References Cited by Lucy Aphramor:

In this tender and transformative episode of Fly to Freedom, specialist anorexia recovery coach Julia Trehane explores one of the most powerful – and often overlooked – elements of lasting healing in eating disorder recovery: the inner child.

Whether you’ve heard the term before or it’s completely new, this episode gently guides you through what it really means to connect with the inner child, why it matters so deeply in anorexia recovery, and how so many of the emotions and behaviours we struggle with are rooted in unmet needs from long ago.

This is what I share:

• How the inner child shows up in everyday patterns like shame after eating, body image struggles, and the fear of not being enough

• Why recognising old emotional wounds is essential to full recovery from anorexia and other eating disorders

• What it means to reparent yourself with love, steadiness, and compassion

• Practical examples of how to respond when old pain or fear arises

• Why reconnecting with joy and play is a vital part of healing

• A gentle, guided visualisation to help you meet your inner child safely

This episode is filled with loving truth, practical support, and powerful reframes that will help you soften the self-criticism and build a deeper sense of safety within.

Because full recovery isn’t just about food or weight — it’s about coming home to yourself.

Listen now and begin reconnecting with the part of you that has always deserved love, rest, and joy.

🩷 You are not too much. It’s not too late. And you don’t have to do this alone.

In this powerful and often playful episode of Fly to Freedom, specialist anorexia recovery coach Julia Trehane is joined once again by recovery coach Victoria Kleinsman for a short but deeply impactful session—one that’s sparked by a listener request to roleplay the eating disorder versus the healthy self.

Expect laughter, raw honesty, and moments of deep recognition as Julia and Victoria bring to life the inner war that so many face in eating disorder recovery. From food fears to compulsive exercise thoughts, they expose the language of the eating disorder and model the kind of compassionate self-talk that leads to true healing.

They also unpack real listener questions, including:

• “How do I build a life bigger than bulimia?”

• “What are the pros and cons of recovery?”

• “How do I move forward if I’m still terrified of weight gain?”

• “Will I ever feel free in my body again?”

Together, they share personal stories, celebrate recovery wins, and gently dismantle fear-based beliefs. If you’re navigating anorexia recovery, bulimia, or simply trying to understand how to separate from the critical voice inside, this episode offers both hope and practical guidance.

🎧 Plus, hear about the unexpected grief of letting go, the joy of finding your true self, and why compassion is your most powerful recovery tool.

Referenced Episodes:

• Episode 105 & 106 – What Healing Feels Like: Understanding the Physical and Emotional Changes in Recovery

🌟 Special AnnouncementJulia will soon be launching her Overcoming the Fear of Weight Gain course as a standalone offer outside of the Eating Disorder Recovery Circle. This is great for those who want focused, practical help with one of the biggest challenges in recovery.

Join the Eating Disorder Recovery Circle
Find 24/7 support, expert guidance, and people who truly get it:👉 https://www.edrecoverycircle.com/join

About Julia
Julia Trehane is a specialist anorexia recovery coach who helps people move from fear to full freedom with food, body, and life. After recovering from over 40 years of anorexia, orthorexia, and exercise addiction, she now guides others to rediscover who they are without the eating disorder. She hosts Fly to Freedom and leads the Eating Disorder Recovery Circle community.

🌐 juliatrehane.com
🌐 edrecoverycircle.com
📷 Instagram: @juliatrehane

About Victoria
Victoria Kleinsman is a food freedom and body image coach who works with people to break free from restriction, binge eating, and body shame. With lived experience of both anorexia and bulimia, she brings powerful energy and unfiltered honesty to recovery work. Victoria is known for combining fierce compassion with practical mindset tools to help clients reclaim their power and live fully.

🌐 victoriakleinsman.com
📷 Instagram: @victoriakleinsmanofficial

Struggling with intense emotions during eating disorder recovery? You’re not alone — and this episode of Fly to Freedom is for you.

When you stop restricting food and start reconnecting with your body, something unexpected often happens: a flood of feelings. Sadness, anxiety, anger, even joy — all rushing back in. It can feel overwhelming, frightening, and confusing. You might even wonder, “Am I doing recovery wrong?”

In this powerful episode, Julia Trehane — specialist anorexia recovery coach and voice behind Fly to Freedom — shares why emotional intensity is a natural and essential part of healing from anorexia and other eating disorders. You’ll learn how emotional numbness is a survival mechanism, how restriction affects the brain and nervous system, and what’s really happening when feelings resurface in recovery.

• Why we fear our feelings during recovery (and why that fear is valid)

• How food restriction blunts emotional processing — and why refeeding reawakens it

• The neuroscience behind emotional overwhelm and protection

• How to respond when emotions feel like “too much”

• Tools to process feelings safely, without shame or judgement

• A gentle mindset shift: feeling isn’t failing — it’s healing

This episode is a gentle companion for anyone experiencing emotional chaos while trying to recover. If you’ve ever thought “I can’t cope with these emotions” or “I feel like I’m falling apart,” this conversation will help you understand that nothing is wrong with you — you’re waking up, and you are healing.

Inside the Eating Disorder Recovery Circle, you’ll find the Feelings Navigator — a powerful tool created for this exact moment in recovery. With guided videos, meditations, and strategies for emotions like guilt, sadness, rage and fear, you’ll finally have the support you need to understand and move through every feeling with confidence and compassion.

Mentioned in this episode:

• See an example from the Feelings Navigator

• Join the Eating Disorder Recovery Circle

You are not too much. You are healing. You are coming back to life — and you are doing it beautifully.

****UPDATE FOR THIS EPISODE****

Right at the end, I give a link to my Recovery Circle community and courses. In my excitement, I gave the wrong link! it should be https://www.edrecoverycircle.com/

Oops!

In this special monthly catch-up episode of Fly to Freedom, Julia and Victoria come together again to chat, giggle, and offer heartfelt insight into the raw realities of eating disorder recovery. From slippers and sensory issues to deep conversations about mother-daughter recovery, guilt, brain fog, and redefining identity, this episode is packed with warmth, wisdom, and relatable support.

Together, they answer real listener questions, including:

💬 “If you could relive a moment without the eating disorder, which would it be?”
💬 “How do I stop feeling guilty about resting or not exercising?”
💬 “How do I cope with my daughter also trying to recover while I’m recovering myself?”

They also cover deeply personal reflections like:

• Why gaining weight can feel unsafe (and why it’s not)

• The grief of letting go of an identity tied to anorexia

• What to wear during body changes

• The truth about brain fog in eating disorder recovery

• How to forgive yourself for the lies the eating disorder made you tell

Julia shares from her experience of 40 years with anorexia and her complete recovery, and Victoria speaks candidly about body image, shame, and building a new life on the other side of restriction.

Whether you’re a mother in recovery, navigating guilt around rest, or wondering if your life really is better with the eating disorder – this episode will hold space for you with love, compassion, and a little bit of laughter too.

Want support from Julia & Vic together?
We’re now offering joint coaching for those who want the combined support of both of us through recovery. If you're interested in working with the dream team, send us an email:

📩 Julia – hello@juliatrehane.com
📩 Victoria – victoria@victoriakleinsman.com

Or come and connect with us on Instagram:
📱 @juliatrehane
📱 @victoriakleinsmanofficial

PLUS! If 1:1 coaching isn't your thing, my new Eating Disorder Recovery Circle is THE place to be! It's an active community where a single monthly subscription gets you lots of courses o recovery, lots of great tools and wonderful, supportive chat rooms full of other people who have been through what you're going through. Sign up today at https://www.edrecoverycircle.com/

So many people in eating disorder recovery believe they have to earn support — by being sicker, quieter, or more perfect. But what if that’s the very belief that’s been keeping healing out of reach?

In this episode of Fly to Freedom, I gently but powerfully unravel the dangerous myth that you have to do recovery alone. I share openly — including from my own lived experience — why support isn’t a luxury, but a lifeline. We explore the emotional roots of the belief ‘I don’t deserve help,’ how emotional neglect shapes our nervous systems, and the neuroscience of connection as medicine.

You’ll also hear, for the first time in depth, about the Eating Disorder Recovery Circle — the supportive, compassionate membership space I created for those ready to move beyond survival and build true food freedom, body trust, and self-worth. This isn’t a sales pitch. It’s an invitation.

Whether you're just starting recovery or stuck in a quiet kind of suffering, this episode is a hand to hold. You are allowed to be supported. And you never have to do this alone.

Inside this episode:

• The biggest lie eating disorders tell us about support

• How emotional neglect wires your brain to reject help

• Why “I’m fine” often means “I’m surviving, not living”

• The healing power of being seen, supported and understood

• What’s waiting for you inside the Eating Disorder Recovery Circle

✨ If this stirred something in you, you’ll find everything you need to join the Circle and begin receiving support in the link below. Your place is already waiting. You are worthy — now.

LINKS:Join the Eating Disorder Recovery Circle: https://www.edrecoverycircle.com/join

This episode is nothing short of extraordinary. Today, I sit down with Dr. Robb Kelly, a world-renowned recovery expert who is changing lives through his neuroscience-based approach to addiction, trauma, and mental health.

The world’s best recovery coaches don’t just treat the symptoms of addiction—they focus on the root causes, addressing the deeper issues that keep people stuck. Dr. Robb Kelly is among this elite group, helping people break free from destructive patterns and fully rewire their brains for recovery and success.

From homelessness and near-death experiences to becoming a leading authority in addiction recovery, Dr. Kelly shares his raw and powerful personal journey. We dive into the science behind addiction, the role of childhood trauma, and how rewiring the brain makes full recovery possible—not just from substance addiction, but from any self-sabotaging cycle.

This conversation is real, deep, and transformational, offering hope, tools, and inspiration for anyone struggling with addiction, eating disorders, or self-destructive habits.

🔹 The science of addiction and why it’s more than just willpower
🔹 The link between trauma and addiction (including eating disorders)
🔹 How to rewire the brain and override old neural pathways
🔹 The power of belief in transforming your life
🔹 Why stepping out of your comfort zone is the key to lasting change
🔹 The four brain chemicals that influence happiness and addiction
🔹 How self-sabotage keeps you stuck—and how to break free
🔹 Why every single person has the power to fully recover

Dr. Kelly’s wisdom, energy, and lived experience make this episode a must-listen for anyone seeking real, lasting transformation.

Dr. Robb Kelly, PhD, is a globally recognised addiction recovery expert, speaker, and author. He has appeared on The Doctors, Good Morning Texas, USA Today, and many other major media outlets. His groundbreaking work in neuroscience and addiction recovery has helped thousands of people achieve full, lasting recovery.

His book, Daddy, Daddy Please Stop Drinking, chronicles his powerful personal journey through addiction and recovery.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Robb Kelly:
🌐 Website
🔗 Linktree

⏳ 04:48 – Understanding Addiction and Recovery
⏳ 07:45 – Dr. Kelly’s Personal Journey
⏳ 18:25 – The Science Behind Addiction
⏳ 28:10 – Overcoming Self-Sabotage
⏳ 33:15 – The True Measure of Success
⏳ 33:47 – Finding Fulfillment in Helping Others
⏳ 35:16 – Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone
⏳ 36:17 – The Power of Belief and Taking Action
⏳ 45:27 – Childhood Influences and Overcoming Trauma
⏳ 49:27 – The Importance of Nurturing and Presence
⏳ 52:48 – Tools for Overcoming Addiction and Trauma

🎧 Listen now and discover how to break free from self-sabotage, reclaim your life, and step into true recovery.

💬 Did this episode resonate with you? Let me know your thoughts!

#Recovery #Healing #AddictionRecovery #TraumaHealing #SelfSabotage #MentalHealth #EDRecovery #OvercomingAddiction #ChildhoodTrauma #Neuroscience

In This Episode, We Discuss:About Dr. Robb KellyEpisode Chapters