RCS 7: eating disorders do not have a look and neither does recovery with Eric Pothen

RCS 7: eating disorders do not have a look and neither does recovery with Eric Pothen

Welcome back to the Recovery Companion Series. 🎉  In this episode, Kait and Eric tackle one of the most frustrating and damaging misconceptions in eating disorder treatment → the idea that weight restoration equals recovery. Kait shares the moment she was discharged from partial hospitalization in 2016 because insurance stopped paying, and what the years that followed actually looked like. Together they unpack why basing discharge and treatment access on weight alone leaves so many people without the support they actually need  and why that gap is a system failure, not a personal one. They also challenge the language around recovery, what it actually means to be recovered versus recovering, and why you can struggle with any eating disorder at any size. This is the conversation the treatment world needs to have. Episode takeaways: * Weight restoration is the tip of the iceberg, not the finish line * Only around 6% of people with eating disorders are considered underweight * You can struggle with any eating disorder at any size * Being discharged from treatment is not the same as being recovered * Discharge criteria based on weight alone is a system failure * Recovery is a lifestyle not a destination with a finish line * An eating disorder thought in recovery does not have to become a behavior * Language around recovery matters, recovered and in recovery are not the same thing Connect with Kait 📸 @bitebybiterecovery [https://www.instagram.com/bitebybiterecovery/] 🔗 bitebybiterecovery.org [http://bitebybiterecovery.org]  📞 Interested in 1:1 recovery coaching? Book your FREE discovery call  [https://calendar.app.google/CZGWfFrTTaQwjcuL7] 🍒 Kait’s Recovery Resources [https://www.bitebybiterecovery.org/recovery-resources] Connect with Eric  📸 @ericpothen  [https://www.instagram.com/ericpothen/] 🔗 Eric’s website  [https://www.ericpothen.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAad-SGbJqs2sSJJ2aZ9O1QSOIF4ZcTUQLtyltRSzEYhCqOOd2gsRdo4uLlbV2g_aem_VfkGYxA5w_ohvok-Jq8R4Q] 🎙️ Embracing You [https://open.spotify.com/show/3uk2D9zMreZYZTJgUIRayw?si=2e47e641638d4a50] 👕 Embrace Wear [https://www.etsy.com/shop/EmbraceWearCo]

50. talking yourself out of recovery? this one is for you

In this milestone solo episode, Kait marks 50 episodes of Bite by Bite with a real talk about where the podcast is headed, what her coaching looks like now, and the thing she actually came here to say,  the most common objections she hears from people on the edge of choosing recovery, and what is really behind them. Kait has heard them all. She has said them all. And in this episode she breaks down what each one actually means when you strip away the eating disorder voice, and why none of them mean what you think they mean. This episode marks the end of Season One. Bite by Bite will return September 1st, 2026 with Season 2. Episode takeaways: * Wondering if you are sick enough is reason enough to get support * The eating disorder costs more than recovery ever will * Not recovering before means you need something different,  not that recovery is impossible * The wrong provider is not a reflection of you * The eating disorder is what is stealing your time, not recovery * Fear and forward movement can exist at the same time * Scared and consistent is what recovery actually looks like * Being stuck is information,  not a final answer * The next step just has to be one step toward recovery Connect with Kait 📸 @bitebybiterecovery [https://www.instagram.com/bitebybiterecovery/] 🔗 bitebybiterecovery.org [http://bitebybiterecovery.org]  📞 Interested in 1:1 recovery coaching? Book your FREE discovery call  [https://calendar.app.google/CZGWfFrTTaQwjcuL7] 🍒 Kait’s Recovery Resources [https://www.bitebybiterecovery.org/recovery-resources] Affiliate Links COMFRT  [https://www.comfrt.com/KAITLYN59217] FIND THE GOOD  [https://findthegoodbrand.com/discount/KAITMORE03?ref=Kaitmore]

49. the similar brain chemistry behind eating disorders & addiction with Taylor Angelise

Join Kait and Taylor Angelise, registered nutritionist and eating disorder recovery advocate, as they have a conversation that is long overdue. The profound and scientifically backed overlap between eating disorders and addiction. From compulsive behavior and dopamine-driven cycles to isolation, secrecy, and relapse rates, Taylor and Kait break down why these two struggles share so much more than anyone in traditional treatment is acknowledging.  In the episode, they also get personal, sharing their own experiences with the way one coping mechanism can quietly replace another when the root cause goes unaddressed. This episode also tackles the hard truth about finding the right provider, why the wrong one can make things worse, and why advocating for yourself, even when you feel like you don't deserve to, might be the most important thing you do in recovery. This is one of the conversations the treatment world isn't really having yet. Until now. Episode takeaways: * Eating disorder brains and addiction brains show nearly identical patterns * Both are driven by the same dopamine and reward chemistry * Compulsive behavior is the core overlap between the two * You can't outthink a chemical reaction it was never about willpower * When one coping mechanism fades another can quietly take its place * The wrong provider can set recovery back and  that is not your fault * Advocating for yourself in the darkest moments is hard but necessary * The future of eating disorder treatment may look a lot more like addiction treatment Episode guest: Taylor Angelise is a certified holistic nutritionist and therapeutic practical herbalist based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She holds an honours diploma from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition with an additional certification in nutrition and mental health, plus formal training in herbal medicine and holistic lab interpretation allowing her to view medical diagnostics through a body, mind, and nervous system lens. But her work isn't just academic,  it's deeply personal. At 17, Taylor was hospitalized for anorexia nervosa. What followed were years of struggle and frustration as conventional approaches failed to address the root of what was happening in her body and mind. Eventually she moved to Mexico, where she unintentionally found what had been missing all along: safety, connection, nourishment, and a new relationship with food and herself. Healing came not from force, but from understanding the deep connection between the nervous system, nutrition, mental health, and environment. Taylored Path Nutrition & Herbal Medicine was created for those who feel like they've tried everything and still don't feel at home within themselves. Taylor works with clients across Canada, the United States, and the UK. 📞 Interested in 1:1 recovery coaching? Book your FREE discovery call [https://calendar.app.google/CZGWfFrTTaQwjcuL7] Connect with Kait 📸 @bitebybiterecovery [https://www.instagram.com/bitebybiterecovery/] 🔗 bitebybiterecovery.org [http://bitebybiterecovery.org]  🍒 Kait’s Recovery Resources [https://www.bitebybiterecovery.org/recovery-resources] Connect with Taylor 📸@Tayloredpathnutrition [https://www.instagram.com/tayloredpathnutrition/] 🔗www.tayloredpathnutrition.ca [http://www.tayloredpathnutrition.ca] 📩support@tayloredpathnutrition.ca  [support@tayloredpathnutrition.ca] UK 📩support@tayloredpathnutrition.co.uk  [support@tayloredpathnutrition.co.uk] Affiliate Links COMFRT  [https://www.comfrt.com/KAITLYN59217] FIND THE GOOD  [https://findthegoodbrand.com/discount/KAITMORE03?ref=Kaitmore]

RCS 6: what “trusting the process” of eating disorder recovery actually means with Eric Pothen

Welcome back to the Recovery Companion Series. 🎉  In this episode Kait and her co-host, Eric, sit down for an honest, unfiltered conversation about what trusting the process in eating disorder recovery actually means and why the phrase alone often does more harm than good. They break down why resistance to the process is valid, how to find the parts of recovery you can actually buy into, and why showing up even when you're only 2% in still counts as progress. They also explore the all-or-nothing thinking that makes trusting the process feel impossible, and offer a reframe that makes it feel a little more human and a lot less overwhelming. No toxic positivity. No empty reassurance. Just two recovery coaches with lived experience telling you the truth about what this process actually looks like from the inside. Episode takeaways: * You don't have to trust all of it,  find the parts you can * Resistance to the process is valid and worth naming out loud * All-or-nothing thinking makes trusting the process harder than it has to be * Showing up is proof that some part of you is already buying in * Your 100% looks different every day, and that's okay * Discomfort means you're moving toward recovery not away from it * Break it down, what does recovery look like right now, not eventually * Be where your feet are, not ten miles ahead Connect with Kait 📸 @bitebybiterecovery [https://www.instagram.com/bitebybiterecovery/] 🔗 bitebybiterecovery.org [http://bitebybiterecovery.org]  📞 Interested in 1:1 recovery coaching? Book your FREE discovery call  [https://calendar.app.google/CZGWfFrTTaQwjcuL7] 🍒 Kait’s Recovery Resources [https://www.bitebybiterecovery.org/recovery-resources] Connect with Eric  📸 @ericpothen  [https://www.instagram.com/ericpothen/] 🔗 Eric’s website  [https://www.ericpothen.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAad-SGbJqs2sSJJ2aZ9O1QSOIF4ZcTUQLtyltRSzEYhCqOOd2gsRdo4uLlbV2g_aem_VfkGYxA5w_ohvok-Jq8R4Q] 🎙️ Embracing You [https://open.spotify.com/show/3uk2D9zMreZYZTJgUIRayw?si=2e47e641638d4a50] 👕 Embrace Wear [https://www.etsy.com/shop/EmbraceWearCo]

48. your closet is an important part in eating disorder recovery with Nicole Garfunkel

📞 Interested in 1:1 recovery coaching? ⁠CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ⁠ [https://linktr.ee/biteebybite] You left treatment. You did the hard work. And then you opened your closet,  and nothing fit the same. This is the conversation nobody in treatment prepares you for. In this episode, Kait sits down with Nicole Garfunkel, personal stylist for people in eating disorder recovery and owner of Styling Confidential, to talk about the part of recovery that gets completely overlooked: getting dressed. Nicole breaks down why getting dressed is one of the most emotionally loaded daily acts for someone in recovery,  and what to actually do about it. From clearing out a closet full of clothes tied to your eating disorder, to understanding why sizing is completely meaningless, to building a personal style that reflects who you're becoming,  this episode is packed with practical tools wrapped in real body image coaching. If you've ever stood in front of a full closet and felt like you had nothing to wear, avoided shopping because the dressing room felt like a minefield, or held onto a pair of jeans you haven't fit into in years,  this one's for you. Episode takeaways: * Getting dressed is a daily act that deserves intention * Clothing sizes say nothing about you * Clearing your closet is part of clearing the disorder * Your style is allowed to evolve as you recover * Dress for yourself, not for anyone else * The small details are what actually make you feel good Connect with Kait 📸 @bitebybiterecovery [https://www.instagram.com/bitebybiterecovery/] 🔗 bitebybiterecovery.org [http://bitebybiterecovery.org]  📞 Interested in 1:1 recovery coaching? CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE [https://linktr.ee/biteebybite] 🍒 Kait’s Recovery Resources [https://www.bitebybiterecovery.org/recovery-resources] Connect with Nicole 📸 @styling_confidential [https://www.instagram.com/styling_confidential/?hl=en] 🔗 stylingconfidential.com [https://stylingconfidential.com/] 🎥 @styling_confidential [https://www.tiktok.com/@styling_confidential?_t=ZT-8uZkqPq4blu&_r=1] Affiliate Links COMFRT  [https://www.comfrt.com/KAITLYN59217] FIND THE GOOD  [https://findthegoodbrand.com/discount/KAITMORE03?ref=Kaitmore]