Nourish & Empower

Grounded Goals, Not Grand Transformations

• Jessica Coviello & Maggie Lefavor • Season 2 • Episode 12

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A new calendar doesn’t require a new you. We kick off the year by taking apart the pressure cooker of resolutions, asking why a “firm decision” often casts you as a problem to be solved—and how that framing supercharges diet culture’s loudest season. Instead, we offer a humane alternative: intentions that honor context, capacity, and change over time. This is a conversation about self-trust, not self-surveillance.

We explore why so many plans collapse by February: shame-based goals, unrealistic timelines, and the myth that transformation must be dramatic to count. From body image to mental health, we show how to reclaim your agency with small, low-pressure actions that actually stick. You’ll hear strategies for doing things you love even when you’re not “good” at them, reframing embarrassment so it doesn’t steal your joy, and choosing non-diet goals that make life richer—like therapy, creative classes, or trips you’ve put off. We also unpack manifestation beyond the social media sparkle, grounding it in evidence-based psychology: clear intentions, aligned self-talk, and consistent action.

For a simple anchor this year, we share our guiding words—grace and grounded—and how they shape choices across relationships, work, and well-being. Grace gives you room to be a person while you grow. Grounded keeps you rooted in what’s real: your values, your limits, your support system. If you’re tired of quick fixes and hungry for sustainable change, this conversation offers a calmer path forward.

If this resonated with you, subscribe, share with a friend who needs a kinder New Year, and leave a rating or review to help others find the show. What’s your word for the year?

Show notes:

Trigger warning: this show is not medical, nutrition, or mental health treatment and is not a replacement for meeting with a Registered Dietitian, Licensed Mental Health Provider, or any other medical provider. You can find resources for how to find a provider, as well as crisis resources, in the show notes. Listener discretion is advised.


Resource links:

ANAD: https://anad.org/

NEDA: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

NAMI: https://nami.org/home

Action Alliance: https://theactionalliance.org/

NIH: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/


How to find a provider: 

https://map.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us

https://www.healthprofs.com/us/nutritionists-dietitians?tr=Hdr_Brand


Suicide & crisis awareness hotline: call 988 (available 24/7)


Eating Disorder hotline: call or text 800-931-2237 (Phone line is available Monday-Thursday 11 am-9 pm ET and Friday 11 am-5 pm ET; text line is available Monday-Thursday 3-6 pm ET and Friday 1-5 pm ET)


If you are experiencing a psychiatric or medical emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.


Support the show

SPEAKER_02:

Join us as we redefine, reclaim, and restore the true meaning of health.

SPEAKER_00:

Let's dive into the tough conversations about mental health, nutrition, eating disorders, diet culture, and body image. This is Nourish and Empower. This episode is brought to you by Hilltop Behavioral Health, specializing in eating disorder treatment. Hilltop offers integrated therapy and nutrition care in one compassionate setting.

SPEAKER_02:

Visit www.hilltopbehavioralhealth.com because healing happens here.

SPEAKER_00:

Hello, everybody, and welcome to today's episode. Today it's just Maggie and I. And before we begin, of course, our trigger warning. We will be discussing eating disorders, body image, New Year's resolutions, diet culture, and mental health. Listeners, discretion is advised. This show is not medical nutrition or mental health treatment and is not a replacement for meeting with a registered dietitian, licensed mental health provider, or any other medical provider. You can find resources for how to find a provider as well as crisis resources in our show notes. But we are here to talk about the new year. And we've already had like 17 side conversations about everything right now. But we are very, very excited about everything because you know, New Year's is such an interesting topic where everyone feels like it has to be this complete and total transformation. The new year has arrived. What are we going to do? But, you know, hot take. Do we have to change? Does there have to be this grandiose difference? Or can we just cruise?

SPEAKER_02:

It also feels like a lot of pressure at this time of year. And I don't know. I'm not a I'm not a person who does well under pressure. I don't like pressure. So I also feel like when people, you know, somebody asked me a couple days ago, like, oh, do you have any resolutions for the new year? And I was like, no. And I really didn't have anything else to add to that because I'm just like, no, not really. Yeah. And I think, you know, obviously people do set resolutions and they're, you know, they're welcome to. But it kind of got me thinking, like, I use the word intention a lot with clients rather than even like the word goal. And like goals and resolutions to me, you know, I was looking up like the definitions of some of these words, and resolutions, especially, is like very like definitive. There's the the definition of it is like a firm decision. And I didn't like that. I like the word intention way better because I feel like a resolution to me, if it's a firm decision, it has a pastail feeling to it. Yeah. Where an intention to me is you're trying, you're doing your best. And isn't that all that we could ask for?

SPEAKER_00:

I didn't realize that resolution was such a hard and fast.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, so the definition says a firm decision to do or not do something, the quality of being determined. I can be determined. And then this one, the action of solving a problem. See, I don't like that. Like I just that made my skin crawl a little bit.

SPEAKER_00:

Especially when we're talking about resolutions and we're talking about us in the new year. If we're identifying ourselves as a problem, you're actually starting the year off on a really peep beep beep, like starting point. That was my beep beep beep for cursing. But like, you know, I don't, I don't think. Ew, I hated that. Why are you calling things a problem? Like, we're not problems here. We're people. I hated it.

SPEAKER_02:

I know. I know. And now that I know the definition, I I dislike it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, like I even hate new year new me. Like, what's your new year's resolution? Nothing, because we have no problems. And if we do have a problem, I'll figure it out. But I am not the problem. And that actually makes me hate diet culture even more. Because now understanding the meaning, which like I'm 34 years old, I probably should have known the meaning of resolution, but like really knowing the definition of resolution and knowing that everyone's like new year, new you, start a new diet because it's your new year's resolution. Like, we've literally cognitively psychologically predisposed people to see their body as a problem without even using that language because the word means that in its definition. And that's so terrible. That's so effed. Yeah. I just got angry. Dang.

SPEAKER_02:

This is a I feel like I'm like giggly and now angry. It's quite the swing of emotions today.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, when you're so angry, you just can't help but laugh. Like that's where I am now in this conversation. Absolutely where I'm at. Because what in the actual F is this about? I wonder if anyone's ever done a study on that. On what? Great question. Because I don't know if you actually could do a study on this, but like it just in the fact of how we like, is that is that word used intentionally? That's what yeah, like I like now, knowing the definition, is that used intentionally to make everybody believe that their body is a problem? To just continue to reinforce all the issues that we have with ourselves. Like I really want to know, maybe study isn't the right word, but I want to know if that was so intentional because they were like, well, if everyone thinks they're a problem, but resolution is such like a pretty word, then we've got them, but we're saying it as a good thing. You know what I mean? Like, oh, my brain is going crazy right now.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I just looked up the origin of New Year's resolution, and it it does date back pretty far, but it says 20th century resolution shifted from religious promises to personal goals for self-improvement.

SPEAKER_00:

Like, I'm here for self-improvement, right? Like I'm a therapist. It's literally my job is to help people improve the places where they want to experience growth. Like, obviously, I'm here for it. I just bewildered, dumbfounded, baffled by all of this.

SPEAKER_02:

And two, I mean, the diet industry is like a 70 plus billion dollar industry. So this is I, you know, I had a post, I made a post on our Instagram page about this yesterday. But basically, that like this is the hardest time of year for diet culture. So if you out there are feeling it, like we understand, and we are feeling it too, because it's, you know, it's everywhere. And like we kind of started saying with talking even about the resolutions, like the marketing with diet culture is always that like you are the problem, and diet culture is here to fix you, quote unquote, with all of that. Whereas, like the example I always give when I talk about this with clients is if you went to the store and you bought an appliance and you brought it home and it didn't work, you wouldn't be like, I am the problem here in this scenario. You'd be like, this appliance doesn't work. I'm going to bring it back to the store and exchange it and get a new one. But yet the diet culture mentality is like the system isn't broken. It's like trying to tell you that you are broken, and that is absolutely not true.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. That's so interesting to think about it that way, right? Because I don't, and I don't think people recognize like I wish people saw ourselves the way that we would see things, and like even comparing ourselves like it to an appliance, right? It just makes me think of that bridesmaids. What are you an appliance? What is your name? Stove. It's actually Steve. Made me think of bridesmaids. You know that part in the movie? No, but have you seen bridesmaids? Yes, but I don't remember that part. Remember when she's on the plane and she's like super jogged up and she's like, What is your name? Stove? What are you an appliance? And he's like, Actually, my name is Steve. He's the air marshal.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00:

No, no, no, no. The person she's talking to is the attendant, like the flight attendant.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, okay. And she's sitting for me.

SPEAKER_00:

And she's oh, I have to. I love that movie. And I'm not like a big movie buff unless it's Disney movies, but I love that movie. Um, but so if you're thinking about it, like, why is it that with other things we are able to identify what truly is broken versus like what we've been like, what how are we able to really identify what's broken versus when it comes to us? It's like we can't do the same thing. Like, I don't understand that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I mean, we are our most harsh critic for sure.

SPEAKER_00:

But while you were talking, I was looking something up because as I was pumping this morning at 4 a.m., I was scrolling Instagram and I found this post by Healthy Body, Healthy Mind. And oh gosh, where'd it go? And it says, if you're having a bad body image day, these TikTok comments may help you put things into perspective. And I was reading these and I was like almost in tears, which like isn't really shocking because I cry all the time. However, it's like super powerful. And so I feel like this is such a great convers like in like segue into our conversation because there's so many, and like on this post, as I'm showing you, Maggie, like it's just like clips of people's comments on her TikTok video, and it's just of what women have said about their experience with people with body image. And like there's this one that literally says, My grandma died in October, and on her little deathbed, she says, My stomach's never been so flat, I love it. And it made me balls my bald my eyes out. She was dying, and all she noticed was how skinny she's gotten, and all I can do is miss her. And it's like all of these, and like all of these, it was like how people are all of these are essentially saying how people were either on their deathbed or they like got sick and what their experience was like when they were sick or whatever, or there was one, there was another one where, you know, the grandmother was being told by her daughter, you know, you should eat this, you shouldn't eat that. And instead of enjoying the last days of her life and eating whatever she wanted, she was stuck eating like salads and just like more nutritious foods than the fun food she wanted to have because she was shamed by her own children to eat these things. And I feel like I feel like this whole conversation is just making me think of like how we have just continuously been conditioned to believe that our bodies are the most important part of us, that literally up until people's last breath, all they can think about is their bodies. And I don't know how we got here. And it's infuriating because there's literally women who are all they want is ice cream and they feel like they can't. Why? And so, like to your point about this year, like it it is a very tough time because all of the all of the you know, the billboards, the commercials, the radios, the TV, like everything is trying to get you hooked. And it's hard, whether you're recovering from an eating disorder or if you're just a you know, someone who hasn't struggled, it's very hard to drown out the noise when it's everywhere.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, no, absolutely. And I I feel like too, there's of course, like we're saying, there's kind of this air in the new year of, you know, people have this like burst of motivation that comes in. And I wonder what it would be like for people to use that, not in terms of like exactly like we're describing these, you know, diet culturally resolutions, yeah, but more like using that spark of motivation to be like, okay, maybe this is the year like I do really want to start therapy, or this is the year that I, you know, want to kind of focus on body image and kind of using that like motivation into these non-diet culture intentions, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Even to do something that you've always wanted to do. Like, do you want to go to a clay making class and you want to start doing like ceramics? Do you want to use this motivation to get to know yourself more, to take that trip that you always talked about? Like, how come like changing yourself can also be getting out of your comfort zone and doing something you've always wanted to do but never had the confidence to do it? So, why is it always that like the new year, new me has to be about creating change that's not necessary?

SPEAKER_02:

I don't know how to word that like more eloquently, but like No, I think you're onto it because I was also just thinking as you were saying that it doesn't even have to spark change. Like you could just go and try something like, you know, okay, I'll give an example. A few years ago, I went to a like glassblowing class by myself, right? Because there was a place near us. There's a place, actually, it's it's um near Marstown. So I wanted to go, I didn't have anybody to go with. So I went by myself, went, made a cup. It was fine, you know. I'm not an expert glass blower, which is totally fine. It was a little scary, it was very hot in there, and and I never went back. So, like, did it completely transform my life and I became into glass blowing? No. But like I have a very pretty purple cup that I made, and you tried something new. Like, it doesn't also have to be so transformative either, I guess is what I'm trying to say.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm I'm so obsessed with you, it's probably a problem. Like, that is the best thing I've ever heard. Number one. Number two, I love that you said that because it I feel like people, especially when it comes to New Year's or even when it comes to like I'm even thinking about coping skills. People always think that whatever you're doing to create change has to be so transformative or such this huge like awakening that if you if people don't get that almost like mind, body, soul, out-of-body experience, then it doesn't matter. Then it didn't do what it was meant to do when like an experience could have just been like, wow, that was fun, and that's it. Or like the coping skill could have like made you feel better, but it wasn't like euphoric, right? It doesn't always have to be this complete out-of-body or grandiose thing. And I love that you said that. Like, you can go ahead and go, you know, I one of the things I love to do, but like I haven't gone in like so long is like horseback riding. But like just because I don't go horseback riding doesn't mean that my life isn't fulfilled. And when I do go horseback riding doesn't mean that like I'm all of a sudden an equestrian and like I'm going to be jumping over things. No, but does that mean that I'm excuse me, but doesn't mean that I wasn't fulfilling? Also, no. Like it can just not be neutral, but it doesn't have to be huge.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and it doesn't have to be pressured. Yeah. Right? Like, there doesn't have to be that pressure of I'm gonna, like you said, I'm gonna go horseback riding and become an equestrian. Like, it's also okay for us to have some of these just like I don't know, I was gonna say medium hobbies, but I don't really know if that's like the right term for it. But just like things that you like to do that you don't do all the time and you don't never do. But yeah, like you said, it's kind of neutral in the middle.

SPEAKER_00:

You can also do things that you love and that you're bad at.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_00:

And I think that's also something people struggle with, especially in the new year. It's like, okay, well, if I start something new, I have to become really good at it. And if I'm not good at it, but I like it, then I just can't do it because I'm not good. But you don't have to, you don't have to be good at it in order to have permission to do it. If you love it, go ahead. Like, right? Like that's like when we talk to clients that are struggling and they're like, I hate running, but I feel like I have to run so I do it. No, you don't. No, you don't. And in the opposite, just because you're bad at it doesn't mean that you but you love it. Two things can live in the same space. Go ahead. Right? Like if you love a paint and sip, but you draw like a two-year-old, go to the paint and sip. Who cares? But I feel like people don't want to give their cell don't want to give themselves permission to do something if it's not good enough or perfect or overly positive.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and I feel like we're afraid to be embarrassed. Yeah. And I wonder not to put you on the spot, but I am, because I wonder like what would you say as a therapist back to that? Because I think as you were describing that, I feel like there's that that fear of I don't even think it's the fear of failure, right? Because I think some people would define that as the fear of failure. That's not really what it sounds like to me with what you're describing. So let's say, okay, you go to the paint and sip class, your painting is not, you know, going in a museum somewhere, right? I think people are afraid of embarrassment. So what advice would you give them?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, first, why isn't my painting going in a museum? I'm really confused. First of all, but to me, I feel like what are we embarrassed about? Like you go and you're having a good time. How does somebody else's comment or someone else just looking at your painting, how come they have so much power that they take your enjoyment away? Because that's what's happening, right? Like your fear of embarrassment, you could have not felt embarrassed at all that entire time. You could have been in the moment, felt like Picasso, you're painting away, you're sipping away, you're having a time, you're talking to the people, doing all the things, and you see your painting and you're like, oh, that looks kind of good. It's kind of silly. It is what it is. And then someone goes, That's your painting. And why does that one statement take everything away from you? Because then, listen, you can, we are human. So if someone makes that comment, are you gonna sit there and be like, ooh, that kind of hurt? Yeah, and you can still be like, I crushed that. Like, that was the best that I could do. It was silly. It's also if we're really talking about bat a whoa, stutter much. If we're also talking about a painting sip, you're gonna, you're, you're sipping. So the painting might also not be that great. You know what I mean? Like for obvious reasons. So like I don't think I think we put too much pressure, we take not pressure, we put too much importance on other people's outlooks on ourselves. And we allow other people's eyes to be the windows of ourselves instead of recognizing that our eyes are the windows to ourselves. So I would say, if you enjoyed it, how does somebody's statement take that away? And I would say, if what are we embarrassed about? Did you think this was going to be in a museum? Did you think this was going to be like postered up somewhere? Like, what is it about you having fun that then gets degraded or diminished? To embarrassment based on somebody else's interpretation or perception of your work. If it's if it was just something fun. And not to say that embarrassment can't be there. We can feel embarrassed and be like, yeah, that's kind of it doesn't look great. And we can still have fun and still love it. Like it's not saying we're trying to take away the entirety of feeling embarrassed. It's just how do we not allow embarrassment to take away our fun?

SPEAKER_02:

That was great. I love that. I feel like thanks. That was great advice. And I have another question for you too, because been seeing a lot of stuff lately as people are reflecting back on the past year and you know, thinking ahead. Been seeing a lot of stuff about manifestation and people manifesting goals and things like that. And I would love to hear a therapist's take on manifestation.

SPEAKER_00:

So it's so funny. I actually have to. Okay. So I obviously I've heard of manifestation, right? They're always these Instagram posts or whatever that's like manifest whatever in 2020, whatever, like like this, and you'll manifest happiness or money or whatever. So I actually had to look, I have to look it up because the definition of manifestation, like I want to know what it is. So from doing that, it's the process of turning thoughts, beliefs, and feelings into reality, often involving focused intention, visualization, and action, popularized by concepts like the law of attraction to achieve goals, though it's to better whether it's magical or rooted in psychology, relying on aligning your mindset and taking steps to bring desires into physical form. Ah. Okay. So my take is actually going to change, I think. Okay, so before reading this, what my thought was honestly that manifestation was kind of a crock of poo. Hot take. Only because if you want a million dollars, you can't just be like, I'm manifesting a million dollars. Like it's not just gonna poof show up. You know what I'm saying? Like, even if you want to win the lottery, you still gotta go to the store, you gotta buy the ticket, you gotta spend the money, and then you have to like wait to see if they've picked your number. Like, there's always work to be done. So I almost felt like some people will use manifestation as one of those like hot words where it's like, oh, if you manifest, you're gonna get whatever you want. And I don't necessarily think that's always realistic. Excuse me, because I'm even thinking about, I remember when I was posting about my wedding. And I remember when my husband and I and my parents, we all sat down and like his parents and we talked about where we were getting married. And obviously, I've known I want to get married at the park chateau since 2019. Didn't get engaged till 2022. However, we knew for a very long time this is where I wanted to get married. And I remember I would post pictures online, the whole thing. And then finally I posted one and I was like, wow, throwback Thursday posted this three years ago, and now in like a year and a half, this is where I'm getting married. And someone commented on my story and was like, wow, you really manifested that. And in my head, I was like, I can see where you're getting that because I kept putting it out into the universe of like, this is where I want to get married, this is what I want to do. Da-da-da-da-da. But to me, I felt like I didn't do anything. So to me, I was like, I don't know how that's manifesting. Because yes, I said I wanted to get married there. Yes, I like I literally we got back from vacation when we got engaged. A week later, we went to see the venue. Like, I was I was on it, okay. But like again, I I was determined. I had it in my brain that this is what I wanted. And so I did all the steps to get there. Now, granted, I also said that we didn't have to get married there because like, whoo, sticker shock. But like, I don't know. To me, I felt like people were always saying manifestation was almost just like you willed it, it will come. And it's I feel like there's so much more to achieving your goals than that. However, roundabout, bring this together, Jessica. Reading the definition, it's turn if you're turning thoughts and beliefs and feelings into reality by action and focused intention. To me, you're just saying I have a goal and I'm going to accomplish it. So what are you manifesting? I feel like you're just doing it. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, I think I think the social media manifestation has almost like the genie in a bottle kind of feel to it. Like, make your wish and like your wish will come true. But I feel like the exactly as you read the definition and then other things that I've seen about manifestation was almost like a comparison to CBT, about how like there are some similar, yeah, like, yes, you're like visualizing things and you're, you know, using self-talk and and all of that. But then right, like you said, there is like an action component to it as well. It's not like this is just falling into my lap. It's like these are the things I'm doing to achieve.

SPEAKER_00:

Because if we also think about CBT, there's that CBT triangle, right? Where it's like thoughts create feelings, feelings create behavior, behavior reinforces thoughts and it keeps going around and around in a circle. So if we're thinking about manifestation, that you're putting thoughts, beliefs, and feelings into reality through intention and visualization and action. Are you are those thoughts your visual visualization? So then you're having these feelings of I'm gonna go and do it, and then you're putting that into action, which is your behavior that reinforces what it is that you want to do. Again, I feel like manifestation kind of like resolution is just this big pretty word that people are slapping on there to be like this is what you could have if you manifest it. When in reality, if you if you have a goal and you do whatever it is to accomplish it, you're achieved, like you're just all of that is because of you. I feel like sometimes, and I don't know if I just said this and I'm just repeating myself because that happens a lot, but I feel like when people say if you manifest it, I feel like it's taking away the effort someone puts into something to achieve that goal. And it's more so just one of those things where it's like, if I say it, I'm going to get it instead of recognizing that there's so much effort behind achieving that people are just like not really acknowledging. Whereas if we were to say, okay, yeah, I accomplished it, like I achieved becoming a millionaire or I achieved having my own private practice or like even our podcast. Well, yeah, I I've I always wanted to have a podcast just because I love to talk and I don't ever shut up. And like, but do I think I manifested it by then like going to you and asking if you wanted to be on it, talking to my sister to see how you do these things? Like, no, I think I I think I did what I wanted to do and I took the steps to get to where I wanted to be.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and put in put in the work.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. And so, like, sure, is that manifestation technically by definition, what it is that you and I have done, it is manifesting. However, I feel like it's also like we did that. Right. I want to take credit for it.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, yeah. No, I think that is the the distinction, honestly. I think like again, the you know, kind of the I don't know what the right word would be, but like I said earlier, maybe the social media version of it is sort of like things just happen. Yeah. Rather than like the actual definition, which is like we made these things happen.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and I think that's why it bot it has bothered me so much. And listen, there are so many reasons why I love social media, and there are so many reasons why I sit there on it and I'm like, no wonder people are throwing out these words all the time because the way that sometimes they are portrayed, it's not the reality of it. So then I can also understand why there are some people that are like, oh, well, you know, I manifested that like I wanted this to happen and it didn't happen. Okay, well, did we do something to make it happen? Or did we just think that by saying it and putting it into the ether and whatever have you, that we just thought it was going to happen because we talked about it. I wish it was that easy. I'd have a house. Like these things, like it would be that simple. But it takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get the things that you want to get.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for that.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you for inviting us in. Um, I've been, I that that topic, I don't even know how I came up with it, but I came up with that in the summer. I have been like wanting to ask you this, and this felt like a good opportunity because I feel like I've seen so much stuff on manifestation this time of year too.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, yeah. I feel like it very much is what the and that's why I think resolution and manifestation are just those like big pretty words that people throw out to make someone motivated. Because when you have these words that then have real or figmented, is that a word? Like a like figment of your belief, right? Like, yes, people have had resolutions and there have been outcomes. Yes, people have manifested and there have been outcomes. And I feel like people can swing statistics, verbiage, outcomes, journeys to make people see what they want people to see. So it's like, yeah, maybe you did have a resolution of changing your body and you did it. So oh my god, diet culture wins. You know, my resolution, resolutions clearly are the thing I have to change my body. Oh my god, this person absolutely manifested getting their dream car, having their, you know, whatever practice they wanted to do, whatever. So obviously manifesting is what I have to do. But there's more than just the pillet, pretty bells and whistles there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, no, I hear you. I also too, so to jump back to the resolutions part. So I've seen people try to reframe New Year's resolutions by picking like a word for the year and having that word then apply in like certain aspects of their life. Or as I was just saying that too, I kind of forgot about this, but one of the Gilmore Girls podcasts I listened to, because if you know, you know, they pick a color of the year. And I have to like re-listen to really understand the all the details about it, but they pick a color each for the year, and like that color then has like symbolism as to, you know, some of the things that they're like hoping to, you know, have as intentions for the year. So I like both of those. Like the word I think is interesting. And I've and I've seen people come up with a word where then they apply that into different aspects of their life, right? It might be like, okay, this is my word, and this is what it means to me socially, this is what it means to me financially, this is what it means to me professionally. Yeah. I feel like the color idea was similar to that too. Yeah. But I just wanted to throw those out there because I feel like it's good for us to see too that there can be, again, people have motivation this time of year. Like there can be ways for you to have intentions for yourself for the year, but without it having that toxicity, you know, and that pressure to it.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. And I think that's, you know, I think sometimes too, that's why goals can feel so daunting, is because, like you just said toxicity. And sometimes we set goals, and if we don't do it by a certain time frame, or like if we say, okay, by you know, June, I want to have this, that, and the third, and like maybe you have this and that, and you don't have the third. So then it you almost the toxicity part of it is like you don't allow yourself to go through the journey and just allow things to happen when they happen. Now, obviously, like if life doesn't happen how do I want to say this? Sometimes life happens and it puts our timelines on pause, right? It it changes the things of when we wanted them to happen. It's okay. We have to then transition with what we cannot control, right? And I feel like when it comes to goals, sometimes people then feel that it is so hard and fast. And if I don't accomplish it by the certain time, then it's then it's over, then it's done. I can't ever then accomplish that goal ever again. And it's and it doesn't have to be that way. So I I I agree that there definitely can be a huge toxicity, right? Just like there's toxic positivity, right? There's there can be toxicity in a lot of things. Also in like the episode that we just put out with Chelsea, when there could be things with the anti-diet world that can be toxic, just like there's things with diet culture that can be toxic. It's finding that middle ground because not everything is going to be such a hard and fast. And we have to be okay with that somehow.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. So thinking of 2026, are there any words, colors, and intentions that that are speaking to you?

SPEAKER_00:

Words, colors, I mean, yellow and green always speak to me, but those are just my favorite colors. So if there's an e-reason behind it, exactly, I love that painting. But I don't so color, probably not. I just love those colors. Oh, stump me, Maggie. I don't know. I've never thought about this before.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it's a it's a different way of thinking about it for sure.

SPEAKER_00:

I don't know. I feel like a word that I just always use, especially in therapy, is like grace. I so I think that's always very important. I feel like I know for me personally, right? I want because I just this isn't my brain. In 2026, I hope to get a house and I hope to be pregnant again. And so I know for me two things I can't control, right? And so whether it's grace or whether it's understanding, whether it's blessings, whether it's acceptance, like I feel like I I have big family goals that I want to accomplish this year that again I have no control over. So just having the understanding that yes, I want these things and accepting that I'll get them when I get them, which is really hard. I feel like those are definitely for me personally, those are going to be like really big things. Because, like you, I think we said this in the beginning, or at some point, you can have non-diet culture goals. So, like, my goals have nothing to do with my body. Even postpartum people, my goals have nothing to do with my body. Thank you very much. So, like for me, it's like I want our podcast to really F and boom. So, like, what can we do here? For our boss that might be listening, I really want to get better at my documentation. That's also a goal for 2026. We will get there. I'm really trying to figure it out. And to everybody that knows me, it's been a decade of me trying to get better at documentation, so that's just gonna make a lot of people giggle. But like a lot of my goals I have are personal, but they're not physical. And so I feel like that's my goal is you know, those those are mine. Notes, what did I say? Family, babies, house, podcast.

SPEAKER_02:

Love it. That was a weird simulation moment, too. So my confirmation name is Grace. Because yeah, so I love I love that word. And and you and I both have had people in our life that we called mama, right? It was your grandma, it was my great grandma, and her name was Grace, so I love that word.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, not to make you cry. I know, seriously, like what are you doing here? And my niece, my niece's middle name is also Grace, and my cousin's middle name is Grace, and I love her. I'm like obsessed with her. It's a great name. Great word, great name. I love it. One day I would also like to get my seds. Is it Caesar seds?

SPEAKER_02:

So I've debated this with people. Apparently, it's regional how you say it. So, so for anybody listening, C E D S, right? Certified eating disorder specialist. Yeah, I call it seeds, but some people call it seds. But I was on a business trip last year, and a lot of people were saying it's kind of regional of what you what you call it. But most people I think call it seeds.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, that's so funny. Yeah, yeah. I would love to. I was signed up to begin it last January, or I at least I got emails to be like, hey, like you're able to start now. But my first trimester was absolutely horrid, and I couldn't keep my eyes open because my headaches and my nausea and my vomiting were atrocious. So I did not go for it, but I would like to at some point.

unknown:

Fair.

SPEAKER_00:

Do you have any goals? Not resolutions. Do you have anything you want to accomplish this year, Maggie?

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, I don't think I know enough about colors to pick a color, honestly, because I don't really know what they mean. Fair. But I would say the word that came to mind is grounded. Oh and I think in a few ways, I think like like physically grounded, because we just did a really big move a couple of months ago, and I have told my husband, like, I am not moving and buying and selling another house in the next few years, like it's been a lot.

SPEAKER_00:

Because you've also done that a few times within the past few years.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yes. So I I like physically, geographically want to stay grounded for a little bit of time. And uh and I also think too, I mean, I was thinking about this that 2025 was a really like kind of hectic and overwhelming year for me professionally. Like I, you know, I've changed jobs, I got, you know, got my seeds certification. I started adjuncting in 2025. It feels like I've been doing that way longer, but that was literally January of 2025, which has been amazing and exciting, but I just feel like professionally it was a really hectic, overwhelming kind of year. And I just want to be a little bit more grounded this year, and like, you know, I have great things set professionally, and I just kind of want to enjoy them as as you know, as much as I possibly can. Obviously, us getting the podcast back up and like I think we are like, I think grounded is a good word for that too, because I feel like we, you know, the first couple months of doing it, like, you know, as anything is new for people, we were figuring it out. And, you know, there was a lot of, oh my gosh, this happened, how do we handle this? How do we approach that? And I feel like, not to say that like things are perfect by any means, because you know, but we I feel like are are way more grounded in all of this too, and like we have our flow and we have our rhythm and we're really rocking it. So that will be my 2026 word.

SPEAKER_00:

I love that, and I do, and I do agree. I feel like you because we did it for a year, right? Of the podcast. And Like we had a great flow. We were really moving and grooving. I mean, we had so many episodes in our arsenal and we had so many interviews. I mean, I loved 2023 to 2024 because I thought it was just such a a beautiful time for us when it kind came to the podcast. And I I remember when we recorded our first episode for 2025, you and I were like baby deer, right? We were trying to walk and we were trying to figure it out. We were falling, we were tripping. I remember you and I got, we like finished recording our first episode and we were like, what in God's name did we just do? Like it felt weird, right? And but it you just gotta take the you got the the dust and the rust, you just gotta shake it off and like you figure it out. So I love that you chose the word grounded because I feel like I feel like with grounded, it's almost like regaining that trust with yourself. And I feel like we definitely did that. And not only did we trust ourselves to keep the momentum and keep doing what we already knew that we did, but with that grounded and that trust, we were able to do more than we ever did. Right. Like even thinking about it's so vulnerable to have to make TikTok and Instagram videos. And like you feel talk about being embarrassed. Like, hello. Like you feel so, I don't know about any other content creator, but like you kind of feel dumb. You're like, is this funny? Is this great? Is this stupid? Is this like you don't know how people are going to take things? You don't know if anything's gonna hit, even though Maggie's dead. Hey, like you don't, you don't know what's going to happen with what you put out there and you're putting yourself out there. And so, like, that's that I don't know if dichotomy is the right word, but like that's that that that cosmic difference of like you're embarrassed and you're trusting and you're doing, but you still do it. And I feel and so I feel like I love the word grounded because then it makes me feel of that trust word. And I feel like we've definitely grounded and trust and boomed. And I can't wait to see like podcast-wise, but more than we do.

SPEAKER_02:

And I think too, it emphasizes because we always talk about this in treatment, but like the importance of support. Like, I don't know if people realize like the level of support that you and I are for each other. And and like truly could not do this without you because anytime we're doing anything on social media, you know, because it is vulnerable and it can be embarrassing. Yeah, for sure. There's always that, like, hey, can you look at this first? Can you check this first? Like, we're hyping each other up. Like, where are, you know, number one support people and all of this? And obviously, we have a lot of other people, you know, helping behind the scenes too. But like, I also think it just emphasizes that support for people as well and how much you need that and how important it is.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely. Like, if I were doing this solo, I don't know if I would be putting myself on social media because the one having someone that's going through it with you really takes away that feeling of being a burden, right? Because if I were just texting you, being like, hey, can you check this post that I want to post on my own personal content creating like social media platform? And you're like, Yeah, sure, Jess, but you might take five days because it's not on your to-do list. You know what I'm like it, yes, you would still always be a support system for me no matter what. But knowing that you and I are going through it, I don't feel sorry, it's not sorry, but like I don't feel guilty being like, hey, check this out for me and being like, go look because I know we're in this together, versus if you weren't, and I was just going to you, not just as like a friend and a partner, or I was just going to you as a friend and being like, can you double check this? I would feel like I was bothering you because it's my stuff, not our stuff. So it does take it does help so, so much with the vulnerability and the embarrassment of having you by my side.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I hear that. I agree. And uh so okay, so grace and grounded for everybody listening out there. If you have a word, send it over to us. We'd love to hear it. And we thank you so much for listening. I know Jess made this amazing post the other day, just thanking everybody for their support. But like we truly mean it. We we love doing this, we love you know the work that we get to do, and it wouldn't be possible without all of you. So thank you and happy new year.

SPEAKER_00:

Happy New Year, everyone. Go get your goals. Bye. Bye. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Nourish and Empower Podcast.

SPEAKER_02:

We hope this episode helped you redefine, reclaim, and restore what health means to you.

SPEAKER_00:

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