Leslie Schilling, Sport Dietitian & Nutrition Therapist

05/23/2024

Little kids already understand that there are “good” and “bad” bodies. They aren’t born with this “knowledge,” they learn it from the adults around them - parents, doctors, teachers, and coaches all influence how kids feel about their bodies. Kids whose bodies feel constantly observed and judges are more likely to restrict food, binge eat, over exercise, and purge❤️

04/17/2024

👏👏👏

I know speaking up about food and body shaming can feel really awkward and stressful, but with practice it gets easier.

Make no mistake: body-shaming and food-shaming grandparents, aunts, uncles, doctors, teachers, coaches, and more have a big impact on how our kids feel about themselves.

It’s up to us to start changing the culture, one awkward conversation at a time!❤️

04/11/2024

Thank you Nutrition By Carrie for this thoughtful piece, and the Feed Yourself shoutout.

https://nutritionbycarrie.com/2024/04/washington-post-dietitians.html 💖

Last week, the Washington Post published the latest in its series of bizzarro hit pieces on registered dietitians. This whole thing started out last September because 17 dietitian “influencers” from the U.S. or Canada posted paid content to their social media followers and

03/29/2024

All 👏 of 👏 this 👏!!! Thank you EnlightenU Nutrition 👊👊

Here's a headline from an article I just read in Medscape News (an online resource for physicians and healthcare professionals worldwide) - it's not the first that I've seen drawing attention to prescribing GLP-1's for postmenopausal women so I think it's time we chat about this.

It is beyond frustrating to me that physicians would not think critically about blanket statements regarding GLP-1's for anyone, let alone to "manage menopause weight gain."

Here's why:
1. These meds come at a significant cost - the fact that nausea, vomiting, and gastroparesis are recognized as "common side effects" but completely dismissed as harmful is a problem. Vomiting is not healthy. Gastroparesis is often irreversible. A recent study in JAMA concluded that: "Use of GLP-1 agonists was associated with increased risk of pancreatitis (hazard ratio of 9.09 - so, 9 times the risk compared to the control); 4.22 times the risk of bowel obstruction; and 3.67 times the risk of gastroparesis" - this is a notable adverse side effect!
Source: Risk of Gastrointestinal Adverse Events Associated With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss, JAMA 2023.

2. When looking at the volumes of aging and geriatric literature, weight loss after age 65 is associated with an INCREASED RISK of mortality - for many reasons, but inadequate nutrition and weight loss take a hit on the immune system at a time in life when the body needs to defend against disease.

3. Glorifying weight loss in aging contributes to missing the fact that weight loss (when unintentional) is a red flag for cancer or other health problems - so physicians miss that cue from the body.

4. Weight does not equal health. TONS of research on this one that you can read elsewhere in my and others' social media IG. No matter what your position on weight or weight loss, clinicians should be informed about this data.

Finally, in no way am I intending to shame anyone who is using GLP-1s, MHT, or pursuing weight loss. I'm simply noticing that there's a lot of propaganda and disinformation that may lead to women not being able to make an informed choice about their health.

03/13/2024

True words… 💕

We have a powerful social and psychological influence on our kids’ relationship with food and their body. Yes, even more than social media!❤️

03/06/2024

My daughter came home from school the other day and her homework was to read the story: “Where Food Comes From”. She read aloud: “Potatoes are vegetables. These vegetables grow underground. French fries are made from potatoes.”

Me: Yessss!!! Facts! This is exactly what a 6-year old should be learning about food. Concrete information. How food is grown. How it gets from farm to table. Ways you can cook it. What food group it’s in. I’m thrilled.

And then she pauses and interjects: “Mrs. J says french fries aren’t healthy. But if you put them in the air fryer, then they’re healthier.”
My momentary elation not only floated away, but it popped and rained down into a sad puddle. Sigh. Deflated.

My initial reaction was to jump down everyone’s throat. I need to undo this, fix it. I’ll teach my daughter how food is not healthy or unhealthy. I’ll tell her that’s not true. Her teacher is wrong.
But I paused. I took a breath.

And I said: “Hmmm… That’s interesting. Do you think it would be healthy if you only ate broccoli all day?”

She looked at me, “NO!”

“Would it be healthy if you only ate french fries all day?”
“No.”

“Do you think it would be healthy if you only ate air-fryer french fries all day?”
Again, “No!”

“Exactly!! Our bodies need variety. What if you eat ice cream… cucumbers… oranges… pasta… chicken nuggets… strawberries… bread… chips… chocolate… french fries… broccoli… Do you think it’s healthy if you eat all those different things?”
“Yes!”

I approached it directly with my daughter, and I also emailed her teacher.

If you want the copy of the letter to have some talking points for yourself, comment here or DM with the word: LETTER

03/06/2024

What an honor to chat with Ellie Krieger about spotting diet culture. It’s a tricky subject, but once you see diet culture, you can’t unsee it.

Thanks a million, Ellie. 💖
Listen here: https://www.elliekrieger.com/podcast/episode-83-leslie-schilling/

03/06/2024

Diet culture permeates our society, and has untold negative effects on our well-being. But once we learn to see diet culture for what it is, we can step away from it toward true health.

In this episode, Leslie Schilling, Sport Dietitian & Nutrition Therapist and author of Feed Yourself shows us how to spot the diet culture that shows up even in the safest places –school, medical offices, and places of worship— and be empowered to step away from it.

Listen wherever you like to get your podcasts or click here: https://www.elliekrieger.com/podcast/episode-83-leslie-schilling/

02/29/2024

Yes, please. The next generation doesn’t need to be at war with their bodies (or judge other’s bodies). 💖

A few weeks ago at my daughter’s basketball game, I overheard a young girl make fun of another girl’s body in front of her mom. And then, her mom laughed.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.

That’s probably because I hear too many of my adult clients reflect on these kinds of childhood experiences as significantly impacting the relationship they have with their body and food.

The issue in my mind isn’t so much the girl’s comments. While they were completely inappropriate, she has internalized the same anti-fat bias that most of us have, living in the world we live in. What she needs is someone to help her see that bias for what it is, and WHY those comments are inappropriate and harmful (for others AND for herself).

In the same way that I understand why the girl said what she said, I also understand her mom’s response. AND, her mom needs to do better. We all do.

So what could her mom have said?
• All bodies are good bodies!
• People come in all shapes and sizes and that’s a really normal, natural and beautiful thing.
• All bodies deserve respect. How could you show more respect for her body?
• How would you feel if someone said something like that about your body?
• Hmmm, I wonder how well you know that girl? Maybe it would help to get to know her, instead of just looking at her and making judgements.
• We all have different amounts of fat on our bodies, and that says nothing about who we are as people.
• That girl has feelings, just like you. She has people in her life that love her, just like you. She has a body that allows her to do things she loves, just like you.

I’ve delayed sharing this post because I don’t know these people, nor do I know what happened before or after this conversation. I’ve also probably had PLENTY of interactions with my kids in public that people could easily have opinions or judgments about. I don’t always handle situations perfectly, and I know that!

But witnessing it only increased my resolve to model more inclusivity for my kids, and to speak out about anti-fat bias because it IS harmful, and it isn’t something we can just laugh off. 💛

How have you handled these kinds of conversations with your kids?

02/09/2024

It’s diet culture’s second favorite season - Lent! If you participate, here are some things to think about while keeping diet culture out of your practice.

If you decide to fast from food and secretly hope your body will change or you won’t want cookies afterwards, diet culture is already in your fast. It DOES NOT have to be food.

If you participate in Lent, what else would you add?

Stay safe out there - diet culture is in all the safe places…

02/07/2024

Via :

What adults say: “I can’t, l’m trying to be good.”
What kids learn: food is good or bad.

What adults say: “I’m trying not to gain weight.”
What kids learn: weight gain is negative.

What adults say: “I can go for a run to burn it off!” What kids learn: Working out is to cancel calories.

Let’s be mindful of how our words impact a future generation of strong women. 🙏🏼🙏🏼

01/25/2024

Connection is where it’s at…

A new study just came out that you’ll likely be reading about that found “social isolation was ranked higher than loneliness, depression, anxiety, and lifestyle-related risk factors including alcohol, physical activity, and healthy diet for estimating the risks of all-cause mortality, cancer-related mortality, and CVD-related mortality.”

The title of the article was, “Improvement of Social Isolation and Loneliness and Excess Mortality Risk in People With Obesity” - so the big question that gets raised is “how can o*esity treatments reduce social isolation?” 🤔

I also read a comment that said, “these results are nothing more than an observation of an association” - hmmm, so I guess when o*esity is associated with cancer or heart disease, it’s causation? 😫

Anyway, it’s a very interesting and important study and frankly speaks to the strong impact (or association) of social determinants on health - at any body size. And frankly, from a healthcare perspective, it speaks volumes to the importance of addressing weight bias and pressures placed on individuals by healthcare providers.

But, for me this study tapped into something deeper.

Given the profound impact of social isolation and loneliness on mortality risk, I wondered who do I know that may be suffering? How sad is that we are so distracted in this culture by insignificant things related to aging and longevity (usually beyond our control), when a phone call, an invitation to dinner, a kind word, or simply asking if someone needs a hand could be a difference maker in another persons life?

We worry about a few grams of sugar, argue over the best supplement, the amount of protein we’re eating, or type of exercise and miss the basics of meeting essential human needs.

My intent is not to shame or guilt myself or anyone else, but prompt a realization that social isolation (and loneliness) especially in midlife and older people IS a health risk that we can actually do something about! Sometimes we can feel helpless when there’s so much we can do ❤️

01/23/2024

Preach, Dr. G Gaudiani Clinic & thank you. 💖

01/19/2024

Today we wrap up our five day series with tips for looking at health, food, and our bodies differently. You can pursue health without chasing a number on the scale. Thank you Bianca Olthoff - Diet culture will not be our legacy.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6kom7ExCUWtAsBpC7VGck5?si=mtmXGy42QampXtcJ_LA45A

01/18/2024

Today, Bianca Olthoff and I dive into diet culture words like “cleanse” & “detox,” intuitive eating, opting out of obligatory weight checks at health visits, our favorite cookies, and more!

Listen to Day 4 here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1xqxl2pXyhBs0VEBsXxM3e?si=nYphP7vwSBezdXZmS0jjpA

01/17/2024

Today Bianca Olthoff and I dig into diet culture’s favorite Bible verses and more.

You can listen to day 3 here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1DKOyUWuOjw6IBzaai0rHz?si=cpRIRpNOTVGnHVuHHxF3XA

01/16/2024

Ready for Day 2? We jump right into the deep end - weight bias, BMI, eating disorders, & how diet culture dangerously shows up in health care settings. We’re Going There, for sure - Bianca Olthoff is helping bring a tough topic to light. And I am so here for it. 🥰👊

Listen to Day 2: https://open.spotify.com/episode/77JCDgusL85yzKVeZdCI3j?si=K9Nweil8SAqIddkFKHcBJA

01/15/2024

I'm so excited to share this series with you. Thank you, Bianca Olthoff for having these hard conversations. Let's break the chains of diet culture once and for all!! Stay tuned. This is episode one of five.

You can listen here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/weregoingtherewithbianca/episodes/Ep-133-Day-1---The-Weighting-Game-Series-with-Leslie-Schilling-and-Bianca-Juarez-Olthoff-e2e82sp

01/06/2024

If you need to be added to my newsletter list, now is the time. I've moved to Substack. Join us!

More Than a Menu has merged with Scales Are For Fish on Substack

01/02/2024

Because of the ever present programming to lose weight to get people not to bully or criticize or other us and coupled with the desire to belong, it’s easy to see how we fall into this trap of conformity belief of being body dissatisfied.

It’s been well entrained.

This is a loving and empathetic reminder that though hard to choose differently, we don’t have to do this anymore.

12/28/2023

What would you add? {Maybe your resolution is…not to make resolutions 🙌👊}.
•
Friends, we’re about a to get bombarded with ALL the weight loss and near year, new you crap. A LOT of companies are trying to profit off your feelings of shame and guilt over the foods you enjoyed the last few months.
•
Our kids are watching us. They’re learning about how to feel about their bodies by how we feel about OURS.
•
Is it OK to want to feel better and change your behaviors? ABSOLUTELY. Just please resist the pressure to be smaller, be thinner just because it’s the new year and the world tells you to.
•
xo,
Megan and Judy

12/28/2023

Heading into 2024 like…

Don’t let diet culture steal another moment of your life. You can take back your power, but you must be fully fed.

If you need help breaking away from the lies of diet culture, read FEED YOURSELF. If you want to do something resolutionish, read a chapter a day. And, take a community of friends with you! Tag your buds below. ⬇️

Diet culture will NOT be our legacy. 👊💖

12/23/2023

Would you help me reach my goal of 50 reviews of FEED YOURSELF by 2024? I’m so grateful for the beautiful reviews so far.

You can get a copy or leave a review here: https://a.co/d/jjGPtcF 💖💖💖

12/23/2023

Life can be so much more than dedicating all our energy toward shrinking our bodies over and over again. Not to mention, skipping the diet talk helps those struggling with eating disorders.

Via

12/22/2023

So true, thanks Emily Fonnesbeck, RD 💖🎄✨

A holiday season eating reminder. I hope it comes at a good time for you! 💛

12/22/2023

The concept of “enough” food is an interesting one. This is not a static calculation, nor is it one-size-fits-all. It’s definitely not found outsourcing your body’s inner wisdom via an app or smartwatch. Ultimately, it’s something that only your body can determine – but diet culture prevents so many of us from tuning in and listening. While discussing this with clients and dietitians that I that I support through supervision, this concept keeps coming up. Full is NOT the same as fed.

Let’s take a closer look. Imagine eating a heaping plate of raw veggies - maybe it’s how you avoid foods you like but have a fear of, like holiday cookies. The high amount of fiber in the veggies or pre-party salad may help you perceive the sensations of fullness, but there is still something missing. The experience of satisfaction, of being fed, addresses that gap. Fed is eating what you truly enjoy, without guilt or restriction. It’s leaving the table feeling satiated and nourished: body, mind, and soul. It’s having the foods that bring you joy AND nourishment.

Consider this your reminder that you deserve more than mere fullness. You deserve to feed yourself, with peace, freedom, and delight. You deserve to feel truly fed. Diet culture is no longer invited to only offer you “full”.

How will you move toward being fed this season? I’ll start, I’ll incorporate the foods I love along with foods that make my body feel good. Hello maple 🍁 cookies and Caesar salads (& so much more)! I’ll also surround myself with friends that try to do the same. 💖✨

If you need more help with this, my book FEED YOURSELF can help. It’s available anywhere books are sold, and in all formats.

12/20/2023

As we dig into Chapter 15 - Truth #5 - We acknowledge that we owe no one a number on the scale. We don’t owe a medical system, a school, a pastor, an influencer, a partner, a parent, or even ourselves, a number on a scale. When we chase number after number we ultimately lose ourselves, and maybe even the possibility to pursue our purpose.

In their wonderful book “More Than A Body,” Lexie and Lindsay Kite, PhDs, and creators of remind us that these bodies are instruments NOT ornaments.

I hope you’ll read FEED YOURSELF and free yourself from diet culture’s grasp and false expectations.

12/20/2023

As we move through part two of FEED YOURSELF - Chapter 14 (Truth #4) is ALL about mental health.

This chapter opens with wise words from “The Body Keeps The Score” author . As a healthcare provider, I’ve shifted my practice drastically over the years as I’ve learned just how important our mental health is to our overall wellbeing. This includes awareness of social determinants of health, trauma, adverse childhood events, and more. It should be required learning for all healthcare providers. Sadly, it may not be, and our visits can often be full of shame, unsolicited diet advice, or weight loss drug recommendations with little to no inquiry about our mental health. We deserve better. We ALL deserve multifaceted health care NOT weight care.

What if your provider sat down, looked you in the eyes, and said “how are you, really? Anxiety and depression may look like x, y, and z. Could you be experiencing this?”

What if your provider said “we rarely do weight checks here because we realize they’re not necessary for most adult medical visits AND I realize it gets in the way when you have something really important to talk to me about!”

What if your provider asked “Do you have people that you feel safe with? Do you have strong and healthy relationships with people in your life?” And, if you said no, you would get a referral for mental health support.

How wonderful would that be? Less time on numbers that get in the way of our true wellbeing and connections, and more time on making safe ones.

I dig into all of this and more in FEED YOURSELF. 💖 As you swipe, you’ll see call-out boxes from chapter 14. offers such an important note on mental health and this human experience, as well.

I hope you’ll read it. I hope it will lead you to truth. I hope it will help you get closer to others and yourself. 💖