My Fridge My Friend Part 1

Podcast Series: Self Love to Self Sabotage

 

Episode Overview

In Part 1 of this 2-part deep dive, Patricia shares a deeply personal journey of overcoming emotional eating, food addiction, and a once-toxic relationship with her fridge, which was not just an appliance, but an emotional crutch.

From binging to self-awareness, from comfort food to self-love, this episode unpacks the psychological, societal, and biological reasons why we eat when we’re not hungry, and what finally helped Patricia break free.

If you’ve ever turned to food for comfort, felt shame after eating, or battled diet culture, this one’s for you.

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Key Quotes

“You are not weak when you binge eat. You’re weary.”

“My fridge wasn’t just an appliance — it was my emotional comfort blanket.”

“Happier people make healthier choices.”

“Self-love is a revolutionary act.” Abiola Abrahms

“I don’t work on my body anymore, I work with my body.” Patricia Ahern

There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river.

We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” Desmond Tutu

“And I said to my body, softly, ‘I want to be your friend.’ It took a long breath and replied, ‘I have been waiting my whole life for this.’” Nayyirah Waheed

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Key Topics

• Emotional eating recovery
• Comfort eating triggers
• Treats & sugar dependency
• Slimming pills vs self-love
• Diet culture myths
• The obesity crisis and societal influence
• Self-love and body image
• Healing through emotional awareness

What You'll Learn

• Why emotional eating isn’t just about willpower, it’s also about emotional suppression
• How childhood experiences may create lifelong associations between food and comfort
• The truth about diet culture, slimming drugs, and marketing manipulation
• How I shifted from food dependency to nutritional empowerment
• How I went from numbing to nourishment
• Why self-love is the foundation of sustainable health and helps us make healthier choices
• Actionable tips to begin your own healing journey with food and body image

Listener Tips

1. Write your WHY – Why do you want to feel better in your body? Connect with your why.
2. Start small – One mini healthy shift a day is enough.
3. Talk to your reflection – Build a positive, kind connection with your body.
4. Use your fridge as motivation, not a crutch – Put reminders or photos that empower you.
5. Remember: willpower is depleted by dependency and addiction. Healing refuels it.

Final Thoughts

This episode is more than a story about food, it’s about breaking cycles, reclaiming power, and learning how to love yourself from the inside out.

If this resonated with you, share it with a friend who needs to hear they’re not alone. Let’s spread the message that healing is possible, and self-love is the real miracle cure.

Mentioned in this Episode

Mariana Cardore F* The Diet book and podcast - recommended Listen - https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/how-is-your-mental-fitness-interview-patricia-ahern/id1623052831?i=1000579711827 –

Next Week

To be continued….. Part 2 – My Fridge: The Bigger Picture – will zoom out and explore the wider landscape of slimming jabs, public health, convenience culture, and how we all got here. Plus: how to build resilience in a world that profits off your self-doubt.

Don’t miss it.

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