💪 The Hairy Chin: The Eating Issue

Hello again,

This week’s theme isn’t about healthy food choices or meal prep hacks for menopause, even though those things do matter. This time, I’m going deeper into eating itself. Just eating. Because for many of us, there’s a lot wrapped up in that one ‘simple’ act, and it can get complicated.

So this week, we’re looking at some of that complexity. The parts we usually keep private. The ways disordered eating shows up, the use of GLP-1s, the blurry middle where so many women quietly struggle, and the stories we carry about what eating should look like.

How we eat can reveal so much about how we comfort ourselves, how we cope, how we connect, and how we show love, to ourselves and to others. Some of us eat to live, others live to eat, and many land somewhere in between. I’m opening up all of that here.

It’s a very tender and human theme this week, and I’m grateful you’re here while we sort through it together.

Spencer Moore
Founder, The Hairy Chin
(Listen to The Hairy Chin Podcast)
(Visit www.thehairychin.com)
(Follow us on IG and TikTok)

In the latest episode of The Hairy Chin Podcast, I talk with pilates studio owner Laura Ceppelli about her 24-year journey through disordered eating and her path toward recovery.

We talk about the power of movement (especially pilates/breathwork) and the mind-body connection as tools for healing. Laura also shares how writing became her way to release emotions, reprogram her subconscious, and reclaim her voice. We share excerpts from her personal essay in the book, The Pay It Forward Book Series: Notes To Your Younger Self, where she reflects on how bulimia shaped her self-worth, relationships, and identity.

Her brave and honest story is a reminder that recovery isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress, community, and compassion for yourself along the way.

A quick note: This episode includes open discussion of disordered eating, none of which are medical advice. If you or someone you love is struggling, please reach out to a licensed health professional or a trusted support network. Recovery is possible, you never have to walk it alone. 🩷

🎧 You can listen to “Bulimia Recovery, Body Work and Self-Acceptance: A Conversation with Pilates Studio Owner Laura Ceppelli” here on your favorite podcast platform.

And up next on Chin Chats, I’m getting personal about my experience with the GLP-1 medication Wegovy. I’ll share why my doctor and I decided it was the right path for me and my lived experience of the physical changes, the mental adjustments, and how it’s shifted the way I think about food, hunger, and body image. It’s my personal take on the new world of GLP-1s, the cultural conversations around them, and how they connect to our complex relationships with eating.

🎙️ The episode releases Tuesday, November 18th at 9am EST. Mark your calendar or subscribe to The Hairy Chin Podcast to get new episode alerts.

Self-advocacy isn’t built with just one tool. It’s shaped by the practices, perspectives, and resources that move you closer to the life you want. To help you strengthen your connections, this week’s section is filled with resources that both inform and empower you along the way.

🎙️ Great Podcast Listen: “Emotional Eating, Obsessive Dieting, and Food Freedom” with Dietitian Alana Kessler on The Hairy Chin Podcast
In this episode, I speak with registered dietitian Alana Kessler about the emotional side of eating, unpacking how food often fills needs that have nothing to do with hunger. We discuss the concept of “food noise,” emotional patterns around eating, and how GLP-1s have entered the conversation.

📘 Useful Book Rec: The Pay It Forward Book Series": Notes to Your Younger Self by Kezia Luckett 
A collection of 18 heart warming stories of hope, wisdom and inspiration, written by women around the world as they write notes back to their younger selves. Our lovely podcast guest Laura Ceppelli shares her personal essay, “It’s OK To Be Me,” in the book.

📱 A Quick Watch: The Myth Of Comfort Food (IG)
IG’s @cookwithdrbrooke is a board certified Psychiatrist who is also certified in Nutritional Psychiatry (yes, that’s a thing!) and explores the connection between nutrition and mental health outcomes. In this short clip, Dr. Brooke talks about the therapeutic value of comfort foods and whether or not they really do ‘comfort’ you. It’s a great quick watch and also a great account to follow! 

*(FYI - Our book links are through Bookshop.org - a great way to buy books online while still supporting local bookshops!) 📚

“It’s OK to be me.”

Eating carries different meaning for each of us. It intersects with culture, emotion, routine, trauma, identity and so much more. However it shows up for you is valid. There really is no right way to feel about it or navigate it. One of my favorite phrases is especially valuable here: you do you.

As we wrap up, I’ll leave you with one question: What has eating meant to you throughout the different seasons of your life?

Wishing you a wonderful end to your week.

See you next time,
The Hairy Chin