"For years I believed happiness lived in a smaller body. What I finally learned was that healing my relationship with myself was the real transformation."
-Lauren Rojas
What if the hardest part of weight loss isn't the food—it's the emotional story you've been carrying your entire life?
In this powerful episode of Turmeric & Tequila, Kristen Olson sits down with wellness coach Lauren Rojas to discuss her 30+ year journey through diet culture, emotional eating, weight loss surgery, food addiction recovery, and ultimately finding peace with her body.
Lauren shares what it was like growing up overweight, beginning diets at just 10 years old, and spending decades chasing the belief that happiness lived in a smaller body. From Weight Watchers and fad diets to food addiction programs, CrossFit, and bariatric surgery, Lauren reveals the lessons she learned along the way and how she now helps women transform their relationship with food, body image, and self-worth.
Together, Kristen and Lauren explore the impact of reality television, The Biggest Loser, social pressure, emotional eating, body acceptance, self-awareness, and the importance of reconnecting mind, body, and spirit.
This conversation is for anyone who has ever struggled with food, body image, perfectionism, shame, or the belief that they are somehow "not enough."
In This Episode:
• Lauren's lifelong battle with weight and dieting
• Growing up in the height of diet culture
• Why attaching worth to weight can be so damaging
• Weight Watchers, fad diets, and food addiction recovery
• The Biggest Loser and the impact of reality TV on body image
• Emotional eating and the shame cycle
• Weight loss surgery as a tool—not a solution
• Intuitive eating and self-awareness practices
• Breaking free from guilt around food
• Building a healthier relationship with yourself
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Welcome & Sponsor Shoutouts
01:18 Meet Lauren Rojas
02:35 Growing Up Overweight & Starting Diets at Age 10
05:20 Attaching Self-Worth to Weight Loss
08:00 Weight Watchers, Diet Culture & Childhood Experiences
11:00 Fad Diets, Food Rules & Extreme Weight Loss Attempts
15:00 The Moment Lauren Realized Dieting Wasn't the Answer
17:40 Food Addiction Recovery & Losing 100 Pounds
21:00 Gaining the Weight Back & Emotional Struggles
24:00 Weight Loss Surgery as a Tool for Change
27:30 Turning Pain into Purpose Through Coaching
30:00 The Biggest Loser, Reality TV & Body Image Expectations
34:00 Public Attention, Anxiety & Emotional Eating
37:00 Mindset, Awareness & Healing the Relationship with Food
41:00 Food Addiction vs. Food Freedom
45:00 Self-Love, Awareness & Sustainable Wellness
48:00 Lauren's Coaching Approach & Final Takeaways
Lauren Rojas is a wellness coach for women who have used the tool of weight loss surgery or a GLP-1 to lose the weight, but know the real work is emotional and mental. Having lived the cycle herself for over 30 years, she understands this struggle from the inside out. Through reconnecting mind, body, and spirit, Lauren helps women break free from emotional eating and find lasting peace with food and their body.
https://www.uplift-journey.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588158020330
https://www.instagram.com/lauren.uplift.journey/
Connect with T&T:
IG: @TurmericTequila
Facebook: @TurmericAndTequila
Website: www.TurmericAndTequila.com
Host: Kristen Olson
IG: @Madonnashero
Tik Tok: @Madonnashero
Website: www.KOAlliance.com
WATCH HERE
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