Ep. 28 - Reverse Dieting 101: Healing After Chronic Dieting & Finding True Food Freedom

Written By Jazmine Corona

In this episode of Glow Social Hour, I sit down with nutrition coach Shay Pascale, whose story reflects what so many women quietly deal with: years of dieting, endless workouts, gut issues, painful periods, burnout and being told that everything looks normal when nothing feels normal.

Shay opens up about her 15-year journey of restrictive eating, intense exercise routines, IBS, hormonal chaos, migraines and the moment she realized she needed a completely different approach. Functional lab testing became the turning point that helped her understand her symptoms and rebuild her metabolism in a way traditional dieting never could.

Today she helps women nourish their bodies, repair their metabolism, stop fearing food and finally understand why their bodies feel stuck even when they’re putting in the effort.

We Discuss

  • How Shay’s weight changes after college led to years of dieting

  • The cycle of low-calorie eating, overeating on weekends, guilt and restarting every week

  • Why excessive workouts didn’t help her symptoms or her goals

  • How IBS, migraines, fatigue and hormone struggles intensified over time

  • Feeling dismissed by doctors and not getting answers from standard testing

  • How functional lab testing revealed what was actually going on

  • What reverse dieting truly is and why it works

  • How to know when your metabolism needs support

  • Why dieting doesn’t work for many women even when they’re consistent

  • The impact of sleep, stress, gut health and hormones on weight and energy

  • How building muscle opens the door to food freedom

  • A healthier mindset around holiday eating

  • How women can reconnect with their bodies instead of fighting them

Guest Bio

Shay Pascale is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P) and PN1-certified nutrition coach, and the founder of The Body Bulletin. After years of dealing with IBS, hormonal imbalance, migraines and chronic dieting while working a demanding corporate job, Shay turned to functional wellness to heal her own body.

Today she helps women in their 30s–50s repair their metabolism, balance their hormones, rebuild their gut health and break free from restrictive dieting through a blend of functional nutrition, lifestyle support and strength-focused fitness.

Connect With Shay

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Share This Episode

If this conversation gave you clarity, encouragement or a new way to understand your health, share it with another woman who needs this reminder.

Your body is communicating with you.
You can learn to trust it again.

Jazmine Corona
Next

Ep. 27 - Endometriosis & Fertility: Why Painful Periods Aren’t Normal And How to Heal Holistically