What if the reason you’re stuck with food, your body, or your confidence… has nothing to do with discipline?

In this episode of Eat the Fcking Food, Kristin Collins sits down with midlife transformation coach and 15x Ironman athlete Jen Rulon to unpack the decades of conditioning that taught women to shrink, restrict, and “earn” their food, and what it actually takes to break free.

Jen shares how growing up in the Weight Watchers era shaped her relationship with food, why even elite-level athleticism didn’t fix the mindset, and how learning the science of metabolism, movement, and nervous system regulation completely changed everything.

This conversation goes far beyond weight loss. It’s about reclaiming your voice, rebuilding trust with your body, and finally stepping into your full power in midlife.

If you’ve ever felt like you need to do more, eat less, or be smaller to be worthy… this episode will shift something in you.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why so many women believe they have to “earn” their food
• The hidden mindset that keeps you stuck in restriction and guilt
• How understanding metabolism changes the way you eat forever
• The role of nervous system regulation in weight loss and energy
• Why midlife is the most powerful time to redefine your identity
• How strength training and movement build confidence beyond your body
• How to stop shrinking and fully express who you are
• The four pillars Jen uses to transform her clients’ lives
• Why rest is just as important as movement (and why it feels so hard)
• How to create sustainable habits that evolve with your life

We talk about:

• 00:00 Meet Jen Rulon and her midlife transformation journey
• 01:30 Growing up in the Weight Watchers and diet culture era
• 03:00 Learning to feel guilty around food at a young age
• 05:00 The belief that you have to “earn” your food
• 06:30 Discovering Ironman and entering the world of endurance training
• 08:00 Using exercise to justify eating instead of fueling performance
• 09:30 When fitness doesn’t fix your relationship with food
• 10:30 Learning the science of metabolism
• 14:30 Food shaming and why it keeps women stuck
• 16:30 Why midlife women struggle to trust themselves
• 18:30 The impact of childhood conditioning on self-expression
• 21:00 The four pillars, movement, metabolism, mindset, and meaning
• 24:30 Why longevity and quality of life become the real goal

Connect with Jen

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachjenrulon/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachJenRulonMS
• https://jenrulon.com/

Connect with me

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinrcollins/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kristin.collins
• Website: https://kristincollinshealthcoaching.com/

#MidlifeWeightLoss #FoodFreedom #StopShrinking

What does it actually take to lose over 100 pounds… and keep it off?

In this episode of Eat the Fcking Food*, Kristin Collins sits down with Allison O’Brien, content creator and founder of Living Simply Well, to unpack the real story behind her 140-pound weight loss journey.

This is not another conversation about perfection, restriction, or chasing the next “fix.” Instead, Allison shares how she broke free from years of over-optimizing, under-eating, and constantly starting over, and built a sustainable approach rooted in nervous system support, nourishment, and self-trust.

From closing a six-figure business to reclaim her health, to redefining productivity and using tools like GLP-1 intentionally, this episode is a powerful reminder that lasting change happens when your habits actually fit your life.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why doing everything “perfectly” can still leave you feeling exhausted and disconnected
• The real reason weight loss plateaus happen (even when nothing changes on paper)
• How nervous system regulation impacts metabolism, energy, and consistency
• Why discipline alone isn’t the answer, and what actually creates peace
• How to build sustainable weight loss habits that work in real life
• The truth about GLP-1 medications and how to use them as a tool, not a crutch
• Why your habits must evolve with your season of life
• How to stop tying your worth to productivity and outcomes
• What a “bare minimum day” looks like and why it prevents burnout
• How to move out of all-or-nothing thinking into long-term consistency
• Why you don’t need to choose between success, health, or peace
• The mindset shift that allows you to finally trust your body again

We talk about:

• 00:00 Meet Allison O’Brien and her 100+ pound weight loss journey
• 01:30 The cycle of perfectionism, under-eating, and burnout
• 03:00 Why “doing everything right” wasn’t working anymore
• 05:00 The plateau that forced a deeper mindset shift
• 06:30 Burnout, anxiety, and closing a six-figure business
• 08:00 Redefining productivity and success as a woman
• 10:00 Building a life-first, not business-first, approach
• 12:00 Creating space, routines, and intentional mornings
• 15:00 The power of walking, movement, and mental clarity
• 17:00 “Bare minimum days” and staying consistent in hard seasons
• 19:00 Why health looks different in every season of life
• 21:00 Losing 140 pounds and learning to take up space
• 23:00 The mindset shift that made everything sustainable
• 25:00 The truth about GLP-1 and metabolic health
• 28:00 Why wellness has to become your identity, not a phase
• 30:00 Consistency, flexibility, and letting go of perfection

Connect with Allison

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamafinally
• X: https://www.x.com/mamafinally
• https://www.livingsimpleandwell.com/

Connect with me

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinrcollins/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kristin.collins
• Website: https://kristincollinshealthcoaching.com/

#SustainableWeightLoss #StopStartingOver #HealthyHabits

What happens when life completely derails your routine… and you’re trying to stay consistent with your health?

In this solo episode of Eat the Fcking Food*, host Kristin Collins hits record anyway. No guest, no perfect plan, just a real-life moment where things didn’t go as expected, and a powerful reminder that your health habits have to work in real life, not just ideal conditions.

Kristin breaks down what it actually looks like to stay consistent when your schedule is unpredictable, your options are limited, and motivation is low. From navigating chaotic weekends and less-than-perfect food choices to redefining what “healthy” really means, this episode challenges the all-or-nothing mindset that keeps so many people stuck.

If you’ve ever felt like you have to “start over” every time life gets busy, this conversation will help you build habits that actually last, even in the middle of the mess.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why your life isn’t going to slow down, and why your habits need to work anyway
• The hidden reason consistency breaks when your schedule gets busy
• How to stop restarting your health routine every few months
• What “healthy” actually looks like in real, messy, everyday life
• Why perfection is quietly sabotaging your progress
• How to make balanced food choices, even with limited options
• When convenience foods support your goals, not derail them
• Simple ways to fuel your body when everything feels chaotic
• Why hydration, movement, and small actions still matter
• How to shift out of all-or-nothing thinking into sustainable habits
• The mindset that makes consistency easier, not harder
• Why your routine should hold up in hard seasons, not fall apart

We talk about:

• 00:00 When life goes sideways and you choose to show up anyway
• 01:00 Why a busy life is not the problem, your approach might be
• 02:00 The “I’ll start later” mindset that keeps you stuck
• 03:00 Breaking the cycle of stopping and starting over
• 04:00 Redefining healthy beyond rules and perfection
• 05:30 Letting go of rigid food beliefs
• 06:30 Making better choices when your environment isn’t ideal
• 08:00 Using convenience foods as a tool, not a failure
• 09:00 Building habits that work during stressful seasons
• 10:00 Small, realistic actions that still move you forward
• 11:30 Escaping the all-in, all-out pattern
• 12:00 Learning to trust “good enough” and keep going

Connect with me

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinrcollins/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kristin.collins
• Website: https://kristincollinshealthcoaching.com/

#HealthyHabits #ConsistencyOverPerfection #HealthyLifestyle