We end as we lived: real, funny, and unfiltered. In our finale, we model how to end something good in a healthy way. We talk about capacity, courage, and why saying "yes" to the next season sometimes means lovingly saying "no" to the current one. We reflect on what this show grew in each of us, share what's next (retreats, Liberation Modules, new podcasts, and programs), and leave you with resources to keep going. We're not disappearing; we're just changing the container.

Big Ideas & Takeaways
Healthy endings are a skill. Quitting isn't failure; it's a values-based boundary. Endings deserve clarity, care, and gratitude.
Capacity is real. Every "yes" is also a "no." You can do many things, just not all of them well at once.
Truth beats polish. Dropping the expert mask and telling the messy truth deepened our practice and connection.
Recovery lives in seasons. A single year can hold relapse, repair, loss, joy, and growth. Self-compassion keeps us in the game.
Community regulates. Being seen and accompanied is nervous-system medicine. Don't white-knuckle alone.
Follow the energy. Passion projects can be bridges to the next right thing. Notice what lights up your body, and go there.
Leave with a bow. End before resentment. Miss it a little. That's how you know you honored it.

Notable Quotes
"You can do it all… you just can't do it all well."
"This isn't a breakup; it's a season shift."
"Truth over PowerPoint."
"We're ending it while we love it."
"Take off the expert mask; keep the human."

What's Next & Where to Find Us
Clarissa & Molly P. — Sweet Sobriety https://www.sweetsobriety.ca

IG: @sweet_sobriety Facebook Group: Sweet Sobriety Disordered Eating & Food Addiction Support Community
You'll still hear us on the Food Junkies Podcast, including Clinician's Corner (monthly with Clarissa & Molly P.).

Molly Carmel
The Daily Ascent: weekday micro-episodes on mindset/spiritual practice (on all platforms + YouTube).
Stop Starting Over System: 12-week open-enrollment program, opening Dec 8.
IG: @mollycarmel • Site: MollyCarmel.com

Resources Mentioned
Food Junkies Holiday Series (podcasts + 3 hours of YouTube bonus Q&A) Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year triggers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe2h7Cn9kzo&t=1s

This week, the Food Shrinks are just plain tired—and they're talking about it. Not the kind of tired that a nap or a sleep hygiene checklist can fix, but the deeper exhaustion that comes from constantly giving, performing, and being "on."

Together, Molly, Clarissa, and Molly explore:
• The tug-of-war between push harder and please rest
• Why rest can feel unsafe or "lazy" to a dysregulated nervous system
• How hormones, overwork, and emotional load contribute to burnout
• The link between fatigue, food patterns, and self-worth
• Learning to rest without guilt—and without fearing you'll never get back up again
• Finding micro-moments of rest and joy that don't derail recovery
They share real stories about boundaries, people-pleasing, and those days when your body just says, "It's over, girl." This episode is a gentle permission slip to stop, breathe, and let rest be restorative rather than shame-inducing.
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What You'll Hear:
🧠 How nervous system states (sympathetic vs. parasympathetic) affect fatigue
🌧️ The hidden costs of overdoing, overgiving, and emotional labor
💤 Why "doing nothing" can feel threatening—and how to reframe it
🥗 How exhaustion can influence food use, cravings, and control
💛 Micro-rest, intentional recovery, and letting go of guilt
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Takeaways:
• Rest isn't laziness—it's nervous system repair.
• Doing the thing tired can sometimes help you thaw from freeze.
• Emotional fatigue needs compassion, not productivity hacks.
• Permission to rest is permission to recover.
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🎧 Listen, share, and join the conversation.
If this episode resonated, email your questions or topic requests to asktheshrinks@foodshrinks.com and hit subscribe to support the show and this growing recovery community.

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.

Today, we answer a listener who writes: "I'm grieving the foods I don't eat anymore—social stuff and celebrations are hard." The Food Shrinks open that door wider: grief in recovery isn't just about food—it's also the lost years, missed moments, and identities we're shedding. With humor and honesty, they explore how to honor grief without letting it become the story that drags you back.

What We Talk About
• Food grief vs. life grief: missing certain foods and mourning lost time, health, self-trust, and presence
• "Not enough / too much" feelings and how dysregulation, ADHD/RSD, and early messages amplify them
• Belonging cues & tradition: why cravings spike at holidays, patios, and summer rituals
• From shame to compassion: grief as a normal (and healthy) part of change
• Living amends: shifting focus to the life you're building now
• Feelings ≠ stories: noticing a longing without turning it into a relapse script
• Biopsychosocial-spiritual lens: why this isn't a 21-day habit swap

Key Takeaways
• Grief is allowed. Unacknowledged grief is riskier than naming it.
• Struggling ≠ failing. You're learning a new way to live.
• Let feelings pass. Don't let a moment of longing become a narrative.
• Rituals matter. Re-create connection and celebration without the substance.
• Progress over perfection. If you slip, the world doesn't end—stand back up kindly.

Quotes to Remember
• "Don't let a feeling become a story."
• "Just because you're struggling doesn't mean you're failing."
• "Unacknowledged grief keeps us stuck; acknowledged grief moves with us."

Keep in Touch
💌 Questions or topic ideas? asktheshrinks@foodshrinks.com
If this episode helped, please subscribe and leave a quick review—it helps others find recovery and hope.

The content of our show is educational only. It does not supplement or supersede your healthcare provider's professional relationship and direction. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified mental health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, substance use disorder, or mental health concern.