401: Breaking Free from Food and Exercise Obsession with Sabrina Magnan

In the world of fitness and health, it's easy to get caught up in the relentless cycle of "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts"—a constant tug-of-war between societal expectations and personal pressures. As a running coach and physical therapist, I’ve worked with countless athletes who push themselves to the limit, believing that more discipline, more restriction, or more miles are the answer to peak performance and well-being. But here’s the truth: real health isn’t about punishment—it’s about nourishment, balance, and joy.

Recently, I had the privilege of speaking with Sabrina Magnan, an intuitive eating and food freedom coach, and our conversation reaffirmed what I’ve long believed—our relationship with food and fitness should be built on intention, not fear.

The Fine Line Between Discipline and Obsession

Sabrina shared her personal journey of battling disordered eating and overtraining. As a former synchronized swimmer and a highly driven, perfectionist-type athlete, she developed an identity around discipline and control. What started as a desire to be "healthy" spiraled into a rigid and restrictive way of eating, fueled by diet culture and external validation.

One of the key takeaways from our conversation was the distinction between disordered eating and a clinically diagnosed eating disorder. Many people assume that if they don’t meet the medical criteria for an eating disorder, they’re fine. However, behaviors like obsessing over calories, feeling guilt around food choices, using exercise as punishment, or constantly striving for an ideal body image are all signs of disordered eating that can have significant physical and emotional consequences.

How Diet Culture Fuels Unhealthy Behaviors

One of the most eye-opening parts of our conversation was discussing how normalized disordered behaviors are in the fitness and running world. Restricting food, tracking every calorie, labeling foods as "good" or "bad," and even glorifying overtraining are deeply embedded in our culture.

For many runners, the fear of weight gain or "not doing enough" leads to excessive exercise and under-fueling. Sabrina reflected on how, during her own struggles, she would ignore her body's signals—running through injuries, skipping meals, and letting food anxiety control her social life.

Shifting to a Mindset of Self-Care and Intention

So how do we break free from these harmful patterns?

Intention is everything. 

Sabrina explained that the key to healing our relationship with food and exercise is to shift our mindset from control and fear to one of self-care and self-trust.

Rather than asking, "How little can I eat today?" or "How much can I burn off?"—a healthier approach is to ask, "What does my body need to feel strong, energized, and nourished?"

For runners, this means fueling properly, prioritizing protein and carbohydrates for performance, and listening to their body when it needs rest. It also means letting go of rigid rules and embracing flexibility and balance in both nutrition and training.

Redefining Success

A major part of Sabrina’s journey—and something we encourage in Running Reconnected—is unlearning what society has taught us about health and redefining what success means. Many of us have been conditioned to believe that discipline, restriction, and pushing through pain equals achievement. But real success is about feeling good in your body, honoring its needs, and being able to enjoy life without guilt or anxiety.

Sabrina shared how spending time in Italy helped her break free from diet culture. There, she experienced a culture that values food as joy, movement as pleasure, and health as a holistic experience—not a strict set of rules. This experience planted the seed for her to start making changes in her own life and ultimately led her to help others do the same.

Breaking Free and Finding Joy in Running

As runners, we often put so much pressure on ourselves—on our pace, our weight, our diet, and our performance. But true progress comes when we learn to run in a way that feels good, eat in a way that fuels us, and live in a way that brings us joy.

If you've been feeling stuck in the cycle of food obsession or overtraining, know that there is another way. You don’t have to constantly be at war with your body. You don’t have to earn your food through exercise. You don’t have to push through pain to be successful.

Instead, ask yourself: What if I approached my training and nutrition with love, rather than fear?

If you resonated with this episode, take a moment to check in with yourself:

• Are your food and exercise choices coming from a place of self-care or self-punishment?

• Are you listening to your body’s signals or ignoring them?

• Are you willing to unlearn the "rules" that diet culture has ingrained in you?

If you're looking for more guidance, connect with Sabrina on Instagram at @Sabrina.Magnan.Health or check out her podcast, Live Unrestricted.

And as always, if you’re ready to take a smarter, more sustainable approach to running and nutrition, check out our Running Reconnected program, where we help women over 40 train in a way that fuels their body, builds strength, and improves performance—without the burnout.

Let’s redefine success together! 🚀