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Leave me a voicemail here: Speakpipe.com/TheFatigueFixerIn this episode of The Fatigue Fixer, Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur explores the hidden costs of self-optimization and productivity culture in today’s wellness world. From diet trends and self-help books to hydration hacks and weight management products, she unpacks how marketing convinces us we’re never doing enough.
Through personal stories and listener insights, Sarah shares how this constant pressure leads to burnout, body dissatisfaction, and shame. She offers practical tips for navigating body changes in perimenopause and midlife, overcoming internalized weight stigma, and building simple, sustainable habits that support real health and self-acceptance.
If you’re ready to break free from diet culture and endless self-help trends, this episode will help you find balance, contentment, and a healthier way to care for yourself.
What We Cover- The Myth of Perfect Optimization
Why every sip, step, and sleep metric doesn’t need a hack; how normal human changes are being medicalized and sold back to us.
- Productivity & Expectations
The planner-buying loop, self-help books (often written by men, consumed by women), and how unrealistic cultural narratives—not your willpower—drive burnout.
- Listener Q&A: Weight Gain & Self-Acceptance (Rebecca)
A 5-step reflection to identify what you’re really seeking (comfort, calm, confidence) and to focus on feelings and habits over the scale.
- Reframing Body Changes
Bodies are meant to change with age; let labs and health outcomes—not shame—guide concern. How internalized weight stigma backfires.
- Habits Over Outcomes
Why the healthiest people keep it simple, consistent, and joyful instead of chasing every trend.
Key Takeaways- Your body changing is normal; society’s expectations are the problem—not you.
- The self-help/wellness industries are massive businesses; stay skeptical of “optimization” as a cure-all.
- Internalized weight stigma harms health and hope; focus on well-being, not just weight.
- Consistency beats perfection: simple habits > shiny outcomes.
- Sometimes the healthiest choice is to simply be, not optimize.
Try This (Mini Homework)- Name the Need: When you want to “fix,” ask: What feeling am I chasing—comfort, calm, confidence, connection, control?
- One Gentle Habit: Choose one habit that supports that feeling (e.g., 10-minute walk for calm).
- Unfollow One Hype Account: Make space for your own intuition.
- Contentment Cue: Once a day, pause and say, “This is enough for today.”
Resources & Further ListeningWaist-to-hip & waist-to-height ratio info:BMI (body mass index) is a poor predictor of your personal health because it can both overestimate and underestimate your level of adiposity (fat...
